topic Re: Lens for Polar Bear in EF & RF Lenses

Lens for Polar Bear

jacky8087 — Wed, 30 May 2018 17:32:39 GMT

I am going to a cruise tour to Arctic Circle for polar bear but I dont know how far will they gonna be, the guidance suggests to bring 10x to 25x binoculars. And I just realized I dont have any long focal length lens for my 6D mark I. My original thought was to buy a canon 100-400mm II paired with the extender 2x, but after I did research found out that this combination is not practical.

I would like some sugguestions for new lens and probably extender, also is the tripod necessary as I never use these large lens before?

Thanks in advanced.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

kvbarkley — Wed, 30 May 2018 17:52:13 GMT

I suggest the Sigma (or Tamron) 150-600 mm. They usually get good reviews around here.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

cicopo — Wed, 30 May 2018 19:42:26 GMT

Where exactly will you be going. If it's Churchill Manitoba you may bew able to fill your viewfinder with a 24-105. The bears there are just about everywhere from what I've seen in my grandson's photos. If however you want a great long lens the Canon 100-400 plus a 1.4 TC gets very good reviews or as suggested the Sigma 150-600 C is another option & both of these can be hand held but a monopod is a very good idea since they are light & compact.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

kvbarkley — Wed, 30 May 2018 20:01:29 GMT

Or a monopod with a gimbal:

https://luminous-landscape.com/gimbal-monopod-use-long-lenses/

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

ebiggs1 — Wed, 30 May 2018 20:34:46 GMT

Either one, a Tamron or Sigma 150-600mm super zoom is the way to go. Here is a rule of thumb, 100mm is roughly 2x power.

So, you would have a 3x to 12x telephoto with either of these. I have all three versions of these super zooms and I prefer the Sigma S but keep in mind it is very heavy. The "C model and the Tamron G2 are totally usable by anybody. Again personally I don't like tele-cons as I prefer native FL.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

Tronhard — Wed, 30 May 2018 20:40:14 GMT

@jacky8087 wrote:
I am going to a cruise tour to Arctic Circle for polar bear but I dont know how far will they gonna be, the guidance suggests to bring 10x to 25x binoculars. And I just realized I dont have any long focal length lens for my 6D mark I. My original thought was to buy a canon 100-400mm II paired with the extender 2x, but after I did research found out that this combination is not practical.
I would like some sugguestions for new lens and probably extender, also is the tripod necessary as I never use these large lens before?

Thanks in advanced.

The fact that you are going on a cruise would suggest to tme that it is likely you will be kept at a decent distance from the bears for health and safety reasons. You COULD get quite close if you are on a boat and they are on an ice flow - I have seen RIBs get within 20m of a polar bear on an ice floe. For that reason I would suggest that you might want to consider a zoom with a fairly wide range, and I would suggest the Canon 100-400 MkII with the 1.4 Mk III extender.

HOWEVER, such a configuration will not give you autofocus and autoexposure on a 6DMkI: you would need an 80D, 7DII, 5DIV or maybe a 6DII to get those features - suggest you refer to Canon's compatibility list for lenses, extenders and bodies. Using a crop sensor will give you a FoV equivalent to 1.6 x focal length which may come in handy if the bears are some distance away. For example the 100-400 would have a FoV of a 160-640 and with a 1.4x extender, it would give you an equivalent FoV at 224-896mm. The results with this lens combination I have found to be really good. There is a post on this site with images from exactly this combination.

So here I have a question... do you think you will need this combination of ranges on a permanent basis. If not, I would suggest renting a kit for the event. Something like a 5DiV (FF) or 7DII (APS-C) will be weather resistant and will give you all of the features of the lenses and extenders. You could take your 6DI with a wider angle lens to get panoramic shots - that way you have all the ranges covered and you don't have to open the camera to switch lenses in the field. The rental cost should be fractional compared to the outlay to purchase.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

TCampbell — Thu, 31 May 2018 16:23:34 GMT

10x for your full-frame 6D camera is about 450mm. (the sensor measures just over 43mm diagonally. the magnification is based on dividing the focal length of the lens by the diagonal measure of the imaging chip. Technically a 430mm lens would be 10x but nobody makes a "430mm" lens.

25x would be 1075mm.

