Photo Of The Day By Kevin Cass

Photo By Kevin Cass

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Holding Tight In Flight” by Kevin Cass. Location: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

“A vapor trail follows Jack Pilot after he fully sends the diving board in the Grand Targhee backcountry,” explains Cass.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Depth Of Field Basics

Depth of field is governed by a combination of:

1. The f-stop at which the photo is made.
2. The focal length of the lens used to make the image.
3. The distance the main subject is from the camera.
4. The distance between the subject and the background.

With all aspects being equal, the smaller the lens opening, the greater the depth of field. For example, if photo A is made at f/5.6 and photo B is made at f/22, depth of field is greater at f/22, so photo B will have more planes in sharp focus.

With all aspects being equal, it’s easier to show greater depth of field with wide angle lenses than it is with a telephoto. For example, if photo A is made with a 24mm lens and photo B is made with a 200mm lens, it’s easier to bring foreground to background elements into sharp focus with the 24mm lens. Photo A will have more planes in sharp focus.

In regard to main subject distance from the camera, if I stand on a mountain top and point a 50mm lens at the vast scenery, since all subject matter is at infinity, everything is sharp even with a wide-open aperture (f/2.8) because once subject distance reaches infinity, it doesn’t matter if it’s 200 feet away or 500 yards away.

In regard to subject distance from its background, the farther away the subject stands from what’s behind it, the easier it is to throw the background out of focus. For example, if I use a 100mm lens to make a portrait of a friend, but he or she is only a few feet in front of bushes and flowers, regardless of the aperture at which I set the lens, the background will show detail. On the other hand, if I move the person 50 feet from the background and use a wide-open aperture, I can control how much of the background comes into focus. For a portrait, it’s good to have the subject be the only plane that’s sharp—it allows it to stand out. The background doesn’t compete with the subject.

Why is it good to control focus planes? It seems natural that a photographer would want to produce pictures with a wide range of focus, but this isn’t always true. If every plane in the image is tack sharp, it tells the viewer every detail on every plane is important. Conversely, if only certain planes are sharp, the viewer is drawn to them and other elements become secondary. For most landscapes, they’re better when everything is sharp from the foreground to the background. But for most portraits and some other subjects, the image is more successful if just the main subject is sharp and the remaining planes fade into softness.

Wildlife Strategies

Use a telephoto lens and a wide-open aperture. The longer the lens and the more wide open it is, the more you narrow the depth of field. This is beneficial in regard to wildlife in that it works well to have an out-of-focus background and a tack sharp animal so it pops off the page. Look for situations where a subject is far enough away from the background so it can be thrown out of focus. If the proximity between the subject and background is small, no combination of focal length and aperture can throw it out of focus. With the above being said, create the opposite wherein you depict the animal in its environment—known as an environmental portrait. Grab a wider lens as if you were about to make a scenic and include the wildlife subject to show it in its habitat.

Landscape Strategies

Use a wide-angle lens with the aperture set to f/22 to obtain maximum depth of field. Try to include a foreground element that’s fairly close to the front element of the lens. With the camera on a tripod, create the composition. Since there’s a close foreground element, everything from that subject out to infinity needs to be sharp. Turn off autofocus so the point at which the lens is focused is a bit past the foreground subject—the rule of thumb is to place the point of focus one-third into the composition. Use a cable release so camera movement isn’t introduced and make the photo.

To learn more about this subject, join me on a photo safari to Tanzania. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com to get more information.

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Photo Of The Day By javax

Photo By javax

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Wadi Rum” by javax. Location: Wadi Rum, Jordan.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Photo Of The Day By Bob Faucher

Photo By Bob Faucher

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Ruby Beach” by Bob Faucher. Location: Olympic National Park, Washington.

“At low tide in the evening, sea stacks are battered by the surf along the rugged Washington coast,” says Faucher. “A fellow photographer stands in the surf alongside the left-most stack, working on his image.”

EF 28-70mm @ 28mm; 0.6 sec., f/16, ISO 400.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Photo Of The Day By Ross Stone

Photo By Ross Stone

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Trio of Giants” by Ross Stone. Location: Alabama Hills, California.

Canon EOS 80D. Exposure: 1/50 sec., f/7.1, ISO 250.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Photo Of The Day By Dustin Penman

Photo By Dustin Penman

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “A Perfect Morning” by Dustin Penman. Location: Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.

