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Maximilian

The dark side - I've been there
CR Pro
Nov 7, 2013
5,666
8,492
Germany
I am still practicing on small birds and this one is so-so.

But I was impressed to see this behavior of a blue tit peeling off the bark of a branch presumably building its nest.

Taken with 5D3, 100-400L II, 1.4x TC III, f/8.0, 1/1600, ISO800, still some cropping needed.

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I have been trying to get a shot of an elusive chiffchaff for a while but he is too mobile usually never gets close or in a decent pose, unobscured But, in the near dark he was around close, exposed on a branch, for a few seconds. 5DSR 560mm.
Great capture Alan! Lots of detail in this small and agile bird... Did you use 400mm DO + 1.4x (in twilight conditions I'd think 100-400 + 1.4x wouldn't cut it for this crispness...)
W.
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
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Great capture Alan! Lots of detail in this small and agile bird... Did you use 400mm DO + 1.4x (in twilight conditions I'd think 100-400 + 1.4x wouldn't cut it for this crispness...)
W.
I used the 400mm DO II. If I had time I would have removed the TC as I was up to iso 2000 and pushing another stop in PP. The 100-400mm II without the TC would have been fine. With the TC, I would have been at iso 4000+ and the noise would have been more noticeable. My 100-400mm II is very sharp with the TC, but not as good as the prime, but still very good. The TCs do vary, despite reports to the contary. I have had three 1.4xTC III, and they have had varying performances. Number 1 was sharp in the centre but soft at the edges. Number 2 pairs beautifully with the 400mm DO II but not as good with the 100-400mm II. And number 3 is vice versa and so is reserved for the zoom!
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,355
22,534
I have been trying to get some shots of longtailed tits but they generally keep well away and flit quickly from branch to branch. A couple of weeks ago I got some shots using the 5DIV + 400mm DO II + 1.4xTC. But, they were too far away. When I downloaded I saw he had an insect in his beak, and that was perhaps why he stayed around long enough to be photoed. However, they were too small and I put them to one side. This weekend, however, one got close and I was armed with then 5DSR at about half the distance with the same lenses. What a difference the shorter distance and sharper sensor makes when shooting small birds. Here are the 5DIV images for reference and the 5DSR in the next post.

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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
CR Pro
Apr 30, 2017
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