Douglas Liu wrote:
Geoff, thank for the picture. I didn't see the hood for the 600 GM? I have already bought the Lenscoat, Kirk foot and the 80mm hood from @buffalowolf, (Jon), beautiful work.
The hood does fit reversed in both of the bags. My hood is packed away in the hard case which is in the Sony cardboard box. I use Jon's short hood (the really short version). In my Ajna I can actually keep the hood in shooting position and still squeeze it in but it does stretch the ICU somewhat. Still works though. I think in the GuraGear the short hood would be best reversed.
Full frame images, without Topaz Denoise processing. Sans crop, I'm enjoying the C1 grain in some of the higher ISO images.
PS: who knew chickadees had forked tongues?
arbitrage wrote:
Just another rainy day in the backyard....yawn....the only thing that will make this exciting is doing it all over again with the Alpha 1
At least your backyard has some green in it. Everything is brown here, and I have about 10,000 shots of house finches.
A question for those fortunate to have the 600mm GM and use it beyond a short distance to the car / house / backpack. . . as I fall into the category of "someday I'll be able to add this to my kit", the posts on the backpacks were interesting and helpful. But what about the outings when you're carrying the camera/lens combo when out birding or in search of other subjects on foot once at a location? If not on a tripod (for the popular "over the shoulder" carrying method) do you carry it it handheld / shoulder strap? I can walk for miles with that setup with the 100-400mm, but the additional size and weight of the 600 f4 has me curious about it's practicality. I prefer handheld for birding, so I am wondering if users are able to reasonably work that way. Thank you for any input based on your experiences. On a side note, the images in this thread are incredible and inspiring.
pixelho wrote:
A question for those fortunate to have the 600mm GM and use it beyond a short distance to the car / house / backpack. . . as I fall into the category of "someday I'll be able to add this to my kit", the posts on the backpacks were interesting and helpful. But what about the outings when you're carrying the camera/lens combo when out birding or in search of other subjects on foot once at a location? If not on a tripod (for the popular "over the shoulder" carrying method) do you carry it it handheld / shoulder strap? I can walk for miles with that setup with the 100-400mm, but the additional size and weight of the 600 f4 has me curious about it's practicality. I prefer handheld for birding, so I am wondering if users are able to reasonably work that way. Thank you for any input based on your experiences. On a side note, the images in this thread are incredible and inspiring....Show more →
What one is partly paying for with this and the Canon 600 III is the light weight. It can be carried and shot without tripod quite easily, but it all depends on one's own physical size, strength and abilities. I carry mine by the foot a lot, but also tuck the camera & lens under an arm, and then switch back & forth with those two methods to avoid fatigue.
pixelho wrote:
A question for those fortunate to have the 600mm GM and use it beyond a short distance to the car / house / backpack. . . as I fall into the category of "someday I'll be able to add this to my kit", the posts on the backpacks were interesting and helpful. But what about the outings when you're carrying the camera/lens combo when out birding or in search of other subjects on foot once at a location? If not on a tripod (for the popular "over the shoulder" carrying method) do you carry it it handheld / shoulder strap? I can walk for miles with that setup with the 100-400mm, but the additional size and weight of the 600 f4 has me curious about it's practicality. I prefer handheld for birding, so I am wondering if users are able to reasonably work that way. Thank you for any input based on your experiences. On a side note, the images in this thread are incredible and inspiring....Show more →
About 2 years ago I was at Point Reyes in Northern California. I still used a Canon 600mm f/4.0 Mark II back then before the GM became available. That lens was some 2-pound heavier than the GM. I took that lens using its own strap and my GM 100-400mm using its own strap and a body for each. I carried both over my shoulder and a tripod. We tried to photograph bobcats one day and we trekked for over 4 miles. At times the gear was pretty much shoot ready on the tripod. I didn’t fell strong enough that I couldn’t handhold that lens plus camera. So, I had to use a tripod back then. It was a tiring event but I slept well that night .
Now, the GM is not only some 2-pound lighter but the weight distribution is better and encouraging more handholding for better tracking since the center of gravity is closer to the camera mount. Although I still basically prefer using tripod for stationary targets but for moving, such as BIF, targets, I use my harness support, not only to get the setup a little steadier but to minimize hand fatigue while waiting for the action to take place.
