Category: Best of the Tetons

A monthly journal of wildlife reports, scenic opportunities, and tidbits for both photographers and Teton visitors!

Recent Daily Updates Archives:
2015: June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan:
2014: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug: | July: | June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan:
2013: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug:

Check out the June Overview!

Monthly Overviews for JH / GTNP . Get a quick look at 12 months side by side.

June 8, 2015

Sunrise: Taken near Lost Creek Ranch

Pano at Lost Creek: First light bathed the western clouds. The top of the Grand wouldn’t clear for an hour or so, but it was still a beautiful sunrise. This was stitched from three single captures. (Click the image to see it larger)

Just the Grand:

Inside Cunningham Cabin:

Elk Skull: This skull is now decorating the entry at Cunningham Cabin.

Long Shadows: At Cunningham Cabin

Concentric: Log ends at the Cunningham Cabin.

Mt. Moran: Taken along the river’s edge at Oxbow Bend.

Coyote: Taken at the Moulton Barns.

Wildflowers: This shot was taken later in the day from the East boundary road. Time to go back for a morning shot!

This is a great time to be in the park! MJ

June 5/6/7, 2015

Tetonia Lightning: Friday afternoon, I packed up the van for a quick run to Eastern Idaho. I had hopes of getting a passing storm or two with a bolt of lightning. Got it. I could have stopped about anywhere for some bolts, but I was trying to put something distinctive in front of them. Nikon D4 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Ft. Henry Rendezvous: I also wanted to go to the Mountain Man Rendezvous near Rexburg, ID. Did it! If you are reading this post on Sunday morning, the Rendezvous continues through this afternoon. Click the link for more information and a map: Fort Henry Rendezvous Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Long-eared Owl: When heading out to Idaho on Friday, I had high hopes of finding some different kinds of owls and critters. On the list were Long-eared Owls, Short-eared Owls, Burrowing Owls, Horned Owls and some waterfowl. Got them! Well…I didn’t get any shots of the Burrowing Owls, but instead found a Northern Saw Whet Owl. That was a good trade off! Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Jack Rabbit: I was up very early on Saturday and was out looking for owls and critters. I took this one just as there were hints of light on the ridge line. I also managed to capture a few images of a big, healthy porcupine. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Swan Valley School House: Eastern Idaho has lots of barns, buildings, railroads, and industrial looking grain elevators and silos. With the moody skies, I took quite a few shots on my short trip. Nikon D4 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

I’m back at home today, Sunday, and will try to create a set of three Feature Posts since the subject matter is so distinctly different and I have so many shots of each one. Now’s a great time to sign up to follow this blog! You’ll get an email notification when I make the individual posts.

I’ve got a One-on-One Photography Excursion tomorrow, so I’ll probably make a quick reconnaissance run into the park today. Check back!

June 5, 2015

Summer Office: I am hoping to make a quick little “tour” of Eastern Idaho later today and over the weekend. I had to sit down and write out a few checks and take care of loose ends. I paid the checks from my “summer office” on the back deck, where I also got to watch the birds and other small critters.

View From the Deck: The “blind” is actually a grill gazebo I bought at Wal-Mart a few years ago. It has since been re-tarped with camouflage tarps from K-Mart. When taking photos of the birds, I am normally about 10-12 feet from them. The area on the far left is where I take the shots of the Hummingbirds. The light stands for the strobes are currently inside the blind, but they are usually set up at the most active feeder. It was one of the more pleasant bill paying sessions I’ve had in a long time!

June 4, 2015

Today is another “one man band” day! I licensed a couple of photos to two different companies and had to fill out usage agreements, W-9s, invoices, prepare the actual files and upload them to DropBox. It can take a lot of time, but I can’t complain! One will be on the front cover of a magazine and the other will be used for an investment firm’s corporate identity. Another image was recently licensed as part of a TV commercial.  A couple of months ago I licensed an image for a kid’s game app.

Hummers: Last evening, my wife and I were sitting out on the deck just before dark. Hummingbirds were coming to feeders regularly. This afternoon, I will set up all the strobes and be ready for the little elusive rascals if they show up again! Cedar Waxwings: I’ve been hearing and seeing a few Cedar Waxwings around the edges of my back yard. They appear to be interested in coming into the yard. I went to one of the local, independent grocery stores and came home with a nice box of throw-away fruit. I have a nice platform set up full of the open fruit. All it takes is one or two to go to a feeder and I could have Waxwings for several weeks. The Cedar Waxwing image above is one of my favorite shots from last year. Western Tanagers are still visiting the back yard. In a few of the previous years, I’ve had 30 or males visible at one time. This year, I normally only see three or four on any given day.

