Brilliant visual explanation! Directly to the point. You're really taking money out of all those Udemy authors that helplessly trying to teach people photography in 15-hours courses. You just did it in 15 minutes. Thanks a lot for such videos. It's worth to be saved to the favorites for the future reference.
Thank you so much Nigel. I always use 24-70 for landscape and a friend of mine said I should have 70-200. ---Still I only used 24-70 as I thought only that can catch wide angle good vista shots. I was so wrong! Use long lenses to capture drama---thank you I will remember that and this clip is SO convincing!! Now I can't wait for my next outing with 70-200!!
Amazing how you can find a new picture within a picture with a long lens! I use a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 G2, and this video has inspired me to try out new things! Thank you so much! Love your work!
My 70-200 is on my camera 90% of the time. I shoot portraits, weddings, and landscapes. Thank you for giving me more inspiration to get out there and shoot more.
I've recently discovered the joys of using a long lens (actually, 18-135mm on APS-C) and I really love what it does with sunsets if you have an interesting subject in front of the sun. Mads' videos and photos inspired me to try it, and I think it's fantastic how the two of you cover the same topics in your videos but still both remain original and provide fresh insights. Thanks!
I really related to this one Nigel. I treated myself to the Nikon 70-200 just before a 3 week cross country trip last summer. After 2 days it was the lens that I left on my camera strapped in the seat beside me. As to hints: I have a Nikon 200-500 which is a beast to carry. I tried the Black Rapid sling which was a pain to rig and a bigger pain when it came time to use the tripod. Just switched to the Peak Design Slide. It carries the camera/lens beautifully and is a cinch to put on the tripod. BTW - I’ve taken contest-winning closeups of frogs in my water garden at 500mm with this lens.
Really glad you addressed this subject and you backed your claim up with stunning photos. Whenever I watch your videos I get the feeling that I have learned something. Thank you!
Just yesterday evening I went to a bluff overlooking the Straight of Juan de Fuca with the expectation I would be able to get good sunset shots to my left and photos of a Bald Eagle in a tree to my right. The lens I used for about 80 % of the many shots I took was a 55-250mm on a crop sensor camera. I needed every bit of the long end to get good shots of the eagle. The sunset with an amazing array of shapes in the clouds had me busy working the zoom from end to end and many places in between. As you said in this video, the wider shots were really good, but there was so much going on, it really helped to be able to get close to some of the cloud formations to keep potential viewers from being overwhelmed with everything there was to see. With a 200 or so foot drop right in front of me, the clouds 20 or so miles away and the sun millions of miles away, i needed a telephoto zoom to be able to make compositional changes.
Just got the 55-200 for my XT2, I'm pretty excited to get out and use it more! Probably not a tip that's gonna blow anyone's hair back, but using a 10 second timer, (instead of my usual 2 second timer), seems to help with vibration reduction when using a tripod :)
Shoot wide for composition then take out the teli and shoot the individual points of interest and stitch them together with amazing detail and months of work. :D
@@johnwatt6863 I rock a GH5! ;) PS: I make the most of that little sensor with some heavy post color manipulation. Check it at KelownasGoodStuff on FB and IG.
70-200mm is my all time favorite lens, If I had to choose one - that would be it. From landscape, to portraits and even "macro" shot when zoomed in. I recently picked up 18-35mm and it is a completely different beast I enjoy learning with
I have a 70-200 that I haven't been using. I'm more of a flower photographer for which I use Lensbabies. I'm going to drag out my 70-200 and do some landscapes. I love the difference you get in your photos by using yours. Excellent video! BTW, I'm always learning from your videos!
Try shooting flowers with a wide open aperture at 200mm. It makes a really nicely compressed background. Some of these lenses aren't very sharp wide open though, so search what the optimal F stop is for your lens to find a balance.
A 70-200 f2.8 is definitely one of THE most versatile & brilliant piece of lens in existence. When I purchased my VRII Nikon (used), it was really a dream come true...
You gave semi macro shots one of your examples. It's worth pointing out that you can still use extension tubes with lenses of this length to reduce minimum focus distance.
I always seem to gravitate to my 70-200 lens. I always have a hard time with very wide angle lenses. I guess I like to get tighter composition and isolate pieces of a scene.
Nigel, I am not sure how I came across your video but I am glad I did. I think the number of comments is testament to the quality and straightforward presentation of your video and, having subscribed, will watch a lot more I hope. Motorsports is my bag and, notwithstanding the lack of any events at the moment, I was losing motivation. I have a 70-200mm and I will get out now in the hour we have for exercise to try to pick out some scenes in my area.
I don't have a 70-200, but some of my favorite shots I've taken were with my 100-400 or 70-300. Telephoto landscape photography is underappreciated imo.
