Wulff

Honestly? I'm not crazy about it. I like that it's different from the usual Breach shots you see, but thats about it.

Nice shooting Peter, love the 3rd image. Peace and solitude in spades.

Great Bows Matt, your fricken nus standing that deep in water in January though

Good job on these to, they've come a long way.

Very nice Lynn, really like the 2nd.

Any combinaton of adjustmens that equates to 2 stops over exposure. For example you could. 1) Drop your ISO from 400 to 200 2) Open the lens say from 8 to 5.6 (allowing in more light) or 1) Drop ISO 1 stop 2) Open the lens from 1/3 stop (say from 8 to 7.1, I notced you had it backwards) 3) Reduce shutter speed from 2/3rds stop a tad more on #2. Opening the lens and allowing in more light in numerical terms reduces the "f/stop" F22 > F16>F8>F4 and so on. "Stopping Down" closes the aperture, reducing the amount of might hitting the shutter. F4>F8> and so on If it helps, its like "squinting" your eye against the bright sun...Youve gone from eyes wide open to narrow slits. If anyones unsure about metering blacks and whites, take test shots of a white and black craft paper. Just go straight off the camera. Note how it reproduces the colour. One last thing to keep in mind. Always ask yourself if you want truer colour representation ( closer to black or white) OR if you want to bring (or preserve) detail in the blacks or white present in the scene/subject..In which case you sort of need to reverse your thinking. If detail is more important. Less exposure for whites More exposure for blacks.

Realit is Jay. No 1 bag wil do all your looking for. Decide what features you want, then go from there. I used a Lowpro mini trakker for awhile and while its ok for light duty, put enough in it (capacity) and its ergonomics will make you pay if its a long day, nor is it large enough for me when I do need to go loaded for bear. So as my main pack which I pack depending on the outing is a Lowepre Vertex 300. Lots of space to cram all my lenses, TC, Tubes, Flash, and so much more. When on assigment and I dont really know what Im ging to use I pack it to the brim. Its a beast at that point and well over 40 pounds, with tripod and head Im likekly 50. But Ive also hiked through a marsh at 4:30am 2 miles (4 roundtrip after 7 hrs) with it. Its designed to disribute the weight, and thats a godsend. Hhas tans of padding for shock absorbtion, water resistant zippers and a rain coat. Its been in pouring rain a few times and nary a drop inside. The "notebook" compartment I use for loose paper,plastic bags, my flash brackets and/or otehr paraphenalia http://products.lowepro.com/product/Vertex...-AW,2074,16.htm For lighter duty, when I may only want a couple lenses, spare batt, etc, te odd accessory Im accumulating Think Tank modules. http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_products.html

If you look at this shot. Top right tine, at he junction you can just make out the first couple inches from the palmation on it jutting 90 degrees left

Yeah, knew that was the one...I still can't tell though if its a split forming on the right beam or just an oddity like a drop tine. When you look at him dead on, it doesnt seem that way ( and yeah hes got wicked brow tines), but in the profile shots it look like it might form another. Also, although none of these shots really show it, his right beam seems to almost have some "palmation" (I beleive thats whast its called) with the start of 3 more tines. If he live another 2 years he could have one hell of a rack. Certainly not normal or typical ( I like the young ones wide beams, who coudl score high one day) but big.

Wierd, I'll check some settings on the site when I get home. Dont understand whats happened. Cant say for sure but it would look like the one beam is split, almost like it has a 3rd.

Most ( probably 90%) are handheld. While I had my tripod with me as I knew light was going to be low for most of the morning. Its too difficult to set up and use and keep movement to a minimum. Sometimes in order the "thread the needle" between the bush I was shooting between windows that could be measured in inches. So I meight have needed to lean right or left a few inches to get the window. Long winded way of saying I brought it and will contin to bring it incase I could use it. Usually most morings I start by settng up in a fixed location before the sun cracks the horizon. If tey arent comingto me and I end up having to go to them, stalking deer and setting up..just doesnt allow for it often.

it woud help if you could put up a sample of what your talking about but my guess is your simply too close to the fly for the camera to focus. No what "macro" capabilities a lens has, there is a minimum distance from the subject it has to have. Try backing off an inch at a time until the camera can acquire focus.

