Advice please on nature photography - medium lens

[mal from cessnock]

Hello board members, I went out today intending to make some nice images of kangaroos. They weren't close enough for the gear I was using, so I expected to crop them. I was using a 300mm F/2.8 Canon lens with their 1.4 teleconverter, with this setup I am restricted to F/4 and the bokeh wasn't as pleasing as I had expected.

Does anyone have any tips using this setup?

If I dumped the tele I could get F/2.8 but then I would need to be closer - I guess I know the answer already - get closer. But wow! how do you do that when everything is fenced!

[kiwi]

Examples ?

If you're too far away and cant do anything about it that ls just too bad. If you want good photos with nice creamy then try not to crop at all is my advice

300 f/4 is just fine for nice backgrounds

[mal from cessnock]

Thanks Kiwi for your help...

with the 1.4x teleconverter on the 300mm I get F/4 and the focal length is then 440mm - do you recommend the use of the tele?

[kiwi]

I don't understand your question

Ive used a 1.4 tc and 1.7 tc on a 300 2.8 and 400 2.8 many times.

That combo should be excellent

[ameerat42]

Yes, I'd also like 2 c a picture of what you got. I think that's a pretty hefty focal length.

[mal from cessnock]

If you're too far away and cant do anything about it that ls just too bad. If you want good photos with nice creamy then try not to crop at all is my advice

300 f/4 is just fine for nice backgrounds

Kiwi - you hadn't mentioned the virtues of using the 1.4x with the 300 - so I was just asking for a thumbs up with the combo.

Thanks for your advice.

I'm going out again and will use the same setup but with the 40D which is a 1.6 crop, rather than the 5DM2. I will be interested to see if it in fact gives me more reach. Ta

[kiwi]

Of course it will give you more "reach" 1.6 x 1.4 x 300

Quite a big difference

But once again if you still can't fill the frame, of close to then the dof will deteriorate rapidly

[mal from cessnock]

Thanks Kiwi