Advice on lens to hire for Deer safari

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

10/15/2014 10:49:05 AM · #26

I have gone ahead and ordered (hired) the Canon EF 300mm f/4 L IS USM

I will look into buying a monopod too - guess this requires a monopod head too.

In reply to MelonMusketeer, there are deer in various places near me - I have even seen some in fields next to my house however this safari specialises in seeking out the rutting deer which is not something I have seen anywhere apart from Exmoor though I am sure there are plenty of other places in the UK and further afield with this activity.

Anyway I am very excited and with the addition of this zoom lens it should be a fun day out:)

herfotoman

Canon EOS-7D Mark II

10/15/2014 11:36:52 AM · #27

Get a sturdy monopod [most have a ballhead on], do not worry too much about the head, except if you are going to use it on your tripod as well. Panning to shoot wildlife never happen on a straight/flat plane, so it is better to pan with your whole body, eye stuck to the eyepiece, and the whole monopod dances with you.

Enjoy!

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

10/15/2014 11:47:11 AM · #28

Originally posted by herfotoman:

Thanks for the advice. I have ordered a monopod now and also had to buy a new camera bag to fit the new lens - I dare not damage it:) Expensive business this photography malarkey:)

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

10/15/2014 11:51:52 AM · #29

Originally posted by P-A-U-L:

... and also had to buy a new camera bag to fit the new lens - I dare not damage it:) Expensive business this photography malarkey:)

Actually, it comes with a lens case you can hang on your belt or carry over your shoulder with a strap. Very nice case. You don't HAVE to have a new camera bag for this...

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

10/15/2014 11:55:38 AM · #30

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by P-A-U-L:
... and also had to buy a new camera bag to fit the new lens - I dare not damage it:) Expensive business this photography malarkey:)

Actually, it comes with a lens case you can hang on your belt or carry over your shoulder with a strap. Very nice case. You don't HAVE to have a new camera bag for this...

Whoops! I didn't realise that. Ah well always good to have a bigger bag. Out of interest is that the hire company include the case or is that the lens itself comes with a case when you buy them?

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

10/15/2014 12:29:13 PM · #31

Originally posted by P-A-U-L:

Whoops! I didn't realise that. Ah well always good to have a bigger bag. Out of interest is that the hire company include the case or is that the lens itself comes with a case when you buy them?

Comes with a case when you buy it. All the "white lenses" do.

Message edited by author 2014-10-15 12:30:14.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II

10/15/2014 02:23:03 PM · #32

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by P-A-U-L:
Whoops! I didn't realise that. Ah well always good to have a bigger bag. Out of interest is that the hire company include the case or is that the lens itself comes with a case when you buy them?

Comes with a case when you buy it. All the "white lenses" do.

Thanks Robert. That looks like a nice case. Think though I will feel more comfortable having everything in one bag and will prob have the lens on the camera most of the time unless we get so close I have to use another lens

pgirish007

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

10/15/2014 03:41:26 PM · #33

Originally posted by P-A-U-L:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by P-A-U-L:
Whoops! I didn't realise that. Ah well always good to have a bigger bag. Out of interest is that the hire company include the case or is that the lens itself comes with a case when you buy them?

Comes with a case when you buy it. All the "white lenses" do.

Thanks Robert. That looks like a nice case. Think though I will feel more comfortable having everything in one bag and will prob have the lens on the camera most of the time unless we get so close I have to use another lens

To me, having these small lens bag helps because e.g. when I put 70-200 f2.8 II in my camera bag along with other lenses, I will need to hire a carrier to pick my bag because it would become very heavy. if I have small bag then I can either mount in my belt or just hang on side and will not have a heavy load on my shoulders. Just my thoughts!

BMacD

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom

10/15/2014 03:41:38 PM · #34

Originally posted by herfotoman:

Get a sturdy monopod [most have a ballhead on], do not worry too much about the head, except if you are going to use it on your tripod as well. Panning to shoot wildlife never happen on a straight/flat plane, so it is better to pan with your whole body, eye stuck to the eyepiece, and the whole monopod dances with you.

