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07-01-2008, 08:32 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Scunthorpe, Nth Lincs
Posts: 1,611
| | | Re: Rufford Park and Sherwood Forest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glsammy  Your lovely 400mm lens has left me with a real predicament. It's convinced me I want to upgrade, but I'm still not sure which way to go!   | 300mm f/2.8 ?? 
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07-01-2008, 08:37 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Small North Lincolnshire village
Posts: 6,871
| | | Re: Rufford Park and Sherwood Forest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glsammy I've joined them up Roger. 
I'm pleased you set up worked, I knew it did from viewing them on your camera.
I'm also chuffed with my little diffuser. It worked a treat. No harsh flash reflections and a pretty decent flash range. I can see that being on permanently. Just about every shot I took was spot on, apart from the few I took without the flash on!
Your lovely 400mm lens has left me with a real predicament. It's convinced me I want to upgrade, but I'm still not sure which way to go! | Always a difficult decision Graham but I'm sure you will come to one eventually. I can see my next purchase being a diffuser for when I'm doing close up shots from the house windows. The Better Beamer being more advantage at longer range like the Moorhen and Coot I posted.
I'm well impressed with that diffuser of yours, think it gave a bit more natural looking shot at close range than the Beamer did.
Roger |
07-01-2008, 08:38 PM
|  | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,912
| | | Re: Rufford Park and Sherwood Forest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mh68 You can see the difference in sharpness with these Graham (just posted a comment on your Tufted Duck shot in the gallery to that effect). Youre doing well with the Water Rails too, theyre always moving too fast for me to get a pic when I see one
Mark H | This is my special Water Rail Mark. I keep it under wraps until my photography chums come, then it displays privately for us.
That's actually not far from the truth either! |
07-01-2008, 08:39 PM
| | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,912
| | | Re: Rufford Park and Sherwood Forest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tormentil 300mm f/2.8 ?? | In my dreams Ben! I would if I could lift it.  |
07-01-2008, 08:43 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: SE Northumberland
Posts: 2,164
| | | Re: Rufford Park and Sherwood Forest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glsammy This is my special Water Rail Mark. I keep it under wraps until my photography chums come, then it displays privately for us.
That's actually not far from the truth either! | A trained performing Water Rail...I`m impressed
Mark H |
07-01-2008, 08:43 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Scunthorpe, Nth Lincs
Posts: 1,611
| | | Re: Rufford Park and Sherwood Forest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glsammy In my dreams Ben! | You start with a letter:-
Dear Handsome, intellectual, debonair Bank Manager.......
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07-01-2008, 08:46 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Scunthorpe, Nth Lincs
Posts: 1,611
| | | Re: Rufford Park and Sherwood Forest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mh68 A trained performing Water Rail...I`m impressed
Mark H | Its true Mark. I was bowled over. So close to such a secretive bird.
If only it would have taken its hair net off.
__________________ Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. Nature Photo's |
07-01-2008, 08:46 PM
| | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,912
| | | Re: Rufford Park and Sherwood Forest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tormentil You start with a letter:-
Dear Handsome, intellectual, debonair Bank Manager....... | Does he do back supports?? I knew it was the listening bank, I never dreamed it was also the healing bank!
If I could lift it I'd buy one. Just don't let the Mrs. see this.....  |
07-01-2008, 08:54 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: SE Northumberland
Posts: 2,164
| | | Re: Rufford Park and Sherwood Forest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tormentil Its true Mark. I was bowled over. So close to such a secretive bird.
If only it would have taken its hair net off. | I bet, the ones I`ve seen have always been doing Linford Christie impressions
Graham, just fork out a few quid more and buy a golf trolley or something to transport the lens around
Mark H |
07-01-2008, 08:57 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Scunthorpe, Nth Lincs
Posts: 1,611
| | | Re: Rufford Park
I presume the netting is to keep the geese or swans off the mini islands, until better established ??
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07-01-2008, 09:13 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 4,284
| | | Re: Rufford Park
nice shots chaps and I'm glad to see you're happy with your flash set-ups.
Graham, the 400 f5.6 lens is a lovely lens to use isn't it. As soon as I had a go with one I knew it was the lens for me.
I think the 300 f4 is also a very nice lens and obviously has the benefit of IS, but I've read that, once a 1.4 converter is fitted (and I'm sure it would be fitted most of the time for bird photography), the AF isn't quite as quick as the 400 f5.6.
