The Right Tool For the Right Job

I went down to my usual spots to do another test drive with my new Raynox DCR-2020, a 2.2x teleconverter lens. I had taken some shots before that really didn't work out very well because that was when I discovered that it's really sensitive to light. All my whites had haloes, which did not make me happy. But at least it told me that when I attach the Raynox I need to underexpose more than I usually do, especially when it's bright out.

Of course, that's the other rub. The best conditions for using this lens is in light overcast or more. Which is just better light for good photography anyhow. It's just that this teleconverter lens exaggerates the usual problems with a bright day. So I damp down the exposure even more on shiny days.

So I sallied forth today in bright sunlight, but the weather forecast called for occasional snow showers for the afternoon. And I did actually see clouds on the horizon to the SW, which is where our weather usually comes from. Unfortunately, it never clouded over. So I had to do the best I could with the conditions I ended up with.

Down by Rough Point along the Cliff Walk I came to my first perfect subjects - a male and female Common Eiders. Even though the sky was bright blue and the sun was blazing down, these two seem to have come out really well. The female:



and the male:


I'm really pleased with these shots. They're crisp and clear, showing details in the feathers, and required a minimum of work in Photoshop. These looked good right in the camera's LCD monitor.

Farther on toward Sheep Point I came across two male Goldeneyes. These also turned out well, although the whites in them were much more problematic. You'll see a slight amount of haloing in these, and I had to do a little more work in Photoshop (although really not all that much fiddling around). Still, I'm very pleased. These are the first shots I've ever gotten of Goldeneyes that clearly show how they got their name:




Conclusion? I LOVE THIS LENS!!!!!! I missed the Harlequins today, and the next time we get a light to moderately overcast day I'm heading right for Rough Point and camping out until they show up. I really want to get them with this lens!