Canon EF 400mm f/4L IS DO II USM

I don't think I made a political judgement, just reporting what we saw and were told by a local guide. If it matters I didn't vote and haven't since Reagan!
Now back to the 400DOii....

That was a very informative report on things traveling photographers should be aware of when trekking into the jungles of Panama. By the way, that was a great hip shot.

Thanks for the information. Shutter speeds and situational awareness are equally important in some cases.

Wow to that story!

I generally avoid gear questions because it really is such a subjective topic, but here it goes: what are you all using for carrying/transporting this lens/body? Do you use it mostly on a tripod/monopod, or are you hand holding? If hand holding, are you using a strap?

So far, I've been pretty happy with the ThinkTank Glass Limo. Inside, I can fit camera with mounted DO II in the main part, and at the top I used the remaining partitions and created two slots that hold the 1.4x/2.0x TCs, and my 2nd body. Perfect fit, with just enough space for some other small essentials in the lid. Tripod can hang off the outside.

As for camera strap, I'm currently using my old Crumpler Industry Disgrace attached to the camera, but am thinking of trying out the DO II's strap for added thickness. May try just adding it to lens, but I don't want too many straps flapping in the breeze

MatthewK wrote in post #18263595
I generally avoid gear questions because it really is such a subjective topic, but here it goes: what are you all using for carrying/transporting this lens/body? Do you use it mostly on a tripod/monopod, or are you hand holding? If hand holding, are you using a strap?

So far, I've been pretty happy with the ThinkTank Glass Limo. Inside, I can fit camera with mounted DO II in the main part, and at the top I used the remaining partitions and created two slots that hold the 1.4x/2.0x TCs, and my 2nd body. Perfect fit, with just enough space for some other small essentials in the lid. Tripod can hang off the outside.

As for camera strap, I'm currently using my old Crumpler Industry Disgrace attached to the camera, but am thinking of trying out the DO II's strap for added thickness. May try just adding it to lens, but I don't want too many straps flapping in the breeze

Matt, I normally just carry the lens by the tripod foot, rotated to the top, very handy. If I am going on a long hike, I attach the DO strap, surprisingly stout, but comfortable. I do not use or even own a tripod/monopod. I transport the lens, camera and 1.4iii, assembled, in a Kinesis XXL case, fits perfectly.

I roll the camera and lens in a wheeled Pelican a lot. When there wherever there is I put a Kirk security strap onto the RRS foot. On the RRS foot is 1/2 of an Op/Tech strap which connects to the other 1/2 which is attached to the shoulder strap, so if the Kirk comes loose or fails I have a security plan in place.
My backpacking hiking days with heavy EOS kit are long gone....for backpacking its the RX100v or a Lumix GM5.For hiking its an Oly M1ii and PL100-400.

MedicineMan4040 wrote in post #18263223
Matt the story is way better (but true) than the image that's for sure.
We saw something else in Panama. Maybe politically incorrect to tell you what we saw but
at my age I don't give a s&h_i$t
First three days we worked rivers basically running east-west.
Each day we'd visit a village, pop. 150-200. We'd walk through the little town, shake hands
buy trinkets.
Each village had a little school and a little church.
All were clean as were the villagers. NO grafitti, pride of ownership.
Also each had a satellite dish
On day four, the day we got the Harpie the river ran kinda north-south.
Our guide told us early in the morning we'd see something different in the village....thousands of of people.
Sure enough that afternoon post Harpie and coming up on the first/only village of that day we could see thousands
1/4 mile away down the rive.
I ask the guide 'Domi' what was up.
He said 'they aren't from Panama.
I asked from where?
He said 'the middle-east, Africa, and Pakistan'
Moments later we landed the dugouts on the bank.
I could immediately feel the hate/ire,,,,well I was old whitey with a big honking camera.
We visited the village, just like the others a place where the indigenous still hunted monkey for meat.
You could feel the tension in the air.
Poof (my she-boss) noted there were no women and no children amonst the thousands we saw.
Then I saw the police.
I asked Domi, he said it's cool they're here to keep them moving.
I said 'moving to where?'
Domi replied 'your country'.
Eventually we got back in the canoes. I asked Domi who lives in the Darien Province how many
were moving through the area.
He told me 10,000 a week.
I asked where they came from. He said Columbia.
I asked how they are moving. He said same as us, canoe, but with lots of walking and busing.
Poof noted the 'tent-city' and the name of the company making the tarps/tents.
Two weeks later in Panama City she googled the name. George Soros has his name all over them.

So take it for what it is.
I felt like a Confederate soldier on Spy Rock watching the northern army moving south through the
Shenandoah Valley, well except this invading army is moving north

Like I said, I'm old and don't give a frak; in fact I haven't voted since Reagan. All I can tell the youth
of the U.S. is that soon enough their world will change.

A shot from the hip from that village-

Thanks for sharing your experience, MM. I don't find it political in any way, just the plain retelling of your experience while engaging in your travels and photography. I think the experience is as important as the images you come away with. What's frightening to me in this day and age is that a simple retelling of facts that don't fit anothers ideology is labeled as "political speech".

Jeff Hanson wrote in post #18264491
Thanks for sharing your experience, MM. I don't find it political in any way, just the plain retelling of your experience while engaging in your travels and photography. I think the experience is as important as the images you come away with. What's frightening to me in this day and age is that a simple retelling of facts that don't fit anothers ideology is labeled as "political speech".

Let's stick to photography, shall we?

Carolina Chickadee. 80D with 400 DO II + 2.0xIII @ 800mm:

MatthewK wrote in post #18264860
Let's stick to photography, shall we?

Sure, I was talking about MM's photography and the interesting experience he had while engaging in it. Sorry if I offended you, seems easy to do these days.

The Cuban Brown Anole is an invasive species that has recently moved from Florida to Louisiana to Texas. I am seeing more of these every spring and less of our native Green Anoles. This article suggests a means of controlling their numbers, which I will not be attempting, but it is an educational read:
http://www.eattheweeds​.com/brown-anole-lunch-2/

I was interested in getting images near the MFD for my 400DOii (3.3 meters) and seeing the depth of field, wide open and stopped down. At f/5.6 it is so thin as to be not very useful (Focus point just in front of his eye).

The Green Anoles were pushed out by the Brown Anoles in Florida as well.

White breasted nuthatch:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Rrus​xw

MatthewK wrote in post #18270152
White breasted nuthatch:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Rrus​xw White breasted nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis by M K, on Flickr

Great shot against a very difficult background. Love the thorns too

Finally... after months of let downs and disappointment, bad weather and crap light, a not-boring bird finally found itself in front of my camera on a day with excellent light! I think it's a Sharp Shinned Hawk, though could very well be a Coopers...

Image isnt cropped, so I have some room to cut in closer if I want to better fill the frame.

Photo from MatthewK's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (840307)