Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM

[Cap'n Fishy]

Not enough light here at this time of year for the 200-800, never mind having the x1.4 TC on it! ISO 25,600...

 

[Graham121]

Fortunately there is plenty of light at the other end of the planet testing out my 1.4x that arrived just after Christmas.
Olive Backed Oriole on New Years Eve, Vic, Au

 

[Graham121]

Unfortunately though there is plenty of heat too - currently 31C , 40C+ tomorrow and consequently heat haze is a major issue!!!
Case in point being this Yellow Faced Spoonbill image just taken from 92.50m away according to the exif, across 80 plus metres of water.
Full image as processed in Lightroom


Cropped to 3000 by 2000 and run through Topaz Sharpen AI selecting only the Spoonbill. Won't win any prizes but a good enough record shot of an infrequent visitor to my local water treatment plant.

 

[PinholeR5]

Unfortunatley though there is plenty of heat too - currently 31C , 40C+ tomorrow and consequently heat haze is a major issue!!!
Case in point being this Yellow Faced Spoonbill image just taken from 92.50m away according to the exif, across 80 plus metres of water.
Full image as processed in Lightroom
View attachment 196205

Cropped to 3000 by 2000 and run through Topaz Sharpen. Won't win any prizes but a good record shot of an infrequent visitor to my local water treatment plant.
View attachment 196206

Yep, 30C+ isn't the best for long distance imaging. >41C... Yikes!

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

I have been finding that it doesn't need to be hot to get shots ruined by heat haze. I was having issues with it at very modest temperatures...

Aberlady in May (EF100-400 plus x1.4 TC)...



And up in the Lammermuir Hills in April (RF 200-800 plus x1.4 TC)...

 

[Graham121]

I have been finding that it doesn't need to be hot to get shots ruined by heat haze. I was having issues with it at very modest temperatures...

I know what you mean. I think that in anything other than clean dry constant air the 1.4 tc is best suited to getting more pixels on close subjects rather than trying to a decent number of pixels on distant subjects. Same goes for the 2x on my 500/4. The same goes for the 500-800mm range of the lens native.

 

[Bashernrb]

The British wildlife centre Lingfield, Otters. Baby otters. Water. Ice. rf 200-800 on r6 mkII. it was dark grey and i am very impressed with the results.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Unfortunately though there is plenty of heat too - currently 31C , 40C+ tomorrow and consequently heat haze is a major issue!!!
Case in point being this Yellow Faced Spoonbill image just taken from 92.50m away according to the exif, across 80 plus metres of water.
Full image as processed in Lightroom

40C+ ?!!! Yikes!
Thankfully my birding situation every spring is a LOT more comfortable and close! Maximum range for me is 10~12m.

Although I might be bumping into a fellow photog every 0.10~0.12m.

 

[MSH411]

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

Lesson learned, re light levels in Scotland in January and using the x1.4 TC with the lens. Back to the cemetey yesterday.

The grey wagtail is the worst for light. He seeks out the darkest, dingiest corners. So, this was 800 mm @ 1/60 sec, ISO 8000!

Stock dove @ 1/250 sec, ISO 6400...

Wren @ 1/250 sec, ISO 8000...

Huge crop required on this great spotted woodpecker (he was away up high in the trees), in addition to finding focus through all the branches...

1/250 sec, ISO 640...

 

[MSH411]

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

I thought this was quite a good demo of the 200-800's resolving power today.

Took this shot of the crane boat that is planting the monopiles for the Inch Cape wind farm with my Ricoh GRIV, which has 28 mm FoV...

I just about squeezed it all in!

Switched to the RF 200-800 mm and took a shot of the lifting mechanism thingy hanging down from the crane (@455 mm)....

(The crane had turned a bit while changing.)

Cropped in...

Pretty good, I think.

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

I know what you mean. I think that in anything other than clean dry constant air the 1.4 tc is best suited to getting more pixels on close subjects rather than trying to a decent number of pixels on distant subjects. Same goes for the 2x on my 500/4. The same goes for the 500-800mm range of the lens native.

I suspect a big factor is just plain distance. I think a lot of us are fairly new to having such a long reach as 800 mm and longer - I certainly am. When we go out and photograph distant things, and then enlarge them with super-long telephotos, we run into issues with air distortion, not just from heat shimmer, but from other barometric pressure differences and turbulence, and who knows what. Basically, just the sheer distance we are cutting through.

I took these a couple of days ago, from Leith harbour breakwater. The 3 bridges over the Forth are 13-14 Km away...

The air was about 5 Centigrade. Not sure what the water would be, but not much different, I'm guessing.

This is a 7-frame stitch @ 800 mm...

Here is a single frame uncropped...

And here is a 100% crop...

It's all sharp enough, but decidedly wobbly.

 

[Graham121]

I suspect a big factor is just plain distance. I think a lot of us are fairly new to having such a long reach as 800 mm and longer - I certainly am. When we go out and photograph distant things, and then enlarge them with super-long telephotos, we run into issues with air distortion, not just from heat shimmer, but from other barometric pressure differences and turbulence, and who knows what. Basically, just the sheer distance we are cutting through.

I took these a couple of days ago, from Leith harbour breakwater. The 3 bridges over the Forth are 13-14 Km away...

The air was about 5 Centigrade. Not sure what the water would be, but not much different, I'm guessing.

It's all sharp enough, but decidedly wobbly.

That is amazingly clear for 13-14kms away - I am currently getting more wobbles across a 30 metre wetland!

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

Another 'long-distance close-up'. This is the crane boat that is installing the wind turbines at Inch Cape offshore wind farm in the North Sea, off the east coast of Scotland. It is currently anchored out from Burntisland on the coast of Fife. It is loaded with 5 monopiles (the stand section that gets buried into the seabed). It is obviously waiting for a weather window to get out to the site. We are currently experiencing 'Storm Chandra', whicch is coming in from the east, so it's not going to be leaving today!

Taken from my bathroom window last night, 8 Km away...

 

[edmidlifecrisis]

The look by Ed Spenser, on Flickr

 

[Britain]

 

[MSH411]

 

[edmidlifecrisis]

Little green heron fishing in my neighborhood by Ed Spenser, on Flickr

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

Bavelaw NR...

Male siskin...

Goldfinch...

Nuthatch...

Long-tailed tit...