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Agreed, though I might add that if you have the strength and technique to hand-hold your long prime, that's far preferable. I can't count the situations I've been in where a tripod would have severely limited the photos I was able to get.
Agreed. I failed to mention in my comments that i use two Z9 cameras. One I use on the 800 which is also on a light carbon fiber tripod that I keep in the back of the 4Runner and the 180-600 is on the other that is on the front seat of the car. The 800 is connected to the tripod with a Really Right Stuff quick lever release so if I decide I need to go hand held I just flip the lever and it’s free.The strap I use is a military style one with QD attachment that I continuously wear and which quickly connects and disconnects to the lens foot with just a click of the connector. And I should mention bear spray is essential. For safety you need to wear it where you’ll have immediate access. I wear a binocular holder and pouch for bear spray in a combination chest pack and I’d recommend something similar. it’s also a great place to hang a radio if you have access to the wolf channel where folks share animal location information when they feel charitable. My 400 and 600 sit in the back compartment and because of the RRS quick lever release changing out the 800 on the tripod takes only seconds. It sounds like overkill, but once you miss a shot because you didn’t carry the full arsenal, you’d quickly change your mind.
I agree with you that there are plenty of times when a tripod would limit a photo opportunity and a person has to go handheld or rely on a monopod. I’m thinking primarily slogging through the sage fields, woods, and river near Gros Ventre when looking for moose in the Tetons or following an animal along a road or field as it moves along. But, respectfully, using a high resolution camera in those situations in lower light, mornings and evenings, or just shade, means shooting at higher shutter speeds even with excellent technique, and that translates into higher ISOs, more noise, lost dynamic range, and lost detail. So, while I agree with you generally, and in those cases rely on my 180-600 vice the 800 or 600, I do whatever I can, and recommend, bringing a light carbon fiber tripod or monopod along with me whenever possible, and if absolutely necessary relying on a solid tree.
They definitely help, but my experience post processing my work is the higher recommended shutter speeds when hand holding really helps getting those tack sharp shots. I’ve shot both ways, with and without IBIS, and there is real improvement with IBIS, but @SteveS recommendations still apply at least for me.
@Steve did a comparison of these lenses and if I remember correctly also the new 600. That’s the best place to go. He did a video on it some months back that was very good. I suggest that because my views on the 100-400 and 180-600 are limited to my field observations and just the two lenses I own. I have never done any rigorous testing. My impressions were that my 180-600 was at least as sharp at 600mm as the 100-400 was at 400mm, but the 100-400 did not take a 1.4 TC as well as the 180-600. I did not notice any meaningful difference in focus speed. Because of the distances in Yellowstone and the fact that I was going to use the 800, going with the 180-600 over the 100-400 was an easy decision. But I certainly would not rely on my observations and would definitely look at Steve’s video! I do remember being disappointed with the 100-400 performance overall after viewing his video. But, as I’ve said before, these differences are only by small degrees and I doubt have real field significance especially since much can be corrected in Lightroom and Topaz Denoise.
I agree
Paul, It was very kind of you to elaborate on the merits of the 400mm and 600mm primes vs the 180-600mm.
Jim, excellent ideas!
But you asked about Yellowstone. You could be set up waiting for the grizzly to turn the corner for an hour. Are you going to hand hold your lens that long? Unless you want a card full of rear end shots you have to predict where the animal is heading and jump in your car and head him off and wait for him. Although they move fast there is long wait times and don't forget the rules are at least 1000' away. So your shooting at a distance, and probably need the tripod. If sharp photos are your end game. So again, I recommend the camera with the long lens mounted to the tripod carried with the legs extended in the back of the SUV. Shooting wildlife at Yellowstone is like a what we used to call a Chinese fire drill the driver spots an animal and quickly and I mean quickly pulls the car over to the side of the road and everyone jumps out and sets up to shoot. You will typically be fighting for space with at least 15-20 other vehicles who got there ahead of you especially if it's a grizzly bear. And lastly, you're going to need your strength you refer to. Most shooters start the day before sunrise so that's before 5am and don't end it until after dark and that's after around 6 pm. It will be cold so that wears on you. So be prepared.
Sounds like a nice setup. I use a QD attachment as a backup to my walk around Blackrapid harness connection for my 180-600mm or any lens I mount to the camera. My heavy tripod, the one I would take to Yellowstone, has a Wimberley Gimbal head on it. And as far as I know I can't mount a RRS quick release lever to it. I have their ball head and changed that out to the quick release not to long ago. If you know something I don't I would appreciate the heads up. But anyway, I would recommend that a newbie stay to the main roads and don't carry bear spray that way they don't take the chance of getting anywhere near any bears. Stay to the main roads there is plenty to do there.
Ok my mistake. I answered your reply about handholding vs tripod.
I have a leveling base on my tripod and RRS quick release lever mount connected to that which locks down my Wimberley gimbal head. I can switch out the gimbal head for my fluid head in seconds. I also replaced the Wimberly arm with one by RRS that takes a lever release upon which to mount a lens foot.
The numbers I provided were the ones @Steve Perry recommends in his books with high resolution cameras and long lenses and relates to obtaining tack sharp photos at 1:1 and acceptable ISOs. My personal experience shooting nearly every day for the last year at long distances in Yellowstone suggests that Steve is correct at least in my case. He does acknowledge that everyone is different and some do better than others. Everyone is different. If you can do that routinely hand held that’s great. I use a tripod as often as possible because I concentrate on attempting to capture extreme detail but I do not rely exclusively on it and if I think I’ll lose a shot I’ll go handheld, but otherwise I’m on a tripod or monopod and I haven’t lost many shot opportunities because of it, though that happens to everyone. It’s simply a matter of choice.
That's a great shot. I assume that you captured it while hiking and not off the road. In that case a tripod would be a burden.
