St Cyrus beach, Scotland

[mikeriach]

We went for a walk yesterday on the beach which is just south of Aberdeen. On the way back to the car, the view to the south was rather moody so it would be rude not to try a quick shot. A99 with 70-400G.



The hound, Sally, or scruffbag as she is also known.


Mike

[Birma]

Two very different but lovely pictures Mike. I love the moody sky in the first with that great reflection in the wet sand that trials off to the distance. Then that lovely portrait of Sally. Great detail and a nice oof background. The 70-400 is a great portrait lens it would seem on the A99.

[mikeriach]

I'd prefer to use the 70-200G for that but when out and about on the look out for wildlife, Sally pics etc I usually have the 70-400 with me along with the KM28-75, sometimes the Sigma 70-300 replaces the 70-400 if travelling light.
The 70-200 just doesn't have enough pull when you have a smaller object but I prefer it handling wise.

If I used the A77 I could get away with the shorter lens but end up with more noise.
I frequently use ISO400 to 800 when shooting Sally as she moves so quickly. The Sally pic was at ISO500 and noise was not an issue though it can be more obvious if there is blue sky. I love the A99.

Mike

[Birma]

I really can't make my mind up on a telephoto for the A99. I will just have to jump in and get one and see how I get on in the end I think.

[mikeriach]

Am I right in thinking you have a Sigma 70-300? I have the non APO version which is decent but the G lenses are a bit special.
Two issues with the 70-400 are weight and handling. It's a fair beast to carry about on a walk, I bought one of those shoulder slings which screw into the tripod mount, seems much better than a neck strap. The zoom action is "heavy" and has a lot of rotation from stop to stop. So much so that you can't zoom from min to max without releasing your grip. But optically it is stonking. I thought it was good on the A77 but on the A99 it is better still. I had one of the first in the UK and it has been well used unlike DK's it has quite a few marks on the lens hood and tripod mount and one spec of dust behind the front element. I can't see me ever getting rid of it unless Santa delivers a Mk2.

Pity you are so far away or you could have borrowed it to try.

Mike

[John David Cubit]

Regarding the first photo, maybe it's my dour 1/4 Scotch ancestry but I really like the mood in this image.

Regarding the Sony 70-400 G, it is one of my two most-used lenses, with excellent results. (The other is the 24-70 Sony-Zeiss f/2.8 .) To me, the weight isn't a big problem, but, like you, I carry it on a sling strap. However, my strap (CarryRapid) attaches to one end of a special Arca-Swiss type plate that allows me to put the camera on a tripod without removing the strap (reducing the chance of dropping the camera). In the field, I often carry the camera-lens combo mounted on a tripod resting on my shoulder--like a hod carrier. I keep the sling strap around my neck--just in case some part of the set-up comes loose.
---John

[sury]

it would be rude not to try a quick shot.

Indeed. It is always rude not to take a quick shot when you have your camera with you.
The beach shot has certain aspect of melancholy to it, IMHO.

Sury

[Atgets_Apprentice]

Excellent detail on the dug, and great atmosphere on the beach shot. Very impressive!