Western Tanager: Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens

Hummer: I set up the strobes late in the evening, then sat back for the Hummingbird show. Much like last evening, I had a steady parade of miniature birds. Nikon D800 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Hummer and Penstemon Flowers: Penstemon grows wild in several areas of the park. Watch for them around the Colter Bay marina. Nikon D800 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Iridescent Gorget: If a male hummingbird turns at just the right angle, his gorget catches light and reflects back to the camera. I’ve been experimenting with ways to light it up. Nikon D800 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Bullock’s Oriole:Late evening light. 1/160th second, F/6.3 and ISO 3200.  Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens

June 3, 2015

Moon Over the Snake River: I had to get up EARLY for this shot. It was taken near the confluence of the Buffalo Fork River and the Snake with a Nikon D800 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.

Moon Over Pacific Creek: Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Grand and the Setting Moon: Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Purple Lupines: Taken near Pilgrim Creek Road. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Evening Grosbeak: Female. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Evening Grosbeak: Male. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Northern Flicker: Males have the orange patch on their cheeks. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

June 2, 2015

Hummer: It was overcast this morning…great for back yard bird photography. Hummingbirds seem to come around more often early and late in the day, and during overcast periods. Despite my best offerings, my current cast of tiny characters prefer the easy to get sugar water in the feeders over the Columbine and Fuschia flowers. They like Crocosmia and Bee Balm, but those plants flower later in the summer. This image was shot with a Nikon D800 and a Nikon 200-400mm—set up specifically for the Hummers. The D4 and Tamron 150-600mm are set up on another tripod for the other birds.

Western Tanager: Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Dang! I know there are fox kits, coyote pups, young grizzlies, and baby moose around the valley, yet I have some wonderful subjects coming to my back yard here in town. I look forward to them all Winter and early Spring. I opted to stay home today and try to capture them. I’ll include several of them here today, but may eventually move them to a Feature Post with a lot of the Spring/Summer birds.

 

Soaked Flicker: This female had apparently just left the creek from her morning bath. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Brown-headed Cowbird: Female Cowbirds don’t have a lot of color and are easy to overlook. This one paused in front of some colorful leaves and prompted me to snap off a few shots. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Black-headed Grosbeak: Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Gray Catbird: Two Catbirds are visiting my yard regularly now. The toughest part of photographing a Catbird is getting the rusty orange undertail covert feathers in the shot. Bird Topography. Gray Catbirds were common on Sanibel Island earlier in the year. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

American Robin: Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Eurasian Collared Dove: Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Clark’s Nutcrackers: Today, at least two different families of Nutcrackers spent the morning in my yard. Parents still feed the begging fledglings.  Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Clark’s Nutcrackers: The babies are almost the same size as the adults and can fly adeptly, but are still learning to find their own food. Two families can be quite noisy! Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

June 1, 2015

Beginning of the Month! Watch for current photos and comments throughout June! Expect vivid green grass and trees, blooming wildflowers, and plenty of changing weather to start out the month.

Red Fox “Kits” captured with a Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

JH News & Guide: “Critter Closures Scattered Around Park” – This article lists some of the current dens in GTNP.

For at least the first few days of June, you might want to review May 2015 Daily Updates & Photos for Grand Teton National Park & JH: The page is loaded with photos and info!

Sunset Pano: Technically, this is a May 2015 photo. I stayed out late last evening hoping to get a good sunset shot and didn’t walk through the doors until well past dark. This image was created using a total of nine captures. There were three sets of bracketed shots consisting of three images each. The resulting “HDR” components were then merged into a single panoramic image, resulting in one new DNG file. Until Lightroom CC2015 (Lightroom 6), the steps to make an image like this required Photoshop. The original images were captured on a Nikon D800 using a Nikon 24-70 lens. At 35mpx per image, this kind of shot taxes my computer system. While I was standing around taking the shots, a group of pronghorns strolled by, a coyote crossed nearby, and a prairie falcon flew overhead.

Upcoming: I am working on a rewrite of the original Tamron 150-600mm lens page. I originally wrote it within the first week of receiving the lens and was more of a “first impressions” page than the lens deserves. I am also working on a new Feature Post about “Critters”. If you haven’t signed up to follow this blog, now’s a great time!

One-On-One Excursions Openings: I have a couple of openings available for June. I believe it will be a great month for photography! Click the link for more information.

Fort Henry Rendezvous: The web site says the Rendezvous happens over the first full week of June. I am fairly certain it begins today. The camp is located a few miles outside Rexburgh, ID. This is a shot from last year.

Bullock’s Oriole: How about a blast of June 1 color? Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

American Goldfinch: I’ve been seeing a few Goldfinches along the Moose-Wilson Road lately. This male visited my back yard this morning. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Calliope Hummingbird: So far this year, I have seen Broad-tailed and Calliope Hummingbirds in my back yard, but no Rufous Hummingbirds. This one was captured with the aid of a few strobes. Nikon 800 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Stormy Skies: I headed out late in the afternoon hoping to capture a few lightning bolts. I didn’t get the bolts, but I found plenty of moody clouds.

Go to Source

This rendezvous is only a short distance from the historic fort location near Rexburg, ID.

The Fort Henry Buckskinners have been hosting this rendezvous for around 27 years. 2015 was the second year at the current location next to the Henry’s Fork River between Rexburg and Parker, ID. There are Mountain Man Rendezvous held now in every state of the country, however Wyoming and Idaho are where they really happened!

Ft. Henry Rendezvous Tents and Trader’s Row: Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens. Most rendezvous close down “to the public” at around 6:00 pm. After that time, all people in the camp are supposed to be wearing “period” clothing. They have skillet throwing contests, tug of war games, and people sit around listening to people playing banjos, guitars, and other instruments. I have “the gear” but didn’t take it with me this time. Someday I’d like to stay late and see if all of them would let me put a small flashlight in each tent, then do a shot just before it gets dark.

Earlier in the year, I created this page: An Upcoming Year of Wishes. Since then, I’ve been faithfully working my way through my list…and going to a few Rendezvous was on the list! This site is beautifully situated next to the Henry’s Fork with ample space, level land and considerable privacy. Photographically speaking, I think this is my favorite rendezvous because of missing telephone lines and fences, and the parking areas are completely out of sight. This rendezvous is held during the first full week of June.

Black Powder Shooter: A shooting range is part of this Rendezvous, along with an archery course, and a “hawk and knife” area. The Idaho Hawk & Knife competition is held during this rendezvous. Most shooters will allow you to take their photos. I took this one a split second after the shot and you can see a bit of the smoke and powder leaving the barrel of the gun. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens.

Lee Fears: Lee makes leather goods is always gracious to let me photograph him. Check out Hombre Leather.  For quite a few of the portrait shots, I used a Nikon SB-910 strobe, hand held to the side and controlled by a Nikon SU-800 controller. Just to make sure everything fires in the broad daylight, I added a pair of RadioPoppers. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

John Jolly: I’ve been seeing John and his wonderful wildlife paintings at the rendezvous for quite a few years. Without the strobe for the fill flash, this would have been a terribly difficult shot at about lunch time. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Tony Messerly goes by the camp name “Many Strings”. He’s a wonderfully entertaining singer and always friendly. I took this shot from ground level and aimed up to get some of the approaching clouds. Check out Many Strings if you’re interested in picking up some of his CDs. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Montana Turtle: Turtle is an engraver and jeweler—working in silver and gold. I found him to be quite photogenic and very friendly. I set the strobe on a table to the right to add just a touch of light onto his face. He’s looking through a large magnifying glass as he works on an engraving. Check out Montana Turtle. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Black Kettle: BK lives near Haley, ID and is usually at the Ft. Henry Rendezvous. He’s very photogenic and always willing to have his photo taken. This was taken in broad daylight. I underexposed the scent by a lot, then added some fairly harsh light with a strobe. One of the kids held the strobe for the few shots…cost me a dollar and young Quinn ended up with a soft drink. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

The Conversation: John is Quinn’s father. His tent was next to Black Kettle, so he and Quinn were always somewhere nearby. He was having a conversation with BK at the time. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Two Wild and Crazy Girls: Kids often run around the camp dressed in period garb. The boys especially like it because they get to throw tomahawks and knives, stir fires and run around without much supervision. It struck me the first time I went to a rendezvous that many of the people participate in much the same way we did with out kinds when they were young. We met friends and camped together in our campers. These people are “camping with a purpose” or theme. These two little sisters were having a grand time all bundled up in a quilt. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Harry Harpoon: Over the years, Harry has played with various musicians and acts in many of the Jackson Hole venues. This is another daylight shot taken well underexposed and lit with an off-camera strobe. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Buttons: Merchants have all kinds of wares for sale inside and outside the tents. All I have to do is ask and they all say yes to me taking photos. I took this one at a slight angle, but the new “auto upright” feature in Lightroom straightened out the distortions in one simple click. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens and Nikon SB-910 Strobe.

