Ever since I bought my first SLR
camera in 1979 I have almost exclusively used zoom lenses, with focal lengths
up to 300mm, to photograph all my subject matter. I realised that the images
that these lenses were capable of producing would be less than perfect, but
their versatility and relatively light weight encouraged me to continue using
them. Around 2009 I purchased a Sigma 18-250mm “super zoom” lens and developed
the extremely bad habit of using this with my main digital SLR camera (at the
time a Nikon D90) for practically all my photography, reaching the point where
I hardly ever bothered to use other lenses.
I was jolted out of my lethargy
when an OCA tutor described some of the images taken by this camera-lens
combination as “looking like they’ve been taken through the bottom of a milk
bottle”. I think that he was being a little harsh, but clearly I had to change
my ways and I invested in two new zoom lenses: a Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4 and a
Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6. The quality of the images produced increased
significantly (even though I had to regularly change lenses!) and I was happy
with the results.
Towards the start of my current
course, in which some of the course work involves photographing birds, my tutor
strongly recommended that I should consider purchasing a telephoto prime lens.
The quality of my output would improve again and this would be particularly
relevant as I needed to produce some high quality A3 sized prints for my major
project. Despite concerns about the weight of the lens and the relative lack of
versatility, I eventually purchased a new Nikon AF-S 300mm f4 lens, together
with a Nikon AF-S TC-14EII 1.4x converter, at a total cost of around £1350, in
February 2014. I considered getting the corresponding 300mm f2.8 lens at an
additional cost (new) of £3000, but the very positive internet reviews for the
f4 lens made my purchase a “no-brainer”.
When I go bird-watching I often
take a telescope with me on a tripod. I therefore decided at an early stage
that I would try to use my new kit “hand-held”, if at all possible, because
hauling two tripods around would not be possible. My first expedition with the
new equipment and my two Nikon cameras (D90 and D7000) was to WWT Slimbridge
(Gloucestershire) in February 2014. One of the hides looks out at a number of
bird feeders and I took several photographs here using the D7000, including
some interesting ones of a blue tit perched on a loop of metal wire that was
connecting a feeder to the branch of a tree (see Image 1). The 420mm lens combination at f5.6 produced a pleasant
(for me), orange “bokeh” background, due to the presence of a reed-bed lit by
the winter sun. Other images were crisp and sharp, showing good detail in the
birds’ feathering. As always when photographing fast moving, unpredictable
subjects a high proportion of the images had to be discarded, but I was happy
with the results.
In March 2014 I visited Gigrin
Farm in Wales to photograph the feeding of the red kites, with a view to
ultimately working one or two images into my major project portfolio. I used
both the 300mm lens and the 70-300mm zoom, but found that the ability of the zoom
lens to frame the kites in flight by zooming in and out as they swooped down to
pick up food in their talons resulted in better composed and sharper images,
even if the image quality was not so high. The 300mm lens was cumbersome to
operate, with or without the converter, and birds were either too close to hold
them within the frame as I panned, or moved too rapidly to photograph.
I used the new lens and converter
combination on a couple of visits to RSPB Titchwell in Norfolk in late March
and April 2014. Here I was able to capture some high quality images of moving
(but not flying) birds such as the running sanderling (Image 3), as well as some static images. I also visited RSPB
Bempton Cliffs reserve in Yorkshire twice, in April and May 2014. On the first
visit I captured some good images of often overlooked birds such as the
uncommon twite (Image 2), perched on
barbed wire and showing plenty of detail despite the bird having been some
distance from the camera and the image having been cropped. I took a few
photographs of flying birds (mainly gannets) with this lens combination, but
again found the versatile zoom lens to be more effective in the field on both
visits.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
After a couple of months’ practice
I felt confident enough to use the new lens and converter with my Nikon D7000
camera to produce the images of nuthatches at a feeding station that were used
for Assignment 2, Project 8: “The Decisive Moment” (link here). Although there were issues
with my interpretation of the brief my tutor commented that “the quality of
these images jumps off the page or screen”! Image 4 is a composite of detail from five of the six images
submitted, all of which I am very happy with. As my tutor commented: “I think
this has been a very good project for you in terms of development and
comprehending the differences [….in quality…] that your equipment is capable
of”.
Image 4
There is a clear improvement in
image/print quality in moving from the 300mm end of the zoom lens to the 300mm
prime lens (with or without the 1.4x converter). Where it is possible and
practicable to use the prime lens I should do so. Nevertheless, I still find
the use of the zoom lens for photographing flying birds to be more effective.
However, in future I should continue to practice using the prime lens to
photograph flying birds, in the hope that the extra experience will make it
easier to produce better results and consequently images of higher quality than
can be achieved by using the zoom. To get the best out of the zoom I should
systematically establish the optimum focal length and aperture combinations to
produce the sharpest images possible and then use these settings in practice:
more on this later.
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