I did a bear shoot this fall. Mother and two cubs. Used my mono, but let the ball head float. That way I could pan and have the focus locked for "just the right moment" I used wide open aperature as well.

Deve

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

10/15/2014 05:36:30 PM · #35

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by Deve:
Do not wear any kind of after shave or deodorant, stay up wind ...

Don't you mean stay downwind from the deer? You want the wind blowing from them toward you, not the other way around ...

sorry my bad, yes I meant down wind, we walk on the ridge line because the deer are always down in the valley, I got my up hill and down wind mixed up....

re: Aperture mode and Programme Mode in my limited experience I believe that Programme mode uses the widest aperture first and sets every thing around it, unless the subject is faraway and the metering then closes the aperture to get a clear shot, I use manual mode predominantly for everything, even when I want to take a photo with my phone I am looking for the manual setting....lol.

in regards to the monopod, if you are in the back of a land rover with other people as well it could be more of a hindrance than an aid. most times you will be able to steady the camera against some part of the vehicle, if it is a nature park I don't know if your guide will let you get off the vehicle for safety reasons. mannn all this talk about deer makes me want to go bush (aussie term for going in to the wilderness) and stalk deer, this time with my camera and not the rifle. we have Samber deer, Red deer, fallow deer, in Victoria the state I live in and have Cheetal deer in the Queensland area. I am sooooo sad of all the hunting I have done for sport, taking another life for sport is soooo cruel. My biggest regret on this earth was the hunting I have done from a very young age,

Message edited by author 2014-10-15 17:48:51.

snaffles

Nikon D7100

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

10/15/2014 06:55:41 PM · #36

Originally posted by Garry:

The 300/4 IS is a spectacular lens with outstanding IQ. I think you'll be just fine with it!

If you're in low light, I would recommend a mono though. The IS does help plenty, but once shutter speed drops below a certain point, you're going to wish you had some support.

+1 - I have that lens and don't use it nearly enough. It's a fantastic birding and wildlife lens, I've taken many shots of whitetail deer, some pretty decent, with mine...

FWIW I usually shoot handheld, and with the D7100 I no longer have to worry about having to jack the ISO if I need to follow deer into shady woods.

Hope this helps!

RKT

Canon EOS-60D

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 for Canon

10/15/2014 08:32:21 PM · #37

...another +1 for the 300mm F4...my lone blue ribbon winner and these 3 were taken with the lens:

None of these have been cropped and all were hand held. The bokeh is really pretty with this lens also.

pgirish007

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II

10/15/2014 09:02:04 PM · #38

Originally posted by RKT:

...another +1 for the 300mm F4...my lone blue ribbon winner and these 3 were taken with the lens:

None of these have been cropped and all were hand held. The bokeh is really pretty with this lens also.

Nice collection and well captured!

ambaker

Google Glass Google Glass

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

10/15/2014 09:13:15 PM · #39

I'd vote for a 100mm macro. An 8 pt buck totaled my car last Wednesday. No need for a long lens.

I saw him, came to a full stop, and he still got me. Those guys don't go around. It felt like I got hit by another car.

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

10/15/2014 09:58:10 PM · #40

Steadying against the vehicle is not good if the motor is running, or if there are people squirming around in it. Even sitting in a running vehicle and hand holding is not as good as with the motor turned off, even if you are not touching the vehicle with the lens or camera.
A monopod with 5 sections is nice because you can shorten it up enough to make it easy to get around in a group of people. You can also use it from a sitting position. or hook the "toe" in your belt when standing and shooting on the move.

Deve

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

10/16/2014 12:48:47 AM · #41

Originally posted by MelonMusketeer:

yes that does make sense. I did not think of the vibration of the vehicle.... and land rovers set up as safari vehicles will have vibration due to the aluminium panels which aren't as rigid as the steel panels,

herfotoman

Canon EOS-7D Mark II

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

10/16/2014 02:13:22 AM · #42

Originally posted by MelonMusketeer:

All very true.

Do not forget this part: "hook the "toe" in your belt when standing and shooting on the move" - I do that often on a long day at the sportsfieds.

