Images of the MonthAtlantic Puffin with grasses for burrow nest, Latrabjarg, Iceland
Image copyright 2007/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (handheld at 280mm) with the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6.
Though Iceland's puffins are quite accepting I approached this bird very carefully so as not to scare it off the cliff and incur the wrath of my group :) Making sharp images with a 70-200 and the 1.4X teleconverter should be child's play for all competent photographers.
When most folks think of lenses for bird photography, they usually think of one of the super-telephoto focal lengths: 500, 600, or 800mm. But there are many times when lenses in that class are simply not the right tool for the job. When you are working in close quarters, when you need to be able to handhold for flight or action, when you want to frame wide or vary your framing to include a group of birds or attractive habitat, or when your long lens is simply too long for the task, a short telephoto zoom lens is likely to be perfect.My very favorite short telephoto zoom range is 70-200mm because it offers me freedom, flexibility, and adaptability when I need it. I never make a trip without one in my bag. I purchased the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens just before my first trip to Homer, Alaska to photography Bald Eagles in February, 2005. Having never been to Homer, I was somewhat skeptical when told that a 70-200 would be my most valuable lens on the trip, but that is exactly as it turned out.In the good old days on the Homer Spit--eagle feeding there is totally banned at present by a ridiculous town council ordinance--the birds flew by at extremely close range to grab a tossed herring. Though I had my 500mm f/4L IS along as well as a borrowed 300mm f/2.8 L IS, I did 90% of my eagle flight and action photography on that and the following year's two week trip with the 70-200 f/2.8.
Bald Eagle over mountains, Homer, AK
Image copyright 2006/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 70-200mm f/4 2.8 IS lens (handheld at 120 mm) with the EOS-1Ds Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 set manually.
No super-telephoto lens could have produced this image. They key for nature photographers is to visualize the final image and than select the right tool for the job. I remember alerting the group to the possibilities and then, ten minutes later, creating the image that I had both described and seen in my mind's eye. I originally purchased the 70-200 f/2.8L IS lens for my first trip to Homer. I later switched to the f/4 version to save weight but I may borrow the newer sharper f/2.8 II and try it with the 2X TC....
At 3 lb. 4 oz. with the tripod collar removed, the f/2.8 version is imminently hand-holdable. The physical length of the lens is 7 3/4 inches. It focuses down to 1.4 meters--a shade under 4 ft. 6 in. (Note: I always recommend removing the tripod collar if possible on lenses that you will be handholding for flight and action photography.) And it performs extremely well as a 98-280mm f/4 zoom lens with the 1.4X teleconverter in place; this enhances the flexibility of this lens. (Note: though the optics are sharp enough, we generally do not recommend using this lens with the 2X teleconverter unless you are working on a tripod and do not have a longer lens available.)
Several years ago Alfred Forns, who has co-led many a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) with me, purchased the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L IS lens and almost immediately began touting its virtues. At just 1 lb 10. oz. and only 6 5/8 inches in length, this smaller, lighter cousin of the heftier f/2.8 version made a lot of sense to me so I purchased one soon after Alfred loaned me his at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. The minimum focusing distance of the f/4 version is 1.2 meters--a bit more than 3 ft. 9 in.
I still own the f/2.8 lens but pretty much use it mainly to photograph my granddaughter Maya's dance recitals; when working indoors when the use of flash is prohibited the extra stop of light is much appreciated as I am usually working at ISO 1600. The speed of the 2.8 lens allows me a stop more shutter speed than if I were using the f/4 version.
Brown Pelican, breaking wave on cliff, La Jolla, CA
Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens (handheld at 108mm) with the EOS-7D. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the white sky: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6.
Though this was somewhat of a serendipitous capture, having the correct exposure set manually made things relatively easy: when I saw the huge wave break all that I needed to do was press the shutter-button. The 7D/70-200 combo is a deadly one; you can increase it's versatility by adding the 1.4X II TC.
Though some folks doing nature photography who work often in extreme low light situations might opt for the f/2.8 version, I strongly recommend the f/4 version for most folks especially when you consider the continually improving high ISO performance (in terms of noise) of today's digital camera bodies. And if you will be carrying your 70-200 on your shoulder the choice is pretty much a no-brainer. Let's take a look at the various ways that I use my 70-200 f/4 L IS lens. Most often I mount the lens to a camera body and hang it over my right shoulder via the camera body strap. In these situations the choice of which camera body to use requires some thought. Most often I will select one of my 1.6 multiplier camera bodies, either the Canon EOS-50D or the newer 7D. With their 1.6 crop factors, each of these bodies will give me more reach than if I had selected one of my EOS-1D Mark III bodies (or by the time that you read this, one of my EOS-1D Mark IV bodies. These Canon professional camera bodies feature 1.3 crop sensors.
Blue-footed Booby, eggs in nest, Punta Suarez, Hood Island, Galapagos
Image copyright 2005/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens (handheld at 145mm) with the EOS-1D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/100 sec. at f/8.
