I've shot loads of events with the Canon 70-200 F4 L lens and it's totally awesome in this capacity, but I rarely use it for recreational purposes so i thought I'd give it some time off for good behaviour and see how it handles the wilds of West Yorkshire....
My normal choice for a walkabout lens is a wide angle lens as it can capture the rolling landscapes etc but I'm always looking for opportunities to challenge myself photographically and swapping from a wide angle (which allows you to capture a broad sweep of things) to a zoom lens (which is designed to bring subjects in the middle distance into sharp focus) is a great way to literally change your perspective on things - in this way I'm able to challenge my eye to seek out the details rather than the big picture - it's all very philosophical....
The 70-200mm lends itself so well to events as it allows me to hang back and shoot away without intruding on the shenanigans, it is amazingly sharp and versatile in this role in fact (HUGE statement alert) I'd say it's my favourite lens!! being easily on a par with my prime lenses in the sharpness stakes but having the focal length to be really flexible - that's why i wanted to see how it handled outdoors on a sunny winters day walk and I'm happy to report that it was a great experience!
The 70-200mm is many things but subtle it aint!! If you're one of those folk who feels a bit conspicuous toting a DSLR camera around town then you'll feel decidely self conscious weilding this beige drainpipe! (I have no idea why Canon made this lens beige.... I mean, beige for gods sake)! Fortunately for me I am long since past any hang ups about gadding around festooned with photographic contraptions so it really doesn't bother me - it's also relatively light so it's no bothers on the weight side of things, the construction is really very very solid since all of the moving elements are inside the lens and of course it's one of Canon's posh 'L' series lenses (which stands for "Fucking L" when you find out how much they cost)! ;)
Even with the zoom lens my eye was drawn to the horizon to create these minimalistic landscapes with the bright winter sun blazing away over head. Initially it was a bit of a strugge to overcome the muscle memory of composing the shot and for my eye to start searching out scenes that were suitable but that's the whole point isn't it?
These two portraits of my fellow Wanderers were not intended to be cheesy "int the outdoors brilliant" type images- they just came out that way! And of course the countryside is bloomin brilliant...so get lost! :P
Our third travelling companion was less enthusiastic.....I missed focus on the shot of this sheeps skull - operator error - as you can see the rear edge of the skull is in sharp focus
I loved taking the 70-200mm f4 L Lens out of it's natural habitat and taking it into a natural habitat- it's actually a lovely focal length for a walkabout lens and I'll definitely be using it again on my travels
