Photography hides??

[Simon_P]

Originally Posted by wrogers

also how eefective are hides... as in what focal length do you end up using most (and what crop factor is your camera) as I am using my lounge window and my tree is 4-5M away and so my 150-500mm on my 1.6x crop camera is just about ok, but sharpness is not that great hence why I want ashorter prime (Canon 400mm F/5.6L or 300mm F/4 L IS)

thanks for the replies everyone

Will

Hides can be extremely effective. I have one of the WWS one's and it works a treat. Expensive but by far the best of the ones I've tested. I spent several days this spring photographing a Black Grouse Lek and the birds had no idea I was there from when they arrived to when they dispersed (I even had one brush past the hide as it flew into the Lek). Some sheep that wandered by were mildly suspicious but carried on as normal. Even a Buzzard landed not 20ft away from me.

The hide is just a big rock to most animals, however, some situations may require a little time for the hide to be left out to establish familiarity, especially if there is little vegetation nearby. A 300mm lens is a great focal length for hide work. I typically use a 300mm on a 1D Mark III (1.3x crop) and add an extender when necessary.

The Ameristep hides are reasonably good value but are very tall (the one I used to have was around 7ft) and doesn't blend in as well as some hides. They are quick to put up though.

[Tobyh]

I often use a bag hide, light, the ultimate in portability and they work. I've even had birds land on me.

Drawbacks are that they can be hot (i'm willing to suffer ) and that if it's a real still day you need to keep pretty still also. They are more for an hour here and there than being set up for a long time in my opinion.

Certainly makes a big difference when trying to get closer to your subject.

TobyH

[davetee]

Are all these hides waterproof? And what is the weight like for carrying some distance?

[Jim Ford]

Do hide users leave their hides out for several days, for the wildlife to get used to them? If so, isn't there a risk of the hide getting nicked or vandalised?

Jim

[Simon_P]

Originally Posted by davetee

Are all these hides waterproof? And what is the weight like for carrying some distance?

My Wildlife Watching Supplies one weighs a couple of KG's in its bag. I think the material is proofed and although it gets damp it keeps the rain out.

As for leaving the hide out, it depends where. If I have access to a private field away from footpaths where it won't be seen, then yes I would. Mostly though I always err on the side of caution and if necessary turn up at a site in the dark to set up so it's introduction isn't startling.