Morning Denise....you obviously had a good night last night w/the Pack.
Here's an alternative for shooting your HBs w/your present equipment that is very low budget; build a blind to allow you to set up closer to the HBs' feeders. It's simple....I used PVC piping (upside down T shape w/cross bar, no glue for easy break down and storage) and hang a camo sheet to make the blind....less than 35 bucks. This allows me to set up w/in 10 feet of my target feeder(s) and use my 70-200.
Add the 1.4x to maintain good IQ....IMO the 2x degrades the IQ too much.
Another advantage of the blind; when I set up early in the morning, it allows me to drink my coffee w/out my movement bothering the HBs.
Almost forgot....I use a tripod, cable release and a chair.
Good luck in 2013
Bill
Someone on POTN was asking if the extra sensitive center focus point on the 6D would AF at or above f8, so I tried it out with my 70-300L at 300mm and my Kenko 2x TC (for 600mm and f11), and bigger than Stuttgart it worked! Check the EXIF on this (although it doesn't say AF anywhere, just take my word for it).
More testing to follow, but this could be a good thing.
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Mark - Flickr
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Mark - Flickr
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Mark, you don't happen to have a Rebel T3i lying around to test it on?
Very interesting news, thanks for sharing.
Arnt
Ok, test #2. I found that if you just zoom all the way out to 600mm and f11 (with the Kenko 2x) and try to AF, it won't. But if you focus first at 140mm f8 and then zoom out, it will fine tune the focus at 600mm f11. You sort of have to get the focus in the neighborhood at f8 first, I guess, and then zoom and refocus. Still could be useful for birds and such. More testing tomorrow in sunlight.
Focus point was the pull chain.
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Mark - Flickr
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Hey guys, thanks for the input! I haven't been back until now ...been busy scoping out the used gear sites. The more time I spend there the more side-tracked I get! I still haven't quite decided on the teleconverter. Mainly because I am wondering if with my longest lens being 150mm if it will even give me enough reach for anything anyway, even with a 2x. Maybe best to wait until I can just afford a longer lens again. If I wouldn't have sold my 200mm, a 2x on that would have worked great!
I am thinking about the blind that Bill suggested but will wait on that to see if we have another scorching summer this year like last!
Anyway, like I said while I was scoping out the used sites I did get sidetracked and picked up a used 40mm pancake lens for $100! I just got so tired of selling everything that I just had to buy something just for my own sanity sake! LOL!
Congrats on the new lens Denise!
I'm sure you will put it to very good use, I look forward to the results.
I keep my fingers crossed for more lenses coming your way soon
Arnt
These are some shots I took this past summer using a Kenko 2x ...
This first two are with the Sigma 50-150mm
IMG_2036_WM by Denise Trocio ( www.dtrociophotography.com), on Flickr
Sigma 50-150mm with Kenko 2x TC by Denise Trocio ( www.dtrociophotography.com), on Flickr
The next two were with using the 135mmL ...
Canon 135mmL and Kenko 2x TC by Denise Trocio ( www.dtrociophotography.com), on Flickr
Another heatwave ...another waterlogged puppy by Denise Trocio ( www.dtrociophotography.com), on Flickr
I don't take sharp hb photos anyway so I can't blame that on the TC! My photos only get posted to the web and I pretty much never get any of them printed so I think a 2x produces pretty good detail for that anyway.
So, I ordered a used Kenko 2x tonight. It only gets me 300mm but every little bit will help!