Ambassadors Programme

Hyacinth macaws in the Cerrado region of Brazil. © Thorsten Milse

On my last trip to Brazil, in the Cerrado region, I had a real opportunity to test the flexibility of the new Canon EF200-400mm f/4L IS USM EXTENDER 1.4x lens. The flight movements of Hyacinth macaws are very different and I needed the EOS-1D X's faster autofocus and a very flexible focal length to capture them successfully.

To get more options for my work, one of the local guides built me a tower seven metres high from which to shoot from. Despite the wobbly construction, I had a good overview and could get the macaws in focus from a very early stage.

My shooting preference on the EOS-1D X was AI Servo, using all 61 points, plus Zone AF and Case 6. Here was also an ideal occasion to show the strength of the telephoto zoom. Constantly, I had to correct the focal length to respond quickly to individual birds. Thanks to the built-in 1.4x Extender I had a huge advantage. Because the lens is very handy and equipped with the new Image Stabilizer, it was no problem to get blur-free shots.

Despite the best possible technology, several weeks were required to get the desired images of these Hyacinth macaws.

My tower in the Cerrado landscape. © Mariana Valqui