First result of adventure with the 300mm 2.8

[Ottrott's Human]

Whew.....4 hours hauling this beast around attached to a D2Xs and a monopod and I'm fairly beat.
It's amazing the number of comments I got while walking around with, what my wife called, The Rig.

I saw one serious Canon shooter with a similar rig....who ignored me.... and tons of folks with pro-sumer Nikon DSLR bodies and kit lenses.

By the end of the day I was starting to get marginally comfortable handling the 300mm although my shoulder was getting very sore.:biggrin:

This was my first attempt at shooting critters. I have a lot to learn, but it was a whole lot of fun and I can't wait to do it again.

Anyway...I have about 150 shots to go through, but here are the first three I've processed.

Thanks again to everyone who offered technique advice on using this monster. Your help really was invaluable!

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[Gerald Plowman]

Appears to have been worth it!

 

[Flew]

I think that you did well, and have now glimpsed the potential of this lens. OTOH, I don't want to hear about carrying the X and the 300 on a monopod. Try a D2Hs, a 400 2.8, and a tripod with a full Wimberley. Talk about a dent in your shoulder. :biggrin:

Seriously, it is something that you have to get conditioned for. The first few times that I carried my rig, I thought that I was going to die. After a while though, it seems 'normal'. :smile:

 

[woundedmallard]

It makes me want one!! ....someday! lol

 

[Ottrott's Human]

OTOH, I don't want to hear about carrying the X and the 300 on a monopod. Try a D2Hs, a 400 2.8, and a tripod with a full Wimberley. Talk about a dent in your shoulder. :biggrin:

Seriously, it is something that you have to get conditioned for. The first few times that I carried my rig, I thought that I was going to die. After a while though, it seems 'normal'. :smile:

Hey...in my own defense I was also sportin' a large backpack with the 28-70 and 70-200vr, 105vr, 85 1.4 and a D2Hs body..... and trying to keep an eye on two kids!!:biggrin: :biggrin:

The ironic thing is I never opened the backpack once. Lesson learned.......just didn't need that stuff at all today. Total rookie mistake. I don't know *what* I was thinking!

Seriously though.....thanks for the help Frank. I'm looking forward to doing more of this kind of shooting. Too bad the lenses are so dang pricey......but I guess if they weren't....everyone would have one...or six!:biggrin:

 

[Tim O]

Very nice Stuart, will be watching for more to come.I want this lens also gonna just have to wait a little longer though. :Little: :Little:

 

[rbsmith]

Nice shots Stuart. Let's see some more. We are supposed to go to the zoo with the grand kids in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to taking the 300 along.

 

[Clix Pix]

Wheels. The magic word is Wheels. I went out today with my 300mm f/2.8 VR and the D2Xs and there is no way that I can simply hang that combo around my neck or even carry it mounted on a tripod or monopod. I tucked the 300mm f/2.8 VR and the 1.4x TC mounted on the camera body into my Think Tank Airport Security bag and that made life a lot easier. Still had to carry the tripod in my other hand while I was pulling the bag, though....I need to find some bungee cords and figure out the best way to wrap everyting up together. Wheeling everything was a lot easier than trying to carry it on my back! Anyway, once at my destination I set up the tripod, Wimberley on it, then stuck the camera on that and shot away.... Did this in two different locations. Lesson learned, though: also stick the D200 body in the same bag and a lens or two or two to use on it, too, to give me more options and flexibility, as I missed a few neat possibilities due to being hampered by the tripod setup and being unable to respond quickly enough with a lens change, as the 300 was sometimes too long.

These are neat shots that you got, and I'm looking forward to seeing more!

 

[Ottrott's Human]

It makes me want one!! ....someday! lol

Very nice Stuart, will be watching for more to come.I want this lens also gonna just have to wait a little longer though. :Little: :Little:

I'm not sure if I'd ever be able to afford this lens without selling off some other "stuff", but having access to a rental occasionally is nice. $47.00 for the weekend. It's very, very sweet though.....no doubt about it. Maybe if a good deal comes along on a used one!:biggrin:

Nice shots Stuart. Let's see some more. We are supposed to go to the zoo with the grand kids in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to taking the 300 along.