Bison Fur: A Rendezvous is a “texture paradise”. I asked if it was okay, and even with a puzzled look on their face, they said, “Sure, go ahead”.

In April of 2014, created this Feature Post called Mountain Man Rendezvous. I’ve since updated it with most of the regional rendezvous for 2015, so if you’d like to go to one, check out the schedule.

Photo Comments

I typically like to process all of the images on a page like this in a similar fashion so the entire page has a unified look and feel. The 1825-1840 period portrayed in the shots just scream for some sort of sepia toning, similar to Montana Turtle. I chose not to do that in all of these photos, just to give you a better idea of what you might be actually “seeing” if you were to go to one. The participants at a rendezvous almost always love to have their photos taken, but I like to ask first. I didn’t do it on this rendezvous, but I occasionally like to take a telephoto lens and shoot from farther out. Those photos are typically more casual than the ones where they know I am taking them.

I included a few photos on this blog page. You can see more, and even purchase prints at my main web site. Here’s the link to the Mountain Men images at Teton Images.

If you like what you see here, please share the page with your friends by clicking on any of the social media icons below. MJ

 

Go to Source

Lightweight, Relatively Small, Sharp, and Inexpensive!

NOTE: This is essentially a rewrite of a post I made in early February of 2015, updated with additional photos and comments. I had owned the lens a week or two when I wrote it, so most of my comments then were essentially “initial impressions”. It wasn’t intended to be a thorough review, but simply a list of hands-on comments, observations, and a few actual photos taken with both of my Nikon bodies. I figured there were already plenty of sites evaluating it with DXO scores and bench tests using calibrated charts and targets. This new page is being written roughly four months after receiving the lens, and as before, are simply observations and comments from an end user. And, if it matters, I paid full retail for my lens.

Evening Light: NIKON D800, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 150 mm, 1/100 at f/9, Aperture priority Mode, -1 2/3 EV, ISO 100

The Short of It!

If you’d like to save a lot of reading, I’d suggest: “Buy One”!  I was initially surprised and impressed. Now, I use it regularly.

Red Fox Approaching: NIKON D800, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 220 mm, 1/500 at f/8, Aperture priority Mode, -1 EV, ISO 200,

Initial Comments:

I’ve been a dedicated Nikon Lens user all along. My Nikon dealer suggested I check into the Tamron lens, so I started reading reviews. Talk about a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde bag of results! Most were good. Some said it was great. Some said it was soft past 400mm. Some said it wasn’t good for low light shooting. Some user reviews included images the reviewer considered was tack sharp, but wouldn’t have made it past my first cut.  Other quotes were along the lines, “A great lens for the money” and “Super telephoto lenses compromise sharpness”. Then, occasionally, there would be a group of incredibly sharp images. If you’re reading this page, you’ve probably seen many similar comments.

Red Squirrel: NIKON D800, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 420 mm, 1/640 at f/6.3, Aperture priority Mode, -2 EV with Strobe, ISO 1000

My Needs:

I have a well used Nikon D4 and a Nikon D800 pair of bodies. I have Nikon’s pro list of zoom lenses including a 14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm and a 200-400mm lens. I like zooms. What’s missing? Aside from tilt-shift and macro lenses, the obvious gap is from 400-600mm. In Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park, the 200-400mm lens on either of my full frame bodies always worked fine, but I kept watching for opportunities to fill in with a 500mm or 600mm lens. Neither of them ever fit my budget. I suspect my situation in this regard mirrors many others. If a Tamron 150-600mm lens worked better than my 200-400mm lens with a 1.4 TC on it, I’d be happy. I never had much success with the TC, so it wouldn’t take that much to impress me in that range.

