Hi IFC,
Its been a while both on the forum and on IF as I was spending my winter break in Japan and now, I’m back to reality.
And yes, for those who are wondering about the title, I bought the very popular and heavy RF 100-500mm for about 2500 USD while browsing my local electronics retail store. I got it partly cheap and it was on sale because No.1, as the lens was displayed inside a showcase box and not inside the original box like it would normally be, the salesperson lowered the price down; I forgot but it was around 60~70 USD. No.2, there was a campaign going on that was launched by Canon and if I bought it before it ended, I would get a cashback around 288 USD.
Because of the campaign, the lenses were being sold out at other areas and this one was perhaps the last one in stock at the store. So.. I made a rather tough decision and decided to buy it. RIP my wallet but I hope this was an investment.
I began practicing using these lenses from multiple locations at my home airport in Nagasaki and although there were some up and downs, I’m pretty satisfied of what I took.
For those who want to know some backstory of my home airport
My home airport in Japan, Nagasaki Airport was built on an existing island called “Mishima” in 1972, which was located in the middle of Omura Bay in Nagasaki Prefecture. It was opened on the first day of May in 1975 and the airport just celebrated its 50th anniversary last year in 2025. Not many people know about this, but this airport is the first in the world to be constructed over an ocean. Prior to 1975, Nagasaki’s main airport was located nearby and it is now used as a base for the JMSDF.
Another fun fact was that an Air France Concorde visited the airport in 1990, making it one of only three airports in Japan to see the aircraft apart from Haneda and Kansai. Image.
Gear used
・Canon EOS R5
・RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
・Images are very simply edited with Lightroom.
JA216J heading off to Osaka Itami (ITM) as JL2374. Not the best weather, but it was taken from a mountain, which overlooks the city and the airport.
・ISO 100, 500mm, F10, 1/500 s
JA737Y heading off to Kobe (UKB) as BC148 with JA20RC being towed to a remote stand after their scheduled flight was canceled due to a possible mechanical issue.
Taken at the airport observation deck. I personally felt like using these lens at the deck felt sort of like an “overkill,” as the airport is quite small and I could have taken the same photo with my now backup lens; that is the RF 24-240.
・ISO 2500, 200mm, F5, 1/1000 s
JA812A beginning its taxi as it heads off to Tokyo Haneda (HND) as NH670.
・ISO 10000, 300mm, F5.6, 1/25 s
JA611J heading off to Tokyo Haneda (HND) as JL608.
As the airport is an island, I took this photo from a boat who’s owner was kind enough to take me on a tour around the airport to do some spotting from a location you cannot normally go to.
・ISO 100, 500mm + cropped, F7.1, 1/500 s
JA737R arriving from Kobe (UKB) as BC141. Note the Jetstar Japan A320ceo also approaching in the background.
・ISO 100, 500mm + cropped, F6.3, 1/800 s
JA809A rotating as it heads to Tokyo Haneda (HND) as NH664. This one is probably my favorite shot from the water.
・ISO 125, 500mm + cropped, F6.3, 1/800 s
Another shot of JA809A.
・ISO 100, 500mm + cropped, F5, 1/800 s
JA737X arriving from Kobe (UKB) as BC145 with JA805X taxiing to the runway as it prepares to depart for Tokyo Haneda (HND) as 6J36. Taken from a nearby park.
・ISO 200, 500mm + cropped, F7.1, 1/800 s
Another shot of JA805X and with a JMSDF SH-60K helicopter in training from the nearby base.
・ISO 200, 500mm + cropped, F7.1, 1/800 s
Lastly, I managed to capture Japan Transocean Air’s JA07RK flying overhead, which has recently been painted in the “Yui Jinbei Jet” livery. Aircraft is flying from Okinawa to Fukuoka.
・ISO 200, 500mm + cropped, F7.1, 1/800 s
Apart from Nagasaki, I also took more photos at other airports in Japan during my break so I hope to make a new topic about those soon.
Anyways, have a great day everyone.
