Phil, your dedication to photography and family is inspiring. You’ve turned your back porch blind into a showcase of stunning shots. Wishing Heather a smooth and speedy recovery!
Thank you, Adrian! Heather’s surgery was October 22 and she is continuing to recover. She is ahead of schedule on her recovery compared to the last time she had this surgery on the other foot and ankle.
That is such an awesome lens. The only reason I don't own it is because I have the 100-500 and I used to have the EF V1. Beautiful shots and take care of Heather ❤
Great images Phil. Thanks for sharing with us what that combo is capable of, especially in good light. Hope the healing process for Heather is swift and complete.
Liked the video at the end where Mr. Chip is barking out a warning, as well as the pictures of all of your birds. Hope Heather is feeling better and recovering from her surgery.
I just love my 100-400 on a crop body like the R7 or even R50. For the price it's hard to beat. It's not 100-500 for sure but at 1/4 the price or so it's a great value. You made some great images as always. I love that Chickadee shot (the first one). I love to use this lens for video even at 400mm on the R7 the video is pretty darn stable. Keep up the great work!
Nice photographs again Phil. I used to have the same camera set up but upgraded to the Canon R6ii and the 100-500 lens. Wife was happy as she inherited my old (not very old) set up and we both got some amazing pictures during a recent holiday in South Africa.
Thank you, David! I think the 100 to 500 on the R7 is a great combination. I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried it, but you have all the resources to do it.
@@PhilThachI did indeed Phil and as you say it is a great combination. My wifes camera was the Canon D100 (I bought it her many years ago as a Xmas present) but lately she has really enjoyed our photographing days out and so I used it as an excuse 😂 to buy the R6ii body for use with the 100-500. The R7 with the 100-400 is a nice light set up for her as well.
Thank you, Leon! Her surgery was October 22 and she is recovering nicely. We are hoping she can be partial weight-bearing on the foot and ankle that had surgery in the next couple of weeks.
The R7 and RF 100-400 is such a great combo. I’ve been wanting some more reach for sunrises, sunsets, and moon shots. What are your thoughts on the RF 800mm f11 for shots like this? On the R7 of course.
I've been using the R7 and 100-400 more or less since it was available and it has been a great combination. I've since picked up the R8 as well for wide/normal and video so the 100-400 lives on the R7. I'm intent on getting the 100-500 but that brings the questions: do I sell the R7 (and consider a teleconverter), and do I sell the 100-400? I take it on a lot of strenuous hikes and its size and weight and performance have been fantastic. I wonder if I would prefer to leave the 100-500 at home for those situations. The RF 100-400 is an amazing value and I would recommend it (with the R7 or even a lesser body) for anyone who is starting telephoto photography. You pointed out where in the zoom range the various minimum apertures become available and that's a really interesting thing about the 100-500: if you just zoom out a little bit it can do better than 7.1. The 100-400 hits F8 pretty early.
I own one. It's a fine lens. Definitely a WAAY better value than the 100-500. Only problem is, it's just too short for "most" of my bird shooting. It's fine for shooting from the blind, and good for stuff like flowers, butterflies, etc. As for sharpness, its just like what I say about ALL these modern lenses, which is to say > Used correctly "from close enough" to make shots with a lot of megapixels on your bird.... then shrunk down to 3-5 mp for digital viewing, and one would be hard pressed to see a difference in shots from this lens, and the 100-500, the 200-800, the 800 F11, etc, etc. Oh hey btw, I think its cool to see you using this microlight setup on a tripod :) You must be as crazy as I am :) lol BTW, I actually found a tripod collar for the RF 100-400 on amazon. Really helps with the balance :) And it lets me pre-focus on a likely spot on my perches, then use my hands to surf around on UA-cam and FB while I wait :)
In the UK small birds are like bullets, vanish the moment they have seed. A friend changed his 100-400Lii for the RF because of the weight, says it is pretty good with the RF1.4x. At the moment we are getting very little sun in the UK, I tried the 1.4 on my 200-800, but at f13 I was on 12,800 iso, pretty much a waste of time. Lovely images as always.
