Need beginner advice - M5 wildlife?

lumierephotography wrote:

Thanks for the information regarding shooting wildlife at Yellowstone. As you can see I am planning ahead for this trip. I will be spending about a week in Yellowstone, about four days in the north part of the park and four days in the southern part. This is my first trip to Yellowstone and, as I live in the East, very likely my only trip so I want to maximize my photographic options while there. I am intrigued to think I would be somewhere where my lenses are too long as most of my shooting of birds and whales in the east leaves my wishing for more focal length.

Not that it is always the case, but I have been close enough to bison in Yellowstone where the 11-22mm is not wide enough for a full body shot.

As for shooting wildlife at shorter distances I have the 55-200mm M lens and also, as I mentioned, the 70-200mm f2.8 which with the 1.4x covers roughly 100-300mm at f4. These are all full frame focal lengths so everything would be multiplied by 1.6 with the M5. I previously had the 100-400 L zoom but sold it because I didn't like the push/pull zooming and wasn't fully satisfied with the IQ. As some subsequent posters have mentioned that earlier copies of this lens weren't as sharp as more recent versions this could explain mine having less than stellar IQ as I bought the copy I had when they were first introduced. I sole the 100-400L lens prior to the announcement of the version II lens so got a good price for it. I purchased the 400mm f5.6L lens recently both after reading the analysis by Michael Reichmann of the 400 lens in comparison the 100-400mm and having the opportunity to purchase a virtually new 400mm lens for $700, significantly less than half the cost of the version II 100-400 with most reviews saying the 400mm f5.6 either equals, or slight bests, the new 100-400mm at 400mm. Like Michael Reichmann, when I looked at the photos I had shot with the 100-400mm almost all were at 400mm. I thought that if I was using the lens primarily as a 400mm lens I should maximize the IQ for least dollar investment. I also thought the lighter 400mm L lens would handle well on the M5 and that has been the case.

I strongly agree about the benefits of the 11-22mm for landscape work. I was in Arcadia NP for a week in Oct and took hundreds of photos with that lens. Often I was hiking in the predawn to dawn for photos and the ease of carrying the M3 and 11-22mm offset in my mind, at least, of carrying my 5d MK ii and my 23-105mm L lens.

I know everyone has different needs and goals and I will be testing out my current system over the next few months to see if it lives up to my expectations.

Mark