Long Lenses (aka: telephoto lenses), bring with their use new problems and new rules to assure optimal results.
Currently available long telephoto lenses are generally considered within the range spanning 200mm to 800mm or longer, each focal length affording certain advantages over others. For example, shorter telephoto lenses are almost always lighter in weight than their longer counterparts of the same maximum aperture (i.e.: f.2.8 f4, f5.6, etc.), making them much faster to use in quickly changing situations like birds in flight or fast-moving sports photography. The downside is they do not capture as much available light and so force photographers to use slower shutter speeds or higher ISO setting to render a correspondingly bright image. Slower shutter speeds or high ISO settings will almost always result in images that are not as sharp.
For one, heavier lenses are more difficult to swing with fast moving subjects than lighter ones, a fact that would quickly become obvious if a photographer were to try and hand-hold a 400mm f2.8 lens all day long. The faster a given focal length lens is, the heavier it will be. Team sports photographers usually use a monopod to enable them to eliminate hand-holding a big lens for even short periods of time and to enable more easily moving to a different position on playing field sidelines. As well, they typically have another shorter focal length lens mounted to a different camera body for when the action comes in closer.
For wildlife work, a tripod is the right choice for camera/long lens support. While the entire configuration is heavier than a monopod, wildlife photographers do not often need to move quickly to get the next shot. Sports shooters are where their subject(s) predictably are — within a confined space on a level playing field.
Birds and other wildlife go wherever they want – up, down, farther, closer, and so having the ability to efficiently cover both vertical and horizontal planes of focus with a large telephoto is a necessity if one is to make the most of a given situation. To best accomplish that a gimbal head is a virtual requirement.
Never mind built-in stabilization technology in many modern lenses. using a solid, high quality tripod will still afford consistently superior results possible at any selected shutter speed. My personal experience with lenses with built-in stabilization is this: I turn it OFF when my long lenses are mounted on a stable tripod. My tests have proven to me that “IS” it is wholly unnecessary except in rare situations when the need to hand-hold a big lens is unavoidable.
Which brings up the subject of shutter speed, aperture, lens resolving power, mirror slap, wind and other considerations – which I will talk about in another post. Until then…