I assembled my harness support myself using a camera double strap and a “cup” that was a part of a bag to carry the ends of tripod. The gear is mounted on a monopod head and the other end of the monopod is inserted in the “cup”. I still use the strap as an added safety and also to let the setup “hanging” within an easy grasp from me. It is difficult to explain the setup here. There was another photographer that had a similar setup and he posted his experience on youtube. But I couldn’t find that right now. Sorry.
pixelho wrote:
A question for those fortunate to have the 600mm GM and use it beyond a short distance to the car / house / backpack. . . as I fall into the category of "someday I'll be able to add this to my kit", the posts on the backpacks were interesting and helpful. But what about the outings when you're carrying the camera/lens combo when out birding or in search of other subjects on foot once at a location? If not on a tripod (for the popular "over the shoulder" carrying method) do you carry it it handheld / shoulder strap? I can walk for miles with that setup with the 100-400mm, but the additional size and weight of the 600 f4 has me curious about it's practicality. I prefer handheld for birding, so I am wondering if users are able to reasonably work that way. Thank you for any input based on your experiences. On a side note, the images in this thread are incredible and inspiring....Show more →
I do what Colin does, hold it at my side by the foot, swap arms from time to time and then sometimes just cradle it.
I have in the past actually hooked up a BR or PD strap to the big lens but I'm always cautious and keep a hand lightly on the foot just in case the strap fails (which BR connectors are famous for...never happened to me though).
pixelho wrote:
A question for those fortunate to have the 600mm GM and use it beyond a short distance to the car / house / backpack. . . as I fall into the category of "someday I'll be able to add this to my kit", the posts on the backpacks were interesting and helpful. But what about the outings when you're carrying the camera/lens combo when out birding or in search of other subjects on foot once at a location? If not on a tripod (for the popular "over the shoulder" carrying method) do you carry it it handheld / shoulder strap? I can walk for miles with that setup with the 100-400mm, but the additional size and weight of the 600 f4 has me curious about it's practicality. I prefer handheld for birding, so I am wondering if users are able to reasonably work that way. Thank you for any input based on your experiences. On a side note, the images in this thread are incredible and inspiring....Show more →
I have not had this lens long, but I have had telephoto lenses for years and shot with almost all of the Canon big whites. I always carry a big lens in bag similar to the Lowepro Lens Trekker 600 AW, but if I expect to be using the lens, I carry it by the foot. When I switch hands I make sure that both hands have a grasp on the lens during the transition. I have never dropped one over many years, and hopefully that trend will continue. I would be open to using a strap but everything I have tried, or considered, is just too "fiddly" for me.
pixelho wrote:
A question for those fortunate to have the 600mm GM and use it beyond a short distance to the car / house / backpack. . . as I fall into the category of "someday I'll be able to add this to my kit", the posts on the backpacks were interesting and helpful. But what about the outings when you're carrying the camera/lens combo when out birding or in search of other subjects on foot once at a location? If not on a tripod (for the popular "over the shoulder" carrying method) do you carry it it handheld / shoulder strap? I can walk for miles with that setup with the 100-400mm, but the additional size and weight of the 600 f4 has me curious about it's practicality. I prefer handheld for birding, so I am wondering if users are able to reasonably work that way. Thank you for any input based on your experiences. On a side note, the images in this thread are incredible and inspiring....Show more →
Due to the cost of the lens I have instituted a carrying system that addresses multiple points of failure . I have 4 Peak anchors attached at various places on the foot and the lens. I have the wrist strap for situations where I need quick movement and the use the peak "seat belt" strap for situations where I am walking longer distances. But at all times both are connected to the lens and to me. Also have a Custom SLR Glide One that I just started experimenting with
pixelho wrote:
A question for those fortunate to have the 600mm GM and use it beyond a short distance to the car / house / backpack. . . as I fall into the category of "someday I'll be able to add this to my kit", the posts on the backpacks were interesting and helpful. But what about the outings when you're carrying the camera/lens combo when out birding or in search of other subjects on foot once at a location? If not on a tripod (for the popular "over the shoulder" carrying method) do you carry it it handheld / shoulder strap? I can walk for miles with that setup with the 100-400mm, but the additional size and weight of the 600 f4 has me curious about it's practicality. I prefer handheld for birding, so I am wondering if users are able to reasonably work that way. Thank you for any input based on your experiences. On a side note, the images in this thread are incredible and inspiring....Show more →
I carry mine for very long periods using a blackrapid strap with a QD connector, and a kirk lens foot. I tend to still hold on via the lens foot but I don't carry any load that way, and it mostly prevents it from swinging about. I know RRS now has a foot out as well with the QD socket. I also 3d printed a little rounded piece that clips to the opposite side of my kirk foot to contour my fingers and make it more comfortable. I store and haul it in the lens trekker 600 awii
