Trying to take video of a Northern harrier hunting with my 600mm PF lens

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Yes, Harriers can be difficult to shoot due to their maneuverability, especially in windy conditions. I tend to use the 180-600 for Harriers and Ospreys or anything where the range can change quickly or can be erratic. That said, I finally caved and picked up a 600TC today for long range work with TC's, but am curious to see how well it works in similar conditions by toggling the built-in TC. I know by experience that fixed primes are an exercise in frustration in these situations.

Anyway, you had some nice closeups and did quite well IMO. Not often we can get that close to them around here.
 
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Garfield said:
Yes, Harriers can be difficult to shoot due to their maneuverability, especially in windy conditions. I tend to use the 180-600 for Harriers and Ospreys or anything where the range can change quickly or can be erratic. That said, I finally caved and picked up a 600TC today for long range work with TC's, but am curious to see how well it works in similar conditions by toggling the built-in TC. I know by experience that fixed primes are an exercise in frustration in these situations.

Anyway, you had some nice closeups and did quite well IMO. Not often we can get that close to them around here.

I don't mean to detract from your post but if you don't mind and FWIW I recently posted this on my YT site using the 180-600+1.4xTC in 4k120p 2.4x crop mode where I also have a few of NH videos. If the quality isn't great, it's almost always due to atmospheric conditions...

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Very nice video! You even got the harrier catching a rodent! A zoom lens definitely has advantages, even in some ways over the prime with a built in TC. However, for me, the lighter lenses definitely have an advantage. I could not handle the weight of the 600TC. I had the harrier land a bit far and seemed to be eating something so put on the TC as I walked closer. Amazingly it stayed for a bit but shortly took off when I got too close. I was hoping to get some close-ups of it eating and got greedy, putting on the TC. For sure a built in TC or zoom would have allowed me to easily reverse this but love the light weight of the 600mm PF. So won't be switching to another lens at this point.
PS. Actually have gotten some decent videos with the 400mm f/4.5 and 800mm primes.
 
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ricardo00 said:
Very nice video! You even got the harrier catching a rodent! A zoom lens definitely has advantages, even in some ways over the prime with a built in TC. However, for me, the lighter lenses definitely have an advantage. I could not handle the weight of the 600TC. I had the harrier land a bit far and seemed to be eating something so put on the TC as I walked closer. Amazingly it stayed for a bit but shortly took off when I got too close. I was hoping to get some close-ups of it eating and got greedy, putting on the TC. For sure a built in TC or zoom would have allowed me to easily reverse this but love the light weight of the 600mm PF. So won't be switching to another lens at this point.
PS. Actually have gotten some decent videos with the 400mm f/4.5 and 800mm primes.
Click to expand...
Good job hand-holding! Other than some short clips of static subjects (that I also use the 600pf for -- great lens that (y):)) I always use a tripod. My days of hand-holding a 600/4 are long behind me now! LOL Anyway please continue posting...I'd like to see more.
 
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ricardo00 said:
Went out with my Nikon Z8 on a windy day with my recently purchased 600mm PF lens. The harrier was a bit far so put the 1.4TC on and then the harrier was too close and hard to keep in the frame. Guess I should have stuck with the bare lens.
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Nice video. You really don't expect to be too close, do you?
Nice job with new equipment. Looking forward to seeing more.
Dave
 
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Garfield said:
Yes, Harriers can be difficult to shoot due to their maneuverability, especially in windy conditions. I tend to use the 180-600 for Harriers and Ospreys or anything where the range can change quickly or can be erratic. That said, I finally caved and picked up a 600TC today for long range work with TC's, but am curious to see how well it works in similar conditions by toggling the built-in TC. I know by experience that fixed primes are an exercise in frustration in these situations.

Anyway, you had some nice closeups and did quite well IMO. Not often we can get that close to them around here.

I don't mean to detract from your post but if you don't mind and FWIW I recently posted this on my YT site using the 180-600+1.4xTC in 4k120p 2.4x crop mode where I also have a few of NH videos. If the quality isn't great, it's almost always due to atmospheric conditions...

Click to expand...
Nice video Gary!
That rodent has a story to tell the others!!
I'd like to encourage you to also post this in its own thread, so maybe others will see it also.
We don't really have an overabundance of videos posted, and this was a great one.
Dave
 
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Garfield said:
Good job hand-holding! Other than some short clips of static subjects (that I also use the 600pf for -- great lens that (y):)) I always use a tripod. My days of hand-holding a 600/4 are long behind me now! LOL Anyway please continue posting...I'd like to see more.
Click to expand...
Thanks Garfield! Yep most of my videos are taken hand held.
PS. I have a Flickr album with just my videos if interested, the newer ones are with the Z9/Z8 and the 400mm f/4.5 lens:
www.flickr.com

Videos

Explore this photo album by ricardo00 on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
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Dave63401 said:
Nice video Gary!
That rodent has a story to tell the others!!
I'd like to encourage you to also post this in its own thread, so maybe others will see it also.
We don't really have an overabundance of videos posted, and this was a great one.
Dave
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Thanks Dave! And you're correct, I shouldn't have posted it in Ricardo's thread so opened a generic Northern Harrier thread for all to use if they wish.
 
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