Show your Bird Portraits
- Thread starter 1982chris911
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Hi jrista.
I think you possibly miss understood my post. I'm not looking to upgrade my camera though I am aware there are some limits placed on me by the lens in that it needs an aperture of around F8 for best image quality and that means high iso on a body that many say is not up to it. I might upgrade my lens if my birthday wish list works! ;D
I am seeing so many excellent shots from the 7D that I know I need to improve my technique and also make sure that nothing else like AFMA is messing with my images.
Most of all I know I'm not a great photographer, in fact at best mediocre, and the more great images I see here the closer I rate myself to a poor photographer! (as in not good, not cash strapped, though I am that too!)
Cheers Graham.
I think you possibly miss understood my post. I'm not looking to upgrade my camera though I am aware there are some limits placed on me by the lens in that it needs an aperture of around F8 for best image quality and that means high iso on a body that many say is not up to it. I might upgrade my lens if my birthday wish list works! ;D
I am seeing so many excellent shots from the 7D that I know I need to improve my technique and also make sure that nothing else like AFMA is messing with my images.
Most of all I know I'm not a great photographer, in fact at best mediocre, and the more great images I see here the closer I rate myself to a poor photographer! (as in not good, not cash strapped, though I am that too!)
Cheers Graham.
jrista said:Valvebounce said:Hi Jack.
I'm here to try to learn, thought my problem was my camera, then people post beautiful pictures using he 7D so now I think it might be my lens, Sigma 150-500, anyone got any really good pics from one of these to prove it is me not the gear! :;D
Ferris, how did you even get the 2400mm effective lens to stop quivering as your heart beat while you tried to frame it, (I'm guessing it's not hand held) come to that how did you know where to point it in the first place, must have been a fair way away almost out of sight? Beautiful pic none the less. It would seem the 7D is capable of great pictures in the right hands, I'm not for one moment suggesting the camera made the shot, if that was the case I'd have pics like that too!
Like Mackguyver said lots of great pics from everyone else too.
Cheers Graham.
Jack Douglas said:My usual suggestion so that we're not just looking at pretty pictures we could see virtually anywhere, please add interesting/useful information such as the lens used etc.I think most of us are here to learn how we might improve.
Great shots everyone.
Jack
Here is the simplest bit of advice I can offer. If you don't know how to tell if it is your equipment that is your problem, then it is not the equipment (yet). The day when you are 100% absolutely certain that your lens or your camera body is holding you back, then, and only then, should you upgrade.
There are certain aspects of a lens like the Sigma 150-500, or the 7D, that will diminish the quality of your images compared to better equipment. However you should be able to elucidate exactly how and why your equipment is diminishing the quality of your work before you start looking for more expensive gear. Even with a 150-500 and 7D, once you have the skill, you should be able to make some great photographs.
They may not adhere to all the little nuances of your artistic goals, the backgrounds may not be blurry enough or things may just not be sharp enough when viewed larger on a screen...but overall, for the kinds of smaller sizes and crops we usually post online, your current equipment should serve you quite well once you have a good handle on how to properly use it.
The day you can say, with complete confidence and clarity, that it's your lens or your camera that are preventing you from achieving the quality you expect, that's the day you should buy the necessary replacement part.
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Click, CTJohn, HankMD and rpt....thanks for the kind words.
There are so many talented photogs posting amazing pictures on this forum. I have learned a lot just by seeing the works of others here.
There are so many talented photogs posting amazing pictures on this forum. I have learned a lot just by seeing the works of others here.
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Valvebounce, you and I are in the same boat. It just happened that I was left some inheritance and was able to pick up the 300, so of course that opened some extra possibilities for me. If you shoot lots then you have to get lucky at least part of the time. That's my situation.
Do not neglect checking out your AFMA situation, in real subject shots too. Just find a bird that sticks around and take many shots over the whole range of AFMA. It's pretty quick and easy. That'll give you more experience actually recognizing where focus is located and should tell you if it appears to be a major negative factor. DPP will display the focus point later as a reminder - a tripod may help. Others may not agree but there are targets out in the woods that are nearly as good as a chart, like a little branch stub on a sloping log.
I believe with my 6D that the focus plane using secondary points does not perfectly agree with the center point. This is showing up on full framed vertical close ups of my friend Downy. Anyone else found this to be true??
6D 300 2.8 3200th F4 ISO 640 AFMA at +12 (when Canon serviced it they set it at +4 ??)
Jack
Do not neglect checking out your AFMA situation, in real subject shots too. Just find a bird that sticks around and take many shots over the whole range of AFMA. It's pretty quick and easy. That'll give you more experience actually recognizing where focus is located and should tell you if it appears to be a major negative factor. DPP will display the focus point later as a reminder - a tripod may help. Others may not agree but there are targets out in the woods that are nearly as good as a chart, like a little branch stub on a sloping log.
I believe with my 6D that the focus plane using secondary points does not perfectly agree with the center point. This is showing up on full framed vertical close ups of my friend Downy. Anyone else found this to be true??
6D 300 2.8 3200th F4 ISO 640 AFMA at +12 (when Canon serviced it they set it at +4 ??)
Jack
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I haven't posted for a while so here goes. This is a Burrowing Owl in flight. I've been trying for this shot for months. These birds are extremely difficult to catch in the air because they fly without warning, they fly erratically, and invariably, they fly low to the ground. Canon 5Diii, 100-400 f4-5.6L, ISO 400, f8 @ 1/1,600.
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Well Steven you have to be pretty thrilled at this shot. Many more like it??
When we stayed in Mesa at a friend's many years ago there was a family of those guys in a field in a large vacant lot right across from their front yard and they were almost tame. Such weird behavior. Unfortunately, an old Canon F1 and only wide angle, at the time.
Jack
When we stayed in Mesa at a friend's many years ago there was a family of those guys in a field in a large vacant lot right across from their front yard and they were almost tame. Such weird behavior. Unfortunately, an old Canon F1 and only wide angle, at the time.
Jack
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