Sleeping Indian: NIKON D4, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 150 mm, 1/2500 at f/8, Aperture priority Mode, -1 1/3 EV, ISO 200

Sleeping Indian: NIKON D4, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 600 mm, 1/3200 at f/8, Aperture priority Mode, -1 1/3 EV, ISO 200

My Client’s Needs:

Late last summer, I started offering One-on-One Photography Excursions into Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge. Many clients lack a lens much over 200mm. Part of my decision to purchase the lens originally was to let my Nikon clients use it while on the trip. They’d be thrilled.

White-breasted Nuthatch: NIKON D800, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 600 mm, 1/800 at f/6.3, Aperture priority Mode, -1 1/3 EV with Remote Strobe, ISO 1000

My Final Decision:

While still on the fence, I ran across this Flicker page by Kristofer Rowe. The page is LOADED with birds in flight.  His page, along with the many positive comments put me over the top: https://www.flickr.com/photos/coastalconn/sets/72157644820182203/  To be honest, I’m not sure I’d have pulled the trigger without seeing Kristofer’s pages. Possibly my photos on this page will help you.

Swan Squabble: NIKON D800, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 600 mm, 1/1250 at f/9, Manual Mode, -1 EV, ISO 180

 Random Musings & Comparisons

• Lightweight vs Heavy Build: This Tamaron lens weight 4.3 lb and is lighter than my 4.7 lb Nikon 200-400. The Nikon 600mm weight 11.2 lbs! My Nikon 70-200mm lens weighs 3.39 lbs. The Nikon pro lenses are heavier and have a more rugged, long-life feel. Still, light weight is good on some level.
• Included: The Tamron doesn’t come with a clear glass front filter nor a case.
• Collar Foot: The Tamron lens has one mounting hole in the bottom of the foot. I would have preferred to see two, as I have on my 70-200mm and 200-400mm.
• Minimum Focus: On my Nikon 200-400mm, I can focus as close as 6.6′ (or roughly 19 feet with the limiter turned on). The Tamron’s minimum focus is 8.86 feet (or 49 feet with the limiter turned on). Interestingly, a Nikon 600mm f/4 has a minimum focusing distance of 15.7 feet. (5.0 m).
• Balance in the Tripod: As the Tamaron lens is zoomed out from 150mm to 600mm, the barrel telescopes out an extra three inches. When mounted on a Gimball head or a “sidekick” style setup, the balance changes as the Tamron lens is zoomed in or out. The lens is light enough this isn’t a huge issue, but worth noting. It is also easy enough to slide the camera forward or back in the clamp to balance it again.
• Wide Open Aperture: At 150mm, the Tamron is wide open at F/5.6 or at 600mm, wide open at F/6.3. The difference is only 1/3 of a stop. A Nikon 600mm and my Nikon 200-400mm are F/4 lenses. That’s a full stop better than the Tamron at 150mm or 1.33 of a stop better than the Tamron at 600mm. An F/2.8 lens, like my 70-200mm is two full stops better than the Tamron at 150mm. You might hear someone suggest this lens in not great in low light conditions. That’s a tricky comment because there’s not enough information to qualify the statement. I’ve shot this lens in very low light conditions for landscapes, sunrises, and sunsets. It (and not many of the F/4 telephotos lenses) is not going to stop the action of a running animal at sunrise either. My original post from last February suggested this lens probably works best when stopped down, however over the past month, I’ve been shooting it wide open regularly on migrating songbirds and other subjects. I typically start my morning with my F/2.8 70-200 on my D4 and then switch it to the 200-400 as I get better light. If none of this makes sense, check out the F-Stop Chart at Digital Camera World.
• EV Compensation:I don’t know if every copy of this lens works like mine, but my lens overexposes my shots. I add a considerable negative EV value in almost all cases. In other words, when I know I should be shooting at -.3 EV, I set this lens to -1 EV. That could sound like a knock on the lens, right? I certainly don’t look at it that way. The negative EV compensation gives me back some of the “lost” aperture value of this F/5.6-F/6.3 lens over an F/4 Nikon lens.
• Image Stabilization: Nikon calls theirs “VR” (vibration reduction) and Tamron calls theirs VC Image Stabilization. Over the four months of shooting, I can say Tamron did a great job with their image stabilization in this lens. I leave it ON all the time, including while on my sturdiest tripod, over a bean bag, and hand held. I’ve been able to get some amazingly sharp shots hand held at 600mm, though I prefer a tripod.
• Removable Collar: The collar on the Tamron lens is removable. Some people might take it off when not using a tripod. I shoot using a tripod almost all the time, so this is not an issue. The knob of the collar loosens easily…or should I say too easily. I’m ready to put a drop of “Lock-Tight” on mine. If the know loosens too much, the entire collar assembly can wobble. I believe this is an easy fix.
• Focus Issues / Brain Dead: Occasionally, my Tamron 150-600mm simply stops focusing. The only solution I can find is to turn the camera off, take the battery out, put it back in, then turn the camera back on. I’ve read of others with similar problems. The permanent fix is to send the lens back to Tamron for repairs. Reports I’ve read said the problem goes away afterwards. I’ve had the lens on one of my bodies almost constantly since I purchased it. It has been difficult to find a time slot to send it in! I’ve also noticed the lens occasionally refuses to begin searching for a focus zone when I am zoomed all the way to 600mm and change to another nondescript subject. My solution is to pull the zoom back to around 200mm and aim at a highly detailed subject to initiate the focusing. Lastly, the lens typically searches from front to back, then back to front. Lately, I have been taking photos of birds at fairly close range. If a bird stops on a branch at about 15′ and I take a few shots, then moves to 10′, the lens has to search to infinity before returning to locate the closer subject. This can take what seems like a long time if the close bird is doing something “important”. To be fair, I believe my Nikon 200-400mm works in a similar fashion, but it only has a range of 200mm to search while the Tamron is searching a 450mm range.  I’m sure the techno-babble wizards out there understand this issue. I am just reporting what I see when I am focusing.
• Self Inflicted Striping Problem: I mentioned earlier that one of the reasons I bought the Tamron 150-600mm lens was as a “loaner” to clients going on a photo tour with me. I made a mistake of purchasing a cheap clear filter to add to the front of the lens. The cheap filter caused some occasional stripes or bands in some of the busy backgrounds. I asked if anyone else had seen the issue on a couple of forums and got a response suggesting the filter being the culprit. Bingo! They were correct. I removed it and have not seen the problem since.

