In relation to the 70-200. I usually use specific camera bodies with specific lenses. Sometimes I switch them around. But the two lenses I always have by my side are a 70-200 and a 500mm. When the animals are too close for the 500mm, I grab the 70-200. I think it may be a natural process for people to first try to get portraits of animals and then later switch to including more of the landscape. It's cool to see the details and colors of the animals close up at first. Always trying to get a clear eye and then later backing off a little and trying to tell more of a story with the photograph. When in places like Yellowstone it's easier. Here in PA the predators are skittish and more nocturnal. It's harder to plan a picture because the subjects are elusive. Much of the time you get what the animal gives you with no time to create a specific shot. Lucky to see a bear maybe once a year and as soon as you see it, it runs.
I use my Sony 70-200 F2.8 GMii with a 400 F2.8 GM when I am on safari in Africa. I often put the 70-200 on a monopod and drop to near the ground to photograph tipping the rear screen of the A1 upwards to frame (highly relying on the excellent Sony eye AF) and operate with remote. Some of my very best safari photos have been taken that way to get a low angle. I would say about 40% of my photos on safari are with the 70-200. Your excellent videos have certainly made me pay more attention to backgrounds.
Great video and a lot to think about; love seeing the animals in their natural surroundings. When I was shooting the 5d III my 70-200 f/2.8 lived on my camera - I loved it. After switching to the R5 I traded for the RF 70-200 f/4 to save weight and $, and the lens now sits in the bag most of the time because I too prefer sunrise/sunset conditions and the f/4 just isn’t as much fun. I may need to reconsider my lens options!
That was - again - very very interesting. Thanks to you and your tips, I've saved a lot of money because I bought a 70-200, 2.8 instead of a longer lens in a bad quality. And I am so happy with that 70-200, 2.8 (Nikon). The quality is just amazing!!! 😊
Yes crazy sharp lens. And photos with habitat are much more powerful. Just need some planning and the condition needs to be right. Moving forward I will try to use this lens as much as possible. It saved my back too as it’s so light.
That's probably true, I hope you have a lot of fun with it! I myself will mainly use it for wildlife (mostly birds) and portraits. I will continue to follow your videos with great pleasure, they are clever and contain valuable tips. Thank you for that!
Thank you for the inspiring video! I am getting the new Sony 70-200 f4 and so excited to see how you use that focal length to make absolutely amazing photos. I have never seen photos of African animals with that perspective before- I am so used to the close-up shots with the buttery background, but your photos made me look at wildlife photography in a new way. It made me even more excited to get that lens and take it out to take photos with it since I live in Kenya and am a short distance to one of the National parks here. One question I have is, to get the angle you did of the lion, did you have to get out of the vehicle, or did you have a way to stay in the vehicle to get the lower angle for the shot? I would love to know how you managed such an epic shot as that. Thanks again for a great video. It made me subscribe and watch more of your videos.
That's a fantastic video.. thank you! What do you think of the combinaison of an R5 or R6 with the EF 70-200 2.8? Or the RF700-200 F4? Or I should just rent the 70-200 2.8 until have I have the $$ :)
Recently got a 120-300 f/2.8 to take pics early in the morning than with a 150-600 f/5-6.3. Was wondering how to get close enough but seeing your pics of bears, it seems like you where at around 30 feet of them. So, now I'm wondering how to stay safe while being close enough... Thanks for sharing !
Hi Tim Man Lee! Your videos are always special and unique and help me learn something new. Thanks for that. I am planning my Masai Mara safari in November and this time I want to capture some unique photos if possible like low angle shots from safari vehicle etc. do you have any suggestions on how I can achieve this and what kind of gear (tripod etc) I would need to get those low angle shots since we will be in our vehicles mostly. Thanks in advance!!
Ah crap I was updating info and cut out the link by accident. Here you go: mountainjournal.org/thomas-mangelsen-uses-his-photography-to-be-a-voice-for-the-natural-world scroll down to see the “born of the north wind”
So in these small animal in the frame you shared with the 70-200 did you shoot them wide open at f/2.8 or did you stop the down to f/8 or more to capture more of the environment in focus?
Very good question. If there is enough light and iso is not too high I would go for 5.6 to 8. But most of the time I shoot at sunrise and sunset or dramatic clouds so light isn’t enough and at 2.8 surprisingly at 70-200 you can still see a lot of details of the habitat and it gives a nice sense of gradual blur which is amazing.
