LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/728742
Fall 2016 LOCALadk Magazine 64 LOCALadk To test the lenses focusing speed and performance at different focal lengths, I decided to use it while covering a collegiate al- pine race at Whiteface Mountain. With skiers reaching speeds of approximately 60 mph, course safety is a top priority for race officials, especially when allowing media access to the event. Having witnessed some horrific crashes over the years you gain a real appreciation of the race officials concerns. Needless to say, access is limited along the course and requires photographers to be versatile in their equipment selection. The lenses versatility in focal lengths coupled with the ability to hand–hold afforded me a fair amount of flexibility throughout the race. Although I hand-held the lens for the entire race, it is on the heavier side and you may want to use a monopod when pho- tographing sporting events. The focal length range, along with its ability to hold focus afforded me flexibility to photograph in- dividual skiers at multiple gates. Once early summer comes to the Adirondacks, I spend a fair amount of time photographing loons from my canoe. So this past June I headed to one of my favorite lakes to give this lens a go from my canoe. While photographing loons with chicks it is important not to stress the adults, so you need to remain a fair distance from your subject. The image below was taken hand- held from my canoe and was also modestly cropped. For my last test, I wanted to see how the lenses auto focusing capabilities performed while covering a fast moving sport like lacrosse. I decided this past Junes Summit Lacrosse Tournament was the place to give it a try and I was not disappointed. Over a three day period I missed very few images due to focus issues. While covering the tournament I used a Gitzo monopod, as the lens is too heavy to continually hold while covering continuous action sports like lacrosse and soccer. The last thing I wanted to mention is that all my images were tak- en using a Full Frame camera. If you mount it on a DX (cropped sensor) camera the focal length increases to a whopping 275- 900mm.