A stupid question...

[joeyao]

...for those who are blessed with super telephoto lenses like the 500mm f/4 or the 600mm f/4. How do you guys transport these heavy lenses in the field? Do you mount them on the tripod/monopod and lug them on your shoulders or do you carry the lens and tripod/monopod seperately and mount them only when you have a subject to shoot? Appreciate your feedback so that I may be able to make a better judgement as to whether I should go for the 300mm f/2.8 given my bad back condition. Thanks.

[skfoo]

joeyao,

For me, I mount the 500mm on the tripod and lug them on my shoulders in the field. There is also another mode of shooting with the 500mm and 600mm lens....through the car. Beside using window mount (like the one (WM-2) from Kirk), some of us placed the lens on tripod inside the car and shoot using the car as hide.

The super telephoto lenses (500mm and 600mm) from Nikon and Canon are equally good in my opinion. I do not think anyone will go wrong with either brand. However, the lenses (500mmf/4 and 600mmf/4) from Nikon is lighter (perhaps due to absence of VR/IS). When there is a chance, try to pick up a 500mm and feel the weight. It may not be as heavy as it looks. The long lens hood (mounted) give most people the impression that it is heavy.

We used to joke among ourselves about using Olympus when we can no longer carry these lenses. The 300mm lens can give the equivalent reach of 600mm on their current DSLR. But their sensor is smaller and their durability and dependability in the field remain to be tested.

Hope the above helps. :)

[harlequin]

1st you buy a 4WD

2nd you buy a car mount

3rd you buy a 600mm F4.

4th you go shoot as much as possible.

Just pulling your leg !

The 500mm or 600mm lens from both camps are very good.

600mm will give you better bokeh as compared to the 500mm.

Both these 2 lens are heavy and you need sturdy support.

My 600mm is mounted on a Wimberly Gimbal head on a Gitzo 1325 CF tripod.

Handholding both lens is possible but not for long.

[wkcheah76]

I just put some form of foam protection on the window of the vehicle. Gives me more manuverabilty, even though my van window is damn big. It takes some geting used to working from vehicle, especially when shooting with more than two people. For 600mm it sucks carrying it, even for me a Combat Engineer 30SCE (Field). But once you shoot with it, as Harl says, better bokeh anytime! 500mm can still walk around with it... 600mm not for long... you need to use it as artillary. 300mm f/4 + 1.4TC is small arms... :)

[Garion]

Hi Joe,

Though I myself do not own any of the super big tele lens (i.e 500mm, 600mm class), I can offer my own insight of the 300mm f2.8. The Canon version (non-IS) that I'm using now is quite a heavy lens, though it is shorter and not as bulky as its bigger brothers. It weight around 3kg with the hood. Plus the body and batt grip and perhaps a flash + flash bracket you are carrying around 4.5kg or so on your tripod, discounting the weight of your ballhead and Wimberley sidekick.

I usually stow my combo with hood reverse and body attached into a Lowepro MiniTrekker backpack (fits in just nicely). I've heard though that a bigger backpack (e.g NatureTrekker) is better for long term carrying around as the backpack is longer, has bigger more comfy shoulder straps and spreads the load more evenly over your upper/lower back. I've experienced shoulder strain and around upper body also when lugging my MiniTrekker around for a few hours at a time (weighing ard 6 or 7kg with all my barang barang inside).

Out in the field, I carry my gear mounted on my tripod slung over the shoulder with legs open, as per what the others had said. I use optech tripod wraps on my tripod (a center-columnless Gitzo CF) as padding for my shoulder, and can carry this combo quite comfortably around for a couple of hours at least.

For your case, you are driving so perhaps more than 50% of shooting can be done from inside your car, so invest in a car window mount might be a good option, as skfoo had mentioned. The 300mm f2.8 w/ converters is quite a handy size for a car window mount, its not too big or long as a 500mm/600mm to maneuver inside a vehicle. It can even be handheld for short period of time for flight shots. When carrying the 300mm + body without tripod, I hold it by the long lens plate/tripod collar mounting, carrying it around somewhat like you would do a bag.

Hope this helps!

[joeyao]

Thanks guys for your tips. Garion, ccplim, I must say this is a great forum for inexperience birders like me. I have learnt much from the experts here who are very willing to share their experiences, making my learning curve shorter.

[ccplim]

Thanks guys for your tips. Garion, ccplim, I must say this is a great forum for inexperience birders like me. I have learnt much from the experts here who are very willing to share their experiences, making my learning curve shorter.

Hi Joe,

Great to hear that you have benefited from our forum :) We hope our little effort here will benefit more people who are insterested in bird photography and also to create more nature awareness.

Nevertheless, we are not any experts. Rather, we are one that is exactly the same as you, one that is still learning :)

[MountainMan]

Hi Joe,

I think you have gotten loads of good advice from everybody in the forum. Here is my own 2 cents worth.

All of us shoot under a variety of conditions and hence that is why camera/lens company make money from us... they make us wanna have their full range of lens so we can choose the most optimal lens under the differing conditions. But if you are to only afford one lens like most of us, just ask yourself what kind of photographic technique u would most like be shooting most of the time. If u arre using a hide most of the time (whether it's car or non-mobile), then a big long lens would be ideal. Just remember that u may still have to hike some distance to your non-mobile hide in such.

If u are the kind that likes forest birds and mobility, then go for the fast shorter lenses. This option gives u the flexibility of a reasonably good lens with a TC attached when u need more reach.

What I suggest for u is really to go shoot with the rest and see their styles and methods, and determine what suits u best. Don't rush in getting ur baby.... it's just very silly to WTB then WTS on the CS Marketplace.

I am sure u know I recently purchase the 80-400VR from CalvinLo. This lens fits one specific niche for me... a small light lens to shoot forest animals (not just birds) in extremely harsh environmental conditions. I will not image myself lugging the 500mm around in the wet tropical jungle for days at ends. But the 500mm (Nikon versions at least) are light enough for u to be mobile (a combination with a carbon-fibre tripod weighs about 7 kg), and is also light enough for u to handhold if you are forced to do so. The 600mm would really drain u down unless u are as kelat as WKCheah! :p

[eric]

What I suggest for u is really to go shoot with the rest and see their styles and methods, and determine what suits u best. Don't rush in getting ur baby.... it's just very silly to WTB then WTS on the CS Marketplace.


Agree completely but still waiting for an official gathering leh... :blah:

[harlequin]

Agree completely but still waiting for an official gathering leh... :blah:
Why dont we start one this coming Good Friday holiday ?

I can volunteer my gears and share with the group here.

6am at my favourite longkang place ? :D

it has to be early if you want to be a nature photo shooter.

Don't rot in bed. :blah:

[Mervin]

yes, 6am is good.....but me have to work at that time.......

any evening shoots ????
:sweat: