Show your Bird Portraits

[Click]

Lovely shot, Vern.

 

[Cog]

100-400 II + extender 1.4

 

[dpc]

dpc, that's an attractive shot of what some would call a beautiful bird, although I beg to differ on what I call it. It's one of my popular pests stealing food I try to serve to others! It and the squirrel, but that's being a little too harsh perhaps.

Jack

Lots of magpies around here. I rather like them, Jack. Perhaps their moral character is susptect, but they are so attractive.

 

[Click]

Nice shots, Cog. i especially like the first one.

 

[Vern]

Carolina Chickadee, 5DSR ISO 500, 600II f4, 1/1000, fill flash @-1 1/3 w better beamer.

my critique - would be better w a little more DOF. Focal point was on the eye but looks slightly front focused (just did AFMA using Focal, but looks like it missed slightly). Would have been better to trade off shutter speed for f5.6, I think. I'd like to be better at spotting this in the field, but its hard to see on the back of the camera.

I'm experimenting to see if avian pics w/o the 1.4X III are OK with just the 600 while using the 5DSR.

Unfortunately, our leaves have now fallen and all the beautiful color around the birds is on the ground.

Vern, it does seem to be front focused and I've run into this too. I've even gone so as to alter my AFMA towards back focusing in cases where my bet is that a small birds shoulder will be the focus point. It's also easy to shift aim unknowingly or in my case with BB focus to release unknowingly or subconsciously knowingly, if that makes any sense. I'm presuming it's spot single point you're using?

In general, about positive feedback/criticism, it's very difficult for a person who is not at hand to offer advice when all the facts/factors are not there to be evaluated in a methodical manner of progressive elimination. All we can do is try.

Relative to this idea of choosing to purposely back focus when there is a strong possibility that the camera will focus on a forward point of a bird, let's say it's flying laterally. The eye is always behind the body, the nearest object, which is what cameras are configured to focus on, so I'm thinking it's a valid tool. Thus, I'm about to investigate if different AFMA settings can be associated with C1 .. C3 in my 1DX II - anyone know?

Jack

Thanks Jack. I was using AI servo, spot focus and back focusing. From the AF focal point pic below, it should have been sharp on the eye, but maybe the highlight on the beak grabbed the attention of the system. Not sure about the AFMA question. Maybe using the even tighter focal point setting would help. Here's a titmouse pic as well and the focal point (not on the eye this time, so might have expected the prior result), but all looks good. Maybe there's just this much variability and for tiny birds at close range and f4, you miss sometimes.

 

[Vern]

female cardinal, 5DSR ISO 500, 600II, f4, 1/640, fill flash w better beamer, -1 & 1/3 exp. comp.

I sometimes think the female is more beautiful b/c of the variation in color in the plumage.

 

[Click]

Lovely. Beautiful colours. Nicely done, Vern.

 

[AlanF]

female cardinal, 5DSR ISO 500, 600II, f4, 1/640, fill flash w better beamer, -1 & 1/3 exp. comp.

I sometimes think the female is more beautiful b/c of the variation in color in the plumage.

Lovely shot Vern. I took this one earlier this year in Washington DC, using the 5DS R and 100-400mm II, which is my favourite combo for travel.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Vern.
Very difficult to tell comparative distances, but the tree looks very sharp right in the corner, while the titmouse feather detail seems to fall off fairly quickly as you look down the body, as if it was at the back of the focal plane. All that said, I'd love to capture a shot half as sharp as this one or the chickadee.
Very nice.

Cheers, Graham.

Carolina Chickadee, 5DSR ISO 500, 600II f4, 1/1000, fill flash @-1 1/3 w better beamer.

my critique - would be better w a little more DOF. Focal point was on the eye but looks slightly front focused (just did AFMA using Focal, but looks like it missed slightly). Would have been better to trade off shutter speed for f5.6, I think. I'd like to be better at spotting this in the field, but its hard to see on the back of the camera.

I'm experimenting to see if avian pics w/o the 1.4X III are OK with just the 600 while using the 5DSR.

Unfortunately, our leaves have now fallen and all the beautiful color around the birds is on the ground.

Vern, it does seem to be front focused and I've run into this too. I've even gone so as to alter my AFMA towards back focusing in cases where my bet is that a small birds shoulder will be the focus point. It's also easy to shift aim unknowingly or in my case with BB focus to release unknowingly or subconsciously knowingly, if that makes any sense. I'm presuming it's spot single point you're using?

In general, about positive feedback/criticism, it's very difficult for a person who is not at hand to offer advice when all the facts/factors are not there to be evaluated in a methodical manner of progressive elimination. All we can do is try.

Relative to this idea of choosing to purposely back focus when there is a strong possibility that the camera will focus on a forward point of a bird, let's say it's flying laterally. The eye is always behind the body, the nearest object, which is what cameras are configured to focus on, so I'm thinking it's a valid tool. Thus, I'm about to investigate if different AFMA settings can be associated with C1 .. C3 in my 1DX II - anyone know?

Jack

Thanks Jack. I was using AI servo, spot focus and back focusing. From the AF focal point pic below, it should have been sharp on the eye, but maybe the highlight on the beak grabbed the attention of the system. Not sure about the AFMA question. Maybe using the even tighter focal point setting would help. Here's a titmouse pic as well and the focal point (not on the eye this time, so might have expected the prior result), but all looks good. Maybe there's just this much variability and for tiny birds at close range and f4, you miss sometimes.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Cog.
A good action shot followed by a very serene shot. Nice.

