Post your kayak wildlife

Welcome aboard Jack, that is a great eagle pic. look forward too you posting more pics.. if you have any question's on the 400 ask away. quite a few of us have that lens an can probably help answer any problems you have..

First post in this thread. Hopefully many to come! Here's a midland painted turtle from Ohio.

Shot with a 7d and 70-200/2.8 + 2xIII Extender.

Nice shots Jason. Wish I could get that close to a Belted Kingfisher.

Jason, do you have an ID on the bird and snake?

Welcome to the thread, bimhoff07. What kind of kayak are you shooting out of?

nodal wrote in post #16088258
Jason, do you have an ID on the bird and snake?

Eastern Kingbird, and a Queen Snake

Hi,

Today was more productive from a photo point of view but yesterday sure was fun. Both days I was in my kayak learning to use my new 400mm 5.6 L but yesterday I was on Winnipesauke with 2 ft waves trying to get loon pictures. I never got a shot in focus but had a blast paddling in the waves.

Today I was on a small lake in calm conditions. I was hoping to find newly hatched baby loons learning from mom and dad but only found dad. Here he is doing the leg waggle.

Nice Loon pics Jack. Looks like the 400 is working for you.

Beautiful Loon shots.

nodal wrote in post #16088271
Welcome to the thread, bimhoff07. What kind of kayak are you shooting out of?

Thanks! I use both a 12' Mainstream Sneak and a 10' Perception Prodigy -- depends if the wife is along or not.


Awesome loon shots, Jack!

Great shots of the Loon! I almost never go out in windy conditions with my camera, but it can certainly be fun from a kayaking perspective.

My previous kayak was recently stolen, so I had to search for a new kayak. After spending some time out on the water, I had some specific criteria I was looking for. My priority was to have an extremely stable kayak that was long enough to track decent and have enough speed in open water, but not too long to use on rivers. I narrowed it down to three specific models. Keep in mind that I prefer a sit in model due to being (slightly) lower in the water, for a better perspective in photographs, and so that I can use it in the winter without getting as wet.

I narrowed my search down to kayaks with a large cockpit. I found a local canoe sales with experienced staff that also allowed me to demo the kayaks I was looking at for free. I would recommend trying out different models to see which one fits you best. I tried out the Wilderness Systems Commander 120, Jackson Kayak Daytripper 12 and the Native Ultimate 12. Out of the three I ended up choosing the Commander 120 and here is why.

The commander was the most stable of the three. The Native was close, but I found the Commander to be noticeably more stable on the water. This was the main selling point for me, since my priority is a stable photography platform.

The pontoon style hull on the Native and Wilderness Systems kayaks creates a very stable ride. I was able to stand in both relatively easily despite never standing in a kayak before. The commander has the advantage of the "captains seat." This is a seat similar to what you would find in a canoe that is behind the regular kayak seat. If I am sitting in this seat it is easier for me to get to a standing position smoothly. This seat also allows me to put my son in the regular seat, slide that seat all the way forward and then sit in the captains seat behind him. Great if you have kids.

I also found the tracking on the Commander 120 to be slightly better. It has a keel line that runs through the center of the pontoons underneath the boat that is missing on the Native. The Native tracks well, but the Commander is slightly better in my opinion.

One area of Weakness for the Commander 120 was the turning. It is slower to turn than both the other boats I tried. Wasn't a deal breaker for me, but might be a big deal for someone that navigates small rivers the majority of the time. The Daytripper turned extremely well, but wasn't as stable on the water as the other two, which took it out of the running for my particular purpose.

After using the Commander 120 on the river and flat water I have come to the conclusion that this is the best option (for me). Initial stability is fantastic and the secondary stability is superb as well. It is nearly impossible to roll this thing over, especially on flat water. I like the seat that is removable and very comfortable and the captains seat is a unique addition that I have actually found useful when taking my son out with me. There are a lot of kayaks out there, but this is the best one for me that I've used so far. I will put in a good word for the Native Ultimate 12 as well, which would be another fantastic option for a wildlife photographer and maneuvers and turns slightly better than the Commander.

Sorry to hear it was stolen. Did it get taken off your vehicle?

+1 on the Commander 120. That's the one I bought and used for the first time last year. As you said, very stable, and I'm very happy with mine.