This is one of the youngest swimmers on my son's Summer League swim team. We were at one of those morning meets where the sun was tethered behind clouds that mostly wanted to drizzle. I was wandering around our area, talking to parents and looking for fun kids to photograph. She was just adorable.
I was shooting with a 70-200mm f4 L zoom on a Canon 7D and loving the soft light. The interesting thing for me about these kid swim meets is how much fun the behind the scenes stuff is. Kids stuffing themselves with breakfast tacos and juice, endless Nintendo Gameboy DS battles, eight to ten year old boys looking for stuff to stick into air conditioning systems, groups of girls marking each other with Sharpies like south Austin tattoo artists. And me just clicking away, soaking it all in.
Season's over now. I'm just archiving stuff and looking through all the takes that didn't make the cut into the slide show. Big fun.
Hi Kirk, just as you write that you took this w/ the 70-200/4 (w/ or w/o IS?), Ken Rockwell is reviewing the 100/2.8 IS. He says it "works great as a general-purpose tele to replace the 70-200mm f/4 L IS for less money with less weight". Just wondering what your take on this would be. Less weight, no zoom, but 1 stop more light - could it replace your 70-200/4? If not, why, please.
ReplyDeleteSheygetz
It don't zoom. The one hundred is just right for a 100 but sometimes (like this morning on the ten meter tower at the UT swim center) you need a bit wider and sometimes you need a bit longer and sometimes you need twice as long. The 100 macro isn't that much lighter than the 70-200 f4 but my 100 f2 is about 50% lighter, even one stop faster than the 100 macro and amply sharp enough for me.
ReplyDeleteAs to IS, I was shooting a swimmer doing racing starts. Needed 1/500th to freeze action. IS becomes pretty meaningless if subject motion is involved.....
I do like 100's. But I like em fast and sexy. I'll stick with the 100mm f2.
To actually quote Ken Rockwell, "For anything at least 3 feet away, the Canon 100mm f/2 USM is sharper, offers twice the speed for moving subjects (f/2.0), a metal filter thread, and is also half the price of this 100mm f/2.8 L IS Macro."
ReplyDeleteHi Kirk, I wanted to know what do you make to avoid blown highlights with canon cameras. Recently I both a 7d and it blows the whites very easily.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had problems. There's a setting that protects the highlights. Check the manual. I think it's a pretty good setting. Exposure correctly. Use the histogram. Can't think of anything else.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'll check it out!
ReplyDeleteI like your texts and photos! Thanks for sharing! ; )
Highlight protection.
ReplyDelete