The G10 looks like a very interesting camera Wulff, but that makes the decision that much tougher since they are about the same price as the Rebel XS w/ 18-55 lens. I know its not easy Crotalus. Its a process most photographers go through in one form or another. Whether its wher to spend the initial investment or whether its trying to decide to buy the $1,500 24-70 f2.8 or $1,400 24-105 F4 IS. Or whether they should upgrade to the newest body for 3G, or wait and buy that pro body they dream about for another G or 2. Thats why I mentioned the G10. For the same money your out the door and taking pictures. There are other equally good PnSs out there. Some will be better for macro shooting, some better for telephoto work with more optical zoom. Hells there are PnSs out there with more Optical zoom, than my equivelant 400mm. In one hand you have an entry level DSLR with an entry level kit lens In the other you have a high end digicam that can take virtually the same pics as the DSLR but also be good for macro *and* telephoto *and* video. and you done spending. With the DSLR your goign to want (and need) more lenses....atleast two more to get what you get with one good PnS. If you want to explore photogrpahy, than that may be the best route However, Will you need to sink more into the DSLR? Yes you will.

Well Im going to recommend you stick with a "PnS". I dont know why but people seem to think they are incapable of good photos. The question you want to ask yourself is....Why do I want a DSLR. If you have little or no desire to learn photography...and only really plan on using DSLRs in auto mode, nor do you relish the idea of buying extra lenses than you are foregoing what makes DSLRs powerful. Theres very, very little, good Digicams can't do that DSLRs can...and they can do soooo much more, including the ability to learn photography and take control of the cameras manual settings. Video Macro Telephoto. To get consumer grade lenses and bodies capable of that in a DSLR your looking at about $3,000.00. A good telephoto 300mm or 400mm alone will cost $1,500 and more. They transalte roughly to 10x optical zoom, which many PnS have. A good 1:1 Macro lens will start at about $700.00. Next up are Tripods and heads capable of holding the weight of DSLRS and heavier lenses ( $200.00 to start), spare batteries ($80), Cards, bags, filters, and on and on. Compared to $500.00 for a Canon G10. Have a read here. http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/kidding.shtml Thats being compared to a $40,000 medium format Hasselbad. If cant see much of a difference....can you? ************** Now if down the road you decide you want to get a little more serious about photography, then by all means...A DSLR is the way to go. Just keep in mind a DSLR does stop with the purchase of a body...there are lenses ( good lenses often cost more than decent bodies) and accessories..not to mention software like photoshop, lightroom, etc,etc. While those arent neccessary, they part of the "growth" stages. DSLRs are great but buying one for the sake of having a DSLR is like buying a Bassboat without the motor and trimmings

Looking good Lynn.

Well done Jay.

Jay everything but 1 image was shot with the 400mm and 1.4 TC. ISOs ranged from 640 to 1,000 and Shutter speeds ranged from 1/100th to 1/320th for the most part.

Yeehaaa. I should say my trophys In all I spent alot of hours this weekend stalking some bucks. Moving a few inches at a time, crawling through mud and water, freezing stock still for minutes at a time when they heard the dry golden rod snapping. But oh my gawd was it worth it. Even had a yote at 20feet (no pic though I didnt want to spook the bucks). Part 1 It started small so I will to things started looking up. oh yes they must certainly did, Ive named this guy spot for obvious reasons. yesiree bob. Nice Buck with battle scars. Part II Featuring a 10pt Buck Ive named Sam in the distance A litle closer with a young friend With Spot..Incidentally I love this young 7pters rack. If he survives a few years hes going to have a gorgeous rack Heres the 3 of them in a group shot Part III features Another 10pt Buck Ive named Vain. Why he's named Vain. He seems to be saying.....Would ya ladies just look at me. Well whatever he seems to be saying it seemed to work later in the morning. Here he is with a Doe Would ya just look at me. Part IIII feature the Alpha. He's a tough nut to crack. Ive seen him a handful of times now. Fairly happy with some of these but want better. He's soooooooo hard to get close to. her he is in profile Closer but as with almost all the shots posted Im shooting at effectively 700mm and less than 1/200th due to low light. Not as sharp as Id have liked Probably my best pictures of him so far.

lol we can never have enough stuff. Everytime I think Im done buying something else comes along. Its a money pit. "i" personally would try to mute the colours a hair, notably the reds..you can do that in PS by selecting either the red hues or red saturation levels. Not alot mind you, just a bit. But like I said potato/patato. Saturated sunets register with some people and not with others. Theres no right or wrong.

