Out with the SL2/180/2X setup with finally some almost decent light and a few critters around, I managed to get a better idea of its capabilities. Its strength seems to be that it can get plenty of details from farther away than lesser glass can. The Brown-Throated Sunbird shot below is cropped at the pixel level with NO post-processing whatsoever other than conversion from .dng to .jpg and cropping.
Finally getting some satisfying shots has made a nice difference in my enthusiasm for the pursuit. Some more fuel for the fire is scheduled to arrive tomorrow in the form of the 280mm APO. Experience with previous copies has shown that the lens exhibits its extreme magical powers only when used without a teleconverter.
However, with the current APO 2X being the best of the three copies I’ve owned, I’m hoping some of that magic will be visible with the added reach. Even if it’s not, it’s still plenty good, assuming I still have the skills to manage it in the field. And with the SL2’s sensor, relative reach with the bare lens gets a bump to within usable range for smaller birds.
Onward!
