Canon 400mm F5.6 Duck

[Skippy]

Today I got to try out my new Canon 400mm F5.6 Lens.....the weather has been unkind, but I knew where I could find some ducks so offffffff I went :D

This image does show some flare which could have easily been avoided by just moving slightly but what the heck I was in test mode so the mistakes stay :rofl ya learn by those little errors anyways :D

They have a great assortment of ducks at Serendip, but the light was in the wrong spot..........then just when I wasn't expecting it, a whole bunch of those ducks took to flight right in front of me :huh .....and I'm like Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!! :uhoh come back I'm not set up for BIF shots :cry and off they flew into the distance leaving me standing there with that big lens and 2/3 of the ducks in the pond now gone......Ahhhhhh yes a typical "Well Buggar" situation for sure :rofl

Except for the flare which I know is there and could have been avoided I am happy with the way the lens locks onto the target, and even more impressed at how light the lens is ........ ohhhhhhh I can see I am really gonna love this baby when I get used to handling it :D enjoy...... Skippy (Australia)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v63/Ozzie_Skip/Canon%2020D%20dgrin/IMG_4261Efs1_filtered.jpg

[Hawkman]

That's a nice photo of a female mallard. I am suprised you got flare with this lens. You had the hood extended? In any case its a great lens and you will have lots of fun taking some great and razor sharp pictures with it.

Don't be afraid to use it wide open at f5.6, it is as sharp wide open as any other aperature, which gives you great control over the depth of field.

Gene

[bfjr]

Very nice Maxine :thumb
Congrats on your new lens, sounds like your kit is coming together nicely.

[Skippy]

That's a nice photo of a female mallard. I am suprised you got flare with this lens. You had the hood extended? In any case its a great lens and you will have lots of fun taking some great and razor sharp pictures with it.

Don't be afraid to use it wide open at f5.6, it is as sharp wide open as any other aperature, which gives you great control over the depth of field.

Gene
The flare was easily avoidable I saw it when I was taking the shot, and I know I could have avoided it, the pond is a weird shape with reflections bouncing off everything, if I had of moved just slightly I could have avoided the flare for sure.
They have some beautiful ducks and geese at that Sanctuary, I enjoy going there.......it's Winter here now, and the weather really sucks at the moment.

I'll be going back again on a nicer day.....thanks for comment Gene, your a real master of Bird shots, I will be real happy if I even get to be half as good as you at this sort of thing :D Skippy (Australia)

[Skippy]

Very nice Maxine :thumb
Congrats on your new lens, sounds like your kit is coming together nicely.
I'm so amazed by the lightness of the lens, even though it is bigger than the Canon 70-200mm F2.8 IS USM <--- weighs a ton, but I love its sharpness.
I like its pull out hood too, this is very handy for travelling and packing away....so I'm happy with my assortment of lens now, I was trying not to double up on my distance ranges.

Now I need some cool critters to photograph in America :rofl
I'll try it out on the Pelicans down by the boatramp when I get a chance....the weather is just sucking at the moment, so it's a bit hard to go anywhere with decent light and no mud.

Thanks for looking......... Skippy (Australia)

[Khaos]

Nice shot Maxine.

This is a very fun lens. The lightness makes it so nice to hand hold, though you'll find often that it then requires to use a 400 or 800 ISO. The shots still come out very sharp though. The lightness makes it nice for BIFs, though it takes a lot of practice. I still haven't got it down yet.:wxwax

[ginger_55]

Skippy I think it is a wonderful photo!

ginger

[Harryb]

Great start Skippy. It is amazing how those birds will always position themselves just so they are backlit. :D

Excellent shot. :thumb

[Skippy]

Nice shot Maxine.

This is a very fun lens. The lightness makes it so nice to hand hold, though you'll find often that it then requires to use a 400 or 800 ISO. The shots still come out very sharp though. The lightness makes it nice for BIFs, though it takes a lot of practice. I still haven't got it down yet.:wxwax
The duck was nice enough to just sit there :D
Yes I noticed I needed to pump up the ISO at times, its overcast out there again........Winter is well and truely here, I'd really like to catch a bird in flight.....though it will probably be a seagull :rofl

You just have to mention the "F" word :huh (food) and they fall out of the sky them things:lol4 ......my aim will be for a Pelican in Flight :nod

Thanks for the comment Khaos......... Skippy (Australia)

[Skippy]

Skippy I think it is a wonderful photo!

ginger
The ducks are at a Sanctuary, which is free to enter, but I always give a donation because I know they can't run these places without money.

Their are other animals (small) out there, this particular Sanctuary helps in breeding programs ....it's a lovely little place, and if you drive around the dirt road at the back of this property, there are hundreds of kangaroos just sitting in the paddocks :D thanks for looking Ginger......... Skippy (Australia)

[Skippy]

Great start Skippy. It is amazing how those birds will always position themselves just so they are backlit. :D

Excellent shot. :thumb
Those ducks once they get out of the water, tend to do that little walking dance thingy, much like cats and dogs do to find the "Perfect Spot" before they just sit.

I wished I'd been ready for them taking off like they did, they frightened me more than anything else because they took off without warning in two short bursts.......least I know where I can photograph them any time of the year.

Take Care Harry.......... Skippy (Australia)

[luckydog]

Maxine,
Serendip is the sanctuary on the way out to Geelong (near Avalon) isn't it? I remember going there when I lived in Melbourne 13 years ago. It was a lovely place apart from when the Cape Barren Geese are nesting (Vicious sods) :)

[jwear]

That's a nice photo of a female mallard. I am suprised you got flare with this lens. You had the hood extended? In any case its a great lens and you will have lots of fun taking some great and razor sharp pictures with it.

Don't be afraid to use it wide open at f5.6, it is as sharp wide open as any other aperature, which gives you great control over the depth of field.

Gene hawk are you sure about the id :scratch and skippy [very nice shot with a new lens ] do you know for sure what duck this is

[Skippy]

Maxine,
Serendip is the sanctuary on the way out to Geelong (near Avalon) isn't it? I remember going there when I lived in Melbourne 13 years ago. It was a lovely place apart from when the Cape Barren Geese are nesting (Vicious sods) :)
Yep you got the location smack on my friend.........the park is now free, and they still have Cape Barren Geese, and one pair had triplets with them while I was there on the weekend........unfortunately it was so overcast I struggled to get a decent shot, plus they just kept walking the whole time.

Was Werribee Zoo open that far back ??? maybe it was but it's quite big now getting more and more animals, plus they are doing very well in their breeding program too with their Rhino's and Hippo's, and that great Lion enclosure.

Avalon now has a domestic terminal for interstate flights and I believe some flights to New Zealand go from there now too.......the gab between Melbourne and Geelong is getting smaller :D

See you been gone this long and ya still remember :rofl Skippy (Australia)

[Skippy]

hawk are you sure about the id :scratch and skippy [very nice shot with a new lens ] do you know for sure what duck this is
Hi there :D if you put the word Mallard and Serendip in Google Search Engine and pick Australia only you will get hits at Serendip, they have quite an intense breeding program out there, and I was stunned at the variety of birds that are out there .... over 150 species of birds have been recorded out there....those birds sure know how to spread the word where a safe haven is found dont they.

Here's a link to Serendip Park, and some information about it.

http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=182

Skippy (Australia)