Again nice Lynn. 1st might be a little underexposed, check your historgram if your unsure. If theres room to the right bump it hair when you can. 2nd looks spot on.

Nice Lynn. When the suns that low, theres not alot you can do to avoid silohettes other than adding a Grad ND to hold back the sky a bit. First two I like and 3rd has a nice array of colours in the sky. To my eyes and taste a tad over saturated but thats completely subjective. Some people like the colors saturated and some dont.

No. Just Nov Chrome.

I actually like the push/pull design. Some people on the net will call it the "dust-pump" which ahs never been proven. My answer is what causes more dust on the sensor. A ) Zooming from 400 to 150 because the deer, fox, angler is a little close or B ) Switching out to a 70-200mm to get the shot and then switching back to the 400???????????? Soft vs wicked sharp Part of the problem with that rep is that people making those statements are comparing it, to Canons best primes..the 300 f2.8, the 400mm and 500 f4. No zoom is ever going to be as sharp as a prime. Especially not a companys absolute best lenses. Your comparing apples to oranges. Soft? You tell me Rebel XT and Canon 100-400 at 400mm f5.6 same hardware at f8 theres sharp, theres really sharp and there tack sharp. How shapr is sharp enough? The 100-400 is imo...............more than sharp enough. That said I did find its sharpest images came at f8 or 380mm. But please, only pixel peepers using a $7,000.00 500 f4 prime as a base comparison will normally claim its soft. The one thing I will say and why I moved to primes for wildlife. It doesnt like TCs....again no zooms really do. Their internal designs are just that much more complex compared to a prime and at times its focusing can be a bit slow for fast action stuff...Again thats relative. IS it"slow" compared to a non L...Not by a long shot. Rebel XT and 100-400 L at 400mm f5.6 Looks like it focused fast enough to me. Its just not as fast focusing as again, the creme of Canons L long lenses. So yes every now and then it missed some shots tat I might have gotten with slightly faster focuing prime....Im talking hundreds of a second faster. Big Deal..that doesnt make it a bad lens or deserving of a bad rep. Every lens after a certain point ($$) are damn good/great ad have their strength and weakenesss. All 'L" lenses are fantastic lenses. so whats left? just very slight differences between them.Some lenses like the 300mm f4 L absolutely shine at close telephoto work like backyard birds, butterflies, etc. So its not an ideal for "birding" ...marshes, hawks, etc where you cant get close. Does that make the 300 f4 a bad lens? Nope Just means there are other choices better suited to the job at hand. The 100-400L has its strengths and it weaknesses....relatively speaking. Your going to love it. and yeah the Sigmonster is a BEAST. I'm still tempted but man the weight.. I did a little damage to my shoulder tryin to swing it hand held and tracking birds in flight. Could barely lift my arm the next day, thought I miht have a torn rotator.

Was going to mention with regards to your flash question Jim to shoot without a flash. Tripod and longer exposures are the way to go, nice job on those. We get pretty extravegant here with ours, the kids love doing them. Ive done some really cool replicas of people like Sauramon, Golem, Gandalf and then your usual skeletons, wiches fying over a moon stuff. Pumping carving is waaay cool.

Grats Jay. Don't let the rep it has on the net cause you to have second doubts. Its a great lens. Owned one for a year and plan to one day own it again. IF you have questions about it feel free to email me. For now Im saving my pennies I earn off this for a 500 f4. I had a chance at teh Sigmonster (300-800) but at 13 pounds (16 with camera) its beast. Something like the 100-400 is very manageable.