Double or Nothing

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Bill

I’ve been using the new Nikon 2X teleconverter since July. My old TC-20E has been gathering dust after buying a TC17E-II. Both the 1.4 and the 1.7 are clearly superior to the old 2X TC. In general, I try to avoid teleconverters and use them only as a last resort when more reach is needed. That being said, this new TC-20EIII is a huge improvement over the previous one.

Yes, you still lose 2 stops of light. Yes, it does degrade auto focus and sometimes causes the camera to “hunt” for focus. But, the sharpness and contrast of the new doubler is orders of magnitude better than the old one. My experience is that it still degrades image quality more than the 1.4 but, it’s pretty close to the 1.7.

The reason I bought the TC-20EIII is to use with my 500 f/4 when I need LOTS of reach.

The telephoto lenses in my bag currently include the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 AFS VR I, 300 f/2.8 AFS VR I and the 500 f/4 AFS VR II. The only TC I ever use on the 70-200 is the 1.4 and I mainly use it on my D300. It makes a good walk around combo with nearly 300mm of reach…around 420mm with the crop factor. If I need more I would rather use the 300 f/2.8 than put a 1.7 or 2.0 on the zoom. The 300 is bigger and heavier but, I can hand-hold it. Also, the 300 f/2.8 seems to work with teleconverters better than the 70-200. If I need 500mm or more of reach and can manage to haul my tripod and gimbal mount to the location then it’s a no-brainer…I use the 500 f/4. I’m rarely happy with long-lens images that I take hand-held anyway. The reason I bought the TC-20EIII is to use with my 500 f/4 when I need LOTS of reach.

When I’m shooting little bitty birdies I sometimes have to pull out all of the stops to get anything close to “fill the frame” images. That means using the 500 f/4, the crop factor of the D300 and a teleconverter. Up until now that was usually the 1.7 and stopped down to an aperture of at least f/8. For me, the new doubler is a game changer. Consider these images:

This was shot in my backyard using the D300, 500 f/4, TC-20EIII. The aperture is wide open at f/8. ISO 800 and 1/250 sec. I used the LensAlign tool to calibrate my camera/lens setup by adding +20 to AF Fine Tune. The tripod & head are locked down and I’m using mirror-up with a cable release. (Click to view larger)

Take a closer look at this crop of the same image. Remember, this camera/lens combo is an effective 1500mm lens! (1.5 crop factor and 2.0x teleconverter). That’s a perfectly acceptable, but not perfect, image in my book.

How’s it work in the field? Well, here’s an image I shot using the same setup as above. This time I had to track the subject by panning which is tricky with an effective 1500mm lens. VR is turned on and I’m obviously not using mirror-up with a cable release. I think it looks ok even though it was shot in bad light.

In summary, I’m pleased that the new Nikon TC-20EIII is in my camera bag. It works well when used in those unique situations where you just have to have it. The performance is better than “digitally zooming” by cropping and the image quality is at least as good as the 1.7 teleconverter.

I recommend it.

Back in the Rut

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Bill

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I went up to Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to see the elk. Late September to early October is the elk breeding season or “rut”. During this time you can clearly hear the eerie, long and haunting calls of the bull elk echoing through the mountains. It sounds a little like whale song.

Cataloochee is located near the Southeast corner of the Smokies on the North Carolina side of the park. It’s not as large or as heavily visited as Cades Cove most likely due to the difficulty in accessing it. The only way to get there is via a couple of steep and narrow gravel roads. Regardless, it’s worth the trip.

We usually come in through Waynesville, NC and stop by the Subway to get sandwiches to go. You’ll definitely want to take a cooler along with food and drinks because there’s nothing at Cataloochee. The only services they have are restrooms and some camping spots.

The Cataloochee herd is doing quite well and is reported to be around 140 today.

25 Elk were reintroduced in this area in 2001 and another 27 in 2002. These are Manitoban Elk which are the most similar to the now-extinct Eastern Elk that used to roam these hills. They’re a little larger than Rocky Mountain Elk and were nearly driven to extinction just like the Eastern Elk in the late 1800’s. The Cataloochee herd is doing quite well and is reported to be around 140 today.

Since we live just north of Atlanta, we visit the Smokies a lot. It’s an easy 3 hour drive up there so it makes for a nice day. In all of the times we have visited Cataloochee we have never failed to see elk. Usually, it’s after 4pm. Most of the time the bulls are near the Ranger’s Station in front of the Messer Barn eating the nice grass. The cows and young are found out in the larger fields.

Only during the rut do you see the males and females hanging out together and only the biggest and baddest bulls earn the right to mate with the females. The cows each join one of a few harems. Managing the harem is a full-time job for a bull with little time for eating. Keeping other bulls at bay and breeding is pretty much all they do at this time of year.

In the early years, all of the elk were fitted with ear tags and radio collars. Now that the herd is thriving, the Park Service is not doing that any longer. It’s a lot more photographer friendly.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the elk at Cataloochee then you need to make a point of going there.

Welcome to my new website!

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Bill

Welcome one and all to my new WP3 Photography website!

It’s called “WP3 Photography” because my name is “W. P. Wood III” (but you can call me Bill). As you can see, my domain name is “wpwood3.com”. Previously, I had a Jalbum-based website that did a fair job of displaying my images. However, it lacked the ability for me to keep a log of my travels, notes about my images and other related information. The move to the ubiquitous WordPress format allows me to blog while still having a gallery of images.

No, I’m not a professional photographer. I do this for fun and relaxation.

No, I’m not a professional photographer. In fact I didn’t get my first serious camera until mid 2007. I do this for fun and relaxation. It gives me a good reason to go tromping around in the woods. As I said in my About Page, I used to enjoy hunting. Although I gave up hunting several years ago there are certain things about it that I missed. Nature photography is a perfect substitute. Everyone needs a hobby and besides, I suck at golf.

Why does a non-pro bubba from the Southeast US who doesn’t routinely travel to exotic locations possibly NEED a blog? Good question…I’m glad you asked. 😉 For me it’s easier than trying to write my notes in a notebook. Each time I go out shooting I learn something about the area, the wildlife, my equipment, myself or whatever. I can capture all of that in my blog for my own use. It also makes it easier to share my notes and images with friends and family. If anyone else enjoys one of my images or something I’ve written then that’s lagniappe.

You’re invited to read my posts, view my images and travel with me as I attempt to improve my skills as a photographer. If you see something that perks your interest then don’t hesitate to let me know.

I hope to see you in the field.

– Bill