If you use a 2x exntender you have to multiply both the focal length AND the focal ratio by the extender factor. This means if you had an f/2.8 lens you would multply by a 2x and get f/5.6. If you have an f/4 lens you can multiply by 2x and get an f/8 lens. But if you have an f/5.6 lens... you end up at f/11 and the phase-detect auto-focus wont work at f/11.

Also, when you use an extender you'll notice there's a reduction in focus speed.

I would probably look into one of the 150-600mm zooms.

You might also consider renting a lens.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

jacky8087 — Thu, 31 May 2018 16:36:53 GMT

Thank you for your advice I think I would use 150-600mm, is the autofocus going to work on my 6DmkI with this lens?

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

jacky8087 — Thu, 31 May 2018 16:39:32 GMT

thank you I have considered rent those gear but I am going for almost a month. It cost so much to rent them, I would rather buy them in second hand or sell them after the trip, if I not going to use them in the future.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

TCampbell — Thu, 31 May 2018 16:39:48 GMT

@jacky8087 wrote:
Thank you for your advice I think I would use 150-600mm, is the autofocus going to work on my 6DmkI with this lens?

It should. I don't think you'll have any problems.

Stay safe ... you want to be lunch for a hungry bear.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

jacky8087 — Thu, 31 May 2018 16:44:02 GMT

HAHA I will. Do you think tripod is necessary? if so which one should I have?
Now I have Manfrotto befree.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

kvbarkley — Thu, 31 May 2018 17:02:51 GMT

Autofocus will work fine on a relatively slow moving bear. A tripod might be too cumbersome for a moving bear. which is why we suggested monopods or gimbal/monopod above.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

Waddizzle — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 02:18:49 GMT

@jacky8087 wrote:
HAHA I will. Do you think tripod is necessary? if so which one should I have?
Now I have Manfrotto befree.

Not enough tripod for shooting wildlife with a super telepphoto lens, IMHO. It could work if you do not raise the center column. That lens and camera combo would be top heavy with the center column fully extended. It will almost certainly topple once you start moving the camera/lens [ 6D & 150-600 ] around.

A tripod is good for when you are relatively stationary, and not moving around much. Not unless you will be setting yourself up in a blind somewhere, use a monopod and high quality tilt head. A ball head won’t work well on a monopod, and you pan by turning the monopod. I recommend the Kirk MPA-2 head because of its’ strength and friction control.

One additional thing to consider are the elements. Take along at least two rain/weather covers, a primary and a backup.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

RobertTheFat — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 04:56:53 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
@jacky8087 wrote:
HAHA I will. Do you think tripod is necessary? if so which one should I have?
Now I have Manfrotto befree.
Not enough tripod for shooting wildlife with a super telepphoto lens, IMHO. It could work if you do not raise the center column. That lens and camera combo would be top heavy with the center column fully extended. It will almost certainly topple once you start moving the camera/lens [ 6D & 150-600 ] around. ...

Waddizzle often makes the (perfectly valid) point that raising a tripod's center column raises the center of gravity of the camera/tripod assembly and makes it less stable. But that effect can be compensated for by hanging a weight, such as a bag of sand, from the bottom end of the center column. (Most center columns have a hook or ring to facilitate that.) The weight, if it's heavy enough, lowers the COG back to where it should be to restore the necessary stability.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

Waddizzle — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 08:31:44 GMT

@RobertTheFat wrote:
@Waddizzle wrote:
@jacky8087 wrote:
HAHA I will. Do you think tripod is necessary? if so which one should I have?
Now I have Manfrotto befree.
Not enough tripod for shooting wildlife with a super telepphoto lens, IMHO. It could work if you do not raise the center column. That lens and camera combo would be top heavy with the center column fully extended. It will almost certainly topple once you start moving the camera/lens [ 6D & 150-600 ] around. ...
Waddizzle often makes the (perfectly valid) point that raising a tripod's center column raises the center of gravity of the camera/tripod assembly and makes it less stable. But that effect can be compensated for by hanging a weight, such as a bag of sand, from the bottom end of the center column. (Most center columns have a hook or ring to facilitate that.) The weight, if it's heavy enough, lowers the COG back to where it should be to restore the necessary stability.