The old 70-700 f/2.8L IS lens was a standby of mine for years. I used it above in low light to create an image that is near and dear to my heart; it is my very first Galapagos keeper and began a love affair that continues to this day. This fine lens has been replaced with the 70-200 f/2.8 L IS II which is incredibly sharp and versatile. With the improved sharpness it produces great stuff with even the 2X II teleconverter thus adding to its versatility.
For most situations the extra reach is both needed and appreciated especially if you consider that I am normally afield with the 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens. With the 70-200 effectively acting like a 132-320mm lens (when teamed with a 1.6 crop body), I can cover more situations than I can when it is mounted on a 1.3 crop factor body (91-260mm effective focal lengths). Do note that in most situations I do not add the 1.4X teleconverter unless it is needed for specific situation; it remains in the large lower left pocket of my X-tra Hand vest (www.vestedinterest.com) where it is easily accessible.
If I know that the birds will be at point blank-range, I will go with one of my pro bodies when carrying the lens on my shoulder. At places like the aforementioned St. Augustine Alligator Farm or at Gatorland (in Kissimmee, FL), the birds are often at point-blank range whether they are perched on a branch or a railing, sitting on their nest, or in flight. Many of the nests are within a few feet of the boardwalk at each of these spectacular wading bird rookery locations. Head portraits are often possible even without adding a 1.4X TC and the wider focal length range that comes with the pro body's 1.3 sensor is often needed when the birds fly right over your head carrying nesting material.
If I am walking down a beach where the birds are not as likely to be close and there are lots of opportunities for flight photography, I will often have the Canon 400mm f/4 L DO(E)--Diffractive Optical Elements--lens on my shoulder instead but I will always have the 70-200 f/4 in my vest should I need a wider focal length. And the 24-105 L IS zoom lens is always in my vest as well.
Snow Geese, pre-dawn fly-in, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM
Image copyright 2007/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Tripod-mounted Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens (handheld at 70mm) with the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/5.6.
I love the 70-200 at Bosque for creating a variety of bird-scapes, fly-in, and blast off images. Though you will be getting up early and may be a bit chilly the rewards are great.
At places like Bosque del Apache NWR in San Antonio, New Mexico where there is often a combination of great light, great scenery, and large groups of birds I will often handhold my 70-200 but I am more than likely to use it in those situations mounted on a tripod, usually my standard one-size-fits-most lasts a lifetime Gitzo 3530 LS Carbon Fiber model. My favorite head for years has been the tiny and lightweight Mongoose M2.3. As this version has been discontinued by the manufacturer (against my advice) the next best option is the slightly larger, heavier M3.5B. When tripod mounting the 70-200 I always make sure to have a double bubble level in the hot shoe so that I will avoid having to rotate the image during the optimization process. My advice for creating pleasing and effective bird-scapes is to include a clean lower strip at the bottom of the frame, a bird-less strip of water or earth that will anchor your image. If there are birds on the ground or in the water, be sure to focus on the closest row of birds and lock that focus. If the birds are all in the air, do your very best to focus on the closest birds in the flock. Activating your camera's full array of focusing sensors will usually accomplish that. Practice zooming in and out with your rig mounted on the tripod so that you are able to frame your images accurately when there is a huge blast off in front of a glorious sunrise. And remember, it is always best to zoom a bit wider than you think is necessary when photographing groups of birds in flight.
At times I will handhold the 70-200 when creating images for a stitched panorama but it is almost always better to tripod-mount your lens for a variety of reasons: you can level your rig with the bubble level to ensure square-to-the-world images; you can use AF to focus and then more easily turn the AF switch to M: working on a tripod allows you to take your time and to carefully frame your images. That said, it is always best to frame well wider than you think when creating images for stitched panoramas. Doing so gives you margin for error when it comes to framing and cropping the final product. Be sure to overlap your images by about 30%. I stitch my panoramic images together in Photoshop CS-3 using File/Automate/Photomerge.
Laysan Albatross chick, head portrait, Bulky Dump, Sand Island, Midway Atoll NWR
Image copyright 2010/Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens (handheld at 173mm) with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/250 sec. at f/8.
How does the image above look to you? It looks great to me as does the image quality of the master TIFF file. As I have been saying for years, good photographers make good images with whatever equipment they have in their hands.
On occasion I use the 70-200 to create zoom blurs especially of large groups of flowers. I do this either handheld or with the lens on a tripod. I choose my lowest ISO and work in Manual mode so that the meter will not be fooled by the framing. I set a shutter speed of either 1/4 or 1/5 second and set the aperture to give me the correct exposure. I use One-Shot AF (S with Nikon), lock the focus, and depress the shutter button while zooming from long to wide. It takes lots of practice. The results will vary so be sure to create lots of images and to check the results on the camera's LCD.
On occasion, I like to walk down the beach with just a 70-200 on my shoulder and a 1.4X teleconverter in my pocket and see what I can do. But whether I am just out for a photographic stroll or have the tripod-mounted 800 on my shoulder and a ton of gear in my vest, I will surely have a 70-200 along. Do the same, think wide, and keep your creative mind open and you too will soon learn that this short zoom telephoto lens can fast become be an extremely versatile and productive tool in the right hands: yours.
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