Had an hour free so played with my Sigma @ 600mm

gpa

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Hand an hour free so I popped down to my local lake and though i would try my Sigma 100-300 with a 2x converter:eek: it actually performed quite well but also proved to me it is time for it to go and a fast lens to replace it.

Shooting High Iso and F8 and above in mixed lighting just allowed me to get away with it. On a dull day it would have been game over.

Still here ya go.




Shot low down light was this loverly dark blue




 
Can’t see a lot wrong with those captures, some people are never satisfied! Lol
 
Can’t see a lot wrong with those captures, some people are never satisfied! Lol


Thanks the Swan pics where spot metered so gave me enough light and gave me that dark background I like so much. However moving over to subjects in tree or bushes I suddenly am left really struggling for light. The other issue is that my Sigma will not auto focus when using the "x converter, but bizarrely when I added my 1.4x extender too it started to auto focus(well tried LOL)

The issue for me really is I want the length ie 600mm and also want the Iso down and a reasonable shutter speed, all quite possible on a bright sunny day, but not when the lights gone in winter.

I have faffed about with various lens and in reality I should have bought a fast lens first and saved a few quid constantly chasing that clean shot.
 
I like the colour swan shot and the heron shots are also very good. I mean, a few years ago who would have thought shooting at ISO1600 would have been a viable option?
 
I agree it certainly has opened up photography in a big way, I am in the middle of supplying a load of prints to my local council for use in an up and coming show they are putting on for the Anton regeneration program and for Rooksbury as it has just gained nature reserve status. The odd photographer has called me a lier when i showed them some pics and told them they were shot at 1600 and above, one in particular of a kingfisher shot at 6400. The scary thing is the D3 is up a level again:eek:

I have a decent bonus coming from work and it looks like they may be buying a camera:D and lens as it is essential to work (not).

I am still trying to get that perfect picture of a king fisher and we now have a breeding pair of otters, although they are very timid and have only been seen a few times. However I have been talking to a couple who own a house oposit the lake by the river and they have seen them late at night and very early morning. They have said I can use their garden and I am trying to work out how I can rig up 3 SB's, D300 and some sort of trip switch and a nice peace of smelly fish. The only issue is leaving that lot out all night, I don't fancy sitting up:D
 
I like the colour swan shot and the heron shots are also very good. I mean, a few years ago who would have thought shooting at ISO1600 would have been a viable option?

Heron???:eek: Kingfisher more like, or is that how a Heron looks at ISO 1600 with a Nikon. I'd better rethink.
 
I like the colour swan shot and the heron shots are also very good. I mean, a few years ago who would have thought shooting at ISO1600 would have been a viable option?

John I think you will find that the Heron is a Kingfisher.
We do not get that many Kingfisher's in Acton unless we are in the local curry house. :D
 
John I think you will find that the Heron is a Kingfisher.
We do not get that many Kingfisher's in Acton unless we are in the local curry house. :D

OK, OK, we have a winner in the spot the prat competition! :rotfl:

In my defence - if you go to gpa's flickr pages there are a couple of nice heron shots :smashin:
 
Great shots indeed, i'd be more than happy with them and even more so with the Kingfisher ones, as never seen on let alone had the chance to photograph one...as far as I can remember anyway.

Good Work!!
 
I do like my Sigma 100-300 and have only tried it with a 1.4x extender with pretty decent results. Your shots look very good indeed.

I'm looking at getting a 2.8 as well - the 120-300 is in my sights and the lowest UK price I've seen so far is about £1460 which seems fairly decent. Are you looking at the same thing?
 
We have about 6-8 around the reserve and slowly i am starting to work out which area's they have their territory in, it seems every time I get great light they don't seem to be about and I can never get near them. As you say they are sooooooo difficult to catch, but I watched one the other night just before it got dark fishing and catching minnows, just did not have enough light to take a pic.

I am really resiting going down the hide route and camoing my camera and lens, mostly because I refuse to become a twitcher LOL but it may be the only way.
 
Hi Tobers, I have just missed a year old one mint for £900.00 (I spent to long thinking about my bank balance LOL), actually I was waiting for my 100-300 to come back from Sigma after my Earwig debacle and wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing.

I've got two options at the mo. I have a friend who works for Jessops and can get staff discount for family and friends so I should be able to get one for around £1200.00 or second hand.

I am pretty sure I will go with Jessops as i have heard the odd 120-300mm has problems so I need the ability to back it on them if needed.

I must admit I was surprised a the quality of these using the 2x and especially as it was not the best light today.

What I would really like is a 300 VR or 200-400VR Nikon but no way unless my numbers come in and I am a millionare, in which case I'll buy you one as well:D.

PS I also thought the 500mm 4.5 siggy may be a poss but do not know anyone who has one.

Cheers
 
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Great shots.Very jealous of the Kingfisher pics,been trying to get a decent one for months.
 
I am pretty sure I will go with Jessops as i have heard the odd 120-300mm has problems so I need the ability to back it on them if needed.

Sounds like a good plan. My first 100-300 was rubbish so I popped it back to Jessops for a replacement - easy as pie and no quibbles. Any chance your pal can get two of them?
 
I do like the Kingfisher (dwarf blue Heron) shots. :thumbsup:

Bizarrely, the local reserve where I shoot has them too, however, they've proven to be rather cunning. They have a 7th sense for when you've given up, at which point just a few minutes after you've gotten up, you hear that distinctive high pitched whistle and I swear if [-]herons[/-] kingfishers could give V signs... :D

I have come to a very similar conclusion, in that a fast telephoto prime is the next step up... however I have no idea on funding, or likely impending bonus that would be about £4k.

EDIT: Just looked at the higher res pics on your Flickr page... What is going on with the noise in there? Is that normal for ISO 1600?
 
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No its heavy crop for a start and flickr seems to have added a little noise.

Look at the Heron shot DSC_8402 on my flickr stream still cropped and at Iso 1600 and the kingfisher1 shot at 6400. Bear in mind I have not used NR.


Cheers
 
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Thanks Chas, keep persevering you will get one it just take a while:smashin:

Tobers

Will happily ask him if he would, although I cannot promise anything as he is not a long term friend, I met him beg of the year through photography at Rooksbury. I've bought a few things recently including a siggy 10-20mm. The good thing is that you end up paying less than import price and get full extended warranty. It might be nice if he agreed to buy 2 to bung him £50.00 each. That way if you want anything else :D

I'll PM you when I have had chance to talk to him.
 
Great Kingfisher shots. :thumbsup:
 

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