Nigel ... beautiful shots with a long lens ... and, you're right ... a long lens allows you to isolate key elements in a landscape shot ... and works quite well in tandem with a classic wide angle shot ... the best of both worlds ... one camera with your classic wide "lanndscape" lens ... another with a 70-200 to isolate & capture those 'essence' shots ... Bart
This is awesome, Nigel! I'm still trying to find my footing in photography and feel that Long Lens shooting seems to be where I'm most comfortable. You're right...it's very versatile and many stories can be created with the different kinds of images captured. I am working on my Nifty Fifty, but it just doesn't seem quite as exciting, but I do think that to have a certain mastery in many kinds of photography is important...for me. Thanks so much!
Proud owner here of a Fujinon 50-140mm f2.8 zoom. Incredibly versatile lens. From non well lit rehearsals to landscape or portrait photography. A real keeper in my backpack although is not that lightweighted... OIS is also a big plus.
Great storytelling coupled with expert video production. I’d really be interested in understanding your tools and work flow. The way you communicate verbally and visually is brilliant.
I regularly use a tele for landscape (and other) images; have been doing for over 30 years and I love the possibilities. Thanks for helping me understand that I've been at least trying the right thing all these years! Thanks Nigel. Excellent content as always.
The secret to the 70 mm to 200 mm lens is SIMPLE, challenge every shot you take. Use a different F stop, shutter speed, angle of view for every picture you take. Go back to the same place at different times of the day/ weather. I actually bought a wide angle first then the long lens. Both are in the bag all the time, with a use ratio of 80% long lens, 20% wide lens. Also as a beginner I study other photographer's work for inspiration. Thanks Nigel for all your work.
Thank you Nigel.. As always your advice is very well received and lets learners like myself who struggle on a daily basis with various photography ideas.. I bought a new lens a couple of months ago. I bought the Tamron 17/28 for my Sony A/7/3 but now find that I'm using my Sony 28/70 90% of the time. learn by costly mistakes seems to be my forte but at least I do take notice of my mistakes and learn from blokes like yourself and others.. Please keep up your tutorials Nigel. Stay safe Mate
Thank you! Great ideas and insights! I'm waiting for my Panasonic Lumix 70-200 2.8 - should arrive today or tomorrow. I never had a lens with this range, so I'm going to shoot one day only at 200mm to get used to this focal length 🙂.
I have the 70 - 200mm and love it. I find it especially useful for Street photography, particularly if, like me, you enjoy the genre but find it a little daunting!
Hi Nigel, glad I came across your video, especially since my 70-200 f2.8 arrived yesterday. Beautiful pictures and ideas you have. Great term I just learned, “bokeh balls”, awesome!
Great tips, thank you! I just got my first 70-200 in anticipation of a big trip I'll be going on soon, and having reach like this feels like it'll have a bit of a learning curve. Thanks for the head start!
I have just acquired a 70-200 f / 2.8 for my Z7 and look forward to getting started using it for landscape. So your video was really helpful and inspiring. Thanks, Nigel.
Great vid and pictures !! I feel like long telezooms are often disregarded in landscape, but to me, I think that wide angle is "about the scene" whereas longer focal lengths is more "how we perceive the scene" by isolating what matters ot us. And it's where our eye and personnality shines the most, by picking smaller scene in epic vistas or making an epic shot out of a dull and flat field. It's more immediate but I think, by it's simplicity, it's easier to connect to the image too.
Great stuff Nigel. I kinda wish I had grown up in the UK, simply for the accent :) instead I have "Texan" ;-). Love the Tree/Mountain shot! Most of my insect shots are using my 100-400.
I have been always told that a foreground element is very necessary to get a good landscape photo. And as much as I agree that it’s true, I don’t think it’s the absolute go to thing. Some of the photos in this video like the one of the island in the centre of the lake and the trees peeping out of the rolling fog are so simple and yet so amazing. I am an what you might call an intermediate level photographer and two of the best images I have taken so far are with a long lens. It really helps you to simplify the composition without too much clutter in the scene. This was a very informative video and I am really looking forward to go out and shoot once again when this is all over.
I'd say foreground elements are generally more critical when shooting wide. Wide angle exaggerates perceived distance between objects and having foreground, middle, and background build depth. Without an interesting foreground it's often hard to figure out what the actual subject was. That vista that's so beautiful in person just becomes a clutter of little details when shot wide. Telephotos compress depth and isolate subjects. So having an interesting foreground, middle, and background is often not so critical because the longer focal length is isolating the main subject. I'd also say, there are no absolutes.
Nigel, your composition videos (such as this) have been extremely helpful to me. I have been a terrible amateur photographer for many years, and I am finally beginning to understand what it means to shoot a composition, not a scene. In particular I really loved your wide-angle video, and I now have clarity on why some foregrounds look terrible, while others look good. Thank you for sharing your hard earned wisdom!
