Cape Mountain Zebra

Gallery: WildlifePosted April 27, 2011132 views12 comments

We are still on the road but thought I would sneak in a post.

This is the endangered Cape Mountain Zebra, photographed in the Mountain Zebra National Park in the Karoo desert region of South Africa.

I shot this with the new Canon 2.0x teleconverter and posting to show the results - so far I am very happy with the results. In good light it is tack sharp even wide open, and in less-than-ideal light it still delivers good results that offer me a viable option at 600mm with my 300mm lens.

You can see the detail captured by clicking on the "larger image" link.

And yes, I know there were some out-of-focus grasses in front of the zebra (at least the eye is clear!

Techs:
Canon 7D with 300mm f2.8 L IS USM + 2.0x TC-III (600mm)
f8.0 @ 1/1600 SS @ ISO-800
Cropped from landscape format

Comments

12 comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on April 27, 2011 at 3:38 PM

Excellent lighting and the vegetation in the mouth is an added bonus

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on April 27, 2011 at 4:55 PM

Very nice detail and color. The light is sweet also.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on April 27, 2011 at 4:59 PM

Good sharp detail around the head area so it appears the 2.0 TC is working fine, the OOF grasses through me off at first but a very nice Zebra close up in good light, well done.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by John Blumenkamp on April 27, 2011 at 6:53 PM

Great portrait of this beauty Morkel!

Registered on February 26, 2011, 58 Posts, 313 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on April 28, 2011 at 12:23 AM

Real nice capture of this endangered species Morkel, and the OOF grasses actually work to your advantage insofar as accentuating the wonderfully detailed eye and immediate surrounding areas :^)

Had Canon come out with their MK III version 2x TC last December, I would likely have bought that instead of the trade ( the one I mentioned in answer to your questions on my thread) I made of my 300 f/2.8 + 100-400L + some extra cash in exchange for the new 500 f/4 ...... which is probably why Canon waited until after I struck that deal to launch it - LOL ;^p

Still, despite seeing this great result, I'm quiet happy with me 500 ;^) What I'd really like though is the new Canon 600mm that apparently weighs the same as the 500mm ... but I seriously doubt I'll be able to convince my wife that it's an absolute necessity; she still feels food on the table is somehow more important than my photography ;^p

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on April 28, 2011 at 7:51 AM

Cool portrait, nice details n colours ! I feel the quality will further improve with new 300mm f 2.8.
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on April 28, 2011 at 12:32 PM

thanks for the feedback everyone!

Jagdeep the TC was actually made to function with the new lenses so I too am interested to see the results

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments

Comment posted by Luca Mussato on April 28, 2011 at 1:10 PM

The TC seems to work well in terms of details, resolution and colors rendering. It looks pretty good also in not creating an intense bokeh in the BG (thing not true with my Nikon 1,7 and 300 mm).

i like the light you captured, but that OOF grass ...

Luca

Registered on November 14, 2006, 118 Posts, 855 Comments

Comment posted by Darren Colello on April 28, 2011 at 6:54 PM

Wonderful lighting and detail. Love it.

Registered on July 27, 2009, 175 Posts, 1100 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on April 29, 2011 at 10:36 AM

I think you are going to love your new glass combo. Here, I like the wonderful quality of the light.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Marcellini on May 2, 2011 at 9:14 AM

Nice, good to know about the tc, was thinking of the new 1.4x for myself. A lovely portrait.

Registered on November 27, 2007, 250 Posts, 2468 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on May 10, 2011 at 5:20 PM

thanks, folks!

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments