May 30, 2013
Gray Wolf and Red Foxes in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and First Impressions of the Canon EF 600mm f4 L IS II USM

An Amazing Morning With A Gray Wolf

Today's word is "anticipation." Yesterday morning in Yellowstone National Park, this dark gray wolf, 889F of the Junction Butte Pack, crossed the road about 100 yds (65m) ahead of me and I was afraid I had missed a great shooting opportunity as I continued driving down the road to where she had crossed. When I arrived, she was about 70 yds (65m) away and had just started to turn and head 45 degrees from the road. I turned around so I could photograph from the car and she started to run more or less perpendicular to me as she headed back towards the road in the direction I was now heading. Then I moved down the road and stayed ahead of her and stopped a few times to get some nice images. Then she went down into the deep depression with the Little America pond and I set up to photograph her where she would come up the hill back to the road level. I had time before she reached that point and noticed that there was a small hill just slightly further down the road that would be a great location for her to be when I photographed her. So, I moved down the road maybe another 20 yds (20m) to get ready for the great shot. I wouldn't have a shot until she crested the hill, and I couldn't even see her anymore. It's not a good feeling to loose sight of a rare subject, so I waited nervously hoping that my gamble to pass on some not-so-interesting record shots in favor of a killer shot would pay off. After a while, her head became visible behind the hill where I wanted to photograph her. A few seconds later and she was up on the top of the hill in a great location — bingo! I was one happy camper!

First Impressions Of The Canon EF 600mm f4 L IS II USM

I picked up the Canon EF 600mm f4 L IS II USM I rented from Lens Rentals around noon and it was love at first touch. The build quality is superior to my Canon EF 500mm f4 L IS USM and the manual focus is silky smooth. The weight is about the same and the balance is great. It's big though: about an inch bigger in diameter and about 1.5 inches longer.

Before using it in the field, I took some test images with the 1D X to make sure that all systems were working. The focus was fast and the IS was quick to activate. Based on a full magnification on the rear LCD screen (later confirmed at 100% in Capture One), the images with the 600 f4 II and 2x III are about as sharp in the center as those with the 500 f4 and 1.4x III — amazing, especially when shot at 1/750 sec, f5.6 with the 500 f4 and 1.4x III and 1/350 sec, f8 with the 600 f4 II and 2x III!

A Wonderful Afternoon With The Red Foxes

The only subjects I photographed in the afternoon were the red foxes at the den, and it was a perfect time to use the 600 f4 II and 1.4x III on the 1D X. Even though I was photographing at an actual 840mm, it appeared I was closer than when I had been shooting with the 500 f4 and 1.4x III on the 1D Mk IV with an effective 910mm. It was the first time the dad, or stag or reynard, was at the den while I was there. In this image, one of the kits is licking his muzzle.