@@NigelDanson Here is one telephoto shot that I did get right, without truly understanding why: 500px.com/photo/46448634/Sossusvlei-Dune-Nambia-by-David-Skok?ctx_page=1&from=user&user_id=1306745
i feel like one thing to consider is how that long lens is just a certain perspective that our normal eye sight dont usually see as well. wide is "harder" because our own eyes see a lot of things in a wide perspective and so composition with that wide angle shot needs to be more pressie /"Better" but with a long lens just gives that different feel that normal eyes cant see and so builds more interest to viewers.
Additionally smartphone photos are as well wide angle shots and I think we all are used to see smartphone photos, because of this a long lens is a good variety.
being a pensioner, I have limited funds and so I purchased a 70-200 f2.8 d lens that uses the camera motor to focus. I got a d7200 as growing up with film having to navigate layers of menus on a screen pulls me out of artist mode back to technician mode the 7200 has enough direct access buttons that i only use menus to select b&w and 1.5x or 2x crop but man is this thing heavy a mono-pod is a must. some foam padding near the top of the monopod makes it easy to carry on your shoulder with the lens resting on your back. this also makes it quick to use thanks for the inspiration
I use a 70x200 almost exclusively as a zoo photographer. It allows me to photograph at safe distances while still blurring out mesh at f2.8. I rarely carry it into the woods, though there are many times I wish I had it. The weight is a bit much, and I never want to damage my work equipment.
Holy shoot your shots are incredible. What a lovely place to be. I'm in Hamilton, Ontario and I can't wait to take my 70-200 to the industrial landscape....
Brilliant! Thank you! - So many great examples which illustrate that the higher level of abstraction and mystery you can get with a longer lens can create photos that are much more captivating than well-made, well-composed wide angle shots revealing the entire context! The invaluable artistic surplus really mostly comes from leaving things open to the viewer's imagination. Hats off!
I just got this lens and went out for one photo shoot of the coast of Maine. I find it hard to hold and the focal ring being at the end is something to get used to. I love the aperature part of it, and it is very good at giving u very clear shot of your subject. I love taking pictures of flowers and waves. I want to try it this coming weekend at the same coastal spot I first tried it, but more towards sunset, evening shots to see how the 2.8 aspect of it works. I got it mostly for cheering competitions due to low lighting in most auditoriums. I'm sure hoping it's going to be what I expect. Thank you for your video it was helpful, onto future picture taking adventures!😊
Really useful info. I am guilty of always carrying my 70-200mm f4 but never using it while the wide angle is on. You’ve made me realise I could take a bit more time and just consider the possibilities more. I was hoping for a Z equivalent which would lose the adapter need but it’s not a priority. I’d also say depth of field at f4 isn’t bad. I did a portrait workshop just to do something different and expected to use a 24-70mm f2.8 but my 70-200mm f4 was far more enjoyable to shoot with and I got some great shots.
Thank you for this video! I've been trying to decide what lense is going to be able to do I am wanting to shoot and this video answered my question if 70-200 would be right for me
My Tip: crank up that shutter speed if hand holding a long lens. I lost so many photos early on because of this. The rule is 1/focal length, but I have found to go higher if you are not steady.
Another interesting and informative video. I shoot street photography but love seeing a great landscape photographer at work. I use some of your approaches in my own genre - like using longer lenses to cut out the commotion going on in the public space and to change things up visually from time to time.
Kia Ora Nigel. Greetings from New Zealand. I would love to see a ‘walkabout’ of your home, if possible please, to show us the images/paintings you have hung on your walls and what they mean to you.
Back in the day, I usually used a 90 or 135 mm lens on my 35mm full frame film cameras. Zooms were in the furture but I always felt more comfortable with this range. I even shoot a quite a lot of landscape panoramas with my 500 mm crop digital camera.
I enjoyed this video a lot, because I really adore my sigma 70-300mm lens, now I know that a lot of people hate it because it's not that fantastic or sharp lens but I mean the range that it gives is fantastic, 70-300mm on full frame is like 105-450 which is amazing to help you to reach a very far away compositions. I read sometimes comments say that super zoom lenses are so easy to use comparing with ultra wide angle lenses, but at the same time you have to be able to find a nice composition and not only to shoot anything.
The moody Photographer yea absolutely! 😄 was thinking of getting the Nikon version of that lens but I didn't think it justified the price difference! £80 difference and quality seems almost the same!
Thank you for this dose of sanity and the reminder that there is still some civilization in this corrupt world. I like to use a telephoto lens to make a panorama of landscapes, which pulls distant mountains in and makes them much more powerful.
Excellent video. This made me pick up my vintage 70 to 210 F4 lens and for the 1st time aim to shoot some pic outdoors with it. I look forward to seeing the results.