We bought a new vehicle before a trip to the Tetons. We were parked behind Mangelsen. It's nerve racking enough being around all the people with rental vehicles. We've almost been hit several times in the past by rental vehicles because people get all hyped up from seeing the animals. Mangelsen was getting his gear from his vehicle to go photograph 399 and her cub and he hit our brand new vehicle on the front with his camera gear. His bumper on his suv was all taped up. 399 and her cub were in the shadows and the sun was harsh. Not the best conditions for photography but it was nice to see her and the cub. Caught some images of the cub attacking it's mother. Playfully attacking it's mother.
However, sometimes you don't need fast shutter speeds nor shallow depth of field, like architecture photography. In that situation the f/4 lens can save you money and save you weight while doing the job just fine.
all ok but there will become a time or already happened ,that we tire of clean back grounds as andy rouse says the american look ,and look for habitat and enviroment which is kind of what you are conveying in this video , i love my sony 70-200 mm f2.8 but will also get the new f4 version as it shows it tells more of a story
Lol maybe penguins in the Falklands or Antarctica where they come close. I did see some great ones from Louisiana swamps with a lone heron in landscape.
Not ideal, but not useless. For example: birdwatching in a park where you need a fast shutter speed and will only be posting the photos to social media. Exporting the photos in Lightroom where they only have 2048 pixels on the long side in the end means you can crop to your heart's content and it won't matter when you post it. I'd still prefer the longer focal length for wildlife, but in some cases we can get away with our 70-200mm.
I have become so focused on getting close-ups (mostly 800 mm) that have been ignoring the habitat. I really appreciate this change of pace.
Yes definitely give it a try. The results surprised me sometimes and it taught me to zoom out a bit in life too.
In relation to the 70-200. I usually use specific camera bodies with specific lenses. Sometimes I switch them around. But the two lenses I always have by my side are a 70-200 and a 500mm. When the animals are too close for the 500mm, I grab the 70-200. I think it may be a natural process for people to first try to get portraits of animals and then later switch to including more of the landscape. It's cool to see the details and colors of the animals close up at first. Always trying to get a clear eye and then later backing off a little and trying to tell more of a story with the photograph. When in places like Yellowstone it's easier. Here in PA the predators are skittish and more nocturnal. It's harder to plan a picture because the subjects are elusive. Much of the time you get what the animal gives you with no time to create a specific shot. Lucky to see a bear maybe once a year and as soon as you see it, it runs.
Thank you for this thoughtful treatise and for challenging my thinking.
I use my Sony 70-200 F2.8 GMii with a 400 F2.8 GM when I am on safari in Africa. I often put the 70-200 on a monopod and drop to near the ground to photograph tipping the rear screen of the A1 upwards to frame (highly relying on the excellent Sony eye AF) and operate with remote. Some of my very best safari photos have been taken that way to get a low angle. I would say about 40% of my photos on safari are with the 70-200. Your excellent videos have certainly made me pay more attention to backgrounds.
Great minds think alike ;))))
Great information and marvelous images! Thanks for taking me along!
Hi, love your videos and I’m learning a lot! Thank you! Do you have any preference between an f2.8 70-200 vs the much light f4 version ? Thanks! 😊
Always 2.8 because you get an extra stop of light into your camera which is beneficial in low light situation.
You are a great lecturer! Very inspiring. Thank you.
Love your channel & content, Tin Man Lee!Best wishes.😊❤️🙏
Big thanks for your support. I just filmed a few more. Stay tuned.
It is great to see someone that is always working to improve himself or herself and is pure to their heart and to their art.
Very kind of you. Very fortunate to have found this passion and it’s so much fun.
I am so enjoying your videos. Thank you.
That means a lot. Will be posting a new one soon!
Great video and a lot to think about; love seeing the animals in their natural surroundings. When I was shooting the 5d III my 70-200 f/2.8 lived on my camera - I loved it. After switching to the R5 I traded for the RF 70-200 f/4 to save weight and $, and the lens now sits in the bag most of the time because I too prefer sunrise/sunset conditions and the f/4 just isn’t as much fun. I may need to reconsider my lens options!
That was - again - very very interesting. Thanks to you and your tips, I've saved a lot of money because I bought a 70-200, 2.8 instead of a longer lens in a bad quality. And I am so happy with that 70-200, 2.8 (Nikon). The quality is just amazing!!! 😊
Yes crazy sharp lens. And photos with habitat are much more powerful. Just need some planning and the condition needs to be right. Moving forward I will try to use this lens as much as possible. It saved my back too as it’s so light.
That's probably true, I hope you have a lot of fun with it! I myself will mainly use it for wildlife (mostly birds) and portraits. I will continue to follow your videos with great pleasure, they are clever and contain valuable tips. Thank you for that!
