THE BEST LONG LENS TECHNIQUE

What's your favorite long lens and what do you photograph with it? I'd love to know to help me make more relevant videos!

You talk about the reciprocal rule ( 1 over the lens focal length, modified or crop or medium format sensors). I learned this rule 4 decades ago, with film and non-stabilized lenses; but is this really the answer today with:

1) stabilized sensors / lenses
2) how does this old film rule relate to digital cameras
3) you talk about the crop sensor adjustments, but what about high resolution sensor adjustments? My Sony A7RIV has 61 MP, vs the standard A7IV’s 33 MP. Wouldn’t this increase in pixel density (reduction in pixel size) also require an adjustment similar to the sensor size adjustment? To further this argument, I can use Sony Camera software to limit sensor usage to an image area similar to APS-C size and resolution of 26.2 MP, similar to the Sony FX-30 26 MP APS-C sensor.

Hello simon! For someone who started photography just as hobby, your tutorials are an absolute joy. In india we call our teachers, guru. Your lessons are invaluable, as your disciple, I request you to visit India some time and allow me to host you.
Thank you.

Informative video Simon. Thanks for the tips!

Wow Simon. Not sure how I missed this older video, but it speaks to a problem I have been having. I recently bought a Nikon 80–400mm lens. I love it, and it is super sharp when I use it on a tripod, particularly at the lens sweet spot. But at 400mm, which is 600mm with crop factor, I can’t seem to handhold at any shutter speed successfully. I’ll try turning off VR, but my guess is the most effective tip is going to be compressing the eyecup against my eyebrow. I tend to hold the camera up to my eye rather loosely, which only allows for two anchor points (elbows tucked to torso) instead of three. I’ll also try the finger rolling technique for shutter release.

BTW, from another one of your videos on the travel gear that you take on photo safaris, I got the Sirui Traveler 7C tripod, and I couldn’t be happier with it! Unbelievably sturdy and steady for such a lightweight tripod with such a small ball head. Since my heaviest gear that I put on the tripod is my camera body with the 800–400 mm lens (about 5 lbs/2.3 kg) it’s plenty.

Cheers!

My old Sigma 150-500 APO DG HSM (2008 model) is sharpest at F11-F16

I bought a Nikon 200-500mm E VR to use on 12 Mpix D700, 36Mpix D800E and a 45 Mpix D850 camera. Its a cheep lens and I hope that I will replace it with a better lens If I use it allott. It may be usefull in the center but do you have any suggestion on how I can test the sharpness?.Nikon have a bad lens foot. I have old Screw drive AF 300mmF2.8 that I use for Wildlife and a 200mmF2 AF that I have not used often. Looking into a used 400mmF2.8 VR if the 200-500mm is to bad.

Thanks for your really pratical tips.

The trend to better handys makes me really consider picking a high end handy as my next one to actually do more photography on the go.

Great video. This just justifies my decision in getting A7CR as an amateur wildlife photographer. 😂

thank you for the informative video

Very helpful video, as always.
One thing, however, and this is a common misconception (or at least something nobody has ever explained satisfactorily), camera motion blur does not depend on the sensor size. The sensor is just the canvas your long brush lens paints on, so the blurriness does not depend on the canvas size, only on the brush’s length (insert any sex jokes here). While the 1/FL still applies to digital, it’s a carryover from the days of film, where the “pixel” size was between 5 and 20 micron, depending on the film ISO value. Modern mirrorless cameras have pixels sizes on the order of 5 microns, so a better number would be 1/(3*FL), but then we have VR, IBIS and all other camera motion blur “bandaids”, so we still use 1/FL and it works fine. But, just to be extremely clear: the determining factor in camera motion blurriness is not the sensor size, rather the pixel size, for the same FL.

just drives me mad trying to get sharp shots out the helicopter lol

Holy crap Simon. I just found this older video of yours. I use the R5 with 100-500. I struggle in low ight with this gear. I’m hoping to get the R7ii when it comes out. It never occurred to me that a crop sensor camera would affect my shutter speed. I’ve never heard anyone talk about this. That thought experiment hit home. Please do more on the use of zoom lenses. A lot of us can’t afford the big primes. As an older woman, working weight will always be a consideration, so a good zoom if fine for me. I’m sitting here wondering what else I might be missing! You pack so much into these teachings that I’m watching this again!

One of, if not the most helpful and informative videos to amateurs like myself 😅

I'm just getting into photography and found your channel and now I've nearly watched all your videos and feel like a professional now! I've taken tons and tons of notes, no one is a better teacher than you! Your videos and tips are perfect, and I love how you don't gatekeep anything so thank you very much!!

I won't ever be able to justify spending £1000s on a single piece of glass. Simply as I'm a novice/enthusiast and have a thing for used equipment. I'm currently looking and hoping to find a good Nikon 300mm f2.8 for my D300, and perhaps a 1.4 converter. I just can't start shooting too early or in too low light 🤷‍♂️

Jesus Simon, you are a BOSS! EVERY turorial I watch on your channel helps SIGIFICANTLY! Just bought the RF 100-4oo and wondering WHY my shots are MOSTLY out of focus. SHUTTER SPEED! Thank you buddy!
Bo Reynolds

Really useful review of basics techniques. One other approach: use a slightly shorter focal length lens and crop as needed. Just returned from a railroad trip; across the Canadian Rockies. I used nothing longer than a 300mm lens to capture eagles, bears, and wild horses. It's a lot easier to track an eagle in flight with a 200mm or 300mm lens than a 500mm. Cropping elimininated perhaps 20 - 35% of the image; what was left was sharp;. If I tried to get these images with my 500mm, I likely would have multiple photos of empty space where an eagle was a second before.

is it possible to capture a focussed shot of a subject form a vantage point 3 miles away?