Got a 16-35 two years ago cause I thought landscape was best done wide. Love the lens and still learning how to use it. This past year I got the 70-200 and absolutely love the different perspective it creates. Now I need a second body so I don’t have to keep switching lenses in the field. Does one ever get rid of GAS. Love your videos
Good video Nigel, thank you :) I made some amazing photos with my 150-600 tamron lens, (appart from my birding photography) When someone asks they are shocked this was the lens I used, but I used if for landscape quite a lot! Good points here!!! Best regards and keep safe , from Uruguay.
Nigel, I really look forward to your videos, and I would love to bump into in The Lakes sometime. Great video, especially sharing the photos of your family and the lovely Pebbles!
My 70/200 is on my camera body when I transport and stays on it 90% of the time. I remember you posting an older video saying that the 70/200 was your one lens. I sold all my older and unused gear, bought one and got 2 fantastic shoots straight away... One of a deer and the other of a far away tree. Both great shoots I feel... Your photo at 7.40... Amazing
Wow!! What can I say? Other than that you've explained so much in this short video and inspired me to get out and start shooting more Landscapes with my 70-200mm lens! Thank you for this video!
Great tips and beautiful photographs. I use a Sigma 18-250 on a APS body for probably 90% of my shots. It is versatile, light weight and hits almost all your points. Not as fast as I'd like but cheaper than an f2.8.
From the outset I have been a fan of this zoom range. In the pre-dawn era (i.e. before 2000) i owned a couple of versions of Nikon's 80-200 mm f2.8 lenses, then later upgraded though a couple of versions of the 70-200 mm f2.8 finally settling on the more modern VR model. Problem is, the older I get the heavier this lens gets. Several years ago I acquired a Fujifilm 50-140 mm f2.8 which gives me the same perspective in a smaller, lighter package. Optically it is fantastic. Now as much as I love the Nikon lens, the reality is that it has not been out of the house in more than 3 years. As you point out, the range of this zoom lens is great for picking out details, whether it is in the wilds, or doing candid head shots at events like Renaissance Fairs.
Great timely video for me! Just acquired a used Canon 70-200 2.8 lens! Need to get comfortable with it before I go on my 3 week solo Utah adventure this September!
One of my favourite channels - your photography also suits my world-view. One question I struggle with - if one had to go for one telephoto - would it be a 70-200 / 2.8 (or 70-180 / 2.8 in my case - I used Sony/Tamron) or say, a 100-400, but with a variable aperture? When one has limited budget, this becomes an important question. Any thoughts?
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I love the point you made of leaving something to the imagination; not telling the whole story. I'm gonna try this in my next production
Brilliant visual explanation! Directly to the point. You're really taking money out of all those Udemy authors that helplessly trying to teach people photography in 15-hours courses. You just did it in 15 minutes. Thanks a lot for such videos. It's worth to be saved to the favorites for the future reference.
Thanks so much
The two photos around 11:36 are absolutely splendid!
Thanks... they were lockdown finds in my lightroom catalogue
These were some really good points! :D
I just love the small details that you add to your videos, 6:49 adding the moving clouds next to the cropped frame was simply amazing
Glad you noticed 👍🏼
Thank you so much Nigel. I always use 24-70 for landscape and a friend of mine said I should have 70-200. ---Still I only used 24-70 as I thought only that can catch wide angle good vista shots. I was so wrong! Use long lenses to capture drama---thank you I will remember that and this clip is SO convincing!! Now I can't wait for my next outing with 70-200!!
Amazing how you can find a new picture within a picture with a long lens! I use a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 G2, and this video has inspired me to try out new things! Thank you so much! Love your work!
Your composition videos are really helping me understand why my images so often suck, and what I need to practice to change my game. Thanks.
Haha, literally just got a 70-200 last week and have been scouring RUclips for a few videos this morning, then this pops up! Good timing :)
Have fun messing around with that bad boy!
You need someone to tell you how to use your lens. How about using your imagination?
@@Ezrabastian lol
My 70-200 is on my camera 90% of the time. I shoot portraits, weddings, and landscapes. Thank you for giving me more inspiration to get out there and shoot more.
I've recently discovered the joys of using a long lens (actually, 18-135mm on APS-C) and I really love what it does with sunsets if you have an interesting subject in front of the sun. Mads' videos and photos inspired me to try it, and I think it's fantastic how the two of you cover the same topics in your videos but still both remain original and provide fresh insights. Thanks!
I really related to this one Nigel. I treated myself to the Nikon 70-200 just before a 3 week cross country trip last summer. After 2 days it was the lens that I left on my camera strapped in the seat beside me. As to hints: I have a Nikon 200-500 which is a beast to carry. I tried the Black Rapid sling which was a pain to rig and a bigger pain when it came time to use the tripod. Just switched to the Peak Design Slide. It carries the camera/lens beautifully and is a cinch to put on the tripod. BTW - I’ve taken contest-winning closeups of frogs in my water garden at 500mm with this lens.
Really glad you addressed this subject and you backed your claim up with stunning photos. Whenever I watch your videos I get the feeling that I have learned something. Thank you!