You just got yours right Rex?
The zoo is a good place to practice with this lens since it's more of a controlled environment and the subjects are more-or-less posed!:wink:

Just don't make the same mistake I made and carry nearly every thing you own!!! LOL......

I have a few more I'll post later. Nothing super special, but since several folks offered help on how to best use this lens I thought I should post the results.

I kind of wondered after the fact if I might have had more keepers with the 70-200vr since I am so much more comfortable shooting with that lens. For example, the parrot shot wasn't cropped at all, but I had a devil of a time getting the camera-lens-tripod rig angled upwards to frame it properly. The files are so high-res from the D2Xs I could easily have cropped in to it.

I think next time we go I'll rent this lens again and mount it on my D2Hs and put the 70-200 on the D2Xs and see how things turn out.

Just stuff I though about on the drive home.

Have fun with the grandkids!! My kids had a blast.

 

[4labs]

Great job Stuart.. I love the flamingo shot. I am sure you got some sweet shots of the kids with that lens too.

 

[CrystallP]

Very nice Stuart. I am guilty of caring too many lenses too...but only because my husband volunteers to be my sherpa!! :biggrin:

The sun is finally shining and flowers are blooming, so I guess I will gather up the gear, my son, and my favorite sherpa and get on the road! Woo hoo!!

 

[Ottrott's Human]

Wheels. The magic word is Wheels. I went out today with my 300mm f/2.8 VR and the D2Xs and there is no way that I can simply hang that combo around my neck or even carry it mounted on a tripod or monopod. I tucked the 300mm f/2.8 VR and the 1.4x TC mounted on the camera body into my Think Tank Airport Security bag and that made life a lot easier. Still had to carry the tripod in my other hand while I was pulling the bag, though....I need to find some bungee cords and figure out the best way to wrap everyting up together. Wheeling everything was a lot easier than trying to carry it on my back! Anyway, once at my destination I set up the tripod, Wimberley on it, then stuck the camera on that and shot away.... Did this in two different locations. Lesson learned, though: also stick the D200 body in the same bag and a lens or two or two to use on it, too, to give me more options and flexibility, as I missed a few neat possibilities due to being hampered by the tripod setup and being unable to respond quickly enough with a lens change, as the 300 was sometimes too long.

These are neat shots that you got, and I'm looking forward to seeing more!

Thanks Connie!!:smile: I think for me the key next time is simply to only take what I'll need. I just had too much stuff with me. I took a lot of my portrait stuff for shooting the kids...including an SB800 for fill flash, but ended up using the 300 for everything because it was too cumbersome to try and set it down, take off the backpack change lenses etc.......

Next time I go to the zoo I'm taking The Rig slung over the should like yesterday and a smaller lens on the D2Hs with either the 70-200vr or the 28-70 2.8 strapped on my other shoulder. That would have been ideal yesterday. Of course we only walked about 4 miles so no serious hiking involved.

I just need to think about it and plan better.........

I'll see how that works.:smile:

 

[Ottrott's Human]

Very nice Stuart. I am guilty of caring too many lenses too...but only because my husband volunteers to be my sherpa!! :biggrin:

The sun is finally shining and flowers are blooming, so I guess I will gather up the gear, my son, and my favorite sherpa and get on the road! Woo hoo!!

Yep.....my wife would have been more than happy to have carried the D2Hs with the 70-200 or the 28-70. There's always next time........

 

[DanielD]

Hello Stuart,
I was in the zoo today too. And guess what? Taking the 70-200 with me although I intended to use the Sigma 80-400 was a good idea in the end, because my Sigma went nuts eventually (see Lens Lust forum).
Took the 70-200 for the rest of the day, but 200 feels definitely too short for the zoo.

I like the flamingo picture the best. I'm curious for the rest.