Its official now. The new EF 100-400 from Canon is on its way! *** FAKE ****

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I have some fabulously sharp shots already with the lens, but I also have a fair few like the following where the correct AF points are lit, but the subject under them is not in focus. I am using focus priority so I would have though this wouldn't happen, or at least not so often. I think the bird provides far more contrast for the AF system than the snow does.
Too little light maybe? At least I am getting the correct AF points lit.

5D MKIII EF 100-400 IS USM 400mm 1/1500sec F8 ISO 400.

Cheers

In snow, the camera will think its gray, so you need to correct for color.  Easy to do in post production  Its also underexposed by over a stop.  Snow fools the exposure system too, use the histogram to add exposure compensation or use manual exposure.

If images are not sharp, make sure you use a fast shutter speed.  This is one of the fallacies of using IS.  The birds move, and there is blur.  Your photo is a 100% crop, get closer!

Focus on the eye, or at least the head.  Use the center point, or a small center group.  Don't let the camera decide the point of focus.  The problem here is that you are too far from the bird and had to crop the image to 100%.  That means everything must be perfect to get sharp detail, while there is room for error if you fill the frame.

[AlanF]

If images are not sharp, make sure you use a fast shutter speed.  This is one of the fallacies of using IS.  The birds move, and there is blur.  Your photo is a 100% crop, get closer!

Focus on the eye, or at least the head.  Use the center point, or a small center group.  Don't let the camera decide the point of focus.  The problem here is that you are too far from the bird and had to crop the image to 100%.  That means everything must be perfect to get sharp detail, while there is room for error if you fill the frame.

Absolutely correct. Use spot focus on the eye and get in close. The 100-400mm is not the sharpest of lenses but it is great if you can fill the frame more. Even if you have everything spot on perfectly,  you won't get the really sharp 100x800 crop that you can get with the best primes. But, closer up it will compete.

[Quasimodo]

I suggest that you consider purchasing a Visual Echoes "Better Beamer" to use with your flash.  In difficult low contrast situations, it will make a huge difference.  Its basically a fresnel lens that focuses your flash so that it can illuminate things like birds and wildlife at a distance.
Sold by Adorama, B&H, Amazon,  etc.  You must pick one that fits your exact flash unit.  For $36.95, you will gain a lot of capability in lighting at a distance.
 
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Brand_Visual+Echoes&ci=655&N=4168864814+4291125815
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/better_beamer.shtml
 
 
BTW, here is a small bird shot with my 100-400mmL with a Better Beamer.
 

Interesting. I was not aware that such a thing existed, and now I see that it does and at low price too I could not find any at B&H for the 600 EX RT.....?

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Interesting. I was not aware that such a thing existed, and now I see that it does and at low price too I could not find any at B&H for the 600 EX RT.....?

 
The FX-3 is said to also fit the 600EX as well as the 580EX and 580 EX II
 
http://www.rpphoto.com/store/product_view.asp?cat=1&subcat=1&Id=102-007

[bjd]

I have some fabulously sharp shots already with the lens, but I also have a fair few like the following where the correct AF points are lit, but the subject under them is not in focus. I am using focus priority so I would have though this wouldn't happen, or at least not so often. I think the bird provides far more contrast for the AF system than the snow does.
Too little light maybe? At least I am getting the correct AF points lit.

5D MKIII EF 100-400 IS USM 400mm 1/1500sec F8 ISO 400.

Cheers

In snow, the camera will think its gray, so you need to correct for color.  Easy to do in post production  Its also underexposed by over a stop.  Snow fools the exposure system too, use the histogram to add exposure compensation or use manual exposure.

If images are not sharp, make sure you use a fast shutter speed.  This is one of the fallacies of using IS.  The birds move, and there is blur.  Your photo is a 100% crop, get closer!

Focus on the eye, or at least the head.  Use the center point, or a small center group.  Don't let the camera decide the point of focus.  The problem here is that you are too far from the bird and had to crop the image to 100%.  That means everything must be perfect to get sharp detail, while there is room for error if you fill the frame.

Easier said than done. In this case they move so fast, and I was so close,  I was using the 61pt AF selection.
Speed was 1/1500 sec, there wasn't enough light for faster IMHO.
I was pretty close, probably around 2 meters away, making the time the birds are in frame very small.
PP cleans them up OK.

Took this later on with my 16-35 at 35mm.

Cheers Brian

[skinkfoot]

Took this today, overcast and in the hedges. 5dmk iii canon ef 400mm f5.6. 430 ex ii flash with beamer. f8.0 iso 125, 1/200

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Shooting small birds in flight is very difficult at best, most photographers have learned that its a losing battle. 
 