Just yesterday evening I went to a bluff overlooking the Straight of Juan de Fuca with the expectation I would be able to get good sunset shots to my left and photos of a Bald Eagle in a tree to my right. The lens I used for about 80 % of the many shots I took was a 55-250mm on a crop sensor camera. I needed every bit of the long end to get good shots of the eagle. The sunset with an amazing array of shapes in the clouds had me busy working the zoom from end to end and many places in between. As you said in this video, the wider shots were really good, but there was so much going on, it really helped to be able to get close to some of the cloud formations to keep potential viewers from being overwhelmed with everything there was to see. With a 200 or so foot drop right in front of me, the clouds 20 or so miles away and the sun millions of miles away, i needed a telephoto zoom to be able to make compositional changes.
Just got the 55-200 for my XT2, I'm pretty excited to get out and use it more! Probably not a tip that's gonna blow anyone's hair back, but using a 10 second timer, (instead of my usual 2 second timer), seems to help with vibration reduction when using a tripod :)
Whenever I'm shooting Wide, I wish I had my Teli. Whenever I have my Teli, I wish I was shooting Wide. Can't win.
This reminds me why I always carry both on me! Thankful my 20mm is super small
And this is why u carry both or use a multi purpose zoom. Cant win all.
Shoot wide for composition then take out the teli and shoot the individual points of interest and stitch them together with amazing detail and months of work. :D
Might be an idea to switch to M4/3 then you can carry both...
@@johnwatt6863 I rock a GH5! ;)
PS: I make the most of that little sensor with some heavy post color manipulation. Check it at KelownasGoodStuff on FB and IG.
70-200mm is my all time favorite lens, If I had to choose one - that would be it. From landscape, to portraits and even "macro" shot when zoomed in. I recently picked up 18-35mm and it is a completely different beast I enjoy learning with
Love all you photography but the landscape image of the trees rising through the clouds at 07:42 is exceptional.
I love my 70-300 and would say it’s the lens I use most, and mostly at the latter end of the zoom scale 👌
Love the "bokeh balls" beach shot and the "island" in the fog.
I have a 70-200 that I haven't been using. I'm more of a flower photographer for which I use Lensbabies. I'm going to drag out my 70-200 and do some landscapes. I love the difference you get in your photos by using yours. Excellent video! BTW, I'm always learning from your videos!
Try shooting flowers with a wide open aperture at 200mm. It makes a really nicely compressed background. Some of these lenses aren't very sharp wide open though, so search what the optimal F stop is for your lens to find a balance.
A 70-200 f2.8 is definitely one of THE most versatile & brilliant piece of lens in existence. When I purchased my VRII Nikon (used), it was really a dream come true...
That foggy tree island is absolutely stunning
You gave semi macro shots one of your examples. It's worth pointing out that you can still use extension tubes with lenses of this length to reduce minimum focus distance.
or just crop
I always seem to gravitate to my 70-200 lens. I always have a hard time with very wide angle lenses. I guess I like to get tighter composition and isolate pieces of a scene.
11:30 looks like a masterpiece painting. Just lovely...
Nigel, I am not sure how I came across your video but I am glad I did. I think the number of comments is testament to the quality and straightforward presentation of your video and, having subscribed, will watch a lot more I hope. Motorsports is my bag and, notwithstanding the lack of any events at the moment, I was losing motivation. I have a 70-200mm and I will get out now in the hour we have for exercise to try to pick out some scenes in my area.
I don't have a 70-200, but some of my favorite shots I've taken were with my 100-400 or 70-300. Telephoto landscape photography is underappreciated imo.
It's amazing how fulfilled and happy I am watching your photos and videos. I just realize that it is what I want for my life. Thank you for that!
2 things I love about telephoto lens: 1. the subject will easily stand out. 2. easily brings the background closer to the subject and foreground
Nigel ... beautiful shots with a long lens ... and, you're right ... a long lens allows you to isolate key elements in a landscape shot ... and works quite well in tandem with a classic wide angle shot ... the best of both worlds ... one camera with your classic wide "lanndscape" lens ... another with a 70-200 to isolate & capture those 'essence' shots ... Bart
This is awesome, Nigel! I'm still trying to find my footing in photography and feel that Long Lens shooting seems to be where I'm most comfortable. You're right...it's very versatile and many stories can be created with the different kinds of images captured. I am working on my Nifty Fifty, but it just doesn't seem quite as exciting, but I do think that to have a certain mastery in many kinds of photography is important...for me. Thanks so much!
Proud owner here of a Fujinon 50-140mm f2.8 zoom. Incredibly versatile lens. From non well lit rehearsals to landscape or portrait photography. A real keeper in my backpack although is not that lightweighted... OIS is also a big plus.
That lens is so good and so sharp
your video editing is massively underrated. always such a good job in every aspect of your production.