Nikon D7100. Exposure: 1/8 sec., f/11, ISO 100.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Photo Of The Day By jeffurbahn

Photo By jeffurbahn

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Double Arch Star Trails” by jeffurbahn. Location: Arches National Park, Utah.

“On my first visit to Arches National Park, I knew that I wanted to capture star trails at one of the arches,” explains jeffurbahn. “Upon seeing the sheer magnitude of Double Arch, I knew that was the vision I had. I asked my friend to stand under the arch, wearing his headlamp and brightest jacket, to show the massive size of the arches. A half moon illuminated the Arch for me, and after 2 hours of shooting to capture the movement of the stars, I had my shot.”

Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Exposure: 30 sec., f/6.3, ISO 400.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Cover Shot, December 2020

Photographers with a passion for winter landscape photography often talk about the quiet and solitude that comes after summer crowds have retreated indoors as one of the motivating reasons to gear up and get out there. “Winter may be cold and intimidating,” says Kristen Ryan, “but its mesmerizing beauty makes it worth the challenge to capture its magic.” In Ryan’s article, “The Allure Of The Winter Landscape,” she tells how she became fascinated by winter photography and offers both practical and creative advice to inspire you with the unique opportunities of the season.

Properly exposing and processing winter images can be tricky. Your camera’s light meter is likely to be fooled by predominantly snowy vistas. In “Winter Exposures,” Jason Bradley walks us through the entire method for making technically successful captures of icy scenes. He begins with a discussion of how to use your camera’s histogram to dial in the best RAW exposure in-camera and concludes with his approach to processing these files to arrive at a final image that realizes your vision.

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is a great time of year to visit one of the coldest places on earth. Antarctica is a dream destination for many nature photographers, and Jon McCormack transports us there through his portfolio in this issue. He considers what about this place is so appealing both from a photographic point of view and on a deeper, more personal level. For many, the remote, mysterious nature of the place has a magnetic appeal.

On the cover is a photograph made by Outdoor Photographer columnist Ken Kaminsky at Diamond Beach, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland. Here’s the story behind the shot.

“Unique, breathtaking and soul-stirring can all be used to describe one of my all-time favorite places on this big, beautiful planet, Diamond Beach at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in Iceland. Seeing this mystical place for the first time is a top travel memory for me since I had no idea what to expect. No photo, video or written description can do this location justice in terms of the intoxicating sensory overload of sights, smells, sounds and the touch one can experience there, especially when alone.

“Having fallen in love with Iceland’s spellbinding landscapes from the first day of exploring the island nation, I ended up running photography tours there for many years to be able to share with others what I found so seductive about this magical place. This shot from my fourth of many visits is a long exposure that required a neutral density filter and tripod to achieve the dreamy effect in the water and sky.”

–Ken Kaminesky

The December 2020 issue is now available in a variety of digital formats including Apple News+.

Outdoor Photographer Plus and VIP members get full access to all of the content on outdoorphotographer.com, plus print and digital editions of the magazine, as well as other great benefits. Learn more about our membership options.

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Photo Of The Day By Linn Smith

Photo By Linn Smith

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Stake Out” by Linn Smith. Location: Ormond Beach, Florida.

“Finding one of the highest points in the area, a heron stacks out its claim at the top of a tree to survey its surroundings,” describes Smith.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Spotlit Subjects Assignment Winner Bryce Hill

Congratulations to Bryce Hill for winning the recent Spotlit Subjects Assignment with the image, “Sunrise on Glacier.”

View the winning image and a selection of submissions in the gallery below. And be sure to check out our current photography assignment here and enter your best shots!

[See image gallery at www.outdoorphotographer.com]

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Editors’ Picks: Best Photo Gear 2020

Our annual selection of the best photo gear for 2020 includes the top cameras and lenses introduced this year that we feel represent the advancements made in the art and technology of nature photography. While not a comprehensive collection of all of the noteworthy gear released this year, each of our Editors’ Picks has some unique quality or capability that made it stand out for us as among the best of the best.

Camera of the Year 2020: Canon EOS R5

Canon EOS R5

The Canon EOS R5 is the new flagship of the Canon EOS R full-frame mirrorless system, and the 45-megapixel camera excels in both still and video capabilities. Of all of the impressive full-frame mirrorless cameras introduced this year, it represents an important benchmark in the development of Canon’s EOS R system and full-frame mirrorless cameras more generally.

The EOS R5 can capture stills at continuous shooting rates of 12 fps using its mechanical shutter, or up to 20 fps with the silent electronic shutter, ideal for wildlife photography. It offers a 5-axis in-body Image Stabilizer system that can coordinate with the Optical Image Stabilizer in compatible Canon RF lenses, enabling up to 8 stops of correction depending on the lens used.

It’s also the first camera (along with the 20.1-megapixel EOS R6, which was introduced with the R5) to include Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, which covers approximately 100 percent of the AF area with 1,053 automatically selected AF Zones. New AF algorithms, “deep learning” technology and advanced subject tracking enable the cameras to follow humans, dogs, cats and even bird eyes—a bonus for photographing birds in flight.

The EOS R5 features dual card slots, one CFexpress and one UHS-II SD. The CFexpress card supports the impressive video capabilities of the camera, which include uncropped 8K RAW internal video recording at frame rates up to 29.97 fps.

For a deeper look at the Canon EOS R5 and its performance in use, see George Lepp’s field test in this issue. List price: $3,899 (body only); $4,999 (kit with the Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM lens). 

Check the current price of the Canon EOS R5 at B&H

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Photo Of The Day By Douglas Croft

Photo By Douglas Croft

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Breach” by Douglas Croft. Location: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, California.

Nikon D500. Exposure: 1/1000 sec., f/11, ISO 400.

See more of Douglas Croft’s photography at www.douglascroftimages.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Capturing Subjects With Distinct Shapes

From repetitive hexagons woven into beehives, to the support systems of skyscrapers, shapes are found everywhere. They consist of lines, patterns and repeated forms or they can take on their own unique structure. Intertwined networks of various configurations await the discerning photographer to extract, isolate and capture what could be the outlined silhouette of a wild animal or the iconic form of the Statue of Liberty at sunset. Lens choice, light, color, contrast and shooting angle all contribute to the success of capturing subjects with distinct shapes.

Shape plays a dominate role in identifying objects in everyday life. The silhouette of a dormant tree in winter or the outline of an airborne flock of geese at sunset need no explanation as to what they are. Everyone is familiar with these forms, yet in the eyes of some, they’re deemed mundane. As a photograph, they’re often overlooked. But if you learn how to integrate shape, form, texture, lines, and patterns into an image, boring would be the last word you’d use to describe the photograph.

Any Way, Shape Or Form

When it comes to trees, there’s no mistaking the very recognizable form of a quintessential acacia of the Serengeti. Paired with a radiant Tanzanian sunrise, it becomes one of the most prototypical images that can be made on the African continent. To take it to the next level, I pose the following: as soon as someone mentions the words “crescent moon,” an immediate image of it is formed in the mind. Incorporate both the silhouette of an acacia with the shape of a crescent moon and two very distinguishable forms stand out in the image. Look for ways to include multiple discernible shapes into the same image.

Shape Up Or Ship Out

Silhouettes are commonly used to show shape. But as someone who leads a number of safaris to the Serengeti each year, I always have my participants take their photography to the next level. If the theme for the day is shapes, what first pops into the participants’ minds is a silhouette. But I take it to the next level and ask each person what else can be photographed that exemplifies the word. This gets everyone thinking and before you know it, I’m shown very recognizable shapes in their compositions. The point is to get photographers to not rely on the obvious—think about bringing your image making to the next level. An elephant’s ears, tusks and trunk are archetypal shapes. Strive to show these shapes in classical form. Show persistence and fortitude to capture all aspects in a single frame. You’ll know it when you see it.

Bent Out Of Shape

Shape can be found in patterns and textures. The way lines flow and ebb when you move into the world of close-up photography can be easily exploited. For instance, a tree in its entirety may be dull and ordinary. The background may be busy, bright distractions may surround it or the light could be flat and ugly. But, when one moves in close to find shape, patterns or textures, a plethora of possibilities open up. Get “bent out of shape” and look for swirls that bend around each other, look for lines that lead the eye to something iconic and look for repeated patterns that form shapes. Begin by narrowing your world into a 4-by-6-foot area of the tree. Once you exhaust the possibilities, narrow your view even further and work in a 2-by-3-foot section. Continue in this manner until you’re working in areas comprised of inches. You’ll be surprised how fast hours go by and you don’t even realize it.

