Kayak + 100-400L

I've been spending a lot of the past couple of months taking time off on Hornby Island, on the BC coast, Canada. This has included a lot of photography, hiking, cycling, and kayaking. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to combine the kayaking and photography today because what I get to see from the kayak is far better than what I can see (or capture) from land. In particular the bald eagles on the rocks let you get extremely close whereas they are very cautious about people walking anywhere close by.


The risks of bringing a camera along are obvious, but the conditions were pretty much perfect and I could not be more pleased with the results from this afternoon. I decided to bring my 40D instead of my new 5DII. Mostly in case anything went wrong but also for the reach and burst speed, so these are all shot from the kayak with my 40D and 100-400L.


Please see some of my favourites below. There are larger versions and a few more shots from today on my flickr along with other photos I've taken while out here.





http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/...0513b34d_z.jpg


40D + 100-400L @ 400mm, 5.6, 1/3200, ISO400





http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/...0321f892_z.jpg


40D + 100-400L @ 400mm, 8.0, 1/1600, ISO 400





http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/...9d1d9261_z.jpg


40D + 100-400L @ 275mm, 5.6, 1/3200, ISO 400





http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/...e4c9181b_z.jpg


40D + 100-400L @ 400mm, 5.6, 1/1250, ISO 800





http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/...344cc8e4_z.jpg


40D + 100-400L @ 350mm, 5.6, 1/2000, ISO 800





http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/...536b261b_z.jpg


40D + 100-400L @ 400mm, 5.6, 1/2500, ISO 800





http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/...97755162_z.jpg


40D + 100-400L @ 400mm, 5.6, 1/2000, ISO 800





http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/...6fc8ae41_z.jpg


40D + 100-400L @ 400mm, 5.6, 1/5000, ISO 800





I'm really happy to be able to share these with you guys. I hope you enjoy them and thanks for looking. C&Cs are totally welcome.


After getting these results from just an hour or so this afternoon I think that I'll be doing this again despite the risks :)





Cheers,


-Yoni

A very nice set.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by StapledPhoto

After getting these results from just an hour or so this afternoon I think that I'll be doing this again despite the risks :)

---

So would I, if I thought I could get those shots :)

Those are really pretty Yoni. I'm glad you brought your camera along!

Great shots and thank you for including the exposure information. I've been using my 100-400 stepped down a few. Maybe it's time I gave f5.6 another try.

What great access you have, those pictures are wonderful. Keep them coming!


Rich

Those are nice shots! And you're right, when you try to walk up to them, you can't get that close before they take off. You can call your kayak part of your camera gear.


I think Lowepro makes a waterproof backpack style camera bag that has built in floatation. If your waters get rough, that might be something to consider.

Very nice set photos! Really lucky you to have such sights.

These are amazing shots! The water level perspective from your kayak adds a "special ingredient" to them. Keep em coming!

Your photography is awesome! I enjoyed looking at all of them on flickr!! Thanks for sharing & I look forward to seeing more! [Y]

Denise

Great set of photos Yoni!! Love the angle of the shots!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by StapledPhoto

The risks of bringing a camera along are obvious, but the conditions were pretty much perfect and I could not be more pleased with the results from this afternoon

---

I saw your Flickr and I must say that these shots are a lot better than the shots from a higher angle [Y]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by StapledPhoto

After getting these results from just an hour or so this afternoon I think that I'll be doing this again despite the risks :)

---

It would be boring if you'd never take risks wouldn't it?


Cheers and see you around,


Jan

Thanks for all the kind words guys! I really appreciate the comments.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pilotdane

Great shots and thank you for
including the exposure information. I've been using my 100-400 stepped
down a few. Maybe it's time I gave f5.6 another try.

---

Maybe I got lucky with my copy or I'm just not as picky as some, but I think it's totally acceptable wide open, especially for a zoom, and I've never noticed all that much of a sharpness benefit from stopping down. Vignetting on the other hand is pretty bad on full frame wide open.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EdN

I think Lowepro makes a waterproof backpack style camera bag that has
built in floatation. If your waters get rough, that might be something
to consider.

---

I actually need a small bag, it's very awkward to wear a backpack in the kayak and a backpack wouldn't fit at my legs very well. I have a rover already (not the dryzone one) and it wouldn't work at all. Ideally it'd be a waterproof top loader that's deep enough to fit the 100-400L mounted and maybe one extra lens. I don't think that such a bag exists unfortunately. For these photos I took the camera out in a tied heavy duty garbage bag inside my slingshot 200 :/ not exactly a perfect solution. The slingshot was just small enough to fit at my legs but wasn't great. Maybe a garbage bag or proper drybag inside a standard toploader would be alright.


I'm not concerned about choppy waters because I'll only be taking the camera out if the wind is dead. I'm more worried about rolling the kayak accidentally and watching $2K+ in gear die. Realistically I'm most likely to roll the kayak while taking a shot and not paying enough attention to something, so no bag will help me with that, but I might as well try to minimize any risk I can.

Great pics, Yoni!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by StapledPhoto

I actually need a small bag, it's very awkward to wear a backpack in the kayak and a backpack wouldn't fit at my legs very well. I have a rover already (not the dryzone one) and it wouldn't work at all. Ideally it'd be a waterproof top loader that's deep enough to fit the 100-400L mounted and maybe one extra lens. I don't think that such a bag exists unfortunately. For these photos I took the camera out in a tied heavy duty garbage bag inside my slingshot 200 :/ not exactly a perfect solution. The slingshot was just small enough to fit at my legs but wasn't great. Maybe a garbage bag or proper drybag inside a standard toploader would be alright.

---

I haven't run across a waterproof toploader, either. I can tell you that theToploader Pro 75 AW is a perfect fit for my gripped 7D + 100-400mm w/ hood reversed. If you have a non-gripped body,the older Topload Zoom AW (not Topload<span>er, no Pro in the name - here's theAmazon link) might be a better fit. Because of the shape, either would fit between your legs tucked into the cockpit much better than a backpack. I think you're right that a proper dry bag inside a toploader would be the most effective solution.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by neuroanatomist

I haven't run across a waterproof toploader, either. I can tell you that theToploader Pro 75 AW is a perfect fit for my gripped 7D + 100-400mm w/ hood reversed. If you have a non-gripped body,the older Topload Zoom AW (not Topload<span>er, no Pro in the name - here's the[url="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009R8B9]Amazon link[/url]) might be a better fit. Because of the shape, either would fit between your legs tucked into the cockpit much better than a backpack. I think you're right that a proper dry bag inside a toploader would be the most effective solution.
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>

---

Thanks Neuro! I really appreciated your advice in the birding thread too.


As for the bag, I'll try to find a brick and mortar that stocks both of those topload(er)s and see if the smaller option will work with the extra bulk of a roll-top drybag. It'd be the 5DII without a grip so we'll see which bag I like better. Having a bag just for walking around with my 100-400L mounted would be great anyway. I find that it moves around a lot hanging by the neck strap and I worry about all that stress on the mount so I end up holding it in my arms.


I'll take the camera out in the kayak a couple more times before I have a chance to check out some bags and that'll probably be it for kayak photography this season.