More progress with the Kingfishers. Used my chair blind today.
Beautiful shots, I especially like the second one. Well done, Vern too.
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More progress with the Kingfishers. Used my chair blind today.
I’ve got one of the Wood Duck couple practicing Social Distancing.
Waterfowl are still moving through my area and more are arriving each day. The past couple days were two of my favorites. Wood Duck and Ring-necked Duck. It's usually dark and gloomy by me in early spring, and it has been exactly that lately. 7D mkll / EF600 F4 ll / 1.4xlll
Jeremy
Don't even think about hand holding Jack - leave it to the youngsters.How is hand holding the 600 going for you? Great shots even with the distance.
Jack
ad
Man, you've made my day... birds... Social Distancing... right now... I'm lying underneath my desk... cyring for joy... *gasp*
Your camera+lens+TC might need an AF Micro-adjustment (AFMA). At say, 12 feet, 560mm at F8 your depth of field is about 3/4 inch. Not much room for error. Also, when using the 100-400+1.4 TC it might help to stop down a bit if you have enough light. It has been said that the 100-400+1.4TC combo is sharper when stopped down a bit. With mine I usually use F9.5 as a minimum. You were shooting at 1/1600 so you had room to trade some speed for aperture. The big whites are different, they are sharp wide open. But they are primes and cost 5 times as much. Just my opinion. The shot below was ISO800, F9.5 with 5DsR, 100-400L MKI, 1.4TC MKII at 560mm. About a 1/3 crop. I used center point, single shot AF. BTW, I got the same results when shooting with my 5D MKII.I am still practicing on small birds. Here is a nuthatch shot through the window from my home office workplace.
Still thinking about why my AF is not spot on, exposure data is:
5D3, 100-400L2 with 1.4xTC3 @560mm, f/8, 1/1600, ISO 1000, croping to 1/3 of original size.
View attachment 189510
I never get sharp shots through windows.I am still practicing on small birds. Here is a nuthatch shot through the window from my home office workplace.
Still thinking about why my AF is not spot on, exposure data is:
5D3, 100-400L2 with 1.4xTC3 @560mm, f/8, 1/1600, ISO 1000, croping to 1/3 of original size.
View attachment 189510
Thanks for all that good advice, AaronT.Your camera+lens+TC might need an AF Micro-adjustment (AFMA). At say, 12 feet, 560mm at F8 your depth of field is about 3/4 inch. Not much room for error. Also, when using the 100-400+1.4 TC it might help to stop down a bit if you have enough light. It has been said that the 100-400+1.4TC combo is sharper when stopped down a bit. With mine I usually use F9.5 as a minimum. You were shooting at 1/1600 so you had room to trade some speed for aperture. The big whites are different, they are sharp wide open. But they are primes and cost 5 times as much. Just my opinion. The shot below was ISO800, F9.5 with 5DsR, 100-400L MKI, 1.4TC MKII at 560mm. About a 1/3 crop. I used center point, single shot AF. BTW, I got the same results when shooting with my 5D MKII.
I think, this starling (though almost twice the size of a nuthatch) looks much sharper, though shot from the same position, with worse light.I never get sharp shots through windows.
One of us has the motto of Through a glass darkly, I recallI think, this starling (though almost twice the size of a nuthatch) looks much sharper, though shot from the same position, with worse light.
So to me it is not so much about windows and not so much about AFMA but more about my technique or a steady hand. But I'll keep both in mind and try.
Here I loose sharpness also because of ISO 3200 and noise surpression.
View attachment 189513
Not easy to understand for a non-native speaker, but as I said, "I'll keep both in mind and try". Thank you, again.One of us has the motto of Through a glass darkly, I recall
That photo of the Blue Jay was taken through 2 panes of glass.Not easy to understand for a non-native speaker, but as I said, "I'll keep both in mind and try". Thank you, again.
But I already did my tests and I see not much difference with window open or closed, shooting at a - non moving - bud.
If interested I can show you examples.
But of course I am also aware that my window glass is not coated as optical glass is and so I try to avoid any kind of reflections and get as close as possible to the window glass.
If I manage to get the "sharp" shot through the window, I'll let you know - fully aware that I might be mistaking...
I am still practicing on small birds. Here is a nuthatch shot through the window from my home office workplace.
Still thinking about why my AF is not spot on, exposure data is:
5D3, 100-400L2 with 1.4xTC3 @560mm, f/8, 1/1600, ISO 1000, croping to 1/3 of original size.
Thanks Mike!Th reflection in the eye looks really sharp - so it seems to be either a front focus issue or a DOF issue.
Very cute! Can you believe, last night -20C here in central Alberta and the Canada Geese are arriving anyway. That's very close to a record low that was set last year - hope it's not a trend!