Very very helpful Simon, I'll take your advice no matter it'll hurt! Best regards! :)

Excellent

Best teaching video.

Thanks again Simon for being such nice source of knowledge, how to become a better photographer. Much appreciated!

Brilliant!! As always!

Just got my first super telephoto for my new Z8, the Nikkor 180-600! Can't wait to try it out! Thanks for the eyebrow tip! 😎

how far from the birds can you be and still get sharp pictures

Hi, I love your videos!!! is the sony a6000 good for wildlife photography? I dont know what to buy canon or sony? I dont want to buy sony and then go buy canon, I know canon has a bit cheaper lenses but sony auto focus is better!!! 🥶🥶

Your videos are always that easy to understand and helpful, thank you ❤

Another great video, Simon. Thanks. Although I now live on the prairies, I am originally from Nova Scotia, and your locale inspires me :). For several years, I used the Tamron 100-400 Di VC and Sigma 150-600C for birds and wildlife, and I was generally pleased by the results. But when I upgraded to the R7, I sold my old lenses and replaced them with the RF 100-500. The lens is lighter than those it replaced, the dual focus motors are fast and accurate, the lens OIS works well with the R7 IBIS, and the image quality is simply spectacular. In addition, having a minimum focus distance of about 0.9m at all focal lengths makes for a handy "macro-like" lens. Since I mostly shoot birds and wildlife, this lens practically " lives" on my R7, though I'm looking forward to the R7 Mark II 😀

Thanks... helpful.

I love your videos, you have taught me so much. I have a canon EOS 2000D and want to get a great zoom lens for wild life photography for my camera. I have narrowed it down to a EF100mm-400mm lens. I found a used one for a great price, what’s your thoughts on this Simon?

What works for me with long lenses is back button focus. When tracking a subject with a telezoomlens i keep my finger on the bbf,that way my subject is always in focus when i push the shutter button with sharpness at the places were i want it to be.

Hi Simon, in regards to long lenses that can zoom in and out. By your experience, is it worth spending the extra cash on in-lense-zooming lenses compared to lenses that grow bigger when they zoom? Is it true that in-lense-zooming will keep the lense cleaner?

Hi Simon, Great video! A tip I learned from my late Dad who was an amateur photographer and shot only low ASA slide film. When stationed as an Army doctor in France in the mid-50´s, he liked to shoot stained glass shots, but was considerate enough to not bring a tripod into churches and chapels. I saw him take pictures upside down, with the camera braced on his forehead and asked about it. He said that instead of risking a camera pivoting on his nose, he held it tightly against his forehead, upside down. The forehead, besides being flat, has less softness than the nose and one can concentrate on holding your head steady, like with a dentist's x-ray. Also, using the riflery trick of keeping tension on a strap, is good advice for free-handing. Another tip from Army vet is to relax and breathe easy. He got sharp waterfall pictures at 1/15 sec. Being stunned, I asked what he did in the Army and he said he was a 'marksman'. So there's that, too.

I looked, but didn't see one. Maybe a video all about the pros and cons of lens hoods. The when and when not to use stuff. Thanks for all your videos Simon!

Hey Simon grate advice I've just brought a sigma 150-600mm Contemporary its my first long lens and super happy to be bale to use it when it get's here, I'm very much going to try the techniques you have mentioned, love your videos and tips

If you use electronic shutter, would you benefit at all using the eyebrow technique? Thanks for the great videos. Subscribed

Amazing videos ... thank you ...Merci

I'm getting sharper images with my 500mm with the silent shutter mode on my 1DX MK3 .......

Thanks, excellent tutorial Simon.

Hey Simon, these are useful tips. I am still stuck with one last question though. You have mentioned the use of tripods multiple times. It ofcourse greatly helps with sharper images. What do you do with your lens stabilization and IBIS. Do you turn one or another off when on a tripod? And in the case of panning on a tripod do you use the panning mode of the lens?

i;m just getting into bird photography and I had forgotten about my camera's IS in panning mode. Thanks for the reminder, I will give it a try next time I'm trying to capture flying birds.
My long lens is a LEICA DG 100-400/F4.0-6.3 (MFT)

I’m aware of the pros and cons of electronic shutter, but since I’m mostly outside when I’m shooting, I usually just set it to electronic. And I’ll set the minimum speed to twice whatever focal length I’m using. Then I adjust aperture based on composition/subject and let the camera choose iso.

I found that changing the eyecup from the default one to a bigger cheap aftermarket one really helped on my Z6II. Using the default one really hurt my eyebrow after even a minute and it let in a lot of stray light making it harder to see the EVF. The $20 eyecup from amazon (shaped like a tear drop to better fit your eye socket) was such a huge upgrade and made my camera so much more enjoyable to use. But I can imagine it would be difficult to use with glasses.

Great video with some very helpful tips on stabilizing a large lens. Thank you!