p.86 #1 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
nmerc_photos wrote:
Hello Robert,
I have lent my Pungo 125s and 140s to older retired friends, and they have had the same issue getting out. So you are not alone there! A sit on top kayak would in theory be easier to get in and out of.
When I'm exiting mine, I usually swing my body so that both of my legs are outside the kayak on the left side, and then I push out and stand up.
What do you mean by "Do your loons have no problem tolerating the sight of the blade that its out of water and high?"? Blade meaning kayak paddle?
In general - after about the first week of birth when the babies are very new, the loons are very tolerant of everything. This is an all sports lake, so they are subjected to jet skis, pontoons, bass boats, speed boats, kayaks, paddleboards, etc. I think they recognize that most humans are not a threat, and they don't mind. ...Show more →
Hi Nick and thank you.
Yes, they become conditioned to people not threatening them. It was not always that way. When I was a boy they would not allow a human nearer than say...... 200 yards.
I edited my first post to you, to clarify/correct what I was asking about using a kayak paddle near loons.
p.86 #5 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
George DeCamp wrote:
Here is a selection from this mornings walk in the park!
Very nice set of photos. I have a 800mm too, but have not had much of an opportunity to use it yet. I did notice from your photos and some posted by others, using high iso, but the phots look great. It is a tribute to the technological capabilities of our latest gear.
p.86 #7 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
Laslo Varadi wrote:
Very nice set of photos. I have a 800mm too, but have not had much of an opportunity to use it yet. I did notice from your photos and some posted by others, using high iso, but the phots look great. It is a tribute to the technological capabilities of our latest gear.
Thanks very much and also I did use Topaz for noise!
p.86 #9 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
I use a Dave Scadden pontoon boat Skyskomish sunrise. It allows standing up and using an electric motor if you don't want to row. 101/2 ' Easy to get in and out. I use it for running rivers for steelhead fishing, so is very stable.
p.86 #16 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
I’ve owned my 800 for a year or so and am wondering if anyone has experience a drop in apparent resolution? The lens appears to be AF’ing ok, and the subjects’ eyes are sharp, but I’m noticing a general drop off in apparent contrast and acutance. While I’ll have to experiment on a tripod and with some test subjects, I’m wondering if the VR might be a potential issue. It’s not atmospherics and many of the subjects are close to mfd (yes, I’m using full on the limiter). This afternoon I was shooting the 800 side by side with the 186 and the later’s images appeared to have better contrast and resolution. Something has changed, and I can’t quite put my finger on it.
p.86 #17 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
armd wrote:
I’ve owned my 800 for a year or so and am wondering if anyone has experience a drop in apparent resolution? The lens appears to be AF’ing ok, and the subjects’ eyes are sharp, but I’m noticing a general drop off in apparent contrast and acutance. While I’ll have to experiment on a tripod and with some test subjects, I’m wondering if the VR might be a potential issue. It’s not atmospherics and many of the subjects are close to mfd (yes, I’m using full on the limiter). This afternoon I was shooting the 800 side by side with the 186 and the later’s images appeared to have better contrast and resolution. Something has changed, and I can’t quite put my finger on it....Show more →
p.86 #18 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
armd wrote:
I’ve owned my 800 for a year or so and am wondering if anyone has experience a drop in apparent resolution? The lens appears to be AF’ing ok, and the subjects’ eyes are sharp, but I’m noticing a general drop off in apparent contrast and acutance. While I’ll have to experiment on a tripod and with some test subjects, I’m wondering if the VR might be a potential issue. It’s not atmospherics and many of the subjects are close to mfd (yes, I’m using full on the limiter). This afternoon I was shooting the 800 side by side with the 186 and the later’s images appeared to have better contrast and resolution. Something has changed, and I can’t quite put my finger on it....Show more →
I personally have not noticed any drop in performance and the results by others in this post as well as by others who owned this lens seem to confirm my experience. Your observations on the difference between the two lenses may be due to the difference in focal length (800 vs 600). Heat haze is a bigger issue at longer focal lengths I think. Handling a longer and larger lens introduces more complications also.
p.86 #19 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
nmerc_photos wrote:
Important to note - the Osprey pics are standing just outside my car, right next to a fairly busy road. The loon pics are the ones from a kayak.
I started kayaking for the first time ever in my life last year. a close friend convinced me to go out and "risk" my R5 + RF 100-500, which I thought was crazy at the time (~$5K)! Shortly after, she convinced me to bring the R5 + RF 600 F4! Even crazier!
I made sure to spend enough money on a quality kayak. I am a big fan of the Wilderness System Pungo Kayaks. They retail for around $1200 or something, but I've found them used as cheap as $250. They are stable, and hold my weight well.
I looked at numerous kayaks, prices, weights, etc. and the Pungo 125 is my kayak of choice.
The most dangerous part of kayaking with camera gear, is getting into and exiting the kayak. I use a 55L dry bag to keep the camera and lens inside of when loading, and when paddling to my location. The camera only comes out when I am near the loons. At that point, I just rest it inside the kayak