Our birds are often that way here as well. You usually only have a fraction of a second to get a photo once they have a seed. I’m personally kind of down on teleconverters right now and may sell my RF 1.4.
Get well soon, Miss Heather. The chipmunk sound clip may solve a mystery for me. I hear the sound often and have been using Merlin Bird app to try to ID it. If it’s coming from a chipmunk, that would sure explain why Merlin is drawing a blank.
Hi Phil, beautiful shots, especially the great poses of your titmouse! This is the combo my wife is using, mostly because of the impressively low weight. She hasn't even been tempted to try my 100-500 when I used the 200-800. Few weeks ago, we got her an iShoot collar for this lens, and it made a hell of a difference in balancing for the mushroom shoots (trying out focus stacking) we did the past weekends. She's now also using the Flexshooter ;-) Take good care of heather, and give her a big hug from your audience !!
@@WernerBirdNature thank you! I did not know they made a collar for the 100-400. That is really cool! I have never tried a flex shooter, but I would love to at some point.
I just don't understand Canon's approach to lenses. They only have either super budget lenses with nearly unusable apertures or uber expensive premium lenses 😅 Let's say you want a telephoto lens. What are your options if you want a native RF lens? You have your typical high performance primes. 400/2.8, 600/4, 800/5.6. Then there are the... Budget primes. 600/11? 800/11? I mean yeah they are cheap and decently sharp but... f/11? Really? And when it comes to zooms the only one they have with a focal length beyond 200mm but without a stupidly small aperture is the 100-300/2.8. The 100-500 is a really sharp lens but it has an MSRP of close to 3 THOUSAND bucks (usually price seems to be 2500 but still) and it has an aperture of f/7.1 at 500mm anyway! 200-800? 6.3 to 9! That's what I like about Nikon. The 100-400 is great and it's at f/4.5-5.6. 180-600 at 5.6-6.3. And while their less expensive primes are still pretty pricey, at least they have very usable apertures.
@@PhilThach Yeah but if you were to ask them for one they would just point at the 200-800 and call it good enough. Or at the 200-500 and suggest you add a TC. They are doing pretty will with the shorter lenses but as a Canon shooter you need pretty deep pockets to get something decent for wildlife and such... Meanwhile I had pretty good fun with my 180-600 today 😀Also met a friend, he showed of his Plena he got recently and we actually talked about this very subject. Another friend of mine does shoot Canon and he is jealous about the 180-600 as well.
Phil, your dedication to photography and family is inspiring. You’ve turned your back porch blind into a showcase of stunning shots. Wishing Heather a smooth and speedy recovery!
@@SnaphypeWorld thank you! Heather is recovering steadily.
The 100-400 F8 is a gem! I hope that Heather recovers from her surgery soon 🙂
Nice work Phil on the photographs. Hope Heather is feeling better after her operation 🙏
Thank you, Adrian! Heather’s surgery was October 22 and she is continuing to recover. She is ahead of schedule on her recovery compared to the last time she had this surgery on the other foot and ankle.
That is such an awesome lens. The only reason I don't own it is because I have the 100-500 and I used to have the EF V1. Beautiful shots and take care of Heather ❤
Thank you, JP! Heather is continuing to recover from her surgery, which was October 22. I think she is ahead of schedule on her recovery.
Great images Phil. Thanks for sharing with us what that combo is capable of, especially in good light. Hope the healing process for Heather is swift and complete.
@@Eli4Bill thank you! Heather is recovering nicely.
Wishing your wife a speedy recovery. Love your channel and, as always, great photography. Thanks, Phil!
@@jalenobanphotography thank you, Jalen!
