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I bought a new lens--not a wildlife lens, but a portrait lens. A Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 (non IS version, or whatever Tamron calls IS). It came yesterday, so I wanted to run some tests on it.
Since there's nobody at home for me to use as a test subject, I decided to grab a favorite model--Tigger. I took him outside and let him stand on my car so I could do some focus tests.
Set Tigger up on back of car.
Put camera down in front seat of car (car is in the backyard, with the top down, so it's an easy place to put it).
Set up flash stand next to Tigger.
Look up, and see something fly down to the bird feeder closest to me. Something much bigger than the typical songbirds.
Yep. The hawk flew down and perched RIGHT NEXT to the feeder, probably 25-30 feet from me. Because he KNEW I'd set the camera down and didn't even have the long lens on it!
I managed to squat down, get to the front seat and grab the camera and get this one shot, and one of his backside as he took off.
1. Cooper's Hawk
April29_7399editweb by sm4him, on Flickr
Not as sharp as I'd like, but I attribute that more to the fact that I had to grab the camera and take the shot as fast as I could, knowing I'd be lucky to even get one photo before it took off. Oh, and for the record: The hawk did NOT get Tigger, not this day.
As for the lens: I think I'm gonna really like it. I was a little nervous about the purchase, because I wasn't sure precisely WHICH version of the Tammy 70-200 it was. Tamron and Sigma lenses just confuse me with all those blasted initials!! I knew it didn't have IS, but wasn't sure if this was some inferior version of the lens or not. It's the Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 Di LD IF SP Macro.
Here's a couple of the test shots:
1. Tigger. 1/320 sec., ISO 110, f/4, 145mm
Lenstest_7417edit by sm4him, on Flickr
2. Same settings, but with OCF
Lenstest_7429editweb by sm4him, on Flickr
Seems pretty decent. Also took some wide open, fully zoomed out to 200mm, etc. Haven't really examined them that closely to see what I think of it at the extremes, but I already understand it's not likely to be as good at the extremes, and don't necessarily plan to use it at 200mm, f/2.8 that much anyway.
At first glance, they certainly looked acceptable to me. The other thing I need to do is take it to a sporting event and give it a whirl, since I mostly see using it for portraits or soccer games. I'll get a chance at the portraits this weekend, with a pre-prom shoot for a friend and then a family gathering on Sunday.
This morning, I couldn't stand it. Portrait lens or no, I just HAD to try it on some more birds. It was REALLY cloudy, a little rainy and just way too dim for my Sigma 150-500 this morning anyway, so I tried a few shots from my bathroom window with the Tammy. Not too shabby, all things considered!
3. Red-Bellied Woodpecker. 200mm (fully zoomed out), f/3.5, ISO 1250, 1/250 sec.
April30_7500editweb by sm4him, on Flickr
4. Female Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. Same settings, with on-camera flash.
April30_7538editweb by sm4him, on Flickr
I did also put the 1.4xTC on it, but by the time I was already late for work and the birds weren't cooperating, so I'll have to continue that test later.
As always, C&C, general comments and witty banter are highly encouraged!
Since there's nobody at home for me to use as a test subject, I decided to grab a favorite model--Tigger. I took him outside and let him stand on my car so I could do some focus tests.
Set Tigger up on back of car.
Put camera down in front seat of car (car is in the backyard, with the top down, so it's an easy place to put it).
Set up flash stand next to Tigger.
Look up, and see something fly down to the bird feeder closest to me. Something much bigger than the typical songbirds.
Yep. The hawk flew down and perched RIGHT NEXT to the feeder, probably 25-30 feet from me. Because he KNEW I'd set the camera down and didn't even have the long lens on it!
I managed to squat down, get to the front seat and grab the camera and get this one shot, and one of his backside as he took off.
1. Cooper's Hawk
April29_7399editweb by sm4him, on FlickrNot as sharp as I'd like, but I attribute that more to the fact that I had to grab the camera and take the shot as fast as I could, knowing I'd be lucky to even get one photo before it took off. Oh, and for the record: The hawk did NOT get Tigger, not this day.
As for the lens: I think I'm gonna really like it. I was a little nervous about the purchase, because I wasn't sure precisely WHICH version of the Tammy 70-200 it was. Tamron and Sigma lenses just confuse me with all those blasted initials!! I knew it didn't have IS, but wasn't sure if this was some inferior version of the lens or not. It's the Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 Di LD IF SP Macro.
Here's a couple of the test shots:
1. Tigger. 1/320 sec., ISO 110, f/4, 145mm
Lenstest_7417edit by sm4him, on Flickr2. Same settings, but with OCF
Lenstest_7429editweb by sm4him, on FlickrSeems pretty decent. Also took some wide open, fully zoomed out to 200mm, etc. Haven't really examined them that closely to see what I think of it at the extremes, but I already understand it's not likely to be as good at the extremes, and don't necessarily plan to use it at 200mm, f/2.8 that much anyway.
At first glance, they certainly looked acceptable to me. The other thing I need to do is take it to a sporting event and give it a whirl, since I mostly see using it for portraits or soccer games. I'll get a chance at the portraits this weekend, with a pre-prom shoot for a friend and then a family gathering on Sunday.
This morning, I couldn't stand it. Portrait lens or no, I just HAD to try it on some more birds. It was REALLY cloudy, a little rainy and just way too dim for my Sigma 150-500 this morning anyway, so I tried a few shots from my bathroom window with the Tammy. Not too shabby, all things considered!
3. Red-Bellied Woodpecker. 200mm (fully zoomed out), f/3.5, ISO 1250, 1/250 sec.
April30_7500editweb by sm4him, on Flickr4. Female Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. Same settings, with on-camera flash.
April30_7538editweb by sm4him, on FlickrI did also put the 1.4xTC on it, but by the time I was already late for work and the birds weren't cooperating, so I'll have to continue that test later.
As always, C&C, general comments and witty banter are highly encouraged!
But none of the Tiggers are likely to rend me into ground human in my sleep, and the Pooh is not #2. My sister-in-law was an uber, over-the-top, fanatical Winnie The Pooh fan--when she passed away, two years ago, we kind of divvied up her collection; Tigger and Eeyore are my favorites, so I took several of the Tiggers home to live with me. 