Cheers, Graham.

100-400 II + extender 1.4

 

[Cog]

Click, Valvebounce
Thank you, guys! I wish serenity had lasted longer. Then fishing boats came and the place was just empty...

 

[scyrene]

female cardinal, 5DSR ISO 500, 600II, f4, 1/640, fill flash w better beamer, -1 & 1/3 exp. comp.

I sometimes think the female is more beautiful b/c of the variation in color in the plumage.

Fantastic light in this and your previoud shots.

 

[scyrene]

A starling from yesterday. Not the bird I was after (a black redstart) - my target was rather less obliging

5Ds, 500mm, f/4, 1/1600, ISO 100 (possibly the first bird picture I've taken at base ISO!). Moderately cropped for composition.

Incidentally, on the subject of sharpening (discusses above), it also depends what size you're viewing the images. I tend to sharpen to taste for each output size, and also sometimes you need to take into account compression algorithms used by Flickr, Twitter, etc. (and even here, images often look a lot less good in line, but fine once you click on them and get the popup).

 

[Click]

Lovely light. Well done, scyrene.

 

[tron]

Very nice scyrene. I might call it a Christmas Tree Bird as well ;D

 

[Click]

I might call it a Christmas Tree Bird as well ;D

;D ;D ;D

 

[AlanF]

Nuthatch taken this afternoon, 400 DO +1.4xTC.

 

[AlanF]

A starling from yesterday. Not the bird I was after (a black redstart) - my target was rather less obliging

5Ds, 500mm, f/4, 1/1600, ISO 100 (possibly the first bird picture I've taken at base ISO!). Moderately cropped for composition.

Incidentally, on the subject of sharpening (discusses above), it also depends what size you're viewing the images. I tend to sharpen to taste for each output size, and also sometimes you need to take into account compression algorithms used by Flickr, Twitter, etc. (and even here, images often look a lot less good in line, but fine once you click on them and get the popup).

Starlings are beautiful, and you have got the light just right to bring out the colours.

 

[Vern]

Hi Vern.
Very difficult to tell comparative distances, but the tree looks very sharp right in the corner, while the titmouse feather detail seems to fall off fairly quickly as you look down the body, as if it was at the back of the focal plane. All that said, I'd love to capture a shot half as sharp as this one or the chickadee.
Very nice.

Cheers, Graham.

Carolina Chickadee, 5DSR ISO 500, 600II f4, 1/1000, fill flash @-1 1/3 w better beamer.

my critique - would be better w a little more DOF. Focal point was on the eye but looks slightly front focused (just did AFMA using Focal, but looks like it missed slightly). Would have been better to trade off shutter speed for f5.6, I think. I'd like to be better at spotting this in the field, but its hard to see on the back of the camera.

I'm experimenting to see if avian pics w/o the 1.4X III are OK with just the 600 while using the 5DSR.

Unfortunately, our leaves have now fallen and all the beautiful color around the birds is on the ground.

Vern, it does seem to be front focused and I've run into this too. I've even gone so as to alter my AFMA towards back focusing in cases where my bet is that a small birds shoulder will be the focus point. It's also easy to shift aim unknowingly or in my case with BB focus to release unknowingly or subconsciously knowingly, if that makes any sense. I'm presuming it's spot single point you're using?

In general, about positive feedback/criticism, it's very difficult for a person who is not at hand to offer advice when all the facts/factors are not there to be evaluated in a methodical manner of progressive elimination. All we can do is try.

Relative to this idea of choosing to purposely back focus when there is a strong possibility that the camera will focus on a forward point of a bird, let's say it's flying laterally. The eye is always behind the body, the nearest object, which is what cameras are configured to focus on, so I'm thinking it's a valid tool. Thus, I'm about to investigate if different AFMA settings can be associated with C1 .. C3 in my 1DX II - anyone know?

Jack

Thanks Jack. I was using AI servo, spot focus and back focusing. From the AF focal point pic below, it should have been sharp on the eye, but maybe the highlight on the beak grabbed the attention of the system. Not sure about the AFMA question. Maybe using the even tighter focal point setting would help. Here's a titmouse pic as well and the focal point (not on the eye this time, so might have expected the prior result), but all looks good. Maybe there's just this much variability and for tiny birds at close range and f4, you miss sometimes.

Good spot Graham - you are right about the limb seeming sharp in front of the titmouse. I think I'll break out the Focal again and double check the AFMA.

 

[Vern]

female cardinal, 5DSR ISO 500, 600II, f4, 1/640, fill flash w better beamer, -1 & 1/3 exp. comp.

I sometimes think the female is more beautiful b/c of the variation in color in the plumage.

Lovely shot Vern. I took this one earlier this year in Washington DC, using the 5DS R and 100-400mm II, which is my favourite combo for travel.

Thanks Alan - nice profile pose on this pic. I agree about the 100-400 II as a great travel lens. I very rarely travel with the 600 - only if the trip is only for photos. When I backpack, I take the 100-400, 24-70, and now the 11-24 (depending on whether I really need the UWA, I might take the 16-35 III instead).