Yes, a sand bag could stabilize it, but who wants to lug a bag sand around. Not me. A monopod is a great tool when you are on the move, especially with a big 150-600. Yeah, those lenses can be handheld, but for how long? Having support helps.

Besides, the real problem with the “BeFree” travel tripod is that it is only rated at 8.8 pounds load capacity. No doubt, the head itself plays a large role in coming up with that figure. In any case, 8.8 pounds is far too light for the camera lens combo. The head lacks friction control, which is a must have feature with a ball head.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

ebiggs1 — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 13:47:52 GMT

"Do you think tripod is necessary?"

Personally I would not take one. I might take my monopod. Some cruise lines do not allow tripods so check with yours if you decide to take one. Monopods are almost always approved.

Check out the Tamron G2. It will work beautifully with your camera. It will be totally handholdable. You might want to practice a bit before you go so it isn't a learn on the fly situation. You should be shooting in reasonable lighting conditions. Unless you try some dusk or dawn shots the SS and AF should be of no concern.

A close friend of mine just got back from Africa. He took the Siggy S on a 1Dx Mk II and did not take a tripod. His shots are fantastic.

You are gone too long to rent so forget that idea. But you might want to take one of the better Powershot P&S cameras. I always take one. I have a G1x.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

jacky8087 — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 05:17:03 GMT

Many Thanks for all your suggestions. I think I will get the Tamron G2 and monopod with a gimbal.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

Waddizzle — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 09:21:37 GMT

@jacky8087 wrote:
Many Thanks for all your suggestions. I think I will get the Tamron G2 and monopod with a gimbal.

Personally, I have never used a gimbal, so my experience with them is observation and logic. Stick to a tilt head llike the Kirk MPA-2 with a monopod. I do not think polar bears will be taking flight, nor moving very quickly.

Gimbals tend to run large, and require a stable platform to properly balance, something which a monopod many not give you. Because of the way they need to be balanced, I would think that a gimbal would work better with a prime, than a variable length zoom. As the length of a zoom changes, so does its’ CoG, Center of Gravity, which changes how well it balances. You could balance it fully extended, and lock it down, though.

BTW, that is a pretty good choice of lens. Get in some practice with it. You probably want to use it mostly at f/8 aperture.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

ebiggs1 — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 13:52:21 GMT

"I think I will get the Tamron G2 and monopod with a gimbal."

You don't really need any head on a monopod. You can get a ball head but it isn't necessary. Just bolt the monopod to the lens. Less is more sometimes.

Re: Lens for Polar Bear

TCampbell — Sun, 03 Jun 2018 15:30:15 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
"I think I will get the Tamron G2 and monopod with a gimbal."

You don't really need any head on a monopod. You can get a ball head but it isn't necessary. Just bolt the monopod to the lens. Less is more sometimes.

I agree... since it's a monopod, you can tilt it as needed. If you want to do some extreme tilting... then maybe a ballhead would be an nice addition.

A gimbal head is going to be big and take up a bit of space when packing for travel.

The benefit of a gimbal is that when used with a tripod, you can adjust the gimbal to neutrally balance the camera at it's center of mass. You do this, using arca-swiss type rails to slide the camera forward or backward to balance it (camera + lens). Once you find that balance point, the platform of the gimbal can be raised or lowered to find that balance point as well. Now you've balanced it front to back and top to bottom. At THIS point, you can point the camera anywhere you want and you don't have to snug down the axes ... the camera will just stay wherever you point it. This allows the photographer to treat the camera "like a tailgunner" ... say you were shooting birds in flight. You want stability but you don't want to have to lock it down because that would prevent you from tracking the subjects. That's the major benefit of a gimbal. You can "let go" and it'll just stay there. Obviously you cannot just "let go" of a monopod (it would fall over and crash). A gimbal doesn't offer the same benefit on a monopod.

When you're on a monopod without a head, you can also swivel or tilt as needed ... just not as extreme on the "tilt" side of things. e.g. to point "striaght overhead" would require that you lay the monopod down on the ground. That's the limitation. But as you're unlikely to need to point to anything nearly overhead, that's usually not an issue. If you want to be able to tilt it up or down to more extremes without having to lean the monopod so much, you can add a ballhead to it (I use a ballhead that has a "tension" know in addition to the brake knob. This allows me to apply some friction so I can push it around without needing to lock it in place and it still gives me support.