Had a go today with what might be the best combination that can be placed in the hands of a photographer... D3s with a 600 f/4 VR II + 1.7 TC. I wanted to see what that would look like and it's pretty impressive. Here is my take...
Pros:
1) Absolutely no difference in AF responsiveness. None. It snaps just as it would bare assed.
2) IQ... I'll let you be the judge.
3) Backgrounds? What backgrounds?
Cons:
1) It's super tight. You're not going to get any real two person action unless it's way downfield. This can work okay for youth sales. For editorial... I'd at least mix it up with something on the looser side for a half.
2) Shots on goal are not in play with this combination.
Specs:
I shot two games over the last couple of days. Yesterday, a middle school game with some late afternoon sun and today some youth games with lighting that ranged from overcast to some soft sunlight. ISO ranged from about 800-2500. The 1.7 is really a true 1.6 (repeating) so wide open is f/6.7. Focal length was 1000mm, but on some, I threw it into crop mode just to see if I could go pole to pole and still fill a frame. For the most part, I camped out behind the end line and shot across the long field. Approximate location of action in each photo will be indicated by percentage, where exact midfield will be 50% of the field away from me. Finally, the most important... these are cropped minimally or not cropped at all other than to get it into an 8 x 10 AR. Other than that, it's out of camera with a levels pinch and thats it.
Paul....these are killers. The quality is remarkable. It sounds like there is a bit of an adjustment to get used to distance wise from you to the subject. You'll be getting some major "guns" lugging this combo around all summer. Can't wait to see what you'll bring back from Williamsport with this.
Awesome! Excellent series, that combo beats my old canon 600 4.0 w/1.6 combo, supersharp. I bet it was a beast to lug around at least to the field, seems like you camped out on the corner. Nice
I'm always impressed with the faces and eyes that you manage to get, regardless of whether you're 10 feet away or 100 yards away. Inspirational work as always.
dj dunzie wrote:
(Insert jaw drop emoticon here...)
#5... what more can you say. That right there is what would make 1000mm worth playing around with at least. Crazy, crazy cool shot.
Surprisingly buttery OOF too for having a 1.7x TC attached.
At what focal length do you think the sweet spot is for field LAX now Paul?
Deej... if I had my way, I'd keep this combo on the monopod and shoot 200-400 on the second body. That would allow me shots on goal and other action around the crease, which is missed with the 600 plus. 600 bare would miss it too.
Wow! awesome ... certainly a benchmark in all aspects for us newbies / rookies to strive to achieve. I had the opportunity to shoot with 300mm at the VT spring game and thought that was a beast - can only imagine the weight of this one.
Thanks for sharing.
BTW ... counting down days to the end of school? (my wife is ... )
All I can say is wow. Really impressive shots from almost every perspective. Really great work here and something for me to strive for. Now back to looking at my files .
'In Your Grill' does it again... killer shots, Paul. No question what these would look like blown up, and on someone's wall. If I were the dad of that kid in #5, I'd be breaking out the check book-- it would be a must-have.
Nice shots here, super sharp, great backgrounds, and nicely framed! I can see this range being an advantage in lots of ways but also a problem when the action gets within 40 yards of where you are standing. The dark side is looking better and better Good meeting you the other day!
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