[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

I haven't had a chance to really test it yet on BIF or anything, but it seems perfectly zippy to me. Now keep in mind I always had the 1.4 on my 100-400. I won't really know until the end of September or October when the raptors start migrating back this way to really get a food feel. Claims like that are usually subjective and largely use based anyway. How it works on a football field is useless to me and how it tracks a hawk is worthless to a sports guy.

What I can say is it picks up hummingbirds and bees pretty well

Thanks for the info. I'm not buying it, seeing as how I have the 600/f4, but I recommend the 100-400mm to a lot of people.

Did you see the new 6600. I wish they'd upgrade the EVF. With my 6400, I have trouble tracking birds, when using the 6400 vs. my a9.

[Itsed65]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Thanks for the info. I'm not buying it, seeing as how I have the 600/f4, but I recommend the 100-400mm to a lot of people.

Did you see the new 6600. I wish they'd upgrade the EVF. With my 6400, I have trouble tracking birds, when using the 6400 vs. my A9.

I wouldn't hesitate in the least to recommend it for people wanting the reach. It is a relative bargain, and for Sony there is no 3rd party 150-600 like for the other brands, and I think it beats the Tamron or Sigma alternatives for Canikon hands down. There are some stunning images over on Fred Miranda from it.

Yeah I was really hoping form something better than a mild upgrade to the 6400. The bigger battery is nice and all, but I was hoping for a different form factor, with a front dial and joystick along with a center mounted viewfinder at least. IBIS for what I shoot isn't really a big deal. I saw nothing that will make me cancel my order for the 7RIV. I am interested to see how the crop mode works on that with the 200-600 mounted. I know it won't be at A9 level, but could still have some killer reach for perched birds and slower moving wildlife. I think we may have seen the last really high performance croppers with the D500 and 7D2. None of the companies seem to think that is a market worth pursuing.

[Itsed65]

A direct 1400 pix crop from A9 with the 200-600+1.4TC. 840mm ISO 500 f9@1/1250

Owl Profile by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

A direct 1400 pix crop from A9 with the 200-600+1.4TC. 840mm ISO 500 f9@1/1250

Nice shot!

Molting?

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

...

Yeah I was really hoping form something better than a mild upgrade to the 6400. The bigger battery is nice and all, but I was hoping for a different form factor, with a front dial and joystick along with a center mounted viewfinder at least. IBIS for what I shoot isn't really a big deal. I saw nothing that will make me cancel my order for the 7RIV. I am interested to see how the crop mode works on that with the 200-600 mounted. I know it won't be at A9 level, but could still have some killer reach for perched birds and slower moving wildlife. I think we may have seen the last really high performance croppers with the D500 and 7D2. None of the companies seem to think that is a market worth pursuing.

It IS a hell of a bargain for someone that wants into mirrorless interchangeable.

I was shooting this morning with a Canon friend. We've got matching rigs, but Sony vs. Canon, instead of the same brand. His EF 600/f4 III was nice, but balance was further forward than the Sony and the hood is unnecessarily large. He's bemoaning the unlikely 7D3 and fingers crossed that there's a pro mirrorless, with new sensor and performance to match the 1DX replacement. If that doesn't happen this winter, he's moving to Sony.

Dave

[Itsed65]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Nice shot!

Molting?

Juvenile I believe.

[Itsed65]

Originally Posted by dcstep

It IS a hell of a bargain for someone that wants into mirrorless interchangeable.

I was shooting this morning with a Canon friend. We've got matching rigs, but Sony vs. Canon, instead of the same brand. His EF 600/f4 III was nice, but balance was further forward than the Sony and the hood is unnecessarily large. He's bemoaning the unlikely 7D3 and fingers crossed that there's a pro mirrorless, with new sensor and performance to match the 1DX replacement. If that doesn't happen this winter, he's moving to Sony.

Dave

If someone is starting, it is a good deal, I just have never liked the form factor of the 6XXX series. I never used the hoods on my Canon big whites as they were just too unwieldy, especially in a car. I got a nice threaded rubber hood for my 200-600 that brings its size down as well. I am still holding my Canon 500 in the hopes they can bring something worthwhile to the table in the mirror-less form, but I am am losing hope. Getting 840mm from the new lens, even at f9 is pretty cool though.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

If someone is starting, it is a good deal, I just have never liked the form factor of the 6XXX series. I never used the hoods on my Canon big whites as they were just too unwieldy, especially in a car. I got a nice threaded rubber hood for my 200-600 that brings its size down as well. I am still holding my Canon 500 in the hopes they can bring something worthwhile to the table in the mirror-less form, but I am am losing hope. Getting 840mm from the new lens, even at f9 is pretty cool though.

I think that the RX-10 is actually the best "first step" for wildlife and bird. Only go into the bigger stuff, once you're taking hundreds or thousands of pictures per month and you run into situations where the RX-10 doesn't cut it for you.

My buddy has the EF 600mm f/4L IS III. Talk about a lens hood!!! That thing is crazy-big, on an already large lens.

[Itsed65]

Originally Posted by dcstep

I think that the RX-10 is actually the best "first step" for wildlife and bird. Only go into the bigger stuff, once you're taking hundreds or thousands of pictures per month and you run into situations where the RX-10 doesn't cut it for you.

My buddy has the EF 600mm f/4L IS III. Talk about a lens hood!!! That thing is crazy-big, on an already large lens.

The RX10 is really the best kept secret for a lot of folks! It punches way above its weight, especially if you only publish to the web!

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

The RX10 is really the best kept secret for a lot of folks! It punches way above its weight, especially if you only publish to the web!

EXACTLY, which is how most people use their images.

61-mp on the a7IV!!!! You only need it if you print 72". Besides me and you, what crazy people do that??

Okay, being able to do a huge crop and still have 20-mp left is the other good reason. Who does that? Us wildlife photographers!

Why do wildlife photographers buy $13,000 lenses? So you can crop 70% and still have this level of detail:

Family Fishing Trip by David Stephens, on Flickr

Love my 600/f4!

[Itsed65]

Hummingbird 8 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Small Bumble-bee On Lavender by David Stephens, on Flickr

Using the 100-400mm, with FE 1.4x teleconverter, on a7RIII, with Kenko 25mm extension tubes, allowing focus to 18" at 560mm. This is around a 50% crop, resulting in around 8-times life size, when viewed at 1024p on a 27" monitor.

[dcstep]

Japanese Beetle On Lavender by David Stephens, on Flickr

[bosstones]

Not as good as others' close-ups, but here a Monarch on one of our alliums.

[Itsed65]

Almost Harvest Time
Zin before it is Zin

Almost Harvest Time by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Another bee. This time I used f/16, instead of f/8, and got much more DOF. Of course, I needed to move ISO up to 6400, but DxO PRIME NR cleans up the noise very well:

Another Honey Bee by David Stephens, on Flickr

Even at that small aperture, I think that the DOF is less than 1/4-inch.

[Itsed65]

This is what I got the 200-600 for

Gray Ghost 5 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[Terry989]

This black-tailed Jackrabbit has lost the tip of an ear in a fight - Sonoma County, CA.

-

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

This is what I got the 200-600 for

Great eye contact and up-wing pose.

How do you choose between 100-400mm, plus 1.4x and the 200-600mm?

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Terry989

This black-tailed Jackrabbit has lost the tip of an ear in a fight - Sonoma County, CA.

-

Great image Terry.

Have you ever seen the two rabbit bucks fight? They really go at it.

[dcstep]

ISO 64,000!!!!

Big 7x8 Buck Poses Before Sunrise by David Stephens, on Flickr

a7RIII, with FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS.

DxO's PRIME noise reduction gets major credit here. The RAW file was dog crap, with HUGE luminescence noise. I set luminescence noise reduction at 25 out of 100, so as not to crush the detail. I added Fine Contrast and raised overall Contrast. PRIME then does a pixel-by-pixel analysis and correction of the file. For internet, the result is darn good, IMO.

[dcstep]

ISO 6400:

Another Honey Bee by David Stephens, on Flickr