I was looking back at how it all started and why I still use the system,after all I am fortunate enough to own `better` cameras but this is usually the go to system for most things nowadays.Maybe advancing years and the desire for using a lightweight system is something to do with it but it wasn`t always like that.It began back in 2014 when I went on a bit of a twitch and met a fellow birder who used Canon as his main system but he showed me his V1 that he bought in an Amazon `fire` sale that he used with his scope and was surprised at how good it was .After looking at the results taken with this camera that I would never buy in a million years I decided to get one with the 10-30,30-110 to see for myself,after all it was now at the sort of price that it was worth taking a chance on.So armed with the V1,30-110 I remember heading to one of my favourite local reservoirs to give it a most unreasonable of tests,after all the auto focus and f.p.s. were it`s main selling feature to me.Watching a young Black Headed Gull in the Autumn just taking off and diving got me to thinking..would it be possible to catch it before breaking the waters surface,well after getting used to how this thing operated the answer became clear and I was hooked!
`well trained Gull!
I quickly bought the F.T.1. Adptr and strapped my trusty 70-200 F4 to it,there was no 70-300 cx back then but even though I only had centre point focus it was worth a try.
Glossy Ibis.
I began enjoying the combo enough to trust it to try and see my first Glossy Ibis that had been reported at Frampton Marsh this was when they were still a rare sight in England.I must admit to taking the dslr around all day while looking for this elusive bird after all I might only get one chance so the V1 was only going to be back up.After trudging around for most of the day with plenty of"If only you had been here 5 minutes ago" comments I decided to have one last go and take my leight weight companion on a long hike to where I had been told the bird liked to prepare to visit in late afternoon and I was in no mood to carry the dslr.After settleing down the bird appeared,head above the long grass in the distance and sure enough it made it`s way towards the very spot.I was cursing that I hadn`t brought the big camera now that was until I got home and downloaded about 50 images..yes I was convinced.
Short Eared Owl.
So I had no hesitation in getting the 70-300 cx when available and after several visits to overwintering Short Eared Owls with my trusty D500 just to make sure of getting some keepers of course!I decided it was time to try the V3,70-300 cx combo even though these birds do come out to hunt in late afternoon light we are of course told that the low light performance isn`t up to scratch!
S.E.O. against the light.
On my way back to my car I spotted this beauty with the sun going down in the distance and with the light weight of the camera and lens it was possible to hold it steady enough to grab one of my personal favourite shots.
White Geese.
If you have made it this far then this is another of my favourite images taken with the V3,70-300 cx.It was spring and I paid a visit to a reservoir in the N.W of the county for any early signs of summer arrivals when my attention was diverted to two white Geese that began a strange display before moving towards each other So engrossed was I in their behaviour that I just stood and watched at this spectacle and realised that I had missed capturing something I had never seen before.They say that patience is a virtue and that is certainly true of any kind of wildlife photography so I waited ignoring anything else that was going on around me and after about an hour they began the same ritual but this time I was ready.
Like everybody else I take an interest in the constant development of new products but I can honestly say that for me taking everything into account I have yet to see anything that would be so pleasurable to use and give results that are good enough for me.
`well trained Gull!
I quickly bought the F.T.1. Adptr and strapped my trusty 70-200 F4 to it,there was no 70-300 cx back then but even though I only had centre point focus it was worth a try.
Glossy Ibis.
I began enjoying the combo enough to trust it to try and see my first Glossy Ibis that had been reported at Frampton Marsh this was when they were still a rare sight in England.I must admit to taking the dslr around all day while looking for this elusive bird after all I might only get one chance so the V1 was only going to be back up.After trudging around for most of the day with plenty of"If only you had been here 5 minutes ago" comments I decided to have one last go and take my leight weight companion on a long hike to where I had been told the bird liked to prepare to visit in late afternoon and I was in no mood to carry the dslr.After settleing down the bird appeared,head above the long grass in the distance and sure enough it made it`s way towards the very spot.I was cursing that I hadn`t brought the big camera now that was until I got home and downloaded about 50 images..yes I was convinced.
Short Eared Owl.
So I had no hesitation in getting the 70-300 cx when available and after several visits to overwintering Short Eared Owls with my trusty D500 just to make sure of getting some keepers of course!I decided it was time to try the V3,70-300 cx combo even though these birds do come out to hunt in late afternoon light we are of course told that the low light performance isn`t up to scratch!
S.E.O. against the light.
On my way back to my car I spotted this beauty with the sun going down in the distance and with the light weight of the camera and lens it was possible to hold it steady enough to grab one of my personal favourite shots.
White Geese.
If you have made it this far then this is another of my favourite images taken with the V3,70-300 cx.It was spring and I paid a visit to a reservoir in the N.W of the county for any early signs of summer arrivals when my attention was diverted to two white Geese that began a strange display before moving towards each other So engrossed was I in their behaviour that I just stood and watched at this spectacle and realised that I had missed capturing something I had never seen before.They say that patience is a virtue and that is certainly true of any kind of wildlife photography so I waited ignoring anything else that was going on around me and after about an hour they began the same ritual but this time I was ready.
Like everybody else I take an interest in the constant development of new products but I can honestly say that for me taking everything into account I have yet to see anything that would be so pleasurable to use and give results that are good enough for me.