Notice that most of the beautiful bird in flight photos are of large birds.  Your first image was taken of a bird that was not flying, my comments did not totally apply to a small bird in flight. 
 

I think you did pretty well with a small bird flying, I'd have to take a lot of shots to capture one in flight. 
 
Here is one that I was lucky to capture with my 100-400L of a female Redwing blackbird as she dropped out of our crab apple tree.
 

 
 

[neuroanatomist]

The FX-3 fits my 600EX-RT just fine.

[Rienzphotoz]

Interesting. I was not aware that such a thing existed, and now I see that it does and at low price too I could not find any at B&H for the 600 EX RT.....?

I too could not find any of the Better Beamers (listed on B&H) fit for 600 EX-RT ... but I saw here, (http://www.naturescapes.net/store/visual-echoes-fx-3-better-beamer-flash-extender.html), that FX-3 is compatible with 600EX-RT
 

[Quasimodo]

Thank you Mt Spokane, Neuro, and Rienzphotoz!  I will be sure to get one

[bjd]

Took this today, overcast and in the hedges. 5dmk iii canon ef 400mm f5.6. 430 ex ii flash with beamer. f8.0 iso 125, 1/200

Looks great, guess I'll be getting a beamer too now.
Cheers

[neuroanatomist]

With the Better Beamer, be sure to set the zoom head manually to 50mm (or wider); the usual recommendation is to apply a bit of negative FEC.  Personally, I often don't, because I'm using HSS to allow a high shutte speed, and I find that cuts the flash power sufficiently.

Also, a word of caution - be careful when using it to fill shadows when shooting in sunlight...you might find out the hard way why it's also called the Better Burner.  A Fresnel lens works both ways - it will concentrate the light output of the flash, but if the sun shines on the front, it can be focused on your gear with deleterious effects (burn/melt marks on plastic surfaces).

[bjd]

Shooting small birds in flight is very difficult at best, most photographers have learned that its a losing battle. 
 
Notice that most of the beautiful bird in flight photos are of large birds.  Your first image was taken of a bird that was not flying, my comments did not totally apply to a small bird in flight. 
 

I think you did pretty well with a small bird flying, I'd have to take a lot of shots to capture one in flight. 
 
Here is one that I was lucky to capture with my 100-400L of a female Redwing blackbird as she dropped out of our crab apple tree.
 

Fabulous colours. The bird is beautiful.

I understand about your comments, but the critters are so fast I have no time to set a focus point on them,
at least in most cases. And you are correct, larger birds are more predictable as the follow more of a flight path.

And I have a question. Shooting yesterday in very dim light. I wanted 1/1500Sec but instead of using TV I used Manual and set Aperture at something smaller than F5.6 to get more DOF. Auto ISO. So how can I get exposure compensation in such a setup? Or am I going about this in the wrong fashion?
Cheers

[Mt Spokane Photography]

 
 
Fabulous colours. The bird is beautiful.

I understand about your comments, but the critters are so fast I have no time to set a focus point on them,
at least in most cases. And you are correct, larger birds are more predictable as the follow more of a flight path.

And I have a question. Shooting yesterday in very dim light. I wanted 1/1500Sec but instead of using TV I used Manual and set Aperture at something smaller than F5.6 to get more DOF. Auto ISO. So how can I get exposure compensation in such a setup? Or am I going about this in the wrong fashion?
Cheers

That image used a Better Beamer, which is part of why the colors are bright.  A also hit the "Punch" button in Lightroom to enhance it more.
 
If you are using full manual, there is no need to set exposure compensation, since you have already entered the exposure you want.  Just be sure to set the ISO and not leave it on automatic, or its not really full Manual, since the ISO will vary.

 
F/5.6 should give reasonable depth of field unless you are very close. The image of the blackbird was at f/6.3, ISO 200 1/200 sec.  I had been focused on the bird on its branch and taken a couple of shots.  Then it dropped to the ground to eat some sunflower seeds and I happened to catch it as it dropped.

 
When you are shooting birds with the sky as a background, the camera will expose for the sky, and leave the bird vastly underexposed.  Thats where full manual settings work best.

 
As Neuro noted, never use a Better Beamer on flying birds where you might inadvertently point it at the sun.  Only use one where there is a controlled background that will not bring light the wrong way.

[Rienzphotoz]

I wanted to order the Better Beamer and an SB910 from B&H but B&H does not ship Nikon gear to the Middle East ... so I had to choose Adorama, but Adorma does not have Better Beamer, instead they have a similar one called Harbor Digital XT Flash Extender (http://www.adorama.com/HBXTA29.html) ... does anyone know much about this? i.e. anything I should watch out for etc?