The Shape Of Things To Come

Shapes are the building blocks of all structures. This being said, work with shapes to frame other shapes. Only an hour away from my home is a local park, Garden of the Gods. Based on its beauty, one could argue that it should be deemed a national park. I took it upon myself to photograph it in all seasons. This forced me to walk the myriad trails to find images that are seasonally dependent. In doing so, I explored a formation called the Siamese Twins. At the bottom of the ‘twins” is an eroded opening. Walking up to it, I saw Pike’s Peak through the hole. The bonus was the near full moon was tracking close to the summit. I waited until the shape of the moon, connected with the shape of Pike’s Peak, framed by the shape of nature’s own carving of the opening.

To learn more about this subject, join me on one of my photo safaris to Tanzania. Please visit www.russburdenphotography.com to get more information.

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Photo Of The Day By Jason Stewart

Photo By Jason Stewart

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “The Storm” by Jason Stewart. Location: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

“The storm clouds above set a perfect picture for this elk herd in the Grand Teton National Park as a grizzly had dramatically killed two elk calves this particular morning,” says Stewart. “It was quite a dramatic encounter for me to experience as the elk were stressed and made several calls throughout the morning as this massive predator was on the attack.”

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Photo Of The Day By Molly McCormick

Photo By Molly McCormick

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Misty Morning” by Molly McCormick. Location: Lake Clark National Park, Alaska.

“I shot this image at Lake Clark National Park around 7 a.m. when the sun was rising and there was a beautiful fog over the river,” explains McCormick. “I got extra lucky with a bear coming around the corner looking for his breakfast.”

See more of Molly McCormick’s work at www.mollymccormickphoto.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Dancing Around The Teacup

One of the most intimidating things you can do as a photographer is to provide every frame of a photoshoot to a photo editor at a respected organization like National Geographic. Photographers are so used to sharing only our best images with the world. After all, we are magicians with the camera and never make mistakes, right?

Why do editors require photographers to provide every frame shot on assignment? One reason is because we are so close to our work that it is often difficult for us to choose the best frames. An unbiased eye can provide invaluable insight in the selection process.

Another reason we have to provide every frame is because editors want to see how we approach subjects. They want to know how we think as photographers. Did we explore the subject in depth to reveal the best angle, light and composition? Or did we miss the shot they were looking for?

There’s an old National Geographic expression about photography that is used to describe this kind of depth of exploration: “Dancing around the teacup.” If the subject of the assignment is a teacup, then most people will take a snapshot of that teacup and be happy with that. Amateur photographers will go a bit deeper and explore the teacup from a few different angles, thinking they got a good shot. But if you were to look at a pro photographer’s photo library of that same teacup, they will have shot it from every angle—above, below, every side and underneath. They will have come back during different times of the day to see how the light changes, they will have experimented with natural and flash lighting, and they will have even taken risks that rarely pay off, like attempting long handheld shutter speeds.

In other words, they get to the heart of how to best represent that teacup and express their personal view through deep and continual exploration.

When I am teaching photography workshops, the single biggest lesson that always makes the most improvement for the students is to simply slow down and “dance around the teacup.” It always amazes me what results from that single idea. The wiser I become and the more experienced I get in the photo community, the more important this concept has become to my work.

So how do you approach photographing fall foliage in a place like Aspen, Colorado, where one is surrounded by, well, groves of aspen trees? The process is the same: By going deeper, looking for light and shadow, by scouting when the light is poor, and by returning to those subjects to see how the light changes. Dance, dance, dance around that teacup…err, aspen grove.

Here are my top 10 tips for ways to go beyond the snapshot for a deeper exploration into photographing fall foliage.

1. Combine Light & Shadow For Layers Of Depth

This is a scene that I passed many times on my way up and back out the valley roads but didn’t stop because lighting was never right. The light was either too low, putting everything in shadow, or too overhead, washing out the entire scene. To create depth and layers, I waited until the sun was at a point just behind the mountains in the background to light up only a portion of the trees in the foreground. The difference is subtle, but the effect is a much more pleasing image. Pay attention to how light is falling on the subject and watch for the natural contours of the land to shape the light to your advantage.

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Photo Of The Day By Rebecca Wilks

Photo By Rebecca Wilks

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Emerald Star” by Rebecca Wilks. Location: Lake Tahoe, California.

“I’ve had several tries at sunrise over Emerald Bay but never had the conditions I saw on this morning, complete with crepuscular rays,” explains Wilks. “It was well worth the 2:30 a.m. wake up!”

Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Exposure: 1/10 sec., f/20, ISO 100.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Photo Of The Day By Andrew Kind

Photo By Andrew Kind

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Watchful” by Andrew Kind. Location: Minnesota.

Nikon D750. Exposure: 1/400 sec., f/6.3, ISO 160.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Behind The Shot: Golden Hour On The Oregon Coast

Photo By Jeff Sullivan

The Oregon Coast contains varied seascapes of sandy beaches, bluffs and “sea stack” rocks separated from the rugged shoreline by wave erosion. Much attention is focused on the iconic Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach and the picturesque rocks on the beaches at Bandon, Oregon, but there are countless gems to be found with further exploration.

One particularly target-rich segment of the coast is the 12-mile Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor between the towns of Brookings and Gold Beach on the Southern Oregon Coast. Just to the north lies Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint and the Myers Creek Beach access, with low dunes and grasses, many sea stacks and a natural bridge.

The area is popular with windsurfers and kiteboarders on windy days, sightseers in the busy summer months and photographers at sunrise and sunset. On this mid-September evening, we had it to ourselves. With a light breeze and the sun shooting golden-hour light under thin clouds, I came across this scene, with a curving ridge of sand providing a high contrast s-curve of sand and light, leading to an imposing sea stack and the additional sea stacks and undulating low dunes of the beach beyond.

The range of light from the haze-scattered sunlight to the shaded black sea stack was going to be too much for a single exposure, so I set my camera for automatic exposure bracketing to capture five shots one stop apart from each other. Shooting in aperture priority at ƒ/16, I estimated the hyperfocal distance at about 12 feet, providing a depth of field of 6 feet to infinity. My camera was over 4 feet off the ground, so everything from a few feet in front of the tripod to infinity should be sharp. The grass would be abstracted by movement in the wind anyway, and that would help direct attention to the warm, sharp sand dune ridge and sea stacks. I had a circular polarizing filter rotated to help cut atmospheric glare and increase contrast and detail in the clouds. That would cut two stops of light as well, helping with the beneficial grass movement.

The bracketed images were adjusted in Adobe Lightroom. The four darkest exposures adequately covered the range of light, so those were sent through Photomatix 6.1 to produce a TIFF file with higher dynamic range than a single exposure. The Photomatix result was then given a final adjustment in Lightroom prior to conversion to JPEG.

The Pacific Coast can be cool and cloudy or foggy on many summer mornings, but September can offer warmer, clearer weather before fall storms bring the rains that enable the fall salmon and steelhead runs in smaller streams. Like the salmon, I hope to return to the Oregon Coast each fall when the conditions are just right. OP

See more of Jeff Sullivan’s work at jeffsullivanphotography.com.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM. Main exposure: 1/8 sec., ƒ/16, ISO 200, with one darker exposure and three brighter ones.

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Scale Assignment Winner Max Foster

Congratulations to Max Foster for winning the recent Scale Assignment with the image, “Wonder.” See more of Foster’s photography at maxfosterphotography.com.

View the winning image and a selection of submissions in the gallery below. And be sure to check out our current photography assignment here and enter your best shots!

[See image gallery at www.outdoorphotographer.com]

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Photo Of The Day By Suzanne Mathia

Photo By Suzanne Mathia

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Moonset” by Suzanne Mathia. Location: White Sands National Park, New Mexico.

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III. Exposure: 1/3 sec., f/16, ISO 100.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO

An impressive new zoom for Micro Four Thirds system cameras, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO provides a 35mm-equivalent zoom range of 300-1000mm with its built-in 1.25x teleconverter. That’s an incredibly versatile super-tele range for sports and wildlife photography—no other camera system can match that equivalent range in a single lens. If you need even greater telephoto reach, the lens is also compatible with M.Zuiko Digital MC-14 1.4x and MC-20 2x teleconverters, getting you out to a 2000mm equivalent.

Weighing just 4.1 pounds and measuring 12.4 inches in length, the lens designed to be relatively easy to hand hold, and because its internal image stabilization is compatible with the 5-Axis Sync IS technology in Olympus cameras, it’s able to achieve up to 8 stops of compensation at the wide end of the range, and 6 stops at the tele end. The lens is capable of focusing as close as 4 feet, 3.25 inches throughout the zoom range.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO

William Brawley at our network site Imaging Resource field tested this lens and was very impressed with the AF speed and sharpness of the lens. Check out his review for an in-depth look at how the lens performs.

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO is pricey at $7,499, but when you compare it to similar super-tele zooms from other makers which cost much more (and are larger and heavier) it looks like a bargain. Pre-order is available now, with the lens expected to ship in January 2021.

For additional details, see the press release below.

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NEW SUPER-TELEPHOTO LENS FROM OLYMPUS ENABLES 1000MM[1] EQUIVALENT HANDHELD SHOOTING

Introducing the M.Zuiko^® Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO Lens

 Center Valley, PA, November 17, 2020 – Olympus is pleased to introduce the M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO, a high-resolution, super telephoto zoom lens, delivering unrivaled portability, imaging power and all-weather performance. Equipped with a built-in 1.25x teleconverter, this lens covers a powerful focal length of 300-1000mm equivalent1, and is only 4.1lbs and 12.4 inches in length. Leave the tripod at home. The high-performance 5-Axis Sync IS delivers the world’s most effective 8 shutter speed steps[2] of compensation, enabling up to 1000mm equivalent1 handheld super telephoto shooting. When paired with the optional M.Zuiko Digital 2x Teleconverter MC-20, this Micro Four Thirds® System ultra-zoom lens is capable of up to 2000mm equivalent1 super telephoto shooting. 

Ultimate Super-Telephoto Optical Performance

Lens construction consists of 28 elements in 18 groups, including a newly developed large-diameter EDA lens[3] and four Super ED lenses[4], reducing flares and color bleeding across the entire zoom range, and delivering superb edge-to-edge resolution and clarity. Olympus’ renowned Z Coating Nano technology is employed to suppress reflective light and provide sharp, clear image quality, even in difficult shooting environments, such as backlit scenes. The lens body features a built-in 1.25x teleconverter, maintaining high optical performance while enabling up to 1000mm equivalent1 handheld super telephoto shooting, simply by flipping down the teleconverter. Additionally, the lens is compatible with optional M.Zuiko Digital MC-14 1.4x and MC-20 2x teleconverters. When paired with the MC-20, this lens is capable of up to2000mm equivalent1 super telephoto shooting. This lens features a close focusing distance of 1.3 m across the entire zoom range and close-up shooting performance with a maximum image magnification of 0.57x1, which increases to 0.71x1 when using the built-in teleconverter, for those who enjoy tele macro shooting.

Unrivaled Portability and Weather Sealed Design

The lens barrel is designed using magnesium alloy and the lens hood with a lightweight carbon fiber to ensure that the center of gravity of the lens does not shift, due to imbalance, when the lens hood is used. Use of optimal materials in each area of the lens maintains strength and precision while delivering a compact, lightweight design with a length of 12.4 inches and weight of only 4.1 lbs.[5], for unprecedented mobility. Pairing this lens with the superb dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof performance of the Olympus OM-D^® E-M1X enables the user to continue shooting in punishing environments such as rain and snow with peace of mind. Compared with the black coating on conventional lenses, the heat-resistant coating of this PRO lens efficiently reflects the infrared rays of sunlight, keeping temperatures inside the lens from rising, even in blazing hot weather, for stable optical performance. The front element of the lens features a fluorine coating to provide a smooth and scratch resistant surface and allows easier cleaning for better maintenance.

Powerful Image Stabilization and Fast, High-Precision Autofocus

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens supports 5-Axis Sync IS, and at 300mm equivalent¹ delivers the world’s most effective 8 shutter speed steps² of image stabilization, and at 1000mm equivalent¹ delivers up to 6 shutter speed steps[6] of image stabilization, when using the built-in teleconverter. This powerful image stabilization is also available in the super telephoto range, up to 2000mm equivalent¹_, when paired with the optional MC-20 Teleconverter. High image quality hand-held shooting is possible, making it perfect for wildlife, birding, nature photography and more. Olympus proprietary high-precision lens thinning technology makes the focusing lenses lightweight, delivering fast and precise focusing across the entire zoom range.

Other Features

• Inner zoom system maintains the original length of the lens, even when increasing zoom magnification
• Constructed with rubberized zoom/focusing ring, for comfortable operation
• Preset focus function allows the user to set and recall favorite focal positions
• Tripod base plate in a shape and size that is easy to carry
• Strap eyelets are installed to improve transportability and reduced load on the lens mount
• Rubber lens end cover, designed to prevent scratches on the front of the lens
• Compatible with Focus Stacking[7], allowing the user to create composite images with crisp focus from front to back

 Accessories

Zuiko PRF-ZD95 PRO Protection Filter (sold separately)

This protection filter features ZERO Coating to suppress flares and ghosts from reflections and easy-to-clean, fluorine-coated, black-edged glass. The filter features a satin, glare-reducing black aluminum frame.

