Eagles... - DPChallenge Forums

Quantaray AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD Tele-Macro for Canon

01/17/2006 06:26:54 PM · #1

How hard is it to take pictures of Eagles in the wild? I'm going to Dale Hollow lake in Tennessee this Friday to give it a try. I will be in a boat, I wonder if that will help? All I have is a Canon 70-300....

Any tips, please?

espy2

Nikon D50

01/17/2006 06:29:18 PM · #2

Originally posted by philup:

Hmm. A boat.

I heard that the 70-300 is nothing without a tripod, or your image totally blurs. HEY, I only heard that! Before anyone yells! :)

So, rocking boat and tripod might not mix. Plus, when you see one, you will have to relocate it and such. Sounds like it will be a challenge from a boat. BUT, I would imagine they aren't hard to photograph more than any other bird. It's just the set up you use.

Rose

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

01/17/2006 06:30:13 PM · #3

I got a picture of one about 3 weeks ago ... being on a lake should help because you'll have a large clear view in many directions -- they often appear and fly off pretty fast, so you have to be ready.

Practice panning shots : )

alanfreed

Nikon Z9

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

01/17/2006 06:31:08 PM · #4

With bright light, you shouldn't have any trouble hand-holding a 300mm lens. Just open it as wide as you can and get the fastest shutter speed. Your hardest trick will be to track them as they fly... I'd just point and fire away in rapid succession.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

01/17/2006 06:32:49 PM · #5

Originally posted by alanfreed:

I was expecting you to suggest getting a sideline pass ... : )

nidici

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

01/17/2006 06:47:14 PM · #6

We have a pair of eagles very close by. They fish in the bay and love to settle in tall pine trees to eat. I've been very fortunate (and very lucky) to get shots of them either eating or surveying their surroundings. They are truly majestic birds. They are also quite skittish--the slightest sound out of the ordinary puts them at attention and they will take off at the slightest provacation. Take a look at my portfolio and let me know what you think.

01/17/2006 06:52:50 PM · #7

Originally posted by nidici:

Thanks everybody for the help!!

nidici, those are great pictures! What lens did you use?

Message edited by author 2006-01-17 18:53:47.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

01/17/2006 07:04:07 PM · #8

300 really isn't long enough to get shots like you probably want...you'll really want at least a 400 and a 1.4 TC

nidici

Nikon D800

01/17/2006 09:31:01 PM · #9

I used an 80 to 400 Nikon VR lens--hand held @ 400m to keep the speed high, usally boost the ISO to 400 or 600. Actually like the f5.6 @ 400mm because it gives a little dof to play with. These eagles tend to move a lot and I get a lot of blurred heads, wings, etc. Thanks for your interest in my shots.

orussell

Canon EOS Rebel T6s

Canon EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM

01/17/2006 09:56:11 PM · #10

Check out this guys work: //www.pauldolkphotography.com/?type=eagles He shoots film with a Nikon F6 I think. His wildlife images are amazing. The site doesn't do his work justice; his prints are incredible.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

01/17/2006 11:02:45 PM · #11

This guy flew by while I was having breakfast during a recent visit to my dad.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

01/19/2006 09:02:34 PM · #12

Originally posted by GeneralE:

This guy flew by while I was having breakfast during a recent visit to my dad.

If I get a shot like this tomorrow, I will be happy! I think its going to be harder than I think!

ellamay

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

01/19/2006 09:12:58 PM · #13

I find it depends on the eagles, city dwelling eagles are quite easy to get close to and are somewhat comfortable around people. Country eagles if you get to close will fly...So be ready! Approach slowly give them a chance to get used to you, to see you pose no danger and then, slowly, move a lil closer....and so forth.

Good luck.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/19/2006 09:17:18 PM · #14

Originally posted by ellamay:

Thank you for the tip! You have some nice eagle pictures on your profile page! Great job!!

zeuszen

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

01/19/2006 09:28:32 PM · #15

Here's one taken from a Vancouver beach which I consider not a bad shot. There are more in my port. Every single one of 'em came through a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L plus 1.4x. Average effective focal length around 400mm (considering actual zoom point and a 1.6 crop factor). As you can see from the EXIF data supplied with each shot, eagles fly sharp somewhere between 1/800 and 1/1200.

Preparation, studying the eagle(s), knowing his behaviour, preferences and territory helps tremendously to land the kind of shot we want. Patience.

01/19/2006 09:35:08 PM · #16

Originally posted by zeuszen:

WOW..that is a great shot..!! I left you a comment. And thanks for the tip! I think if I see one..I will study it awhile like you said. Not just rush in and take the shot. Try to be as patient as I can! Thanks again

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/20/2006 08:07:13 PM · #17

Here are two of my best shots at Dale Hollow Lake. It was a lot harder than I thought!! The eagles would not let me get very close...if I only had a 600mm...lol..

zeuszen

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

01/20/2006 08:28:45 PM · #18

> philup

That's not bad at all, considering the available light (I noticed you bumped your ISO to 400). How many shots did you take altogether?

01/20/2006 08:39:31 PM · #19

Originally posted by zeuszen:

> philup

That's not bad at all, considering the available light (I noticed you bumped your ISO to 400). How many shots did you take altogether?

yeah, it was a cloudy day...thats why I bumped up to 400. For the day, I took 72 pictures. I only took about 20 pictures of eagles...I would show more pictures but the next challenge is Wildlife...and I'm not using an eagle picture...

Thanks for the comment!

Message edited by author 2006-01-20 20:46:46.

01/20/2006 09:21:09 PM · #20

Here is the uncrop version...if anybody is interested...

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4.0G IF-ED

02/02/2006 07:48:33 PM · #21

I just wanted to share the rest of my pictures from Dale Hollow Lake. I am very happy with the picture that I submitted to the Wildlife Challenge and also very happy with the results! Anyway, here are some more pictures from Dale Hollow Lake. Did I make the right choice?

And here is the picture from the Wildlife Challenge..

jbsmithana

Nikon D300

02/02/2006 07:59:00 PM · #22

Here are two I happen to have on DPC at the moment. Both taken with a cheap Tamron 28-300. Not the best in terms of sharpness that I have but it shows what you can do.

02/02/2006 08:01:40 PM · #23

300 isn't going to get it done (90% of the time). You need at least a 400 and a 1.4TC ... and that's probably the minimum.

02/02/2006 08:02:50 PM · #24

Originally posted by deapee:

300 really isn't long enough to get shots like you probably want...you'll really want at least a 400 and a 1.4 TC

wtf