philipus Posted June 12, 2012 Share #21 Posted June 12, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thank you Douglas, that's very helpful. Btw you have very nice photos on your site, esp the bird photos. The Caribou in Denali is also really nice indeed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 12, 2012 Posted June 12, 2012 Hi philipus, Take a look here Birding with the Leica R. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
andybarton Posted June 12, 2012 Share #22 Posted June 12, 2012 ^^ Understatement of the year I love Doug's work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
costakarl Posted June 13, 2012 Share #23 Posted June 13, 2012 Hi Dave! Greetings from Costa Rica. I recently went to southern Africa and did a safari in a Land Rover 110 from Namibia to Victoria Falls. I knew my M gear would not work in those game reserves so I bought an R8 and the Telyt-R 6.8/400. I found out that this was a difficult job being thrown around in the back of the vehicles doing tours on the reserves, and no chance to get out and use a tripod. However I did get some decent images of big ground birds in very bright sunlight. I have since switched the screen to get rid of the black spot on the standard screen. To sum up, there is a lot of promise in this combination but I think good light may be the key. Karl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.gt Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share #24 Posted June 13, 2012 Hi Dave! Greetings from Costa Rica. I recently went to southern Africa and did a safari in a Land Rover 110 from Namibia to Victoria Falls. I knew my M gear would not work in those game reserves so I bought an R8 and the Telyt-R 6.8/400. I found out that this was a difficult job being thrown around in the back of the vehicles doing tours on the reserves, and no chance to get out and use a tripod. However I did get some decent images of big ground birds in very bright sunlight. I have since switched the screen to get rid of the black spot on the standard screen. To sum up, there is a lot of promise in this combination but I think good light may be the key. Karl Hello, Karl... Wow, can't imagine trying to shoot with a tele in the back of tour vehicles! Would love to see some of your photos from the trip! And, yes, I agree, light is the key. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted June 13, 2012 Share #25 Posted June 13, 2012 thrown around in the back of the vehicles doing tours on the reserves Shooting wildlife in a moving vehicle, especially in uneven terrain, is nigh on impossible even with modern image stabilisation. On all the safaris I've been on we've just stopped, placed a bean bag on the roof or window's edge and then shot. On many occasions I used a 200/2.8 with 2x extender and that focal length produced very good images. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
costakarl Posted June 13, 2012 Share #26 Posted June 13, 2012 Here is a sample of bird shots from Namibia, using the R8 with 6.8/400 Telyt, on E100g slide film. Support in the truck was awkward. The hamerkop either moved or was obscured by blackout in the split-image finder. The korhaan is slightly fuzzy, again due to shake or the razor-thin focus plane. I have picked up the uniform screen which I hope will give me a better success ratio. Karl Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/181540-birding-with-the-leica-r/?do=findComment&comment=2039143'>More sharing options...
wildlightphoto Posted June 13, 2012 Share #27 Posted June 13, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have picked up the uniform screen which I hope will give me a better success ratio. I find the uniform screen a big help. It certainly takes some practice, and at least initially I'd suggest an ISO 400 film to reduce motion blur. One of the photographic skills that seems to have been lost in the age of auto-everything is manual focussing. The technique I've been using, and was used for many years by photojournalists before autofocus, is to maximize contrast in your subject on the plain matte screen rather than trying to see maximum detail. Human eyes are much more sensitive to contrast than to detail, and when the subject is in focus the contrast is maximum. Maximum constrast = maximum detail; it's as much a mental adjustment as anything else. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.gt Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share #28 Posted June 13, 2012 Great advice, Doug! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 13, 2012 Share #29 Posted June 13, 2012 The Hamerkop is indeed misfocussed, and the Korhaan has motion blur. It ain't that easy I can tell you from harsh lessons learnt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.gt Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share #30 Posted June 13, 2012 Yes, Jaap, it is not that easy...not at all...and that makes Doug's work so much more appreciated! I have a lot to learn but thanks to the amazing resources on LUF, it will be a lot easier to learn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted June 14, 2012 Share #31 Posted June 14, 2012 I find the uniform screen a big help. It certainly takes some practice, and at least initially I'd suggest an ISO 400 film to reduce motion blur. One of the photographic skills that seems to have been lost in the age of auto-everything is manual focussing. The technique I've been using, and was used for many years by photojournalists before autofocus, is to maximize contrast in your subject on the plain matte screen rather than trying to see maximum detail. Human eyes are much more sensitive to contrast than to detail, and when the subject is in focus the contrast is maximum. Maximum constrast = maximum detail; it's as much a mental adjustment as anything else. +1. That's the way I do it with my DSLR. Sometimes I can manage to focus using detail sharpness, but even if possible, it's definitely slower. Actually I find I use the same (contrast) technique with my M cameras. Even if the exact point of coincidence isn't discernible, I can usually tell by the increase in contrast. BTW my shoulder stock is also like yours, the older one. I had never thought of that means of attaching it to a monopod, but now I shall. I've got a Leitz Tiltall Monopod with that same swivel head I attached permanently (Loctite) years ago, which has been gathering dust. And I'm sure I've got an Arca clamp also gathering dust in some drawer. Time for me to get cobbling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildlightphoto Posted June 14, 2012 Share #32 Posted June 14, 2012 +1. That's the way I do it with my DSLR. Sometimes I can manage to focus using detail sharpness, but even if possible, it's definitely slower. Actually I find I use the same (contrast) technique with my M cameras. Even if the exact point of coincidence isn't discernible, I can usually tell by the increase in contrast. BTW my shoulder stock is also like yours, the older one. I had never thought of that means of attaching it to a monopod, but now I shall. I've got a Leitz Tiltall Monopod with that same swivel head I attached permanently (Loctite) years ago, which has been gathering dust. And I'm sure I've got an Arca clamp also gathering dust in some drawer. Time for me to get cobbling The biggest problem I had with the RRS clamp in my photo was that I couldn't prevent it from rotating vs. the monopod's tilt head. Loctite might be the trick, but Kirk Enterprises (Kirk Enterprises : Quality Photographic Equipment for Outdoor & Nature Photography) made a clamp to fit this model tilt head w/o rotating. I don't see it on kirkphoto.com now, it looks like they're trying to sell their own tilt head instead, but give them a call and see if you can get the clamp for the bogen/manfrotto tilt head. B&H also sells the manfrotto tilt head with the Kirk dedicated clamp (search B&H for kirk mpa-1 and it should pop right up). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted June 14, 2012 Share #33 Posted June 14, 2012 The biggest problem I had with the RRS clamp in my photo was that I couldn't prevent it from rotating vs. the monopod's tilt head. Loctite might be the trick, but Kirk Enterprises (Kirk Enterprises : Quality Photographic Equipment for Outdoor & Nature Photography) made a clamp to fit this model tilt head w/o rotating. I don't see it on kirkphoto.com now, it looks like they're trying to sell their own tilt head instead, but give them a call and see if you can get the clamp for the bogen/manfrotto tilt head. B&H also sells the manfrotto tilt head with the Kirk dedicated clamp (search B&H for kirk mpa-1 and it should pop right up). Another possibility: The Bogen swivel head comes apart in two. The OEM hand-tightener wheel can be removed and a short 3/8" bolt + lock washer substituted to secure the clamp much tighter. For more insurance, a thin layer of rubber cement can be laid between the underside of the clamp and the cork pad. Blue Loctite (removal with tools) or Red (needs 500F heat to break the bond) can also be used. But in my experience, both metal mating surfaces are soft enough (aluminum clamp, pot metal head platform) that honking the bolt+lock-washer down with a socket wrench will most likely do the trick. The hardest part is keeping it all aligned and held firmly while being tightened. Best way I found is to put the clamp bottom-side-up in a vice between two pieces of wood (so the vice teeth won't bite into the soft metal and ruin the finish). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 14, 2012 Share #34 Posted June 14, 2012 Yes, Jaap, it is not that easy...not at all...and that makes Doug's work so much more appreciated! I have a lot to learn but thanks to the amazing resources on LUF, it will be a lot easier to learn. Doug's method is of course excellent, but another trick is if your subject is in the grass or another textured structure. It is then possible, if you watch the surface on your matte screen instead of your subject to "walk" the zone of maximum sharpness back and forth with the focussing ring. That way you can position the plane of focus with pin-point precision. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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