"Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

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Archive 2011 · "Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

CarlG
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p.2 #1 · "Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

Is that guy peeing on his own car?

Dec 31, 2011 at 01:07 AM

gdsf2
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p.2 #2 · "Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

What is the obsession with "hand holding" all about? These are large lenses. A 500mm or 600mm is usually shot using a sturdy tripod and a Wimberely head. I know this because I went on a trip with three very well known nature/wildlife photographers and each of them shot this way. That was enough evidence for me. Your technique may differ...but I would suggest you should consider a good sturdy tripod and a nice head.

I am just saying...there seems to be tripod-phobia on this forum.

Jerry

Dec 31, 2011 at 06:56 PM

vachss
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p.2 #3 · "Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

gdsf2 wrote:
What is the obsession with "hand holding" all about? These are large lenses. A 500mm or 600mm is usually shot using a sturdy tripod and a Wimberely head. I know this because I went on a trip with three very well known nature/wildlife photographers and each of them shot this way. That was enough evidence for me. Your technique may differ...but I would suggest you should consider a good sturdy tripod and a nice head.

I am just saying...there seems to be tripod-phobia on this forum.

Jerry

I don't think any 500/4 user will argue that tripods don't improve results. I'd even bet that the most ardent 500-hand-holders own a good tripod/head system. It's just that the ability to shoot without a tripod greatly increases mobility and the range of shots to which we have access. I might hike a couple of miles over relatively level terrain with the 500 and its full support system. With just the bare lens, however, I can hike much further along rougher trails, much more easily track flying birds (and also, travel by air with only carry-on luggage).

Canon's image stabilization system really changed the rules of the game for long lens users. Why not take advantage of it?

Dec 31, 2011 at 08:23 PM

jcolwell
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p.2 #4 · "Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

What Fred said.

Dec 31, 2011 at 08:28 PM

InternetJunky
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p.2 #5 · "Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

I love my 600 dearly, but if I were thinking of buying one right now I'd wait for the next generation. The weight of the new 600 is considerably less than the current version, and for someone like me (who takes the lens hiking and kayaking) the weight becomes a real drain. My shoulders usually have bruises on them from slinging the lens/tripod over my shoulder while hiking.

Jan 01, 2012 at 05:56 AM

Rich Swanner
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p.2 #6 · "Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

Does anyone here use a monopod? They seem to use them at football games.

Edited on Jan 02, 2012 at 07:46 AM · View previous versions

Jan 01, 2012 at 06:09 AM

KINGOFKNGS
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p.2 #7 · "Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

My use of a monopod is dependent on how far I'm hiking. I use my 600 almost exclusively for birding, and I'm an equally avid birder, so I'm often hoping to see the bird. That often involves looking through my spotting scope. It's very nice to have the tripod where I can leave the camera by itself and not have to try to find a safe place to set it down, especially if I'm on the beach looking at gulls up close or distant birds on Lake Michigan. That said, I've usually thought the monopod would be equally effective in most of the bird photography I would do if that were the only thing I were attempting to do.

Where I've found the tripod to be invaluable is using live view on stationary birds. I've found that I don't always get absolutely precise focus when trusting the AF by itself and using live view allows for that.

Here are a couple recent shots with my 600 and 7D.

This is only the 6th or 7th record of a Say's Phoebe in Indiana:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

This is the first state record Calliope Hummingbird in Indiana: (ISO 1600, f/6.3, 1/125)

This image is copyrighted by the owner

1/800 5.6 ISO 200

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Jan 01, 2012 at 06:21 AM

Rich Swanner
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p.2 #8 · "Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

WOW!

Jan 01, 2012 at 06:42 AM

KINGOFKNGS
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p.2 #9 · "Old" 600 f/4L IS - WOW...

My 600 is a UN date code. I had a UW 500IS I had previously that I traded plus a little cash for the 600. In my experience, my 500 was just a tad sharper at f4 than the 600, otherwise I've found them to be remarkably similar in performance.

Jan 01, 2012 at 07:10 AM

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