kelly_krabbenhoft

Peter,

 

What lens would you be using? I recently bought a ball head from Kirk. I had made up my mind to get the BH-1. However, when I called them and they asked what lens I was going to use (Canon 600/4 IS), they told me of their newest head for big glass. I have used it the past month and it is nothing but phenomenal. It is the King Cobra head. I haven't used the Arca Swiss or Wimberley (sp?) but have seen them in action. The King Cobra allows for perfect balance and no chance of lens flop. I have used it in a number of situations, from a blind to shooting flying birds, and it is very smooth. If you have big glass, this is worth looking into.

James, I know this isn't the intent of your post, but your last comment got me wondering. What do you consider a long hike with a 600 f4? At 6', 170, I by no means have the biceps or physique of Arnold, but I guess make it up with heart. Because when I am pursuing big mule deer bucks, bull elk or whatever the subject may be with my 600 and Gitzo 1548, my focus overrides exhaustion. I always figure that I can rest later. By pacing yourself, days in the field don't have to be work with even the biggest of glass. I keep reading these doom and gloom threads about the 600 and am frankly "tired" of them, no pun intended. For all of those considering big glass, it isn't going to restrict your movement if you do it wisely. ps- thanks for the review of the lenses James.

I found the formula Richard. Thanks. All I was trying to get across was that it was more than 2 feet. One can stack extension tubes to get even closer. Start adding converters and this is really a mess. Have fun shooting.

I'm not sure what extension tubes Nikon has, but when I use an EF25mm tube on my Canon 400 5.6L, I change the MFD from 11.6 ft to 5.8 ft. One-half the distance. I just bought the 600 f4 IS with a MFD of 18 ft and I expect that to be 9 ft with the EF25mm tube. How can you say that it will only decrease it by 2 or 3 feet? This wouldn't be worth the light loss that you mentioned and lack of autofocus (which you still get with Canon). Take the lens into a dealer and try different tubes and check the MFD so you are sure.

When you are ready to put a ball head under your new big glass, I would suggest looking at Kirk's new King Cobra ball head. I just upgraded my system to Canon's 600/4 IS and a Gitzo 1548 with the King Cobra head. Amazing is the only word that comes to mind. Much more user friendly than the Wimberley head you mentioned. I saw a guy using a Wimberley in Yellowstone last fall before I made my purchase. He was spending more time tightening and loosening knobs than he was shooting. I knew then that is what I did not want. The King Cobra is the ultimate big glass head. Hope they see this. Maybe I will get a discount on my next purchase! Good luck in whatever lens you purchase.

Scott,

I am in North Dakota and have photographed sharptails in the past. As mentioned by Bob, most of our refuges have blinds set up and you need to call and reserve them. However, I know there are areas where one could set up a portable blind on private and state owned property. April 10-25th is probably the best time frame for activity on the leks. Lots of other photographic opportunities as the waterfowl are migrating during this time frame. Have fun.

Mark,

 

I am in North Dakota and shot the lunar eclipse last month in -12F temperatures using a 2CR5 battery in my ElanIIe. It was subjected to these temperatures for over 3 hours and I still had power to shoot to the end. It is doubtful that you will put your equipment to more of a test than this. Good luck in Yellowstone.

I am in North Dakota and often visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the western part of the state. Very few people here especially after Labor Day. Excellent opportunities for a number of subjects. Landscapes, bison, elk, deer, wild horses, turkeys, golden eagles, prairie dogs, coyotes, antelope, pheasant, grouse. If this idea of Rod's gets off the ground, I would help out on a shoot in North Dakota. Thanks. Kelly.

The best spot for bison and elk in North Dakota is at Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora. Very scenic area with good numbers of animals. I photograph there numerous times throughout the year. They are rounding up elk to be shipped to Kentucky and other places this week. Trying to reduce the number from about 500 to 250. They are using helicopters so the remaining animals will likely be on edge for awhile. The bison, however, are usually very cooperative subjects. You also have "wild" horses in the park, which provide another large animal subject. There is a wildlife loop road which is closed when conditions deteriorate. However, last year I visited during the end of January and with a reasonable amount of hiking found good numbers of subjects to photograph. The weather can be brutal, so be prepared for the worst. I don't know as much about moose, but their best concentrations are in the Turtle Mountains near Bottineau, ND in the northern part of the state. Hope things work out for you. Let me know if you need any more info.