I often loosen the ballhead on my monopod, but with the longer lenses [weight being the culprit] I then have to use my left hand to steady the camera by holding it around the ballhead and the underside of the camera. This is more true of the small diameter ballheads typically found on tripods. The newer expensive professional ballheads with large diameters are much less prone to collapsing to the left or right when only holding the camera, when the ballhead is loosened.

If my children are in the car, or when we are watching elephant [the engine must be kept running then, for a quick getaway] I often find that it is better to hand-hold, as the vibrations/shaking are just too much for the camera.That said, with my new 150-600mm at 600, the shutter speed must be waaayy-up to ensure sharpness hand-held. Quite a bit easier at 300mm. Using a bean-bag helps with the car vibrations, but not the shaking by other moving bodies.

10/16/2014 04:32:43 AM · #43

Originally posted by RKT:

Thanks for sharing. I can only dream of getting photos that good.

10/16/2014 04:34:36 AM · #44

Originally posted by snaffles:

Originally posted by Garry:
The 300/4 IS is a spectacular lens with outstanding IQ. I think you'll be just fine with it!

If you're in low light, I would recommend a mono though. The IS does help plenty, but once shutter speed drops below a certain point, you're going to wish you had some support.

+1 - I have that lens and don't use it nearly enough. It's a fantastic birding and wildlife lens, I've taken many shots of whitetail deer, some pretty decent, with mine... FWIW I usually shoot handheld, and with the D7100 I no longer have to worry about having to jack the ISO if I need to follow deer into shady woods.

Hope this helps!

Thanks Susan - that is very helpful. And a wonderful photo too.

10/16/2014 04:36:35 AM · #45

Originally posted by pgirish007:

Originally posted by P-A-U-L:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by P-A-U-L:
Whoops! I didn't realise that. Ah well always good to have a bigger bag. Out of interest is that the hire company include the case or is that the lens itself comes with a case when you buy them?

Comes with a case when you buy it. All the "white lenses" do.

Thanks Robert. That looks like a nice case. Think though I will feel more comfortable having everything in one bag and will prob have the lens on the camera most of the time unless we get so close I have to use another lens

To me, having these small lens bag helps because e.g. when I put 70-200 f2.8 II in my camera bag along with other lenses, I will need to hire a carrier to pick my bag because it would become very heavy. if I have small bag then I can either mount in my belt or just hang on side and will not have a heavy load on my shoulders. Just my thoughts!

I suspect there will not be too much walking but I am really not sure to be honest. I imagine they will attempt to find some deer and let us all out of the landrover to look or take photos and then drive on somewhere else but I may be completely wrong and we may stay put as soon as we find one group of deer.

10/18/2014 11:55:46 AM · #46

Just had a quick play with the lens today and it has taken my breath away!!! If all L lenses are this good I will start saving immediately... I will be crying on Monday when I have to send it back.

Annoyingly realised that the 70D takes different batteries than the 50D and 40D so I will be limited to a single battery on the 70D but fortunately haven't sold the 50D yet so will have a backup.

Message edited by author 2014-10-18 12:18:52.

Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R IOS

10/20/2014 04:21:05 AM · #47

The deer safari was excellent. We didn't get as close as I had hoped and stood from a vantage point on a hill watching a stag guarding his group of females while bolving (roaring) with another nearby stag. Even with the 300mm lens it was difficult to capture anything decent.

and a crop of the same photo

We stayed put for a couple of hours enjoying watching the activity

On the way back to the vehicle, we heard the bolving sound of another stag so we headed in that direction and managed to get a glimpse for a very short time of this beast before he vanished

It was a great safari despite not witnessing any rutting or getting close enough for some better shots.

I did afterwards head up to an area of Exmoor I had seen a group of deer on previous years and managed to sneak up fairly close and get some shots and fall into a bog at the same time and got totally covered in boggy mud. Next time I will wear waterproof trousers and wellies

I have not had time to look at the photos yet so these are some quick picks

Thanks again for all the advice on the lens. It has gone back - I would love to own a lens like that.

markwiley

Fujifilm X-Pro2

10/20/2014 09:54:14 AM · #48

These look good Paul -- I especially like the Exmoor shot with their heads above the horizon. But, it sounds like they were less cooperative than cows.