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I have the 15 f4 and it's a fun lens. I too have probably taken some unecessary risks with snakes, but I'm trying to be better. It's just not worth risking a bite for a photo, even one I really want. So I've been messing around with plexiglass shields, tripods, etc. But I think using the remote to autofocus with subject detection to get the eye has a lot of promise.
It's also nice how much depth of field the wide angle lenses have. You can shoot landscape at f/5.6 at times and still get most things in focus
I have a decently large lexan shield I can attach to my camera. Never had a strike. Also clever use of a hide box simplifies things greatly.
Im actually more worried about stepping on them than I am getting bit while shooting them. Its hard to explain and I dont want to outright put it out on the web for some dummy to try and get bit, but the method I use is about as safe as it can get without remotes. The degree of safety varies from snake to snake of course, a snake with a bad attitude gets the 60mm and the chill ones get the 15mm.
Most of the time if you don't make sudden erratic moves, they won't strike. I have been 10-12 inches from copperheads laying on the ground with zero issues.
I’m surprised you guys have rattlesnakes that large in PA. I sure would hate to get bit by one of those. I’ve read it’s a $80k anti venom treatment, excruciating pain and a lot of folks don’t make it. I think 4-6 feet would be my max with a rattlesnake. Copperheads are venomous but far less lethal.
Ok…but as the guy that got attempted strikes…thank goodness for snake proof pants…about a hundred times cruising timber in AL and MS during a summer in college…that’s way too darned close. Unfortunately…cruising timber requires walking a compass line so no trails to be used and you run across a lot of rattlers, copperheads, and cottonmouths that way.
I wear redwing snake boots during the summer here in MO because there are lots of copperheads and rattlers. I don’t take any chances and have been struck in the ankle by a large copperhead but luckily had my boots on.
We had those too, and gloves lthough they were more for thorns and brambles than snakes…but still got struck many times. The most amazing thing was how hard they hit you…it won’t knock you over but it’s a lot harder than a tap…but then you probably have 3 pounds of snake going 25 mph or so. We saw mostly rattlers and cottonmouths depending on if it was a swamp or forest we were cruising. What we wore were essentially leather chaps like a cowboy has over our jeans…and man did they get hot in the summer in LA…lower Alabama.
Yeah it’s pretty amazing the power they produce during a strike. Cottonmouths are one I will not mess with in any regard.
Pygmy rattlers are worse…they’re small and keep trying to strike over and over. Must be trying to make up for being small. Cottonmouths second worst…they’re bigger timber rattlers mostly slithered away more likely.
The picture of the red legged frog above was taken with the 14-30, but is cropped from full frame 8200ish pixels down to about 6700. The frog was about 3 inches long. You do have to be careful that parts of the subject you want in focus aren't closer than MFD. There are a couple of 15mm 1:1 true macro lenses: Laowa 15mm F4, Opteka 15mm F4 which work much better for small creatures, but are fully manual.
That is major wide angle lol
Yes it is, and fun to play with
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of one of those.
That Laowa lens looks like it would be fun. Maybe if one ever comes out in Z mount I'll grab one.
The laowa wide angles have incredibly close minimum focus distance. They make a 15mm macro. You can essentially focus on something touching the lens.
The laowa 15mm f2 is in Z mount and will focus down to about 2 inches from the front element.
I have contemplated buying the 90mm version which is 2x but the lack of weather sealing sorta concerns me. Perhaps it wouldn’t be an issue.
I use the 14-24 F2.8 G, and the 16mm F2.8 D Fish Eye.
