photoartflightOsprey Bringing Nesting Material to Nest
Some of my favorite photo subjects are raptors (Eagles, Hawks, Ospreys, Falcons, etc.). This is an Osprey bringing nesting materials to build the nest, from a trip years ago to the Brigantine Division of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Oceanville NJ. Image shot with a Canon 400mm DO lens.
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Wow! that first image is outstanding.
Thanks! Ospreys are fun to photograph! It is helpful to photograph near their nests getting flight images to and away from the nest.
Reed, when you add the 1.4x to that lens, does it disable the AF?
Hi David! No, with Canon 1 series bodies it autofocus up to f/8. So a Canon 1 series body body can autofocus With even a 2x teleconverter. The Canon R can autofocus with 2 Stacked 2X teleconverters. But you cannot stack 2 – 2x Canon teleconverters because they do not fit together. But a Sigma 2x can mate with a Canon 2x for a 4x teleconverter. Thanks again!
So the Sigma is compatible and communicates with the camera? The reason I ask is because my Canon kit came with Vivitar converters that disable the AF.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but the Canon 400mm f/4 DO lens, mounted on a crop sensor body, would actually reach 640mm (400 x 1.6) and when paired with the 2x converter extend the length to 1280 … not 800mm.
If so, that would give me the reach of my bridge camera without having to purchase a more expensive Super Telephoto. The cost of the 400mm and converter would save thousands of dollars.
Hi again. The Canon 1D mkIV has a 1.3 crop factor, the 1D X is full frame so it is basically 1X. But If you are using a Canon with a 1.6x crop you are sort of correct. But as far as I know, none of the Canon 1.6x crop Camera bodies will autofocus with a 2x teleconverter on a lens that wide open is f/4 before the teleconverter is added. On a Canon 400mm DO lens on a Canon body with a 1.6x crop factor, it would not autofocus with a 2x teleconverter from any of the manufacturers since the 2x teleconverter adds 2 stops of light loss. So with it on a 1.6x crop body shooting wide open, it would be at f/8 and not f/5.6 were it would probably autofocus. Also you are confusing actual focal length of the lens to Field of View (FOV) of a lens with a given lens and teleconverter combination adding on the crop factor. Basically with a 1X teleconverter you loose 1 stop of light getting to the sensor, so on a Canon 400mm DO lens instead of being f/4 wide open, it is actually f/5.6 wide open. With a 2x teleconverter that F/4 lens would actually be @ f/8. Also in my posts I usually give focal length numbers for the actual lens & teleconverter combination, not the combination of lens & teleconverter with the crop factor added in also since it is not really the focal length, but Field of View equivalent. Hope that helps! Thanks again!
I especially love the shots with the talons full of straw, Reed. I have never seen an osprey carrying a load like that–only sticks, like in the final shot.
Thanks Mike! I have a series of an Osprey that was flying low over the water thinking it would dive in for a fish. Instead it attacked a Great Egret in the water, kept attacking the head. It Eventually killed the Egret and dragged it to a small grassed mound in the water and started eating it. It was really far out so greatly cropped into, but I thought it was too graphic to post! What do you think?
That’s a tough call. Nature can be brutal. Somehow most people are ok with an osprey eating a fish, but when it is something “pretty” like a Great Egret, many people recoil in horror. I’m ok with seeing the photos, but some people would undoubtedly find it too graphic. About all you can do is begin with a warning and let folks decide if they want to continue on with the post.
Beautiful shots, Reed! I read your comment about an Osprey attacking an Egret, and eventually killing/eating it. Whoa. That is a new one on me. Did this occur near the Osprey’s nest? I have seen Osprey attack/strike Great Blue Herons near the base of a nest, but they usually quickly take flight to get away from the Osprey, unscathed. No one wants to mess with those Osprey talons!
Thanks Donna! It was in open water nowhere near a nest. It looked like they normally do when circling before a dive. The Egret was just standing in open water. Then all of a sudden the Osprey started attacking the Egret. Multiple strikes to the head. Then it flew to a small grassed area in the water dragging the Egret. Once on the little grassed area it started to eat the Egret. I decided not to post it.
Beautifully shot, Reed. Their gaze is always so intense!
Yes, they do seem to be very “focused” when fishing!