Show your Bird Portraits

[Valvebounce]

Hi Alan.
I don't understand, I thought it wasn't supposed to matter, you are supposed to just cross the swamp, quicksand, minefield or other obstacle and improve that shot! That owl had better have been on the far side of a minefield laid in a swamp surrounded by an electric fence! :

Nice shot by the way.

Cheers, Graham.

There are discussions in other threads about zooming with your feet and others about zooms vs primes. But, this short-eared owl of 440x200 pixels was 120 inaccessible metres away yesterday and needed every mm of 800 prime. Nothing marvellous but makes an acceptable small print for my annual album.

 

[Mikehit]

I feel your frustration, Alan. That's a nice shot under the circumstances.

I wonder if the AF has picked up the vertical stem of grass in front of the owl? It seems in decent focus itself - either that or there may be some front focusing going on.

 

[AlanF]

I feel your frustration, Alan. That's a nice shot under the circumstances.

I wonder if the AF has picked up the vertical stem of grass in front of the owl? It seems in decent focus itself - either that or there may be some front focusing going on.

It certainly hasn't focussed on that blade of grass.

1. The depth of field at 120m for 800mm lens at f/8 and FF is 10-11m, and so grass to the side, behind and in front is in focus.
2. A single blade of grass at that distance against a similarly coloured background would not be large enough and of significant contrast to focus on.
3. DPP shows where you have focussed, and you can see below that I have focussed on the region of maximum contrast, the side of the owl against the background, and the stem isn't in the focussing frame.

ps the screenshot below has zero sharpening, and the grass to the side is sharper than the stem in front, suggesting there is not front focussing.

 

[Mikehit]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, Alan.
The 5DIV is still very much on my next upgrade list...

 

[Mikehit]

Just south of Manchester (UK, not Alabama) is a trout fishery that has set up some excellent photography hides for all sorts of woodland birds. last month they were still feeding on rowan berries - in this case, a mistle thrush

Canon 7D2, 40mm f4 DOii with 1.4ii
ISO4000 cropped about 20%

 

[Click]

Very nice picture, Mikehit.

 

[AlanF]

Mike, I see several times now that you are using the 400 DO II with the 1.4xTC on the 7DII, and not the 2xTC. My experience is that the 2xTC is too much for the 7DII and the 5DS R but it is fine for the 5D IV.

 

[Mikehit]

Thanks, Alan. The 2xtc is why the 5DIV/1Dx2 are so attractive. I have been comparing the 400DOii on both the 7D2 with the 6D with and without the 1.4tc and the way the 6D handles the high ISOs is only increasing my gear lust.
The mistle thrush above was at 4000 ISO but I did have the luxury of being able to overexpose by up to one stop and recovered in post processing which reduced the noise very nicely but that is not always an option if you need the shutter speed (I am finding even 1/1000 ISO can be slow for small, twitchy woodland birds).

 

[Cog]

Another curlew portrait on EF 100-400 II + 1.4x

 

[Cog]

 

[Click]

Beautiful shots, Cog. I especially like the second one.

Well done.

 

[Cog]

Beautiful shots, Cog. I especially like the second one.
Well done.

Thank you, Click! It was a nice morning. Pleasure to take pictures.

 

[Ryananthony]

A few shots from today. 1DX, Sigma 150-600C.

 

[Click]

A few shots from today. 1DX, Sigma 150-600C.

Great shots.

 

[jprusa]

Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

 

[Jack Douglas]

A few shots from today. 1DX, Sigma 150-600C.

Great shots.

+1

Jack

 

[Click]

Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Lovely. Nicely done, jprusa.

 

[jprusa]

Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Lovely. Nicely done, jprusa.

Thanks Click

 

[serendipidy]

Beautiful shots, Cog. I especially like the second one.

Well done.

+1

 

[serendipidy]

A few shots from today. 1DX, Sigma 150-600C.

Lovely photos. I really like the last one.