Polar Bear at the Shore

[beykirch]

Another one from Spitsbergen. The Polar Bear was swimming a couple of minutes before to clean his fur for the photography session :).





Canon EOS 5D, 4.0/400DO IS, ISO400, f4.5, 1/800sec from a Zodiac

BTW, my decision to buy the 400DO was partly influenced by Art's review and comments. It is really the best long lens used from a Zodiac.

All comments are welcome

Bernd

[Arthur Morris]

A beuatiful powerful animal with clean fur. Not the greatest setting be well done. SH, COMP, EXP, and onlooking gull are all plusses.

[DanWalters]

Like the detail in the fur and the rocks in the background portray the environment. Like the water coming of the front paw as well.

[Robert Amoruso]

Raised paw nice plus. Gull good edition but I would try a tigher crop as well since this bear is so great looking.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I may miss the gull depending upon the story I am going to tell. The bear looks nice. The raised paw and the water droplets look nice.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Dave Barnes]

Very nice capture. I would trim a bit off the left to move further away from the centre of the frame.
I like the splash from the paw.

[Ken Watkins]

Another Deja Vu moment.

Although some would disagree, I believe that long lenses and Zodiacs do not mix. I mostly used a 300mm F4 with or without 1.4X. The people using 500 and plus were luckily for me generally in our other boat.

[Tell Dickinson]

Another vote for a little off the left for COMP reasons. Nice shot and the paw and gull add interest for me :)

Tell

[Arthur Morris]

Although some would disagree, I believe that long lenses and Zodiacs do not mix. I mostly used a 300mm F4 with or without 1.4X. The people using 500 and plus were luckily for me generally in our other boat.

Hi Ken, I am a bit confused by what you wrote above. Do you consider the 400 DO to be a long lens?

And if the guy or gal next to you was handholding a 500 lens, how would the effect you any more than if they were using a 300 or a 400???

On occasion I have made some great images while handholding the 500 f/4L IS from a Zodiac or other small watercraft and so has Linda Robbins.

I would agree that anyone trying to use any lens on a tripod in a Zodiac with other photographers around is nuts.

[Ken Watkins]

Hi Ken, I am a bit confused by what you wrote above. Do you consider the 400 DO to be a long lens?

And if the guy or gal next to you was handholding a 500 lens, how would the effect you any more than if they were using a 300 or a 400???

On occasion I have made some great images while handholding the 500 f/4L IS from a Zodiac or other small watercraft and so has Linda Robbins.

I would agree that anyone trying to use any lens on a tripod in a Zodiac with other photographers around is nuts.

Art,

As I understand it the 400 DO is relatively small, I have never seen one.

I think that the "interference" is relative to the number in the boat and how good the other photographers are at avoiding interference. I think this can probably be best achieved with smaller lenses. If you want to use big lenses I think the situation is the same as in a game viewing vehicle limit the numbers of photographers.

Cheers

Ken

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Again, The 400 DO weighs about 4 pounds and is about as big as the 300 f/2.8s. I think that the skill of the other photographers is the primary factor. Trust me, with six or eight photographers in a Zodiac one who does not know what he is doing can ruin it for everybody even if they have only a short lens.... Been there done that. IMO, the length of a handheld lens is not a factor.