Birds It's too damn close!

[Astacus]

Anyone else have this problem - walking along a narrow path... interesting bird appears.. but it is inside the minimum focusing distance of the 600 f4. Having to walk away from a bird for a picture is anathaema! Plus, it nearly always buggers off before you can get far enough away. The minimum focusing distance of the 600 f4 is 4.5m.

I was thinking of doing some tests, where I put 'typical' small bird shapes onto a stick and then work out the image size at minimum distance for the 600 and 600+1.4. I suspect that what this will show is that notwithstanding the large pixel count across the sensor, the actually sensor area occupied by the bird image is small.

So, Sony, if you want to innovate, I might emphasise reduction of the minimum focusing distance - maybe to the 200-600 G - at 2.5 m? I assuming this is an optical nightmare, because otherwise, why not. Is there some deep optics reason why this is a non-starter?

Fortunately, the ability to crop and recover on the A1 is pretty good.

 

[iamdlewis]

I can say I have not had this 1/2 world problem. I am pretty sure minimum focal distance is calculated from the diameter of the lens, the focal length, length of the lens and magnification.
All the 600 F4 lens have min focal distance between 4.2 & 4.5m

 

[Deleted Member 5003]

Anyone else have this problem - walking along a narrow path... interesting bird appears.. but it is inside the minimum focusing distance of the 600 f4. Having to walk away from a bird for a picture is anathaema! Plus, it nearly always buggers off before you can get far enough away. The minimum focusing distance of the 600 f4 is 4.5m.

I was thinking of doing some tests, where I put 'typical' small bird shapes onto a stick and then work out the image size at minimum distance for the 600 and 600+1.4. I suspect that what this will show is that notwithstanding the large pixel count across the sensor, the actually sensor area occupied by the bird image is small.

So, Sony, if you want to innovate, I might emphasise reduction of the minimum focusing distance - maybe to the 200-600 G - at 2.5 m? I assuming this is an optical nightmare, because otherwise, why not. Is there some deep optics reason why this is a non-starter?

Fortunately, the ability to crop and recover on the A1 is pretty good.

A good reason to roll with 2 cameras in circumstances/locations wherein this could arise. One camera with a short to medium lens and the other with the 200-600mm. this also covers for camera failure in the field as well as these unexpected shot opportunities.

 

[Cαscαdian]

The thought of juggling an extension tube with a lens that size makes me and would likely scare off the bird!

 

[Roland]

Unfortunately I don’t know anything about lens engineering.
What surprised me, was the comment “walking around” and 600mm. It kills me enough with my 200-600mm.

 

[Astacus]

Unfortunately I don’t know anything about lens engineering.
What surprised me, was the comment “walking around” and 600mm. It kills me enough with my 200-600mm.

I’m in my seventies, and can walk around with the 600, 1.4, and A1 all day. The trick.. a good monopod ( no gimbal), strong enough to allow me to throw the whole lot over my shoulder when walking. Initially an old, aluminium Velbon, now the brilliant iFootage Cobra with its click fastening. Totally confidence inspiring. So, the weight while walking is down your spine. When stopped, the weight is yransmitted down through the monopod.

I would never try to hand hold this combo.