Early Photos

Shots above this section were all taken within the first week or two after receiving my lens. The shots below were taken on the first day.

Tram Tower: NIKON D800, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 280 mm, 1/500 at f/7.1, Aperture priority Mode, -1 EV, ISO 100

Partial Pano Surprise: The first afternoon after receiving the lens, I headed to Boyle’s Hill to get a few shots of Swans and test the lens. While standing around waiting for Swans to fly in or out, I took a few panoramic images of the Teton ridge line, shown above.

Tram Tower (tight crop): NIKON D800, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 280 mm, 1/500 at f/7.1, Aperture priority Mode, -1 EV, ISO 100

This is the crop (red box) of the image above the pano strip. I can easily see the tram tower and dock at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort at Teton Village and the mogul fields. That mountain top is roughly 8 miles off!

April Photos

The images below will probably appear fairly small on your computer. Click each one to see it at it’s native size.

The inset image above shows the full capture at 250 yards. The larger image is an unedited, cropped screen grab of a 100% view as seen in PhotoMechanic. This image tells me a lot about the capabilities of the lens. It would be very easy to drive down the highway and never see this climber. When standing on the road, I could see him, but there is no way I would ever see his belt and pouch, much less the small “d” on his chalk pouch. (Note: Click this image to see it much larger!)

The inset image above shows the full capture at an estimated distance of 40 yards. The larger image is an unedited, cropped screen grab of a 100% view as seen in PhotoMechanic. (Note: Click this image to see it much larger!)

The inset image above shows the full capture at an estimated distance of 30 yards. The larger image is an unedited, cropped screen grab of a 100% view as seen in PhotoMechanic. (The smaller white box is part of a final crop I made for this image) (Note: Click this image to see it much larger!)

The inset image above shows the full capture at an estimated distance of 20 yards. The larger image is an unedited, cropped screen grab of a 100% view as seen in PhotoMechanic. (Note: Click this image to see it much larger!)

The images above can be made to appear even sharper in post production working off the original raw files. Other than a camera like a Nikon D800e, cameras apply an optical low pass filter (OLPF) which slightly blurs raw captures. I always sharpen my images to my tastes in Lightroom.

AF Fine Tuning

Most newer DSLR cameras have a feature called Auto Focus Fine Tuning.  This function allow users to make minor tweaks to improve focusing between each camera and each body, including the addition of various teleconverters. The first body I owned with the feature was a Nikon D300. It definitely improved the sharpness of my images. You can probably still find a person or two that will tell you lenses don’t need to be tuned to a camera body, but most people I’ve met in the past 5 or six years think they do need it. I use a Lens-Align tool to check and adjust all of my body and lens combinations. If you are buying a Tamron 150-600mm lens, I’d suggest buying the relatively inexpensive tool to use on this and all lenses.