Thanks Thanks Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always, I hope Heather get well soon 👍🤗
Hi Phil... Great video as usual. Praying for Heather's speedy recovery.... 🙏
Thank you! She is recovering steadily and in my opinion ahead of schedule.
Liked the video at the end where Mr. Chip is barking out a warning, as well as the pictures of all of your birds. Hope Heather is feeling better and recovering from her surgery.
Thank you! Heather’s recovery is on track.
Awesome images! I love my RF 100-400, which pairs well with my R8. Such a light and painless carry!
The lightweight is a great part about this lens and also its minimum focus distance is outstanding. Thanks for watching!
Simple answer is YES.
@@stephendando-j4n yep!
I just love my 100-400 on a crop body like the R7 or even R50. For the price it's hard to beat. It's not 100-500 for sure but at 1/4 the price or so it's a great value. You made some great images as always. I love that Chickadee shot (the first one). I love to use this lens for video even at 400mm on the R7 the video is pretty darn stable. Keep up the great work!
@@PhotoGearFun thanks, Phil!
Nice photographs again Phil. I used to have the same camera set up but upgraded to the Canon R6ii and the 100-500 lens. Wife was happy as she inherited my old (not very old) set up and we both got some amazing pictures during a recent holiday in South Africa.
Thank you, David! I think the 100 to 500 on the R7 is a great combination. I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried it, but you have all the resources to do it.
@@PhilThachI did indeed Phil and as you say it is a great combination. My wifes camera was the Canon D100 (I bought it her many years ago as a Xmas present) but lately she has really enjoyed our photographing days out and so I used it as an excuse 😂 to buy the R6ii body for use with the 100-500. The R7 with the 100-400 is a nice light set up for her as well.
give us a view of the perches ! how they are attached , are they drilled to hold seed ?
They are screwed on to the handrail. One, the stump perch, is drilled for seed. There are many videos on the channel that show the perches better.
Speedy recovery wishes for Heather.
Thank you, Leon! Her surgery was October 22 and she is recovering nicely. We are hoping she can be partial weight-bearing on the foot and ankle that had surgery in the next couple of weeks.
The R7 and RF 100-400 is such a great combo. I’ve been wanting some more reach for sunrises, sunsets, and moon shots. What are your thoughts on the RF 800mm f11 for shots like this? On the R7 of course.
@@brianode11 I think the 800 f/11 would be fine for a photograph of the moon on the R7.
Hi Phil and Heather, I pray for Heather's healing.🙏
@@PamHaynes-oo3ck thank you, Pam she is doing well and is in my opinion ahead of schedule on her recovery.
I have this set-up it's great for the cost.
@@ianslingsby3415 I agree!
Love the Carolina wren! In Dutch that's a winterkoning (winterking) 🙂🇳🇱
@@acemanNL thank you! I’m pretty much a fan of all Wren.
Those tufted titmouse photos are awesome. That has to be me favorite photos.
Thank you, David! I love those little birds!
I've been using the R7 and 100-400 more or less since it was available and it has been a great combination. I've since picked up the R8 as well for wide/normal and video so the 100-400 lives on the R7.
I'm intent on getting the 100-500 but that brings the questions: do I sell the R7 (and consider a teleconverter), and do I sell the 100-400? I take it on a lot of strenuous hikes and its size and weight and performance have been fantastic. I wonder if I would prefer to leave the 100-500 at home for those situations. The RF 100-400 is an amazing value and I would recommend it (with the R7 or even a lesser body) for anyone who is starting telephoto photography.
You pointed out where in the zoom range the various minimum apertures become available and that's a really interesting thing about the 100-500: if you just zoom out a little bit it can do better than 7.1. The 100-400 hits F8 pretty early.
@@gregmonforton4103 great comment, thank you!
It would be nice to have an affordable lense like that for nikon Z, we only have the tamron but it's only a 70-300 without IS :/
@@malekith13 I agree.
