My New Macro Lens!

[Arthur Morris]

This image of a captured and posed chameleon was created on my recent Tanzania Photo-Safari at Ngorongoro Crater with the tripod-mounted Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS lens with Internal 1.4X TC, an external 1.4X III TC, (with the internal TC in place at 784mm) and the EOS-1D X.

ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/14. On-camera "fill flash" at +1 2/3 stops.

Can anyone explain why this is fill flash rather than flash as main light and in the same vein, explain why so much plus compensation was needed?

As for the image, don't be shy; all comments welcome.

As for the subject, it was of course returned to its natural environment after a short photo session.

As for the lens, it is amazingly versatile. With it's .15X magnification (.21X with the TC in place) and its 2 meter (6.6 feet) close focus it can serve as a quasi-macro lens with medium and large sized subjects.
You can see all Canon telephoto lens specs here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2012/04/24/canon-telephoto-lens-specifications-info-and-links-bookmark-this-page/). For this image I added the external TC as there were several photographers jockeying for position. Fortunately many of them were kneeling so by adding the TC I was able to shoot over them. You can see some wide Serengeti plains images made with the 2-4 and learn of my harrowing trip home here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2013/08/20/43-hours-door-to-door-with-a-bad-head-cold-you-gotta-love-it-2/).

I have been and will be posting dozens of Galapagos images made with the 2-4 and have begun posting images from the Africa trip made with it. The 2-4 is the only big lens I am taking on my upcoming Bear Boat and Dahlia IPTs. You can visit the blog here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/) and scroll down or hit Postlist/2013 to find a ton of 200-400 images. Or follow the link to the Bulletin Archives. Only Bulletins 445 & 446 contain 200-400 images. I will be doing a blog post on which big lens (or lenses) to bring on a given trip for the Canon Digital Learning Center Blog here (http://learn.usa.canon.com/dlc/blogs/blogentries.spr) soon. And that will be followed up with a Focus On feature for the DLC website (http://learn.usa.canon.com/home/home.shtml).

[Jonathan Ashton]

Hi Artie, thanks for posting this handsome chap:w3. Firstly a finely focused and sharp image I like the composition and the perch along with the pose.
I see you "overexposed to get more light onto the chameleon who is considerably darker than the rest of the image. The "fill in" was more than fill in because you had to over expose in the first place and you wanted to ensure the chameleon was well lit, in other words you needed to add additional light with the flash to that provided by ambient light.
Whilst I like the image very much I cannot help but feel it is just a little bright, I attach an alternative for your consideration. I made a duplicate layer and applied a linear burn. I think the flower head looks about right but you will have to tell me if I have made a pig's ear of the chameleon.:bg3:

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Jon. The repost looks great and surely better represents how the creature really looked. Extra sets of eyes are always a good thing. I'll be giving James a buzz on the way home from dinner at my daughter's tonight.

[Arthur Morris]

ps: What percentage Linear Burn? I'd guess 5-10%

[Jonathan Ashton]

ps: What percentage Linear Burn? I'd guess 5-10%
Artie the percentage was 28%

[Arthur Morris]

Wow! Thanks for the info. I will have to try it and compare results :).

[OvidiuCavasdan]

I like the pose and details, BG is very nice. To my eye the scales on the back, between neck and tail look "less sharp", but maybe it is just less contrast. If you dont mind please tell us where the focus point was, I'm just curious....Looking at the shadows I think the sun was quite high in the sky, and maybe you also have to set +1 2/3 because of the distance to subject.

[Anita Bower]

This image has impact. The simplicity of the composition, the lines of the flower and Chameleon mimicking each other, the smooth bg, the dark Chameleon against a lighter bg, the line between the round eye and the curl of the tail. Excellent. I think I'd like something between OP and Jonathan's version. Why are the tops of all the little bumps on the Chameleon so bright? Is that a result of the flash? I wish they were less noticeable. Thanks for sharing.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Ovidiu. I used central sensor AI Servo Rear Focus Surround AF. Focus was on the body just above the near foreleg. I think that the bumps there are less raised than elsewhere that might explain the fact that they look less sharp. The image was created at 5:48 pm so the light was fairly sweet. Our shadows were probably at least twice as long as our height....

[Arthur Morris]

This image has impact. The simplicity of the composition, the lines of the flower and Chameleon mimicking each other, the smooth bg, the dark Chameleon against a lighter bg, the line between the round eye and the curl of the tail. Excellent. I think I'd like something between OP and Jonathan's version. Why are the tops of all the little bumps on the Chameleon so bright? Is that a result of the flash? I wish they were less noticeable. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Anita. Not sure at all of the cause of the specular highlights.... They do not bug me at all :).

[Anita Bower]

Thanks Anita. Not sure at all of the cause of the specular highlights.... They do not bug me at all :).
Your pleasure in the image is what matters. Enjoy your new macro lens!!!

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks. I am sitting outside the Quest Lab in Lake Wales, Fl waiting for them to open so that I can get my regular blood work done while working on my Focus On feature on the new 2-4 :)

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Artie. Chameleons are very cool lizards and make great photo subjects. I had a chance to get a few shots of then in Kenya a year ago. This one is giving you a great pose with that curled up tail. I like the comp, you have good overall sharpness, and the background is about as clean as a background can get - facilitated, I expect, by shooting this at 784 mm. From what I'm seeing on my monitor, I think a brightness somewhere between the OP and Jon's repost would be ideal. Clearly the 200-400 is a very versatile lens - I just wish it fit my budget a little better. :S3:

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Steve. I will re-work the original as suggested.