New Teleconverter test

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Kent Jarrett

Two weeks out from heading out west on our National Park vacation. Decided to pull the trigger on the Canon RF 2X Teleconverter to complete the last missing piece of the big glass.

The following three test photos were shot at 50 yards, as measured with my golf laser range finder. My teddy bear model is the same size as an Great Horned Owl or a small Bear’s head. The rule of thumb in the national parks is NO closer than 50 yards from the wildlife.

Canon R5MK2 + Canon RF600 f4 = 600mm f4

Canon R5MK2 + Canon RF600 f4 + Canon RF 1.4 Teleconverter = 840mm f5.6

Canon R5MK2 + Canon RF600 f4 + Canon RF 2X Teleconverter = 1200mm f8

Doesn’t look like I’ll be giving up much sharpness withe either TC is there is adequate lighting.

Here is an old review were I used the same teddy bear model: https://kentjarrett.com/2015/01/15/focussharpness/

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Life is good and I am blessed!

Kent

2025 Spring Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP)

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Kent Jarrett

My sister (Deb) and her husband (Dave) go to the Smokey Mountains 3 or 4 times a year and have been going for over 50 years. It is one of their happy places! They own a time share there, as well as their 40’ RV. Just about every year they go for all of April for her wildflowers. This year I decided to drag our travel trailer out to meet them for a week (4/22 – 4/29). I was more about photographing the Black Bears and the spring cubs. Once the moms bring the cubs out of their winter dens, it is easier to find them due to the fact that the little cubs can only travel so far. I am good friends with several of the local photographers that knew where the winter dens were and was lucky enough to find 4 or 5 sets of cubs.

PBKJ1039-FrameShop

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Deb and Dave have been staying at the same campground since they bought their RV in 2007. Riverbend Campground is a Christian ran business that most sites back up to the Little Pigeon River in Pigeon Forge TN. All sites have full hook-ups and concrete pads. From behind our campsites, I photographed Great Blue Heron, Mallards, and Wood Ducks. The truck and camper did great!

I went to Cades Cove 4 of my 6 days there and have over 600 full frame bear photos left to process. I will continue to add them to this newly created Black Bear Gallery. We also did a couple of hikes I had not been on before. One morning we hiked to Grotto Falls, and a couple days later we hiked to the Walker Sisters cabin and school.

I love the Black Raspberry Jam from the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge, On our way to go get my yearly supply, my sister spotted a Texas Longhorn running loose. So of course we had to stop and watch. I called the local police and reported the quickly growing steer jam. It was pretty exciting to watch the hands from the Skyland ranch try and convince him to go back up the hill. He charged them and almost got one of the hands. He ran right behind my truck. I was happy he didn’t decide to ram it.

On Sunday, Jarrett, Deb & Dave’s grandson, and their son-in-law, Jeff, met us at the campground with Jarrett’s girlfriend, Sara. Sara’s family owns and operates the NASCAR Speed Park in Pigeon Forge. They have 8 or 9 tracks. We got the full VIP experience and all of us boys drove all the different tracks with the faster cars. It was a blast and we even went behind the walls to see them working on the cars and carts.

A few other captures:

Super happy with the Canon R5, R52, and the RF600mm f4.

Sorry for the mix of professional photos with a few iPhone ones mixed in. I noticed the last update to Word Press broke all my “Galleries”. Guess I know what I’ll be working on soon.

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Life is good and I am blessed!

Kent

GHO in Tree Cavity

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Kent Jarrett

Got a tip from a fellow “Owl’er”. I took the chance with the weather and took off 80 miles to find the nest, still in Central Illinois. Had a pin where to park, and a rough map of where the cavity tree was, but still took me a while to located it. Especially since I had map upside down and started off walking away from the nest. Went back to the truck and regrouped and started over in the right direction. When I finally found the hole, only 1 fuzzy white head was visible. I got 3 shots off hand held before it went back down inside the tree. Moved the truck into location where I could observe the tree for over an hour with NO activity. Decided I go to the nearest town, grabbed lunch and a bio break.

Went back to observation spot, still nothing. I reclined the trucks seat and started streaming Shelby’s college softball game. I would check the cavity every time they changed the field. Finally in the bottom of the 4th, mom was spotted in the nest cavity. I don’t know if she flew in, or if she climbed up from deeper in the cavity.

You can barely see the top of one of the two owlets trying to push it’s way up.

These were shot with the new RF600mm F4 IS with a 1.4 TC so effectively a 840mm f5.6

Loving the new lens, and I’ll be back to check on this family again. Judging by the size of the one Owlet I saw, they will start to fletching soon.

At least I finally found a brown owl (with help), just wish is was closer to home. I’ll be back in the woods looking for more local owls closer to home next week.

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Life is good and I am blessed!

GGO Fly By

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Kent Jarrett

Are you sick of Owls yet? Edited some more Great Gray Owl photos from this year’s trip up to Sax Zim Bog.

Right to left fly by this time.

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Life is good and I am blessed.

Kent

Stare, Launch, Flight, Kill, Reward

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Kent Jarrett

The stare, launch, flight, kill, and the reward!The Stare. It is like they look right into your soul or through you. Their eyesight is so good I wonder if they are looking at their reflection in the lens.