Thanks so much!
Great storytelling coupled with expert video production. I’d really be interested in understanding your tools and work flow. The way you communicate verbally and visually is brilliant.
I have a 75-300 and i absolutely love it. The compression of longer lenses is so much better than wide angle ones (my opinion).
I regularly use a tele for landscape (and other) images; have been doing for over 30 years and I love the possibilities. Thanks for helping me understand that I've been at least trying the right thing all these years! Thanks Nigel. Excellent content as always.
I personally love the compression of layers you can achieve with a longer lens. It can create such a unique effect sometimes. Nice video Nigel!
The secret to the 70 mm to 200 mm lens is SIMPLE, challenge every shot you take. Use a different F stop, shutter speed, angle of view for every picture you take. Go back to the same place
at different times of the day/ weather. I actually bought a wide angle first then the long lens. Both are in the bag all the time, with a use ratio of 80% long lens, 20% wide lens. Also as a beginner I study other photographer's work for inspiration. Thanks Nigel for all your work.
Thank you Nigel.. As always your advice is very well received and lets learners like myself who struggle on a daily basis with various photography ideas.. I bought a new lens a couple of months ago. I bought the Tamron 17/28 for my Sony A/7/3 but now find that I'm using my Sony 28/70 90% of the time. learn by costly mistakes seems to be my forte but at least I do take notice of my mistakes and learn from blokes like yourself and others.. Please keep up your tutorials Nigel. Stay safe Mate
Thank you! Great ideas and insights! I'm waiting for my Panasonic Lumix 70-200 2.8 - should arrive today or tomorrow. I never had a lens with this range, so I'm going to shoot one day only at 200mm to get used to this focal length 🙂.
I have the 70 - 200mm and love it. I find it especially useful for Street photography, particularly if, like me, you enjoy the genre but find it a little daunting!
Hi Nigel, glad I came across your video, especially since my 70-200 f2.8 arrived yesterday. Beautiful pictures and ideas you have. Great term I just learned, “bokeh balls”, awesome!
That sea stack shot with the bokeh ball foreground is just absolutely insane
Great tips, thank you! I just got my first 70-200 in anticipation of a big trip I'll be going on soon, and having reach like this feels like it'll have a bit of a learning curve. Thanks for the head start!
Just ordered the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S. This video has me fired up to go out and take some great photos with it.
Great session. Just ordered the Z 70-200m and was a little worried I overreached a little. Feel much better now....Thanks!
The 70-200 is one of my go-to lenses. Great bokeh for macro shooting!
I have just acquired a 70-200 f / 2.8 for my Z7 and look forward to getting started using it for landscape. So your video was really helpful and inspiring. Thanks, Nigel.
Great vid and pictures !! I feel like long telezooms are often disregarded in landscape, but to me, I think that wide angle is "about the scene" whereas longer focal lengths is more "how we perceive the scene" by isolating what matters ot us. And it's where our eye and personnality shines the most, by picking smaller scene in epic vistas or making an epic shot out of a dull and flat field. It's more immediate but I think, by it's simplicity, it's easier to connect to the image too.
Great stuff Nigel. I kinda wish I had grown up in the UK, simply for the accent :) instead I have "Texan" ;-). Love the Tree/Mountain shot! Most of my insect shots are using my 100-400.
70-200/2.8 is a killer lens and I use it 99% of the time. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Thanks for a great video as always.
Always a pleasure to follow your channel, plenty of good tips, and boosting our creativity for landscapes.... Thanks for all !
I have been always told that a foreground element is very necessary to get a good landscape photo. And as much as I agree that it’s true, I don’t think it’s the absolute go to thing. Some of the photos in this video like the one of the island in the centre of the lake and the trees peeping out of the rolling fog are so simple and yet so amazing. I am an what you might call an intermediate level photographer and two of the best images I have taken so far are with a long lens. It really helps you to simplify the composition without too much clutter in the scene. This was a very informative video and I am really looking forward to go out and shoot once again when this is all over.
I'd say foreground elements are generally more critical when shooting wide. Wide angle exaggerates perceived distance between objects and having foreground, middle, and background build depth. Without an interesting foreground it's often hard to figure out what the actual subject was. That vista that's so beautiful in person just becomes a clutter of little details when shot wide. Telephotos compress depth and isolate subjects. So having an interesting foreground, middle, and background is often not so critical because the longer focal length is isolating the main subject. I'd also say, there are no absolutes.
@@bradleyanderson247 true
Nigel, your composition videos (such as this) have been extremely helpful to me. I have been a terrible amateur photographer for many years, and I am finally beginning to understand what it means to shoot a composition, not a scene. In particular I really loved your wide-angle video, and I now have clarity on why some foregrounds look terrible, while others look good. Thank you for sharing your hard earned wisdom!
Thanks David - glad you find them useful.
