Canon 100-400 and Kite Boarding

[mjordan]

I got to take my recently aquired 100-400 4.5-5.6L out today to one of my other favorite activities... taking pictures of the kite boarders at Hood River on the Columbia River. I used my 70-200 4.0L the last time I was able to do this (I haven't had a chance to use my 70-200 2.8L IS) so I was looking forward to trying out the 400mm end of the zoom.

I found that when the zoom is out at the 400mm end, the wind is gusting to about 25mph at times and I'm standing on round river rocks, that I have a little harder time of holding the lens still. The IS was popping back and forth in my view finder as I focused on an approching kite boarder. It didn't help that they would go slow and then shoot forward real fast depending on the wind and their sail either. I would have tried using a monopod but decided not to since I not only was panning right to left, but also up and down as they took to the air. So I hand held it. Even doing this, the focus was still pretty good on most of them. Mostly I didn't get them in the picture correctly... either cutting off their head or other parts of their body as they moved irradicately faster and slower at times.

I had my 10D set on TV at ISO 200. This gave me a 1/1000 at 5.6 to 6.0 or so.

Here are a couple of images:

http://www.sitnprettyphoto.com/display/kite9349.jpg

http://www.sitnprettyphoto.com/display/kite9479.jpg

http://www.sitnprettyphoto.com/display/kite9480.jpg

These kinds of shots are one of the two main reasons I wanted to get the 100-400 zoom. It had good reach out into the river, although at times I was thinking teleconverter. :lol: But I now that with the wind gusting around me, that had I had a 2x or even the 1.4x on there it would have been even harder to track them when I was shooting close cropped in the camera.

Mike

[defordphoto]

You shoulda emailed me. I would have gone out with you!

Great shots...BTW: We have Jet Sprints on July 10th. Email/PM me if interested.

[mjordan]

You are usually busy on weekends so I didn't think of e-mailing you Jim. I'll keep that in mind for next time. It's still a little early in the season as there weren't that many out there. Once the water level comes down, the good sand bars that they like launching from will be crowded with kiters. The wind surfers have it easy since they can setup and launch from the bank without much trouble, but the kiters need more room to spread their sails out before they take off. And the two don't mix very well. :lol:

I'll check and see if I have a shoot the weekend of the 10th and let you know. Where is a good place to get ear plugs?

Thanks Jim.

Mike

[defordphoto]

:) Yeah, usually I am busy but not always...I want to get out there and shoot those guys more this year. Let's grab Dean sometime and make a threesome out of it. At this point I don't have anything until the 10th.

[mjordan]

Sounds good... uh, you can grab Dean and I'll carry your MKII. :lol:


I've been thinking of heading over there from work some evening and see about getting some evening shots of them on the river. I know there must be some die hards that stay until they turn the lights off, but there are a number of favorite spots for the wind surfers and kite boarders which streaches from Cascade Locks to The Dalles. It just depends on the wind and because of the way the river wines through the gorge, the wind hits those areas all different. I wish I had time like some people where they can go camp out and wait for the right light and right pictures, but I have to hope for the best when I can go.

Mike

[Roy Webber]

The 100-400 on its own is a perfect lens for kiteboarding (http://roywebber.zenfolio.com/p521747579)

[Huskers69]

talk about raising a thread from the dead, that thing is going on 5 years old. How'd u find that one.

[defordphoto]

And I'm still waiting for that email/PM!!!! :lol:

I did go out there to Hood River a few weeks later. Tried out the "tape-method" on my 100-400 and a 1.4x TC. Worked "okay" but the focus was pretty weird and jumped all over the place. I did get some pretty good shots.

10 days later my 100-400 was shipped to Canon for a severely failed AF mechanism. That's why I ALWAYS recommend against using the tape method for adding a tele-converter to ANY lens.

[DennisB]

The 100-400 is ideal. Come down our way for some magnificent shots!

[tvphotog]

Outrageous photos. Now I know what to do with my 100-400. Thanks for posting.