Show your Bird Portraits
- Thread starter 1982chris911
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My preferred quick test is to put a stake in a lawn and focus on the base of the stake. If there are focus inaccuracies then the blades of grass give me a good idea of how far out it is.
I recall you saying you had tried micro-adjust. With the 7D1 I think the micro-adjust only works at one focal length on a zoom so if you adjust the long end it may through the short end out which may account for the variable response.
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I will try the stake on grass this weekend and see where I'm at with the focus this time. If the 7D just works on one focal length adjustment, that very well could be the problem. Thanks!
I recall you saying you had tried micro-adjust. With the 7D1 I think the micro-adjust only works at one focal length on a zoom so if you adjust the long end it may through the short end out which may account for the variable response.
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I will try the stake on grass this weekend and see where I'm at with the focus this time. If the 7D just works on one focal length adjustment, that very well could be the problem. Thanks!
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Jack is right. When I test new lens or camera I use a little owl, see pictures. Here I was testing the lens sharpness on a new 100-400ii with extender on both the canon 5dmkiii and 7dmkii. My opinion both are extremely sharp.
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I want to upgrade to what you have but money is tight :-[
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I want to upgrade to what you have but money is tight :-[
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Above all else, shoot in RAW format.... that and learning how to use photoshop or lightroom will do more for you photography than any camera or lens will....gje_b said:
try some experiments with IS on and off, with changing the shutter speed, and work on your stance to see what combination works best for you. We are all different and what works for one may not work for the other.... Personally, I find that my pictures are sharpest when I can lean the lens barrel against a tree....
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I was looking at the local osprey pair today....
These shots are with a 7D2 and the Tamron 150-600 at 600mm. They are shot at ISO320 and an 800th of a second. Normally I would have gone for a higher shutter speed, but I was resting the lens barrel against an antenna support on the roof, which GREATLY! helps stability. (The rule of thumb for crop cameras is to shoot with the shutter speed at twice the focal length)
One of the things you need to do is experiment with the lens you are using to find out where the lens is sharp and where it is not.... on this lens, shooting at F6.3 and 600mm is very soft. At F8 it is ok, best at F9.2, and then starts getting soft again after F11.... You will have to play with your lens to see how it performs.....
The four pictures below are about at the limit of what my gear can do... two pictures are the entire frame to show you the size of the target, and then the crops of the target to show detail. Unfortunately, to do significantly better, I either need a $15,000 600F4 lens or to get closer to the osprey.... The bird is perched on a 140 foot high antenna and the nest is on a 90 foot pole so getting closer isn't going to happen.
These shots are with a 7D2 and the Tamron 150-600 at 600mm. They are shot at ISO320 and an 800th of a second. Normally I would have gone for a higher shutter speed, but I was resting the lens barrel against an antenna support on the roof, which GREATLY! helps stability. (The rule of thumb for crop cameras is to shoot with the shutter speed at twice the focal length)
One of the things you need to do is experiment with the lens you are using to find out where the lens is sharp and where it is not.... on this lens, shooting at F6.3 and 600mm is very soft. At F8 it is ok, best at F9.2, and then starts getting soft again after F11.... You will have to play with your lens to see how it performs.....
The four pictures below are about at the limit of what my gear can do... two pictures are the entire frame to show you the size of the target, and then the crops of the target to show detail. Unfortunately, to do significantly better, I either need a $15,000 600F4 lens or to get closer to the osprey.... The bird is perched on a 140 foot high antenna and the nest is on a 90 foot pole so getting closer isn't going to happen.
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Don Haines said:
Thanks for the tips. I may have had the chance to rest the lens barrel on something rigid but it never crossed my mind. I will try and remember next time. A lot of my shots from about the same distance to the one you just posted cannot compare. Mine just loses the details. But I will review them and note the settings on the sharpest ones. Thanks again. I really appreciate it.
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Are the camera and/or lens on warranty? Why not coming to a photo store and try another telephoto lens on the body?gje_b said:
In terms of shooting technique, 400x1.6 crop = 560. You may want to shoot at 1/800. To get that speed in your osprey shot, you have to raise ISO to 200, which is pretty standard for this camera. Canon 7D shows very good results with ISO up to 400 in good light.
Are you shooting with IS on or off? Is the distance set correctly on the lens?
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Very nice photos everyone. I haven't had a chance to post anything lately, too busy taking pictures. I did finally get a chance to go through the 25k photos I've taken the last two months. Taken with 7D mkii / EF500 f4 / 1.4xiii, cropped to frame the bird.
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