300mm wildlife shots

[Rob Leslie]

Tamron SP f5.6 300mm and crops from today.
Such shots are much easier with MF. AF often locks onto to the undergrowth and keeps hunting. MF just snaps in.
These are Wild deer. Very shy but great fun to watch and photograph, its been a while since I have had the chance to spend such a beautiful afternoon alone just enjoying the wilds and the wildlife.

The FF view




Another sighting




As they move off you can see at least three

[hacksawbob]

Tough subject, you can sense they know that you are there, but you must have been a good 100m away. CA seems to be an issue with this lens I have heard mixed reports. but to catch such jittery subjects couldn't have been easy.

[Rob Leslie]

Hi Bob. I actually met a lot of people who use the area daily and they never see the deer or know they exist. They are tricky to see and get close too. I’m happy to just go out and just watch them, the big problem getting photos of them is the undergrowth, a longer lens would be of no use as it has to get through even more obstructions.
I don’t find CA a major issue with this lens IMO it controls it very well. You can see the lighting on these shots could have produced plenty of it with all those twigs being highlighted. I have a very high opinion of the lens and it compares well with some very expensive modern glass.

[cilinderman]

Fantastic shots!

[paolo0720]

Nice shots! They don't look scared, and they seem very interested in your "gun"

[Sven]

Great series!
Must be a good lens as well.
We have quite a few deer around, but I have never been able to get a decent photo. They are difficult to spot and also very shy.

[horvlas]

excellent shots!

[fergus]

Hi Rob

Well done.

I'm really quite miffed as I have been trying to get similar images during the this last snow bound week, without even a glimse of these creatures I was lucky last year with these images after years of trying. Yes, they may not be technically great photos, but I'm sure those that have tried would agree they are not the easiest of subjects to observe let alone photograph.



Female Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Family: Cervidae. Canon 400D,
Sigma APO DG 70-300mm F/4-5.6. Manually focussed, too much clutter in the way to rely on auto-focus.




Carl Zeiss Jena MC Sonnar 135mm F/3.5. Image cropped.



Carl Zeiss Jena MC Sonnar 135mm F/3.5. Slightly cropped.



Two female roe deer speeding across my path. Feel very lucky to have grabbed this shot and will excuse myself for not having sharp focus as they appeared out of the blue with no warning . I doubt whether an auto-focus lens would have done as well. Carl Zeiss Jena MC Sonnar 135mm F/3.5.

Regards
Fergus

[GrahamNR17]

Impressive!

[trifox]

wow!!! excellent work, Rob..!!

I can not see some CA..

AF kicked off?? that's cool

tf

[horvlas]

Very good too.

[Rob Leslie]

Fergus
Once you start spotting them you find you always see them.
Stalking them is something you pick up. You have to be downwind at all times, move slowly, don’t wear bright colours and when you do get closer stop dead every time they look your way, but the best is to try and anticipate what they are going to do. Most of the better pictures I have ever got have been done by anticipating the direction they will go and sitting down and waiting for them.
Your deer photos are very good the last one is brilliant I have never managed a leaping shot the woods here are too thick and I dont know of a suitable location were I could hope for such a shot, but I keep looking.

Trifox
I don’t believe there is any CA on those shots. I think Bob was referring to reports he had read, which may or may not have been the SP lens.