40 13 April 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
Ataglance
£10,899
● 16 elements in 12 groups
● 9 aperture blades
● 4.5m minimum focus distance
● 52mm filter thread
● Compatible with EF 1.4x II
and EF 2x II teleconverters
● 168x4 48mm
● 3.92kgTestbench IN THE FIELD
T
he leopard bounded across the dry
Mwagusi riverbed. In attacking mode,
its eyes were fi xed on a target, not
prey – a cheetah that had been
nervously drinking from a pool of water.
Cheetahs are the weakest and most vulnerable
of the big cats; leopards sometimes attack
and even kill them, a pre-emptive strike over
territorial rights and feeding grounds. The slim
female cheetah looked terrifi ed as the powerful
male leopard picked up its pace and bore down
on her. It would not be an even fi ght...
A sighting of either of these big cats would
be special. To have the opportunity to
photograph a face-off between a cheetah anda leopard, though, was rare indeed. With the
lenses I usually carry, maxing out at 400mm,
I could have taken good pictures, but perhaps
not quite as incredible as scenes like these
deserve. But in Tanzania’s wild Ruaha National
Park I was carrying a special piece of kit, a
match for such an occasion. It was a Canon EF
600mm f/4L IS II USM lens that comes with a
staggering price tag of £10,899.
So what’s it like to work with an £11k lens?
Absolutely exhilarating. Such a powerful,
high-quality lens opens up a world of creative
possibilities, allowing shots that wouldn’t
otherwise be possible. It not only allows you
to get closer, but also creates pictures with aLeopard bounding across the
river in the direction of a cheetah
Sony A7 III, Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM,
1/8000sec at f/10, ISO 5000