Show your Bird Portraits

[AlanF]

Enough of mirrors and back to resolution. The EF 100-400 L II with EX 1.4 is still the sharpest lens I have in the 600mm range. All with R7. My Anna's hummers are very friendly this time of year. I think they know they are on the dole .

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The difference in quality really stands out.

 

[Dragon]

The difference in quality really stands out.

At the 4k resolution this site allows, absolutely. At the typically 2k resolution on most social media, not so much. Most of these shots (with all the lenses) were shot at ISO 6400, and even though some of the mirrors have pretty good resolution at low amplitude (Low MTF), the noise tends to dominate, so recovery is difficult. The 200-800, and even more so the EF 100-400, have much more amplitude (better MTF) in the fine detail, so Topaz can see through the noise to recreate an almost perfect picture. Ironically, a faster lens doesn't really help because anything faster than f/8 tends to put half the bird out of focus. One of the reasons (aside from 10+ lbs.) I don't use the EF 800 f/5.6 L for hummingbirds very much. This last bunch was shot at 1/640, which is about as slow as I can go without bird motion (even sitting) getting blurred, but it was a dark day, so still most at 6400. I shot some of the mirrors with the R8 to offset the MTF issues, but then I had to get closer to get enough magnification and DOF became challenging even at slow fixed stop of the mirrors. I do like to play with the mirrors, though, because every now and then, you get a shot with truly amazing bokeh that is just a keeper, even if the resolution isn't perfect.

 

[ISv]

Nothing today - plus illustration (second photo") that I regularly take a shots just for the practice: "Hard to spot, hard to focus, hard to shoot.".
First photo is a regular - just a fledgling White Tern (well, now it's a Blue-billed white tern according many ornithologists!). For the second photo - the wind today was really slow- otherwise shooting behind the leafs is almost "mission impossible" !!

 

[Click]

Thanks for sharing your pictures, ISv. We are in that time of year when everything becomes dark and dreary here. It makes me feel good to look at your photos.

 

[Noreaster]

Thanks for sharing your pictures, ISv. We are in that time of year when everything becomes dark and dreary here. It makes me feel good to look at your photos.

It is darker than the inside of a cow by 4pm around here

 

[AlanF]

It is darker than the inside of a cow by 4pm around here

I've told you before to be careful where you put your head.

 

[ISv]

Thanks for sharing your pictures, ISv. We are in that time of year when everything becomes dark and dreary here. It makes me feel good to look at your photos.

"We are in that time of year when everything becomes dark and dreary here. It makes me feel good to look at your photos."
Here is that time of the year when everybody becomes a birder. It makes me feel good to look at alive birds !
And talking about birds: last Friday, at the remote North-West side of Oahu somebody reported Blue Rock thrush! First report for Hawaii, probably cage escapee. It looks like from the local birders it's only me who didn't go there to chase the bird (and I don't mention the non-locals). On other hand I have seen it back in the time in Bulgaria (no more than 1-2 times). Should find my way there!

 

[Click]

Keep posting, my friend, you bring light into my darkness.

 

[jamtra]

 

[Click]

Beautiful shot. Well done, jamtra.

 

[Nemorino]

great crested grebe
R5m2 + RF 100-500 + 1.4 TC
@ 1/4000s, f/10

 

[Click]

Cool shots. I especially like the 3rd one. Well done, Nemorino.

 

[RaPhoto]

A pair of Cassin's Kingbirds this Thanksgiving morning. Canon R5 and RF200-800mm.
Some morning wing stretching: Enjoy.

 

[RaPhoto]

Nice shots. Hawk doesn't seem too concerned about the crows harassing. We have hawks and ravens here and they seem to share a mutual respect.

The crows gave up after a few minutes, and then she went back to scanning for breakfast.

 

[Patti E]

Couple birds from Florida...
Thanks.

Love the lighting on the Snowy and the Grebe!

 

[SirIssacNewton]

Mr Cardinal on this Black Friday, taken with my Canon R8 and RF 600mm f11

 

[Click]

Another lovely series. Nicely done, SirIssacNewton.

 

[Dragon]

First with EF 100-400 L II. Second with RF 600 f/11. Both R7.


Hard Night. BLEAH!!!




Pushed one stop from ISO 6400, but the 600 f/11 has enough detail for the noise reduction to work very well. Delightfully light (and sharp) lens, but MFD is a little long for this application. This shot is right at the MFD limit (I had to lean back to get the bird in focus). The upside of f/11 is almost all the bird is in focus .

 

[ThomasTH]

I really like the second one. The details of the bird look amazing. Maybe just a little more space on the right and not so much on the left would have been a bit nicer because it looks that way.

 

[Noreaster]

I went out looking for eagles. I saw 5 or 6 but no good shots so I settled on these. Colors are a bit strange because there was a red boathouse reflecting in the water.