MSRP: $324.99 (US)/$429.99 (CAD)

LH-115 Lens Hood (included)

This lightweight carbon fiber lens hood boasts excellent durability. A flocked finish on the inside of the hood prevents internal reflection.

CSS-P121 Lens Strap (included)

This lens strap is for exclusive use with a super-telephoto lens. It is made of mesh material to prevent discomfort, has excellent cushioning, and an anti-slip texture.

LC-115 Lens Cap (included)

This cloth cover-style lens cap is easy to attach and remove for quick shooting.

LSC-1642 Lens Case (included)

This purse-string lens case features three-layer construction that protects the lens and can be used to store the lens with lens hood, lens cap, protection filter, and teleconverter attached for safe storage and travel.

Pricing, Configurations, Availability & Specifications

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens comes packaged with the LH-115 lens hood, CSS-P121 lens strap, LC-115 lens cap and LSC-1642 lens case. It is available for pre-order now for $7,499.99 USD and $9,999.99 CAD at participating local authorized retailers, or at www.getolympus.com, and will begin shipping in late January, 2021.

[1] 35mm equivalent

[2] According to CIPA standards. When attached to OM-D E-M1X, with yaw and pitch applied to camera, half-press IS: Off, and focal length set to 150mm (35mm equivalent f=300mm), As of November 17, 2020

[3] Extra-low Dispersion Aspherical lens

[4] Super Extra-low Dispersion lens

[5] Excluding lens cap, lens rear cap, and lens hood

[6] According to CIPA standards. When attached to OM-D E-M1X, with yaw and pitch applied to camera, half-press IS: Off, and focal length set to 500mm when using the built-in teleconverter 1.25x (35mm equivalent f=1000mm)

[7] Visit the Olympus website for compatible camera information

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Photo Of The Day By Craig Bill

Photo By Craig Bill

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Landing Angels Type 3:2” by Craig Bill. Location: South Carolina.

“Spending time exploring the coast of South Carolina was time well spent,” says Bill. “Old plantation locations settled in among aging, mossy trees and green country roads naturally spark curiosity and adventure. While hanging around the Charleston area, I found so many featured spots of interest that are highly under reported. And photographically, it’s a wonderful place to play.

“Among other places on my list to visit, the Angel Oak tree was on the top. This little private park can come with lots of protection and lots of people visiting. So to photograph it, you have to be patient. Angel Oak is said to be one of the oldest living oak trees east of the Mississippi River. It stands 65 feet (20m or 6 stories) tall, is 28 feet (8.5 m) in circumference and an area of 17,000 square feet is shaded by its looming reach. The largest branch reaches 187 feet. Its age is estimated to be close to 400 years old!

“These native Southern live oaks are often found in the lowland country of the coastal Carolinas or the ‘Lowcountry.’ They tend to grow sprawling outward more than upward but, due to its historic age, the Angel Oak shatters many of these records. Its branches radiate in all directions with some snaking underground and then growing back up above the surface.

“Its name comes from the Angel Estate, once owned by couple Justus Angel and Martha Waight Angel. It’s now owned by the City of Charleston, but the name has remained. However, local legends say the ghosts of former slaves appear as angels around the tree from time to time, inspiring me to call this shot ‘Landing Angels.’

“A warm gel filter and color balance tweaks turned this always green tree a harvest orange. Lens filters are often confused as “coloring the light,” but in reality, they only let a narrow band of color make it through the lens to the film or sensor. In other words, it’s not the world through rose-tinted glasses—it turns out the rose was there all along…”

See more of Craig Bill’s photography at CraigBill.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Photo Of The Day By Denis Dessoliers

Photo by Denis Dessoliers

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “High Sierra Storm” by Denis Dessoliers. Location: Mono Lake, California.

Nikon D810. Exposure: 1.6 sec., f/11, ISO 100.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Using A Monopod For Nature And Wildlife Photography

Wait, a tripod has three legs, so how is it possible to have a single-legged version? It’s called a monopod! A monopod is a great tool. I don’t use mine often, but when I do, it’s a photo saver. When it’s essential to have a little extra bit of stability, I monopod it. It provides me a bit more wiggle room to safely shoot at a shutter speed that, if I were to handhold the camera, I’d have a soft image. I gain between two to three shutter speeds, which often is the difference between a keeper and a deleted file. If this was my only motivating factor to carry a monopod, it would be worth it. But what many photographers don’t take advantage of is a monopod’s other positive attributes.

Get Your Camera Higher

A monopod is a great way to gain elevation. If an exhibit at the zoo is very crowded, I simply raise the monopod and make the shot over the heads of the onlookers. Another reason to elevate it is there may be a distraction at eye level that can’t be avoided but would be out of the image if the camera position was higher. What about a bird’s nest that’s nine feet up in the tree? Raise the camera on the monopod and make the shot without stressing the birds. In order to release the shutter, though, you’ll need a remote trigger, self-timer or long cable release. Additionally, it will be difficult to create a precise composition, so you’ll need to shoot with a wide lens and crop later.

Monopod Stabilization Tricks

A monopod can be made more stable if you have a way to drive it into some soft earth or sand. Another way to add stability is to brace the bottom against the inside of your shoe or extend it in front of you so it’s on an angle. Another stabilization trick it to push it up against a solid surface such as a low stone wall or large rock. An additional shutter speed or two can be gained using this technique. Please keep in mind that when you use slow shutter speeds to photograph animals and the subjects move, the images will be soft.

Wildlife photography is synonymous with long lens photography. In locations where tripods are restricted, use a monopod rather than handholding your set up and experiencing fatigue. Inevitably, the point at which you’d need to relax the camera at your side will be the moment the animal does something special. With your rig on a monopod, you can be ready 100 percent of the time. Be sure to mount the monopod to the mounting plate on the lens, not the threaded part of the camera. It distributes the weight more evenly and, even more important, by loosening the collar, you can spin the setup to go from vertical to horizontal and back.

A Compact Stabilization Option

A monopod takes up very little space in a suitcase when compared to a tripod. If you go away on a trip where the photography isn’t serious but you still want to make great images, pack the monopod to provide a bit more assurance. Additionally, the monopod can be moved around more efficiently than a tripod. If speed is important, take the monopod path. A monopod can be used with or without an accessory head. I prefer to use it without as I always mount it directly to the lens and use the collar to go from vertical to horizontal. If you use the setup with a wide angle, then it behooves you to have a head to switch from vertical to horizontal.

To learn more about this subject, join me on one of my photo safaris to Tanzania. Please visit www.russburdenphotography.com to get more information.

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Photo Of The Day By Heather Nicole

Photo By Heather Nicole

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Mountains From The Mountain” by Heather Nicole. Location: Sitka, Alaska.

The waterways of the ‘Sitka Straights’ are well known by the fisherman in the seaside fishing town of Sitka, Alaska,” explains Nicole. “The views enjoyed while traveling by boat between the mountains is undeniably beautiful. The view of the straights from above provides a completely different perspective and is absolutely stunning.”

Canon EOS 70D; Tamron 150-600mm F/5-6.3. Exposure: 1/2700 sec., f/5, ISO 250.

See more of Heather Nicole’s photography at https://momentsbyheathernicole.myportfolio.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Photo Of The Day By Dean Cobin

Photo by Dean Cobin

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Boulder Beach” by Dean Cobin. Location: Acadia National Park, Maine.

Canon EOS 5DS. Exposure: 1/4 sec., f/5.6, ISO 100.

See more of Dean Cobin’s work at www.deancobin.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Photo Of The Day By Jody Partin

Photo By Jody Partin

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Wildfire Smoke” by Jody Partin. Location: Yosemite National Park, California.

Nikon D810. Exposure: 1/800 sec., f/10, ISO 160.

See more of Jody Partin’s photography at jody-partin.pixels.com.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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Photo Of The Day By David Connel

Photo By David Connel

Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Great Egret Display” by David Connel. Location: Lake Texoma, Oklahoma-Texas border.

“My go-to nature spot is a short drive from my house to Lake Texoma, on the border between Texas and Oklahoma,” explains Connel. “I’ve kayaked on the lake for decades photographing the wildlife. especially the bird rookeries I’ve discovered through the years. This is one of my favorite images of the courting display of a great egret. The black background really made his breeding plumage stand out.”

Nikon D300. Exposure: 1/800 sec., f/5, ISO 250.

Photo of the Day is chosen from various OP galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and the OP Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the OP website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

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