Show your Bird Portraits

bjd

Aug 29, 2011
554
179
In other words the positives outweigh the negatives. I just wish they'd forget about keeping some features that are 1 level from other high level cameras. This idea of holding that the 1 level is flagship seems ridiculous given its traditional low MP count that they seem determined to stick to. Will they finally wake up?

Jack
I think Canon's strategy is to have you buy 4 of them and glue them together giving you 96 Mpix. No need for pixel shift then! :rolleyes:
 
  • Haha
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 3 users
Upvote 0

bjd

Aug 29, 2011
554
179
It's reminded me of a high altitude aerial battle I captured on a 5DIII and Tamron 150-600mm between a Sparrowhawk and Crow. The really tiny images were too soft for my then software to process but you have inspired me to sharpen them with Topaz, which has worked.

View attachment 195622View attachment 195623View attachment 195624View attachment 195625View attachment 195626
I'll have to try that with some of mine too!
Usually my wife helps me taking shots like these, I keep (try to keep) the slower moving Bird in focus and she'll tell me when another is coming in for an attack.

Always interesting to watch these fights or skirmishes between different species. Swallows vs. Kestrels for example.
Cheers Brian
 
Upvote 0

Cog

Dec 6, 2013
956
3,156
Qatar
Great photos, Cog.
It's interesting to hear yet another "mirrored" Canon photographer say the "mirrorless" body works better for them with their EF lenses - enough to replace their mirrored body. This leads me to think that the "mirrorless" R1 could be the final puzzle piece where we see could soon see a majority of mirrorless Canon shooters at the most prestigious events in the future. That, to me, will be the final evidence of the mirrorless wave taking over with the "top level" professional photographers.
Thanks, usern4cr! To be absolutely clear, I didn't say that mirrorless R5 worked better than mirrored 5Dm4. I said that it worked very well for me so that I can consider replacing my 5Dm4 with R5. I'm sure there will be situations when 5Dm4 beats R5. But R5 also has many advantages over 5Dm4, including AF eye tracking system (which I didn't have a chance to try, actually), faster electronic shutter, and size & weight. At the moment, I basically stopped using my 5Dm4 because it became very big and heavy for me. It sounds ridiculous, but I am often simply not allowed to use it in public places because security believe I am a professional photographer with a big black camera and ask me for a permit, which I cannot have. And when I am shooting wildlife, the weight of 5Dm4 becomes a problem for my arms, too. I am not a very young person. So I am looking for a replacement, but I would like to have same functionality. I was close to buying Sony Alpha, but something stopped me. I hope that having a mirrorless Canon, I won't lose much.
As for the tendency, I think we're moving there very fast. Mirrorless will replace mirrored pretty soon, like digital cameras replaced film.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0

JPAZ

If only I knew what I was doing.....
CR Pro
Sep 8, 2012
1,163
641
Southwest USA
Thanks, usern4cr! To be absolutely clear, I didn't say that mirrorless R5 worked better than mirrored 5Dm4. I said that it worked very well for me so that I can consider replacing my 5Dm4 with R5. ........
...... I hope that having a mirrorless Canon, I won't lose much.

As a former 5Diii and 5Div shooter, I totally agree. There some things the DSLR does better (battery life, for one) but all in all, I am quite happy in the "R" world. I am still learning how to maximize the output from the R5 but when I weigh the information in the EVF, the auto-focus, the size and weight differences, etc., I am glad I took the leap. Nice images, BTW.

JPAZ
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0

AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,443
22,880
A glorious day between heavy rain yesterday and bad weather forecast for the next days. A pair of Songthrushes serenaded us. I got some nice shots with the 400mm DO II + 2xTC on the R5, the best yet for me so far. Then, I decided to use it for the first time for video to record the song. It was very difficult holding the camera plus lens steady with that weight. Here is a still but I’d love to upload a video of it singing. Does anyone know how to do that?

309A5209DxO_song_thrush_singing.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9 users
Upvote 0

ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
CR Pro
Apr 30, 2017
2,612
7,574
I had a chance to try my Canon 100-400 II on a R5 body. It worked well. The morning was very foggy, but I was amazed how reliably the camera found focus not only on sitting or walking, but also on flying birds. R5 can definitely replace my 5D Mark IV.