AF Fine Tune settings at different focal lengths on any zoom lens. A fixed prime lens does not have this issue, of course. A super zoom lens like the Tamron increases the chances some. For example, at 600mm the optimum setting might be +4. At 150mm, the optimum setting might be +2, and at 300mm, the optimum setting might be +3. Some people might suggest to set the AF Fine Tune amount to the middle one. Knowing the main reason I wanted this lens was for the 400-600mm reach, I gave more importance to the longer range settings. You might hear a few “user comments” suggesting the lens gets softer over 400mm. I suspect they haven’t taken the time to find their optimum settings in that range. They might also have poor technique, with small movements amplified at the longer ranges. In reality, my copy of the Tamron 150-600mm lens does not have much of a variation in AF Fine Tuning settings from the short to the long ends.

For The Money?

Quite often, a reviewer starts out their comments with, “for the money, this is….”. That’s often a red flag, at least for my perspective, but maybe it doesn’t need to be a deal breaker. A Nikon 600mm prime lens is just under $10,000. ($9,799.00) This Tamron lens sells for $1069. Using really rounded numbers, the prime lens is roughly ten times the cost of the Tamron zoom lens. (To be exact, it is 9.116 times.) Of course, they are two completely different products. I read one review in which the person said the Nikon prime is not “ten times better”. I might add…”to that person”. You could also argue that if the images from a Nikon prime are 10% better to some professionals, it probably IS worth ten times the cost. Right? It is simply a matter of perspective and size of the wallet. If you don’t have the extra nine grand, decisions become a little easier. If, or when, I win a big Powerball lottery, I am sure I’d own a 600mm prime!

A Few Photos

Northern Flicker: Shooting Data: NIKON D800, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 550 mm, 1/160 at f/6.3, Manual Mode, -1/3 EV,  ISO 800,

Great Gray Owl: Shooting Data: NIKON D4, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 300 mm, 1/1000 at f/9, Manual Mode, -2/3 EV,  ISO 800

Ruffed Grouse: Shooting Data: NIKON D4, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 500 mm, 1/160 at f/6.3, Manual Mode, -1 EV,  ISO 500

Great Gray Owl: Shooting Data: NIKON D4, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 220 mm, 1/1250 at f/11, Manual Mode, -2 EV,  ISO 320

Mustangs: Shooting Data: NIKON D4, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 450 mm, 1/800 at f/7.1, Manual Mode, -2/3 EV,  ISO 280

Fort Meyers Beach: Shooting Data: NIKON D4, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 600 mm, 1/200 at f/9, Aperture priority Mode, -2/3 EV,   ISO 100

Reddish Egret Fishing: Shooting Data: NIKON D4, Tamron 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 500 mm, 1/640 at f/6.3, Manual Mode, -1/3 EV, (Auto) ISO 1250

Birds in Flight

In April, my wife and I made a trip to Sanibel Island. I took the Tamron 150-600 lens and my Nikon D4. I took a lot of photos of the plentiful birds in flight and came home with lots of good shots of birds in flight, along with stalking and chasing shots. You can view a lot of them on this page:  Tamron 150-600mm Lens at Sanibel Island, FL . I think it performed wonderfully, however, I don’t have a prime 500mm or 600mm to compare.

White Ibis at First Light: Shooting Data: NIKON D4, Tamron 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 400 mm, 1/1000 at f/9, Manual Mode, -2/3 EV, (Auto) ISO 720

Low Light

I mentioned this issue earlier. There are a few issues. First, don’t expect this lens to freeze action at daybreak. But, you also have to be realistic and understand that no telephoto lens is great at daybreak either. There are lots of low light shots on the Sanibel page and I don’t hesitate to use it.

