Hand Held Photography with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender

Day 4, midday Panga ride, Punta Albemarle, Isabela

This Flightless Cormorant image was created with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place at 519mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/7.1. Two sensors to the right of the central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s face active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. With tight head portraits it is imperative to be perfectly square to the subject to avoid depth-of-field problems where the face is sharp and the bill towards the tip not.

The Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender: Ideal for Zodiac Photography

After our early morning landing, we returned to the Samba for breakfast at about 9am—the pancakes “con coco” (with coconut) were a huge hit. By 10:15am we were back in the zodiacs for a session of panga photography.

As you might surmise after looking at the image above, the skill of the crewmen driving the zodiacs is extraordinary; many times they are able to position the panga perfectly and stabilize it by getting the bow onto a sloping rock while at the same angling the watercraft to maximize the potential for all the photographers in the small boat.

As I wanted a head portrait of the young Flightless Cormorant above, I slid the lever down to engage the internal 1.4X TC. With lots of whitewash in the background I needed to twist my torso a bit to come up with a relatively clean background. The yawn was a bonus. The ease of zooming out to ensure the framing that you want is both convenient and easy. This bird spent lots of time attempting to catch the flies that were pestering it.

This image of a Flightless Cormorant diving was created with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place at 388mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s back active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Hand Held Action Photography with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender

For whatever reasons, I find it easier to hand hold the 200-400 than to hand hold either the 500 F/4L IS II or the 600 f/4L IS II even though the 500 is lighter than the 200-400. It surely has to do with shorter length and compactness of the 200-400 and the torque created by the longer lenses.

Shooters Gallery Photography Group Program

October 20, 2013. Salem, CT

Artie Morris & Denise Ippolito
Date: Sunday – October 20, 2013: Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Location: Salem Gardner Lake Firehouse Hall, 429 Old Colchester Road, Salem, CT 06420
Admission Fee: The Artie Morris presentation from 9:00am until 10:45am is free and open to the public courtesy of Canon U.S.A.
The presentation by Artie and Denise from 11:00am until 4:00pm is $40.00 (Lunch & morning coffee included)

9:00 to 10:45 – “Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography… BIRDS AS ART Style” – Artie Morris (Sponsored by Canon U.S.A.)
10:45 TO 11:00: Break
11:00 to 12:00 – “Blooming Ideas” – Denise Ippolito
12:00 to 1:00 – Lunch
1:00 to 2:00 – “Refining Your Photographic Vision” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:00 to 2:30 – “Pro Gear Handling Tips” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:30 to 2:45 – Break
2:45 to 4:00 – “Creating Pleasing Blurs” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito

Click here to register.

Bucket List?

If visiting the Galapagos is on your bucket list and you are a happy camper who is serious about joining us on our July 2015 trip, please shoot me an e-mail and ask to be placed on the interested list. There simply is no better Galapagos Photo Tour.

Typos

On all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

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LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
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Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
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BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
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