Find Your Subject With A Telephoto Lens
Aug 24, 2019 10:27:56 #
Ever have a hard time finding your subject with a telephoto lens? Check out my new video to make that problem a thing of the past :)
https://backcountrygallery.com/finding-your-subject-with-a-long-lens/
https://backcountrygallery.com/finding-your-subject-with-a-long-lens/
Aug 24, 2019 11:03:05 #
I use this technique all the time. I probably started out doing another way because I remember those days when it was hard or seemed impossible to get the subject in the viewfinder. I started out with a 100-400 zoom, so I got a lot of practice with this lighter and smaller lens but graduated to hand holding my 500mm lens. Even after a couple of years with the smaller lens, I found it difficult sometimes to acquire a bird in my viewfinder using my 500mm lens. Most of my friends that shot with big lenses would always get the shot, and I'd say "crap" I couldn't find the bird in my viewfinder. All I can say is practice, practice, practice.....
Aug 24, 2019 11:29:03 #
Aug 24, 2019 11:29:09 #
Aug 24, 2019 11:30:27 #
Steve Perry wrote:
Ever have a hard time finding your subject with a telephoto lens? Check out my new video to make that problem a thing of the past :)
https://backcountrygallery.com/finding-your-subject-with-a-long-lens/
https://backcountrygallery.com/finding-your-subject-with-a-long-lens/
Aug 24, 2019 12:52:13 #
alx
Loc: NJ
As always, great advice and well presented. Have all your books and HIGHLY recommend them.
Aug 24, 2019 13:09:13 #
Here is my solution. One Canon Rep tried my camera at an event once and when I saw him over a year later he was doing the same thing.
If I keep the Red Dot sight aligned with the center point I can shoot without looking through the lens and I have both eyes open for "situational awareness". If I am close enough (or the lens long enough-wish I could afford that problem) then I will switch to the viewfinder or just back off on the zoom to allow plenty of room for the subject or cropping for composition.
You don't need an expensive sight, no recoil to damage it. I even have a splitter so I can use a fill flash at the same time.
If I keep the Red Dot sight aligned with the center point I can shoot without looking through the lens and I have both eyes open for "situational awareness". If I am close enough (or the lens long enough-wish I could afford that problem) then I will switch to the viewfinder or just back off on the zoom to allow plenty of room for the subject or cropping for composition.
You don't need an expensive sight, no recoil to damage it. I even have a splitter so I can use a fill flash at the same time.
Aug 24, 2019 13:27:19 #
I have used Red Dot gunsights mounted in my cameras hotshoe for about 8 years now. Nothing faster nor more accurate when it comes to finding moving subjects with a long tele lens in the 500mm to 800mm ranges. instant and precise acquisition of the subject.
Here are my sights on the Canon 500mm F4 and the Nikon 600mm F4 lens setups. This works great with the lenses mounted on their gimbal heads, hand holding these beasts is nearly impossible with any functional control for more than one or two shots.
Here are my sights on the Canon 500mm F4 and the Nikon 600mm F4 lens setups. This works great with the lenses mounted on their gimbal heads, hand holding these beasts is nearly impossible with any functional control for more than one or two shots.
Aug 24, 2019 14:06:23 #
I've tried the sights before and never really liked them. They sort of force you to use the center area and I often move my AF point when the action starts (or when I know it's about to happen) to keep it more or less on the face area (ideally near the eye, but sometimes my coordination doesn't cooperate!). The sights make it hard. Plus, you can't see if the camera is missing critical focus - sometimes when I'm shooting action, if I see the camera is missing focus a bit, I can pump the AF button and re-acquire it.
I can see using them for really though subjects - like Kingfishers diving and such.
I can see using them for really though subjects - like Kingfishers diving and such.
Aug 25, 2019 08:33:01 #
Aug 25, 2019 09:01:38 #
Fotoserj wrote:
And the key word is practice, practice and practice more
It helps :)
However for static subjects, most people do catch on very quickly in my experience. I teach this technique in my workshops and most people have static subjects under control in a few minutes and by the end of the day they are very consistent. Action does take more practice of course, but it's worth it :)
Aug 25, 2019 13:33:27 #
Steve Perry wrote:
Ever have a hard time finding your subject with a telephoto lens? Check out my new video to make that problem a thing of the past :)
https://backcountrygallery.com/finding-your-subject-with-a-long-lens/
https://backcountrygallery.com/finding-your-subject-with-a-long-lens/
Watched the video. Thanks, Steve, you are an excellent instructor. Gotta get your books. Again, thanks.
Aug 25, 2019 15:54:50 #
Steve Perry wrote:
I've tried the sights before and never really like... (show quote)
I use the sight to get the subject and then drop my eye down to the viewfinder, takes less than a second. Once you have the subject unless it is moving too fast or erratically just track it in the viewfinder and adjust away to your hearts content.
If something is fairly close or large and not moving I will skip the sight but something like a bird in flight or a plane going over using the viewfinder only can fail more than not. An airport a few miles from me has a War Birds museum and they often go over (plus my house and three others on the block have pools and gives the pilots a bright blue turning point to use). Even a formation of planes can be very hard to find in that big sky.
Aug 25, 2019 16:05:28 #
robertjerl wrote:
I use the sight to get the subject and then drop m... (show quote)
More than one way to skin a cat :) Whatever works for you is cool, just sharing my methods.
For me and the kind of work I do, the sights are trying to solve a problem I just don't have. Using the technique in the video, I have zero difficulty finding 99% of my subjects - only the very fastest give me trouble (i.e. like a diving kingfisher for instance). I have even used it successfully on even things like swallows and sanderlings in flight. Slower stuff is a slam dunk.
Aug 25, 2019 16:26:20 #
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