Subject: request for information
Date: Jan 31 14:39:06 2001
From: Wise, Cathy - cathy.wise at attws.com


After many years of using my 70-300 zoom, 4-5.6 lens, sometimes with a
doubler, we said, "Man, if only we had the big lens we could have taken
amazing photos!" for the last time. It actually happened on a Yellowstone
trip last fall when a large pack of wolves (27 in all) made themselves very
visible to us via scope but the photo came out as dots against the snow. We
stopped in Bozeman on our way home and found a fantastic camera store (I'll
send you the name of it if you like, when I get home) that had a large
assortment of high quality, used equipment.

We had our choice of a 400 2.8, a 500 4, or a 600 4 - all manual focus. We
decided to sacrifice a little speed and get a longer focal length and bought
the 500 4. We did this because the general size of our subjects as well as
their distance away from us is usually a factor. The 600 was a lot heavier
and more money and we figured the 500 was a good choice. We also bought the
2x doubler and I am soon going to add the 1.4 as well so I have more
options. I have been extremely satisfied with the lens and the quality of
the photos it takes. I will try to get my web site updated with some of the
photos I have taken with it soon (Short Eared Owl, Prairie Falcon, Blue
Heron, Marsh Wren) and will send the link to Tweeters when I am ready for it
to be viewed.

I have not regretted the purchase for one second - buying it used I was able
to get it for about half the price as new. We use it A LOT so renting would
have quickly added up to the cost of the lens itself. We are in Yellowstone
for about 5 weeks out of the year and just that stint of renting would be
around $1000 so purchasing was just a better option for us in the long term.


I can't think of anything else right now. We are not pros - just fanatics
so this was entirely a purchase of self-indulgence.

Cathy Wise
cathy.wise at attws.com
Marysville, WA


> ----------
> From: Jay A Peterson[SMTP:jayofpa at worldnet.att.net]
> Reply To: jayofpa at worldnet.att.net
> Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2001 10:01 AM
> To: Tweeters
> Subject: request for information
>
> Tweeters -
>
> After reading Cathy's account of taking pictures of the Snowy Owl
> and having already decided to invest in a new lens for my camera
> (a Pentex ZX-M) - I would like some opinions from Cathy, and
> other tweeters, on what size (focal length) and speed (f-stop)
> you would recommend for taking distance birding pictures.
>
> Also, could anyone recommend a book (with the author) that
> contains maps, direction, etc. to the sites so many of you
> mention in your reports. Thanks in advance.
>
> Ann Peterson
> Port Angeles, WA
> annofpa at att.net
>