New lens

[machohorn]

My kids gave me a B-day present a Tanron 70-300 it looks like a 1.4-5.6 is this correct? also It has a macro setting , what would I use this for. I know it is not a "L" series or a prime lens but until the economy opens up it will have to do. Also what can I expect from this lens? will I be able to take good photo's of birds etc at a distance like seen in the bog series or is this a little limited? I just want to know it's limits/quality etc so I can try and make it perform as well as make me learn more. Thanks Rick

[Jim Almquist]

I do not know this lens but I will tell you that all of the shots that were taken at the Bog were shot with 300mm to 500mm so your lens should have more then enough reach. Some of the shots needed to be cropped in order to make them a good shot and the Northern Hawk Owl would be a good example because of the distance away from us and how high in the tree.

[ShawnZ]

Hey Machohorn, I own a 28-300 Tamron lens and have taken some great images of birds and butterflies with it. I really like the ability it has to close focus (macro) on subjects like butterflies and flowers. The lens is not the sharpest wide open, so to get good results, stop down to at least f8 to f11.

Have fun and congrats on the glass.

[machohorn]

Great news! Thanks I guess I have to get out and explore some with it. I may head down to the missip this week and try some shots there seeing as I live in Monticello. If anyone else goes out there give me a shout I may go with as I could use all the help I can get.

[Dbl]

Best thing you can do is get out and start shooting with your new lens. You will find out what it can and can not do as you gain more experience with it. Congratulations and have fun!

[finnbay]

Mac-

I don't have any experience with this lens, so can't attest to what it can and can't do. Dbl is correct that "practice makes perfect"! Be sure to post some of your favorites!

[rcatcherman]

Finnbay the one on your avatar looks like a 80mm Howitzer barrel. You can probably see a misquito from texas to florida with that lens.

[machohorn]

Well Ken, posting will be another adventure for me..lol But I will try

[finnbay]

Quote:

You can probably see a misquito from texas to florida with that lens.

...and count the nose hairs, too!

[Steve Foss]

machohorn, you can get easy directions on how to post pics here by looking at the "how to" thread stickied to the top of the board.

I shot that lens for about two years quite awhile ago, and while it is not as sharp or vivid as top glass, I still have several photographs that continue to sell well as nature prints that I shot with the lens.

The macro feature works very well, and I did a lot of macro with it before I picked up a dedicated prime macro lens. Definitely you'll want a tripod when you use it for macro. It also doesn't have the strongest build quality in the world, so take care not to bang it around.

Have fun!

[MARINERMAGNUM]

Quote:

Also what can I expect from this lens? will I be able to take good photo's of birds etc at a distance like seen in the bog series or is this a little limited?

mac,one thing I can suggest is to get a good photo editing program such as Photoshop Elements etc.

Your equip is just one tool in the process. I peruze many,many nature and bird sites and there is one thing I can tell you with 100% certainty-many photographers are ruining their photos in photoshop instead of improving them.

Cruise some sites and look at as many photos as you can-you will learn alot!

Equipment will not equal the playing field. I've seen images created with Canon/Nikon pro bodies and $8000 600mm lenses that look absolutely terrible. And the next photo may be from a lens like yours and a $200 Rebel and it's a steller image.

After your 1st time out,don't get discouraged! Your photos may not look like you thought they would,but remember,99% of the nature photos you see online have been heavily doctored to look as good as they do.

If you are unable to post process images pick a Jpeg setting that is more on the "vivid" side so your images will have more "pop" to them,typically this is a "landscape" mode.

I wouldn't recommend spending big money on any lenses until you know your camera inside and out. Just like on a TV remote,I memorized the location of all the buttons and dials on my camera and practiced until I could run it in the dark without seeing it and get the results-it's good practice!

Have fun and post some images/ask questions many here are eager and willing to help you get started.

[machohorn]

Those are some great tips! Thanks. Yes I still have to look at what button to push. One very good reason I look at this site ( photog section) is because I am trying to learn not so much about taking the pic but the hows and why's of "F" stops, Iso, etc. This is still very confusing to me. I am not a book learner I need someone to show me how to set it up for a specific shot then explain why we set it that way. I just wish we had a GTG closer.

[Steve Foss]

Book learning and online learning can be very helpful, but lessons learned in the field last forever.

The interlocking relationships of iso, shutter speed and aperture, and their permutations, take some repeated instruction and practice to absorb. Once etched into the brain, however, that vital knowledge will never leave.

[machohorn]

Your Hired Steve! lol What I would give to be on one of Ken and your daily jaunts through the woods. Like I stated earlier I sure wish I did not have prior obligations I would have made the bog trip a top thing to do on my wish list of learning.

[Steve Foss]

MH, I offer guided photo excursions, which are full of teaching and learning moments out in the field in the boreal forests around Ely. Not trying a hard sell or anything, just offering an option you may not have known about.

Had an excursion client on Sunday who lives along the shore of Birch Lake, and instead of excursioning, we actually sat at her kitchen table most of the day because she needed all the basic instruction on photography principles, and hadn't had good luck absorbing the information from the books she had. This coming Sunday we'll get into the field and cement those lessons learned indoors. And the time after that we'll get more ambitious. Eventually, she and I will be hitting the Sax-Zim Bog to put the lessons to good practical use for avian photography.

Well, probably you already knew about the excursions, which are a lot of fun, too, but if you want to read more about it you can just click on the green link in my sig and enter the site and click on the "excursions" category.

At any rate, you can learn a ton of stuff right on this site here. Lots of solid knowledge to be gained from your online friends at HSO. Money is usually an issue for most of us most of the time, and the learning you get here you get for free.

[MARINERMAGNUM]

mac,be sure to check out the Kelby online training. Google it.