{"id":1048,"date":"2008-01-17T00:01:13","date_gmt":"2008-01-17T00:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/archives\/1048"},"modified":"2013-11-23T00:47:42","modified_gmt":"2013-11-23T00:47:42","slug":"a-new-bit-of-kit-and-a-first-sighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/a-new-bit-of-kit-and-a-first-sighting\/","title":{"rendered":"A new bit of kit, and a first sighting"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

The latest addition to my set-up is a 1.4x teleconverter (Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 DG). It's a small additional piece of glass that fits between a long lens and the camera, and increases magnification. In this case by 1.4x. There are trade-offs in going for extra 'reach' in this way, mainly that less light reaches the lens (you lose two 'stops' in effect). It also doesn't work too well with the image stabilization, so having excellent light is pretty much a pre-requisite to get the best from it. One other quirk is that on some lenses with the Canon 400D (and others) it loses auto-focus. That last problem is overcome by taping the pins<\/a>, which quite literally is covering up three of the connecting pins inside the converter (which convey data information between the lens and camera) with a small piece of sellotape. That trick restores autofocus functions, although in poor light the lens will tend to hunt a bit before locking on.<\/p>\n

So despite the relatively poor light (it had pretty much clouded over by the time I got out today), I gave it a go. The results were variable. A tripod or monopod would help stabilize things, but the extra reach was certainly impressive and tempted me into shots I wouldn't normally try. Such as this gull over a distant tree.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The next usable shot was slightly easier. A stationary subject, and a fence to lean on helped.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I took a number of shots of one of the local magpies. I'm not entirely happy with how they came out but I think this is probably the first time I've filled the frame with one. Being just that bit further away means they don't fly off as you get into close range. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I'm now really hankering after some bright spring days.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile the 'first sighting' mentioned in the title to this post was a mistle thrush. I saw several of them over the car park when I arrived at work this morning. The light was truly terrible, and I was shooting directly into what little there was. I assumed it was one of the local redwings, until I got home this evening and looked at the shots. This one is without the teleconverter and has been processed quite heavily to deal with noise. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally, just a quick mention of the foxes. One sighting this evening. Of the 'other' shy fox. By other, I mean the one without the nick in its ear. It was unusually co-operative in that it didn't immediately bolt, but I still didn't venture too close and was rewarded when it decided to lie down for a short rest!
<\/span> <\/p>\n

Camera note: all shots (except the fox) taken with the EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens + Kenko 1.4 teleconverter (except the mistle thrush). The fox was photographed with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[980],"tags":[33,127,1128,1173],"class_list":["post-1048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-birds-2","tag-birds","tag-camera","tag-fox","tag-fungi","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t