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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 DI IF VC USD (1 Viewer)

Another Baird's shot

Isaac - you are getting some fantastic shots with your 70D + Tammy. Same set up as I have got.

How much cropping are you doing? What distance are you from these waders you are shooting? Are you in a hide? What post-processing are you doing?

Shooting at 600mm, f8, ISO not that high - I guess you have very good light - probably much better than in cloudy UK!

Presumably you are very happy with your Tammy and 70D - any thoughts about the new Sigma Sports 150-600 and the 7D2 ?

cheers,
Nick

Here is another shot of the same Baird's. I changed positions on the bird to get lower and not have tall grass in the way. It is very interesting to me that on this shot the colors look very different on the bird. This was at f/8. SS was 1/1000th. The other shot was f/9 at 1/320th. Otherwise both were processed identically in DPP.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/15315612932/in/photostream/
 
Thanks for the info Isaac.

It's usually difficult to get as close as that to waders in the UK. And light is not usually so good!

But it does show what great results it is possible to get with the Tammy and a 70D.

Happy snapping !

cheers,
Nick
 
I agree with Nick, more superb shots Issac. Mostly in the UK we would struggle to get so close to the birds as you have, but it does show what patience and bushcraft can do!
 
Mad Scientist,- Gulls - Not a bad set of shots, 2 & 3 look the best to me. Focus is a little off on the beak area of 1.

Other birds - The Mallard is the stand out one to me with rich colours although it is a little overcropped.
 
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Tamron

Thanks for the info Isaac.

It's usually difficult to get as close as that to waders in the UK. And light is not usually so good!

But it does show what great results it is possible to get with the Tammy and a 70D.

Happy snapping !

cheers,
Nick

Come on over here. If you have not birded and taken pics at Jamaica Bay then you are missing one of the best birding/photography places in the world. No exaggeration. I have traveled to every continent but Antarctica and have not been to a better place to view waders. There is a fresh water pond that is right next to the bay and extensive salt marshes. It is lowered during fall migration exposing huge mudflats. You can walk right out on the mud with the birds. When you are there during high tide the birds can not leave and go out into the marsh so they are very tolerant of people. Honestly they barely are flushed by the people. Its the local Peregrines that wreak havoc. Now the waderss are mostly gone so its time to get shots of passerines again. Lets see if I can get them to cooperate the same as the waders.
 
Come on over here. If you have not birded and taken pics at Jamaica Bay then you are missing one of the best birding/photography places in the world. No exaggeration. I have traveled to every continent but Antarctica and have not been to a better place to view waders. There is a fresh water pond that is right next to the bay and extensive salt marshes. It is lowered during fall migration exposing huge mudflats. You can walk right out on the mud with the birds. When you are there during high tide the birds can not leave and go out into the marsh so they are very tolerant of people. Honestly they barely are flushed by the people. Its the local Peregrines that wreak havoc. Now the waderss are mostly gone so its time to get shots of passerines again. Lets see if I can get them to cooperate the same as the waders.

Its on the lust for next visit to US. Like others have said we can rarely get as close to waders and the occasions that the light is good are far fewer. Clearly this lens is OK in good light. Personally I cannot see any advantages over my 400 + 1.4 on a 1D to spend the money. Maybe on a 7DMkII?

Also lovely shots of the birds.

Phil
 
Thanks for your comments Len, much appreciated. |=)|

Funnily enough, Kristopher Rowe's pics were one of the things that influenced me in my decision to go with the D7100/Tammy combo. Now, if only I could get a few pics like his...
 
a couple from sunny Ayrshire this morning and one from a week ago
 

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I like that group of Dunlin extata, and I'll need to book a goldfinch into your bird parlour Roy. Beautiful and clean and lovely detail. (My goldfinch pics are a motley crew covered in thistle down.)

I spied a gannet fishing today, so tried to catch the action. According to the EXIF data the focal distance was 250 metres!!

I don't know how accurate that distance is, but the gannet was a very long way out. Obviously, the images are cropped.

ISO 360
Focal Length 600 mm (35 mm equivalent: 1200 mm)
Aperture f/6.3
Shutter: 1/1250s
 

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A few more waders

Here are a few more shots I got with the Tamron.

First 2 were early morning light just at dawn.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/15330391396/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/15353365165/in/photostream/

And this is a Semi-palmated Plover taken at mid day. I previously posted a few shots of this bird. But I went through the pics I did not process and found this one.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/15166475119/in/photostream/

All were taken at close range, hand held and processed only with Digital Photo Professional.
 
Vr?

Issac, your Semi-palmated Plover is a superb shot. Do you use the VR on the lens?

Thanks again for the compliment. Sorry but what is VR? Do you mean VC? The vibration control? If so then yes I use it for all situations other than BIF. If not, then please let me know what you mean.
 
A few more images...

A few more images, all taken from about 20-30 feet away...
 

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Thanks again for the compliment. Sorry but what is VR? Do you mean VC? The vibration control? If so then yes I use it for all situations other than BIF. If not, then please let me know what you mean.

Yes that's the same thing, vibration reduction is Nikon's abbreviation for it, I think Tamron call it vibration compensation. On some lenses it seems to work better than others.
 
Vr

Yes that's the same thing, vibration reduction is Nikon's abbreviation for it, I think Tamron call it vibration compensation. On some lenses it seems to work better than others.

Vibration Compensation sounds better than vibration control. ;) Anyway, I always keep it on. Can't seem to get sharp shots of static birds without it at 600mm. But can get sharp shots with it off on BIF. Not quite sure how that works or why that is. Someone far more advanced than me would have to answer that.

So you have the Nikon version? What type of results are you getting? Some of the shots I have seen on flickr with the 7100 are great.
 
Vibration Compensation sounds better than vibration control. ;) Anyway, I always keep it on. Can't seem to get sharp shots of static birds without it at 600mm. But can get sharp shots with it off on BIF. Not quite sure how that works or why that is. Someone far more advanced than me would have to answer that.

Theoretically, at fast shutter speed no VC/VR etc should be better, at slower speeds, VC/VR might be needed. If you up the shutter speed for BIF, that might explain it.

Niels
 
Vc

Theoretically, at fast shutter speed no VC/VR etc should be better, at slower speeds, VC/VR might be needed. If you up the shutter speed for BIF, that might explain it.

Niels

I agree in theory. No VC should be fine at high shutter speeds but I just have not been able to get good sharp shots even at high shutter speeds with stationary birds with the VC off. Where as I have been able to get sharp shots of BIF with it off. Must be something I am doing wrong. As always, those with more experience may know why or be better able to explain what I am doing wrong...

This shot of a Royal Tern is at f6.3 at 1/3200 and is pretty sharp but a pretty heavy crop so not great.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/15015622416/

This one was at 1/1250th and is not as sharp. But the bird was moving very quickly in pursuit of shorebirds so I was lucky to get this

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/14824451849/

This Forstern Tern is pretty sharp at 1/1600th

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/15252591692/in/photostream/

This Common Tern is at 1/2500th and is sharp

https://www.flickr.com/photos/120553232@N02/14314171468/

Have not done even this well at these speeds with stationary birds.
 
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