I haven't posted for the last week because the lodge where my group and I were staying in the Pantanal area of Brazil lost their Internet connection. Their tower was hit by lightning, and the company that services this is 150 miles away over a dirt road. So, it's not been fixed yet. I'm now enroute home and finally I have a connection. For the past 6 days our target was primarily jaguars in the wild, and here is one of the first encounters we had. We had 13 sightings in 5 1/2 days of shooting. Sometimes the jaguars, who stay along the river to hunt, are clearly visible, sometimes they are largely hidden by foliage, and other times they are partially hidden in the thick vegetation. Much of the time they are in deep shade, and that requires a high ISO to maintain a fast enough shutter speed for a sharp picture with the long telephoto lens I had to use. I took this shot with a 500mm f/4 Canon telephoto plus a 1.4x teleconverter giving me 700mm of focal length, and my settings were 1/1250, f/5.6, and 4000 ISO. I hand held the camera from a boat. I'll post more photos of jaguars in the next few days as well as more of Brazils stunning birds, giant river otters, and caiman.
4 Comments
Nov 13, 2016, 10:24:41 AM
Jim - Ross, I never had the 1Dx so I can't compare this with the Mark II version. I'm impressed with Mark II on many levels -- ISO vs noise, frame rate, and dynamic range, but I'm comparing these things with the 5D Mark III. I haven't purchased the 5D Mark IV (yet) so I can't compare anything with this camera as well.
Thanks for the compliments on my video and eBook. I appreciate your enthusiastic endorsement.
Nov 13, 2016, 9:32:39 AM
Ross Hubbard - Thanks Jim! I have the 1Dx and am wondering about the Mark II version and how you think it handles the shadow area information at higher ISO in comparison. I'm trying to justify making that jump or go more toward the 5D Mk IV. Also, do you notice any difference in the newer version's tracking capabilities?
I really appreciate your comments too.
I also wanted to add that your video, 'Replacing the Sky', and e-Book, 'Cool Photoshop Techniques', are each SO informative and useful that everyone should consider getting them. Love them both!! Thanks again Jim.
Nov 12, 2016, 9:14:30 AM
Jim - Hi Ross, Yes, I used the 1Dx Mark II. With such a high shutter speed, the IS isn't necessary and it reduces battery life so I turn it off. With this camera, for the first time, I felt a lot more comfortable using high ISO settings.
Nov 12, 2016, 8:59:26 AM
Ross Hubbard - What a fantastic trip it had to have been with the 13 sightings. Great job of hand-holding, by the way! I am curious as to the camera that was used here and whether you employed the stabilizer. Was it the new 1Dx II? Great blogs Jim, I enjoy them very much!