338A0089 by Cog2012, on Flickr

338A0163 by Cog2012, on Flickr

338A0026 by Cog2012, on Flickr

338A0151 by Cog2012, on Flickr
Nice shots Cog! I was (wishing!) to say Pintail Snipe until I realized that the primaries are too short. It seems like the Common Snipe to me (I still have to take a photo even of that one!). These are relatively hard group for ID (huh - as many others).
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0

ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
CR Pro
Apr 30, 2017
2,612
7,574
It's what I got today - just very commons (on other hand I love the challenges of shooting the Japanese White Eye - second and third photos, at least if I got some +/- good photos ;). I mean if the photos are not good for me it's just damn commoner:LOL:!). The last two are just my present for Alan - he loves the Red-vented Bulbul (BTW I like them too...)!

DSC_0212_DxO.jpgDSC_0221_DxO.jpgDSC_0222_DxO.jpgDSC_0236_DxO.jpgDSC_0238_DxO.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 13 users
Upvote 0

ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
CR Pro
Apr 30, 2017
2,612
7,574
A story from today... After the last cold front passing the Islands (and dumping good to moderate amount of rain) it's relatively cool here. Not so much if you are not in the shade (at least today - I think a day before it was even cooler!). Here are the photos from today - the ocean was full of people. And I found this ~2x3 meters rain pool (~100 meters far from the beach) where the birds were taking their own "cooling bath" - or just coming to drink fresh water. Didn't put much of effort - all are common birds with the Rudy Turnstone as the most common migratory bird around!
And off course: there is no way to finish the story about that location without a Night Heron :)!

DSC_0300_DxO.jpgDSC_0309_DxO.jpgDSC_0351_DxO.jpgDSC_0358_DxO.jpgDSC_0369_DxO.jpgDSC_0374_DxO.jpgDSC_0396_DxO.jpgDSC_0448_DxO.jpgDSC_0461_DxO.jpgDSC_0495_DxO-1.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 15 users
Upvote 0

AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,443
22,880
A story from today... After the last cold front passing the Islands (and dumping good to moderate amount of rain) it's relatively cool here. Not so much if you are not in the shade (at least today - I think a day before it was even cooler!). Here are the photos from today - the ocean was full of people. And I found this ~2x3 meters rain pool (~100 meters far from the beach) where the birds were taking their own "cooling bath" - or just coming to drink fresh water. Didn't put much of effort - all are common birds with the Rudy Turnstone as the most common migratory bird around!
And off course: there is no way to finish the story about that location without a Night Heron :)!

View attachment 195696View attachment 195697View attachment 195698View attachment 195699View attachment 195700View attachment 195701View attachment 195702View attachment 195703View attachment 195704View attachment 195705
Send me some Java Sparrows, please.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0

ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
CR Pro
Apr 30, 2017
2,612
7,574
Send me some Java Sparrows, please.
I hope 7 are enough? Even for these I had to cut the quality to 20 in PL4 (some site effects could be visible) and cut some heads/ legs from the members of the Parliament - it's how I call this old photo:)) in order to smuggle it here...

Padda oryzivora - Java Sparrow 3_DxO.jpg
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 8 users
Upvote 0
Jul 29, 2012
17,745
6,433
Canada
Very nice picture, ISv.
a025.gif
 
Upvote 0

AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,443
22,880
I have found out how to stream a video of the Song Thrush singing - 1 minute of pure joy. It was taken at 800mm with the 400mm DO II +2xTC on the R5. I couldn't hold the camera steady at that angle and so my wfe volunteered to be a tripod and I steadied the camera on her head.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0

Valvebounce

CR Pro
Apr 3, 2013
4,549
448
57
Isle of Wight
Hi Alan.
Beautiful! Such a varied song, am I mistaken or was it mimicking other birdsong? (as well as some not so natural sounds perhaps?)

Cheers, Graham.

I have found out how to stream a video of the Song Thrush singing - 1 minute of pure joy. It was taken at 800mm with the 400mm DO II +2xTC on the R5. I couldn't hold the camera steady at that angle and so my wfe volunteered to be a tripod and I steadied the camera on her head.
 
Upvote 0