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[OM] Choosing a supertele

Subject: [OM] Choosing a supertele
From: Eric Pederson <epederso@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 19:33:26 -0800 (PST)
> Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 16:51:22 -0700 (MST)
> From: Wayne Angevine <angevine@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [OM] Philosophical / telephotical advice
...
> A technical approach to the same question might be, is everything I
> need available?  For example, what would you recommend in the 300 and
> 400 mm range for OM?  The Zuiko 300/4.5 would probably be fine, but
> are there 3rd-party lenses available new or used that I should consider
> instead?  I'd also like to have something in the 400/5.6 neighborhood,
> but the only possibilities there seem to be Tamron or Tokina 80-200/2.8
> zooms with a 2X TC (whose?).  I would definitely want a 500/8 reflex
> or maybe even the Sigma 600/8.  Any comments on these or other choices
> would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Other technical matters are viewfinder quality and metering.  I really
> like the big, bright, high eyepoint OM1 finder.  On the other hand,
> I really like evaluative metering and aperture-priority AE.
...
> Wayne Angevine

I'll weigh in with another opinion:

You left out financial considerations. If cost is not a serious problem,
get the zuikos. Good build quality and as good or better than the 3rd
party lenses optically. However, if money is no object, get a new OM-4T
instead of an old OM-1... With wildlife photography, you want auto
exposure sometimes -- especially if you are still mucking about with
manual focus! :-) 

As for a manual system. Everyone on the list will support a manual focus
system.  That's why we're here. The OM-3/4 and Zuiko line is still sold
new, so it is a bit premature to declare it an unsupported system --
although admitedly there can't be many years left to the line.

I'm pleased with an old Tamron 300/5.6 which I have. A bit dim with the 
wrong screen, so do consider replacing the focus screen with a 1-4, 1-7, 
or 1-8 screen (OM-1/2) or a 2-4 (newer cameras). The Tamron matches
my Zuiko 200/4 in image quality. 

My perhaps heretical opinion is that any decent brand lens (Tamron, Zuiko,
Nikon, whatever) will be roughly the same under normal use at 300mm and
longer. 

Sure Gary Reese can show greater and lesser lens resolution among the
supertelephotos, but read his descriptions of mounting the lens/camera on
the tripod*s*. If you are doing wildlife shots, you need a light tripod
(for carrying to your position)  with a head which you can move quickly.
With such a setup, beyond 300mm, I expect (not much experience here) the
main problems with poorer resolution are not from the optics, but from
vibration. Think carefully about tripod rings and where they are located.
I can manage without a ring on my 300mm until I put on an extension tube
(or 2x) and then I'm so front heavy it's comical. 

So, I would conclude: don't worry too much about the brand and buy what
you can afford and what feels easy to use (Zuikos are good in the latter
respect IMO).

As for length, in my limited experience with wildlife photography, you
can't get too close. In the unlikely event the animal more than fills the
frame take a portrait, which is probably a more interesting photo anyway. 
And don't worry, the subject will wander further away so you'll have lots
of opportunities to photograph it with its environment later.  As an
example, here's an elephant which I was photographing with a 300mm:

http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~epederso/photo/Gallery/Elephant.html

It was close to me (this is a zoo shot, I haven't scanned any wild
elephant photos yet), but even so my lens wasn't too long, I just got in
close and personal. This is the full frame (almost anyway) i.e. hardly any
cropping -- a good thing since I was shooting at EI800.  I think the photo
works precisely because I got in close. In the wild I would have needed a
600mm (and still have been nervous). Admitedly I once took a couple of
elephant shots in the wild with a 180mm (N*kk*r)lens (FM2 body). Filled
the frame with cow and calf, but I had to take it while backing away very
discretely from them (I had accidently stumbled upon them -- elephants can
be remarkably quiet as they rip down trees to eat, you can often smell
them before hearing them). If I had chosen my distance in this case, I
would have wanted a 600mm lens. If I were photographing a bird on its
back, I would have wanted a lens longer than is made!

Anyway, back to your query:  So get the longest you will take with you and
can manage comfortably on your camera set up. 300mm seems to be the real
limit for handheld work, so if you will do some handheld work and buying
just one lens, this may well be the length for you. If two lenses, then
300 and 600 would be lovely, but I bet you leave the 600 (and its
suitcase) at home a lot. If thinking about a 500mm mirror, be certain you
are comfortable with donut-shaped out-of-focus highlights. I personally
detest them and expect I'll never buy such a lens because of this.  Others
seem just fine with these. A single 400mm lens seems like a great
compromise, but the price is usually dramatically higher than a 300mm and
you can probably never use it handheld with much success. 

I've opted for a 200, 300, and a Vivitar "Macro" 2x teleconvertor which
gives f8 at 400 and a dim f11 at 600mm. Light setup, reasonably affordable
and flexible. Lacks a tripod ring though. Of course, I never carry both
the 200 and the 300, but I have a nice choice (200mm is my favorite
landscape lens length, if that's a factor.) I won't pretend the optical
quality is very good with the convertor, but better than cropping out most
of the image.

Let us know what you do!
Eric Pederson
epederso@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (no "n" in "epederso")
Professional home page:
        http://logos.uoregon.edu/uoling/faculty/pederson/pederson.html
Personal home page:
        http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~epederso/



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