Matt |
07-01-2008, 09:34 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Scunthorpe, Nth Lincs
Posts: 1,611
| | | Re: Rufford Park
We forgot the new species we found. The rare Bald Dunnock. 
__________________ Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. Nature Photo's |
07-01-2008, 09:38 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: SE Northumberland
Posts: 2,164
| | | Re: Rufford Park
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tormentil We forgot the new species we found. The rare Bald Dunnock. | ROFL!! its Max Wall reincarnated as a Dunnock very unusual pic to say the least Tormentil.
Mark H |
07-01-2008, 09:39 PM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Small North Lincolnshire village
Posts: 6,871
| | | Re: Rufford Park
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tormentil We forgot the new species we found. The rare Bald Dunnock. | I didn't know whether to laugh or feel sorry when I first saw it Ben. Can't see it having much hope of finding a mate looking like that, guess I came down on the sorry side in the end.
Roger |
07-01-2008, 09:42 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 4,284
| | | Re: Rufford Park
I was firmly on the feeling sorry for it side too until I read Mark's Max Wall comment
But seriously, the poor thing doesn't look too well does it. I've never seen that on a Dunnock before.
Matt |
07-01-2008, 09:47 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: SE Northumberland
Posts: 2,164
| | | Re: Rufford Park
Yes, despite looking funny the shot does have a sad side to it too. Any idea what would cause something like that? or is it predator damage do you think?
Mark H |
07-01-2008, 09:56 PM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Small North Lincolnshire village
Posts: 6,871
| | | Re: Rufford Park
Wouldn't have much idea what caused it Mark but it did seem more healthy than the photo suggests. It was foraging around on the floor picking up the spilt seed and behaving much the same as a healthy looking Dunnock would.
Could be a feather mite problem, would have thought if a predator had done that much feather loss it would probably have killed it or died of shock.
Maybe it's been scrapping with another male. I've seen them going hammer and tongue at it in my garden in the past.
Roger |
07-01-2008, 10:00 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: SE Northumberland
Posts: 2,164
| | | Re: Rufford Park
Yes, thinking about it youre right re. a predator, the shock would likely have killed it if the actual attack didnt. Good to know it was still feeding and active.
Mark H |
07-01-2008, 10:00 PM
| | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,912
| | | Re: Rufford Park
Rogers right, it was behaving perfectly normally. That head is completely bald though, I was wondering how it might survive if the weather turns really cold. |
07-01-2008, 10:02 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Scunthorpe, Nth Lincs
Posts: 1,611
| | | Re: Rufford Park
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ollie Wouldn't have much idea what caused it Mark but it did seem more healthy than the photo suggests. It was foraging around on the floor picking up the spilt seed and behaving much the same as a healthy looking Dunnock would. | I got a Blue Tit with a similar condition last summer (sic). 
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07-01-2008, 10:06 PM
| | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,912
| | | Re: Rufford Park
Quote:
Originally Posted by matt_xyz nice shots chaps and I'm glad to see you're happy with your flash set-ups.
Graham, the 400 f5.6 lens is a lovely lens to use isn't it. As soon as I had a go with one I knew it was the lens for me.
I think the 300 f4 is also a very nice lens and obviously has the benefit of IS, but I've read that, once a 1.4 converter is fitted (and I'm sure it would be fitted most of the time for bird photography), the AF isn't quite as quick as the 400 f5.6.
Matt | Yes, I'm sure your right. IS doesn't do much for me, as I use a monopod I can use that for shutter speeds as low as 1/30 sec and get good results. I've been happy with the performance of my Bigma in that regard, so I should be more than happy with the 400mm. F5.6.
I've read on many forums which of these to choose, the consensus usually comes down to the 300mm + 1.4x TC..mainly because it's got IS. IS isn't much help if you've missed the shot because of slower focusing though!
The ones usually doing the recommending of course don't actually own one!  |
07-01-2008, 10:12 PM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Small North Lincolnshire village
Posts: 6,871
| | | Re: Rufford Park
Remember as well Graham the 400mm f5.6 does take a 1.4 tc pretty well especially in good lighting conditions and the taping pins trick works if you want to keep auto focus. Mind you that's not much help with the conditions we have had recently. Anyway I will say no more because obviously I'm biased towards it.
Roger | |