@@NigelDanson Here is one telephoto shot that I did get right, without truly understanding why: 500px.com/photo/46448634/Sossusvlei-Dune-Nambia-by-David-Skok?ctx_page=1&from=user&user_id=1306745
I concur with sincere appreciation
i feel like one thing to consider is how that long lens is just a certain perspective that our normal eye sight dont usually see as well.
wide is "harder" because our own eyes see a lot of things in a wide perspective and so composition with that wide angle shot needs to be more pressie /"Better"
but with a long lens just gives that different feel that normal eyes cant see and so builds more interest to viewers.
Yep - good point.
Additionally smartphone photos are as well wide angle shots and I think we all are used to see smartphone photos, because of this a long lens is a good variety.
Thank you! I just bought the canon 70-200mm
It’s so versatile
being a pensioner, I have limited funds and so I purchased a 70-200 f2.8 d lens that uses the camera motor to focus. I got a d7200 as growing up with film having to navigate layers of menus on a screen pulls me out of artist mode back to technician mode the 7200 has enough direct access buttons that i only use menus to select b&w and 1.5x or 2x crop but man is this thing heavy a mono-pod is a must. some foam padding near the top of the monopod makes it easy to carry on your shoulder with the lens resting on your back. this also makes it quick to use thanks for the inspiration
I use a 70x200 almost exclusively as a zoo photographer. It allows me to photograph at safe distances while still blurring out mesh at f2.8. I rarely carry it into the woods, though there are many times I wish I had it. The weight is a bit much, and I never want to damage my work equipment.
Holy shoot your shots are incredible. What a lovely place to be. I'm in Hamilton, Ontario and I can't wait to take my 70-200 to the industrial landscape....
Brilliant! Thank you! - So many great examples which illustrate that the higher level of abstraction and mystery you can get with a longer lens can create photos that are much more captivating than well-made, well-composed wide angle shots revealing the entire context! The invaluable artistic surplus really mostly comes from leaving things open to the viewer's imagination. Hats off!
I just got this lens and went out for one photo shoot of the coast of Maine. I find it hard to hold and the focal ring being at the end is something to get used to. I love the aperature part of it, and it is very good at giving u very clear shot of your subject. I love taking pictures of flowers and waves. I want to try it this coming weekend at the same coastal spot I first tried it, but more towards sunset, evening shots to see how the 2.8 aspect of it works. I got it mostly for cheering competitions due to low lighting in most auditoriums. I'm sure hoping it's going to be what I expect. Thank you for your video it was helpful, onto future picture taking adventures!😊
Really useful info. I am guilty of always carrying my 70-200mm f4 but never using it while the wide angle is on. You’ve made me realise I could take a bit more time and just consider the possibilities more. I was hoping for a Z equivalent which would lose the adapter need but it’s not a priority. I’d also say depth of field at f4 isn’t bad. I did a portrait workshop just to do something different and expected to use a 24-70mm f2.8 but my 70-200mm f4 was far more enjoyable to shoot with and I got some great shots.
Thank you for this video! I've been trying to decide what lense is going to be able to do I am wanting to shoot and this video answered my question if 70-200 would be right for me
The 70-200 F2.8 Nikon lens is my best lens, thanks for the tips its much appreciated
Loved that beach shot, and the gold flecks. Awesome capture. Ty Nigel
Thanks - one of my fav
Your abstract bridge shot is beautiful. Bravo! Great video.
My Tip: crank up that shutter speed if hand holding a long lens. I lost so many photos early on because of this. The rule is 1/focal length, but I have found to go higher if you are not steady.
Angela Witmer unless you have a stabilized lens and body 😛
Don't forget crop factor either. 1 over 1
5 focalength already is better. But at 200 and beyond I always tripod or find a ledge
IS: Understandable... Have a nice day
Nigel, you’re very good at teaching this stuff, your enthusiasm is infectious! Now shopping for a long lens!
Another interesting and informative video. I shoot street photography but love seeing a great landscape photographer at work. I use some of your approaches in my own genre - like using longer lenses to cut out the commotion going on in the public space and to change things up visually from time to time.
Kia Ora Nigel. Greetings from New Zealand. I would love to see a ‘walkabout’ of your home, if possible please, to show us the images/paintings you have hung on your walls and what they mean to you.
Great video Nigel. Great inspiration to get the 70-200 F2.8 lens out of the closet and do some landscape photography.
Back in the day, I usually used a 90 or 135 mm lens on my 35mm full frame film cameras. Zooms were in the furture but I always felt more comfortable with this range. I even shoot a quite a lot of landscape panoramas with my 500 mm crop digital camera.
I enjoyed this video a lot, because I really adore my sigma 70-300mm lens, now I know that a lot of people hate it because it's not that fantastic or sharp lens but I mean the range that it gives is fantastic, 70-300mm on full frame is like 105-450 which is amazing to help you to reach a very far away compositions.