Thank you for the inspiring video! I am getting the new Sony 70-200 f4 and so excited to see how you use that focal length to make absolutely amazing photos. I have never seen photos of African animals with that perspective before- I am so used to the close-up shots with the buttery background, but your photos made me look at wildlife photography in a new way. It made me even more excited to get that lens and take it out to take photos with it since I live in Kenya and am a short distance to one of the National parks here.
One question I have is, to get the angle you did of the lion, did you have to get out of the vehicle, or did you have a way to stay in the vehicle to get the lower angle for the shot? I would love to know how you managed such an epic shot as that. Thanks again for a great video. It made me subscribe and watch more of your videos.
That's a fantastic video.. thank you! What do you think of the combinaison of an R5 or R6 with the EF 70-200 2.8? Or the RF700-200 F4? Or I should just rent the 70-200 2.8 until have I have the $$ :)
Recently got a 120-300 f/2.8 to take pics early in the morning than with a 150-600 f/5-6.3. Was wondering how to get close enough but seeing your pics of bears, it seems like you where at around 30 feet of them. So, now I'm wondering how to stay safe while being close enough... Thanks for sharing !
Awesome video..thanks
Hi Tim Man Lee! Your videos are always special and unique and help me learn something new. Thanks for that. I am planning my Masai Mara safari in November and this time I want to capture some unique photos if possible like low angle shots from safari vehicle etc. do you have any suggestions on how I can achieve this and what kind of gear (tripod etc) I would need to get those low angle shots since we will be in our vehicles mostly. Thanks in advance!!
I don't see a link to the Mangelson photo.
Ah crap I was updating info and cut out the link by accident. Here you go: mountainjournal.org/thomas-mangelsen-uses-his-photography-to-be-a-voice-for-the-natural-world scroll down to see the “born of the north wind”
So in these small animal in the frame you shared with the 70-200 did you shoot them wide open at f/2.8 or did you stop the down to f/8 or more to capture more of the environment in focus?
Very good question. If there is enough light and iso is not too high I would go for 5.6 to 8. But most of the time I shoot at sunrise and sunset or dramatic clouds so light isn’t enough and at 2.8 surprisingly at 70-200 you can still see a lot of details of the habitat and it gives a nice sense of gradual blur which is amazing.
@@TinManLee tnx
We bought a new vehicle before a trip to the Tetons. We were parked behind Mangelsen. It's nerve racking enough being around all the people with rental vehicles. We've almost been hit several times in the past by rental vehicles because people get all hyped up from seeing the animals. Mangelsen was getting his gear from his vehicle to go photograph 399 and her cub and he hit our brand new vehicle on the front with his camera gear. His bumper on his suv was all taped up. 399 and her cub were in the shadows and the sun was harsh. Not the best conditions for photography but it was nice to see her and the cub. Caught some images of the cub attacking it's mother. Playfully attacking it's mother.
If the subjects (animalsin your case) are in the tall grasses, how low can you get? In your lion photo, how far were you from the subject?
F2.8 vs F4, which one is better?
It's typically better to go with the larger maximum aperture. You can always stop the 2.8 lens down, but you can't stop the 4 lens up.
However, sometimes you don't need fast shutter speeds nor shallow depth of field, like architecture photography. In that situation the f/4 lens can save you money and save you weight while doing the job just fine.
all ok but there will become a time or already happened ,that we tire of clean back grounds as andy rouse says the american look ,and look for habitat and enviroment which is kind of what you are conveying in this video , i love my sony 70-200 mm f2.8 but will also get the new f4 version as it shows it tells more of a story
Mammals ✔️
Birds ❌
Lol maybe penguins in the Falklands or Antarctica where they come close. I did see some great ones from Louisiana swamps with a lone heron in landscape.
A 200 is useless. An animal is high up on a ridge and it shows as a dot at 200mm when a 600 will fill the frame. Now, what is better.
Not ideal, but not useless. For example: birdwatching in a park where you need a fast shutter speed and will only be posting the photos to social media. Exporting the photos in Lightroom where they only have 2048 pixels on the long side in the end means you can crop to your heart's content and it won't matter when you post it.
I'd still prefer the longer focal length for wildlife, but in some cases we can get away with our 70-200mm.
I'm sure for you a 200mm is, indeed, useless. I'll make up mind for myself and determine which, for me, is better.
You are more of giving the stories of your experience instead of actual work how you did with the lens,,,
Would be good if we could skip the lefty/commie propaganda though - other than that, the photography is great!