Bushhawk question

[Malcolm Benn]

I've been thinking about getting a Bushhawk for BIF shots and I'm curious about the pros and cons. I'm using a Canon 50D and 300 f2.8 + 1.4x extender, thanks.

[Alfred Forns]

Malcolm I've never used but have seen several in use. I've never gotten into it much since I rely on a tripod most of the time.

I normally like to try things out first hand before making a decision, would be best choice !!

[Bob Carter]

I have found the Bushhawk to be great help. It is very fast and adds a lot of stability.

BUT: you must use the strap as one would use a rifle strap! It makes all the difference in the world.

Clearly it is not as stable as a good tripod with a gimbal mount but that is to be expected. On the other hand it is much faster to to set up than a tripod. I have both setups and the location etc. dictates which I use.

Bob

[Malcolm Benn]

Thanks Al, thanks Bob .. I tried one for about 5 mins and it seemed like a reasonable idea to use as a "walk about" tool for BIF. For a static position I have a tripod and monopod and I have taken the monopod out walking but decreasing the amount of stuff to carry seemed like a good idea and my hand holding technique stinks but I guess I could always try more practice :)

[Dave Taylor]

Malcolm -
I just purchased a Bushhawk, the BH-220D. I may upgrade to the add on foregrip at some point too (kind of takes me back to my military days... ah the good ol' days. "Join the military, meet interesting people, then kill them"... sorry...). I used a loaner down in Homer while photographing bald eagles around the New Year. It is a very comfortable system and fully adjustable. I have a background in competitive shooting sports as well, so this seems very natural too me. Much more stable than typical handholding, and BIF shooting seems easier - both in acquisition and in panning. The cable release that came from Bushhawk is faulty, it jumps right to FIRE and skips the AF step (oddly enough from both the Bushhawk "trigger" & the camera shutter button - when the cable is plugged in). My camera functions normally with no Bushhawk cable release attached & when using my TC-80N3 Canon remote - so it must be the Bushhawk cable release. I emailed their tech support, and got an immediate response - they mailed one to me today (I emailed them on Sunday). I've been impressed with their customer support. I'll have a full review of the Bushhawk system on my Journal once I've done some shooting with it. Going back down to Homer in March for my last eagle trip.

[Malcolm Benn]

Thanks Dave, one thing that does concern me is the inability to make camera adjustments on the fly. I guess I'll need to borrow one for a day and see how much of an issue that becomes. Thanks for the insights on the cable.

[Dave Taylor]

Actually, it doesn't seem to difficult to make regular camera adjustments, other than zoom. You can even shoot without using the built in trigger, by keeping your right hand on the camera shutter as normal.

[Ian Cassell]

Would anyone have anything to add to this thread? I've been considering a BushHawk to use with my 400 f/5.6.

Ian