Wet Northern Flicker: Shooting Data: NIKON D4, 150.0-600.0 mm f/5.0-6.3 at 500 mm, 1/500 at f/6.3, Aperture priority Mode, -1 EV,  ISO 5600

I should mention I own two of Nikon’s best high ISO performers (Nikon D4 and D800 -the newer models are D4s and D810). I shoot at ISO 1250 without even thinking about noise and often take shots at ISO 4500 or even above. The Northern Flicker image above was taken yesterday at ISO 5600. The two bodies allow me to set my camera to Manual where I control the shutter speed and aperture, then let the camera set the ISO via Auto-ISO. When some people complain the lens is not a good “low light performer”, the odds are they don’t have a good low light performing body. In that case, the best shots will be taken in the brighter hours of the day. I also speculate some of the blurry images taken at low light are a combination of poor technique, a wobbly tripod, and failure to adjust shutter speeds to an adequate level to stop motion blur.

Zodiac Sculptures: These sculptures are currently on exhibit at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, just north of town.  Click this image to see it MUCH LARGER!

Quick Wrap-Up

Whether you want include the qualifier “for the money” or not, I’ve found my Tamron 150-600mm lens to be a welcome surprise and a solid performer. I like it…well because I could afford it…and because of its size and light weight. Once I got rid of the cheap filter I purchased for it, and after I ran it through the normal AF Fine Tuning adjustments, I’ve found it to be plenty sharp. I personally don’t see a drop off in image quality over my $6200 Nikon 200-400mm f/4 lens, which is heavier and has less range. The Tamron had a cheaper, more plastic feel than the Nikon 200-400mm and doesn’t appear to be as weather sealed. The Tamron’s VC (VR) works very well. I have been surprised of the image quality when hand held. I have realistic expectations for my early and late day photography, and as long as I work within practical boundaries, I get good low light results. For my back yard photography, the 93″ focusing range allows me to capture birds and critters at close range at 600mm.

I have been shooting regularly with the Tamron 150-600mm throughout March, April, May, and June. I create a Daily Updates and Photos page for each month for Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole. I’ve only included a sampling of the images on this page, but if you still need to see more, click any or all of these links:

Daily Updates & Photos for Grand Teton National Park & JH: 2015: June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: |

 

If you like this post, please share it by clicking on any of the Social Media icons below.

Go to Source

A monthly journal of wildlife reports, scenic opportunities, and tidbits for both photographers and Teton visitors!

Recent Daily Updates Archives:
2015: June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan:
2014: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug: | July: | June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan:
2013: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug:

Check out the June Overview!

Monthly Overviews for JH / GTNP . Get a quick look at 12 months side by side.

June 1, 2015

Beginning of the Month! Watch for current photos and comments throughout June! Expect vivid green grass and trees, blooming wildflowers, and plenty of changing weather to start out the month.

Red Fox “Kits” captured with a Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

JH News & Guide: “Critter Closures Scattered Around Park” – This article lists some of the current dens in GTNP.

For at least the first few days of June, you might want to review May 2015 Daily Updates & Photos for Grand Teton National Park & JH: The page is loaded with photos and info!

Sunset Pano: Technically, this is a May 2015 photo. I stayed out late last evening hoping to get a good sunset shot and didn’t walk through the doors until well past dark. This image was created using a total of nine captures. There were three sets of bracketed shots consisting of three images each. The resulting “HDR” components were then merged into a single panoramic image, resulting in one new DNG file. Until Lightroom CC2015 (Lightroom 6), the steps to make an image like this required Photoshop. The original images were captured on a Nikon D800 using a Nikon 24-70 lens. At 35mpx per image, this kind of shot taxes my computer system. While I was standing around taking the shots, a group of pronghorns strolled by, a coyote crossed nearby, and a prairie falcon flew overhead.

Upcoming: I am working on a rewrite of the original Tamron 150-600mm lens page. I originally wrote it within the first week of receiving the lens and was more of a “first impressions” page than the lens deserves. I am also working on a new Feature Post about “Critters”. If you haven’t signed up to follow this blog, now’s a great time!

One-On-One Excursions Openings: I have a couple of openings available for June. I believe it will be a great month for photography! Click the link for more information.

Fort Henry Rendezvous: The web site says the Rendezvous happens over the first full week of June. I am fairly certain it begins today. The camp is located a few miles outside Rexburgh, ID. This is a shot from last year.

Bullock’s Oriole: How about a blast of June 1 color? Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

American Goldfinch: I’ve been seeing a few Goldfinches along the Moose-Wilson Road lately. This male visited my back yard this morning. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm lens.

Calliope Hummingbird: So far this year, I have seen Broad-tailed and Calliope Hummingbirds in my back yard, but no Rufous Hummingbirds. This one was captured with the aid of a few strobes. Nikon 800 and Nikon 200-400mm lens.

Go to Source