camping spiratone 400/6.3shots

[fish4570]

great blue heron, warrior river, 40 yards away:



50 yards:



60 yards, maybe:



at full extension for my standing height - 6-foot-1 - my tripod is a little spindly for a heavy body and long lens. might have to add a small sandbag to the rig.

[visualopsins]

Sometimes I drape a folded bath towell over the lens barrel; helps reduce the swinging motion. My tripod has a hook on the end opposite camera mount I tie a bag filled with rocks or sand, whatever is there.

The Spiratone T-mount 2X TC works very well with this lens, better than any TC-lens combo I've tried except perhaps Tamron.

[fish4570]

Thanks, Sirius. In the interim, i have discovered the joy of a sandbag draped over the lens/camera abutment as damping device. I could make my own hook to hang it from, taking away interference with the focusing ring. Double thanks.

[Scheimpflug]

[fish4570]

I've done that to shoot some shy turtles here at the fishcamp. It is MUCH steadier. Here is a turtle shot made with the 400 after I had stealthily butt-scooted 20 yards to get a closer shot, with the sandbag to damp vibration on my shortened tripod: