Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/05/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Edward, I meant 100mm on the 70-200 zoom. I need autofocus, so I use only Nikon equipment. My equipment for wildlife is simple - two D300 bodies with three fast AFS lenses - 17-55DX f2.8, 70-200VR f2.8 and 200-400VR f4. The last two are always mounted and ready during the forays into the jungles. In addition I carry the Nikon 1.4 and 1.7 Teleconverters, a SB900 flash, and a flash extender. You can check the exif data which is available - just click the camera symbol above the photo. She must have been 15 ft away, and I was in a open jeep. I have been much closer, and I have no fear at all of these magnificent beasts. As long as you use common sense, and don't behave like an idiot, you are quite safe. This cub snarled because she lost her mother about 6 weeks ago in a fight with a male tiger, so she must have been quite insecure. She has a male sibling, who was sitting 200 metres away, and both of them seem to have made it so far, I am keeping my fingers crossed that they survive. They are just short of full grown, so the chances are reasonably bright that they will make it. There are tigers outside parks, but it is very difficult to see them. You must remember that tigers live in dense jungle, and not open grassland, and are solitary creatures, which makes seeing them even in parks a bit of a lottery. I have been lucky recently, but I have done numerous trips without seeing one. It really is a bonus. Tigers numbers are headed downward, mainly due to poaching for the Chinese market (what else?) - having made the South China sub species extinct, they are now trying their best to exterminate them worldwide. In my view, unless something is done fast, especially in meaningful protection and maintaining migratory corridors between concentrations of tigers for genetic diversity, we are doomed to see them only in heavily fortified parks within 10-15 years. The census done last year showed only 1400 left in the wild. Indian wildlife is truly spectacular in its diversity, but it requires time and patience to enjoy, mainly because of the nature of the habitat, and consequent solitary/small herd nature of the animals. Cheers Jayanand On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 3:55 AM, Edward Caliguri <ejcaliguri at comcast.net> wrote: > Hello Jayanand! > > The photographs are superb; I like especially the portrait and closer > full-body views, some you mentioned taken with the 100mm R (Apo Macro I > presume)? > > I know you gain 1.5X from the crop factor in the Nikon D300. But to me this > is still 'close quarters' for these animals, who seem so relaxed. > > I was just wondering if you were in a blind for these latest photos, and if > so are they set up for observation and photography by the park service? I > wish more were set up I'm the US in certain 'hot spots'! > > If one wished to go out on 'expedition' and photograph Tigers outside the > park, in the dense India forests, what would it take? Where are there > enough > remaining? How many are thought left? > > I assume Tiger numbers are few and most likely headed in the wrong > direction > (as with Polar Bears, African and Asian Elephants, etc., as well as > countless local animals in each of our areas). Just one reason why these > animals must be photographed and brought to the public forefront. > > I remember in school, a long while ago now, charged with the care of a > newborn Asian Tiger of roughly 9 -12 lbs., bottle feeding this purring > blue-eyed kitten. Now somewhere it is a 600 or so lb. animal that is > gorgeous in different ways! > > Thanks! > Ed Caliguri > -------------------------- > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >