Canon EF 500mm f4L IS lens...!WOW! factor! :)

twebster · Post by **twebster** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:04 pm

Hi y'all

A couple of months ago I purchased the Canon EF 300 f 2.8L IS lens and thought I had gotten the best lens Canon makes. I'm not so sure of that now. I received my Canon EF 500mm f4L IS lens, today, and took it to the local arboretum for a test run. I attached the Canon EF 1.4x II teleconverter to the 500mm lens and went hunting for an unwitting subject...

This sparrow wouldn't let me get any closer than about 20' to 25' but I snapped the image anyhow. When I examined the image at full resolution I got one heck of a shock...

The red arrows are pointing to lacewing eggs. Not only can you see the eggs but you can see the hair-fine stalks attached to the eggs

Unbelieveable

This lens and I are going to have a long relationship. Imagine it

Macrophotography from 25'

Best regards to all as always,

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:18 pm

Impressive lens, no doubt about it!

But I'm puzzled by the lacewing eggs. They seem to have a lot of variation in size, and the left one seems to be attached to one of the bird's feet. Surely I'm seeing this wrong!?

I suppose there's no chance of re-checking this exact branch, but what do you think is going on? Are the little ones (at right) eggs that have already hatched or been mostly eaten? How many more of these things are hidden in the rest of the picture? Inquiring minds want to know...

Thanks,
--Rik

twebster · Post by **twebster** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:33 pm

Hi ya' Rik,

rjlittlefield wrote:I suppose there's no chance of re-checking this exact branch, but what do you think is going on? Are the little ones (at right) eggs that have already hatched or been mostly eaten? How many more of these things are hidden in the rest of the picture? Inquiring minds want to know...

I'm sure some are hatched and/or shriveled from the heat. I don't think the one is attached to the bird's foot but, rather, to another thorn or branchlet behind the bird's foot. I haven't done a close inspection of the other twigs, etc. I look for them tomorrow if I have time. OK

Best regards as always,

Carl_Constantine · Post by **Carl_Constantine** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:46 pm

DROOL! Now imagine the detail you'd see if you use it for macro

On a more serious now. Great pic Tom, nice detail clarity and lighting. Well done.

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:44 pm

You can get some amazing close details with the Canon supertellies, even with teleconverters. I've always been very proud of the way my 300/2.8 (which is still an awesome lens, even though I acknowledge your excellent 500/4 work!) performs with the 2x tc. I put up some full-frame samples and 100% crops with a Canon 1Ds in this essay (painless registration required):

http://www.naturescapes.net/phpBB2/view ... highlight=

Despite my carping about minutiea at times, Canon does produce some awfully nice equipment!

DaveW · Post by **DaveW** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:02 am

Your going t have to use a devil of a lot of extension tubes behind it to get to 1:1 though Tom!

Dave Whiteley