I own one. It's a fine lens. Definitely a WAAY better value than the 100-500. Only problem is, it's just too short for "most" of my bird shooting. It's fine for shooting from the blind, and good for stuff like flowers, butterflies, etc. As for sharpness, its just like what I say about ALL these modern lenses, which is to say > Used correctly "from close enough" to make shots with a lot of megapixels on your bird.... then shrunk down to 3-5 mp for digital viewing, and one would be hard pressed to see a difference in shots from this lens, and the 100-500, the 200-800, the 800 F11, etc, etc.
Oh hey btw, I think its cool to see you using this microlight setup on a tripod :) You must be as crazy as I am :) lol BTW, I actually found a tripod collar for the RF 100-400 on amazon. Really helps with the balance :) And it lets me pre-focus on a likely spot on my perches, then use my hands to surf around on UA-cam and FB while I wait :)
Great comment. I agree! 👍
In the UK small birds are like bullets, vanish the moment they have seed. A friend changed his 100-400Lii for the RF because of the weight, says it is pretty good with the RF1.4x. At the moment we are getting very little sun in the UK, I tried the 1.4 on my 200-800, but at f13 I was on 12,800 iso, pretty much a waste of time. Lovely images as always.
Our birds are often that way here as well. You usually only have a fraction of a second to get a photo once they have a seed. I’m personally kind of down on teleconverters right now and may sell my RF 1.4.
Get well soon, Miss Heather.
The chipmunk sound clip may solve a mystery for me. I hear the sound often and have been using Merlin Bird app to try to ID it. If it’s coming from a chipmunk, that would sure explain why Merlin is drawing a blank.
@@geraldherd4199 thank you! I did not know what that sound was for a long time.
Hi Phil, beautiful shots, especially the great poses of your titmouse!
This is the combo my wife is using, mostly because of the impressively low weight. She hasn't even been tempted to try my 100-500 when I used the 200-800. Few weeks ago, we got her an iShoot collar for this lens, and it made a hell of a difference in balancing for the mushroom shoots (trying out focus stacking) we did the past weekends. She's now also using the Flexshooter ;-)
Take good care of heather, and give her a big hug from your audience !!
@@WernerBirdNature thank you! I did not know they made a collar for the 100-400. That is really cool! I have never tried a flex shooter, but I would love to at some point.
You gwt some amazing images from your hide even with the 'budget' setup. Definitely not as bokehfied as your more expensive glass but still fantastic
@@forced_perspective thank you!
I just don't understand Canon's approach to lenses. They only have either super budget lenses with nearly unusable apertures or uber expensive premium lenses 😅
Let's say you want a telephoto lens. What are your options if you want a native RF lens? You have your typical high performance primes. 400/2.8, 600/4, 800/5.6. Then there are the... Budget primes. 600/11? 800/11? I mean yeah they are cheap and decently sharp but... f/11? Really?
And when it comes to zooms the only one they have with a focal length beyond 200mm but without a stupidly small aperture is the 100-300/2.8. The 100-500 is a really sharp lens but it has an MSRP of close to 3 THOUSAND bucks (usually price seems to be 2500 but still) and it has an aperture of f/7.1 at 500mm anyway! 200-800? 6.3 to 9!
That's what I like about Nikon. The 100-400 is great and it's at f/4.5-5.6. 180-600 at 5.6-6.3. And while their less expensive primes are still pretty pricey, at least they have very usable apertures.
I agree, Canon really needs a 200-600 5.6-6.3 for under 2000.
@@PhilThach Yeah but if you were to ask them for one they would just point at the 200-800 and call it good enough. Or at the 200-500 and suggest you add a TC.
They are doing pretty will with the shorter lenses but as a Canon shooter you need pretty deep pockets to get something decent for wildlife and such...
Meanwhile I had pretty good fun with my 180-600 today 😀Also met a friend, he showed of his Plena he got recently and we actually talked about this very subject.
Another friend of mine does shoot Canon and he is jealous about the 180-600 as well.