Videoscoping samples, Kenya'n Birds and Mammals + some tests (1 Viewer)

Hi everyone,

Finally I found some time to edit and upload some of my videoscoping footages. Here are the samples:


Yellow-legged Gull-Larus michahellis: http://vimeo.com/20432317

Rook-Corvus frugilegus frugileus: http://vimeo.com/20012971

Black-headed Gull-Larus ridibundus (Winter Form): http://vimeo.com/19990042

Yellow-legged Gull-Larus michahellis: http://vimeo.com/19980297

Common Magpie-Pica pica: http://vimeo.com/19262320

Little Egret-Egretta garzetta: http://vimeo.com/19258873

Great Cormorant-Phlacrocorax carbo: http://vimeo.com/19253315

European Goldfinch-Carduelis carduelis: http://vimeo.com/19230232

Great Tit (Female)-Parus major: http://vimeo.com/19214520

Great Tit (Male)-Parus major: http://vimeo.com/19212175

European Serin2-Serinus serinus: http://vimeo.com/19207384



I also upload some mammal and bird footages that I took during my Kenya trip two years ago. All of these footages taken handheld. Here are the samples:


African Pied Wagtail: http://vimeo.com/20445541

Speke's Weaver-Ploceus spekei: http://vimeo.com/20445306

Variable Sunbird-Necterina venusta: http://vimeo.com/20445036

Olive-bellied Sunbird-Cinnyris chloropygius: http://vimeo.com/20444859

Hadada Ibis-Bostrychia hagedash: http://vimeo.com/20444477

Crowned Lapwing-Vanellus coronatus: http://vimeo.com/20444213

Male Leopard-Panthera pardus: http://vimeo.com/20443136

Female Leopard2-Panthera Pardus: http://vimeo.com/20439715

Female Leopard-Panthera Pardus: http://vimeo.com/20438058

Cheetah-Acinonyx jubatus: http://vimeo.com/20437826

Small-toothed Rock Hyrax-Heterohyrax brucei: http://vimeo.com/20436792

Abyssinian Black-and-white Colobus Monkey or Mantled Guereza-Colobus guereza: http://vimeo.com/20436481

Vervet Monkey-Chlorocebus pygerythurus: http://vimeo.com/20436403

Zebra-Equus quagga: http://vimeo.com/20436230

Giant African Millipede-Archispirostreptus gigas: http://vimeo.com/20436005

Southern Lesser Kudu-Tragelaphus imberbis australis: http://vimeo.com/20435528

Waterbuck-Kobus ellipsiprymnus: http://vimeo.com/20434669

Klippspringer-Oreotragus oreotragus: http://vimeo.com/20434419

Common Impala-Aepyceros melampus melampus: http://vimeo.com/20434267

Giraffe-Giraffa camelopardalis: http://vimeo.com/20433629

Coke's Hartebeest or Kongoni-Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii: http://vimeo.com/20433555

Central African Warthog-Phacochoerus africanus massaicus: http://vimeo.com/20433392

Blue Wildebeest-Connochaetes taurinus: http://vimeo.com/20433240

African Elephant-Loxodonto africana: http://vimeo.com/20433068


Finally classical sparrow shots from my garden for lens test Purpose. I already roughly tested Zuiko 200mm f5 lens and found unacceptable due to C. A. But in adequate light condition this lens shines. These samples are saved in 50 frame per second at 50 megabit per second data rate. Vimeo converts it 30 fps and limits data rate. That is why I suggest to download the original file and see them directly from your own Hard Disc.

Sparrow1: http://www.vimeo.com/20446674
Sparrow2: http://www.vimeo.com/20446420
Sparrow3: http://www.vimeo.com/20446182

In addition to these I performed a mini test that compares Kowa and Showtime adapters: http://vimeo.com/19249183


Thanks for Watching.

Murat F. Özçelik

Murat,

Thank you for taking the time to edit your footage and share with us your video clips. You have a very good selection of species.

I have a Tamron SP500 mirror lens which I have tried with a 2x converter for shooting video with my Canon 7D. My first test in the garden gives hope for good results with wildlife subjects. All I need is some brighter weather!

Mike

Hi Mike,

I used this lens years ago. It was an excellent lens. But there are several (at least two) different versions of this lens. I think your's (Sp version) is a better one. I am a mirror lens fan, such that although I have a Nikon 500mm mirror lens and Zuiko 500mm mirror lens, recently I bought a Zeiss 500mm f8 mirotar lens (I am waiting for it to be converted to Nikon). Considering to add a 2x teleconverter is a critical issue. I tried my nikon with an older and newer type 2X teleconverter and the older one gave a better result on a velvia film. Every mirror lens, depending on it's optical design, gives different results with different converters. For example Zuiko 500mm is actually 320m at it's closest range due to it's design and gives different quality at close and infinity settings with same teleconverter. For Tamron I do not know specifically, but I think Nikon TC201 or 301 can give better results. Although your camera (7D) crops the corners of the lens's image circle, there may be some resolution lost if you use a mediocre teleconverter.

I want to say one additional thing about using old mirror lenses on new digital cameras, that some mirror lenses can partially loose its reflectivity and requires c. half stop more light due to the it's mirror components losing brightness. I did not test this on my own lenses, but it seems logical. On the other hand, taking pictures with manuel focus mirror lenses feels me more like nature photographer compared to automatic shotgun hunter. In eighties I remember there were some photographers that takes duck pictures with Nikon F3+Nikkor 300mm ed submerged in water up to their throat (It was published on some american nature photographer press cover). These guys had only one or two shot opportunity before the birds would take off. And it is a respectful efford. But today technology gives us very smooth and easy operation. On the other hand automation on every detail, loses the pleasure of taking photo/video. At this point using old manuel focus lenses on new technology cameras/camcorders gives me some classical feeling when I am digibirding.

Murat F. Öçelik

Hi Murat,

I agree with all of your thoughts mentioned in your reply. The weather here in the UK has been very dull with little sunshine for weeks (typical for this time of year). I am looking forward to testing the video on my 7D with my mirror lens and converters when the sun eventually shines.

As well as the SP500 mirror lens I also have a Sigma 24mm f/2.8, a Fuji 50mm f/1.7, a Helios 58mm f/2 (used for videoscoping) and a Praktica 200mm f/3.5. All of these lenses are manual focus and have a M42 thread so I use a M42-Canon EOS adapter to connect them to my camera. Like you, I get more satisfaction from using manual focus lenses compared to the "machine gun" approach so often used by modern wildlife photographers with their auto-everything equipment.

Mike