I read sometimes comments say that super zoom lenses are so easy to use comparing with ultra wide angle lenses, but at the same time you have to be able to find a nice composition and not only to shoot anything.
The moody Photographer agree with you! I do have the same lens! But, you did mean crop sensor is like 105 - 450 right? 😅
@@JorgeCamposs Yeah exactly, I use it on Nikon D90 which has a crop sensor, so the exact same focal length on full frame cameras would be 105-450mm.
The moody Photographer yea absolutely! 😄 was thinking of getting the Nikon version of that lens but I didn't think it justified the price difference! £80 difference and quality seems almost the same!
@@JorgeCamposs Yeah the nikkor is more expensive, I haven't tried it but if it's the same quality as you said then sigma is better.
My favourite lenses are 18-200 and 70-300mm. Great video thanks!
Thank you for this dose of sanity and the reminder that there is still some civilization in this corrupt world.
I like to use a telephoto lens to make a panorama of landscapes, which pulls distant mountains in and makes them much more powerful.
Excellent video. This made me pick up my vintage 70 to 210 F4 lens and for the 1st time aim to shoot some pic outdoors with it. I look forward to seeing the results.
Very good. What i like in your videos ist that you always show great examples.
I just started realizing how to use exclusive composition on my 70-300
The 70-200 has been by far the most used lens out of my small arsenal. I use it for everything
I enjoyed this video. You have showed a way to be more creative when using a long lens. Thanks for the inspiration.
Got a 16-35 two years ago cause I thought landscape was best done wide. Love the lens and still learning how to use it. This past year I got the 70-200 and absolutely love the different perspective it creates. Now I need a second body so I don’t have to keep switching lenses in the field. Does one ever get rid of GAS. Love your videos
great video in other way not only to have 70 200 lens but to find picture in the picture , thanks for the video man
No problem!
I bought a 70-200 for astrophotography, can't wait to try it out!
Good video Nigel, thank you :) I made some amazing photos with my 150-600 tamron lens, (appart from my birding photography) When someone asks they are shocked this was the lens I used, but I used if for landscape quite a lot! Good points here!!! Best regards and keep safe , from Uruguay.
Nigel, I really look forward to your videos, and I would love to bump into in The Lakes sometime. Great video, especially sharing the photos of your family and the lovely Pebbles!
I bought yesterday the old sony 70-200 mm f4 for my FX6 for filming 🎥 great lens
My 70/200 is on my camera body when I transport and stays on it 90% of the time. I remember you posting an older video saying that the 70/200 was your one lens. I sold all my older and unused gear, bought one and got 2 fantastic shoots straight away... One of a deer and the other of a far away tree. Both great shoots I feel...
Your photo at 7.40... Amazing
Great tuition and easy to follow in layman's terms; an eye opener for the beginner
Wow!! What can I say? Other than that you've explained so much in this short video and inspired me to get out and start shooting more Landscapes with my 70-200mm lens!
Thank you for this video!
thank you. I have a 70 - 200 F2.8 lens that I hardly use.
This is great advice and for me to get it out and use it . Thank you so much.
You sir, are a gift. Bless you!
Great tips and beautiful photographs. I use a Sigma 18-250 on a APS body for probably 90% of my shots. It is versatile, light weight and hits almost all your points. Not as fast as I'd like but cheaper than an f2.8.
Wow, that video gave me so much inspiration for my 70-200 and my 200-600mm! Didn’t expect that :) thanks
Brilliant tutorial Nigel. Must get my 70-200MM out more often. Mainly use it for animal photography
From the outset I have been a fan of this zoom range. In the pre-dawn era (i.e. before 2000) i owned a couple of versions of Nikon's 80-200 mm f2.8 lenses, then later upgraded though a couple of versions of the 70-200 mm f2.8 finally settling on the more modern VR model. Problem is, the older I get the heavier this lens gets. Several years ago I acquired a Fujifilm 50-140 mm f2.8 which gives me the same perspective in a smaller, lighter package. Optically it is fantastic. Now as much as I love the Nikon lens, the reality is that it has not been out of the house in more than 3 years. As you point out, the range of this zoom lens is great for picking out details, whether it is in the wilds, or doing candid head shots at events like Renaissance Fairs.
That island in the clouds is awesome!
Keep up the great work Nigel. As a newbie, I've learnt so much from your YT videos and also your Masterclass series - highly recommended!
Great timely video for me! Just acquired a used Canon 70-200 2.8 lens! Need to get comfortable with it before I go on my 3 week solo Utah adventure this September!
One of my favourite channels - your photography also suits my world-view. One question I struggle with - if one had to go for one telephoto - would it be a 70-200 / 2.8 (or 70-180 / 2.8 in my case - I used Sony/Tamron) or say, a 100-400, but with a variable aperture? When one has limited budget, this becomes an important question. Any thoughts?