Quote:
Originally Posted by supercelts7
... I then splashed out on a ED 70-300mm and kept it on C-AF. I have now added a EC-20 2x Teleconvertor, which works great until you reach about 450mm and then the autofocus goes all to hell.
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Yup. Most of the consumer dSLR camera bodies will quit autofocusing when the max. aperture of the lens reaches f/8. Your 70-300 has a variable max. aperture--the more you zoom in, the smaller the max. aperture gets. A 2x tc will add two stops to the lens's own max. aperture, so when you hit f/4 is when everything goes to hell in a handbasket, autofocus-wise. This is why a lot of people will recommend getting a 1.4x tc instead, since it only adds one stop. You'd only go wonky when you hit 600mm.
TCs and slow consumer zooms are not a great combination. Most folks would say you should only use them with f/2.8 zooms. But hey, if it gets you what you want....
I find that TCs get in my way when I'm shooting birds in flight. They're great for perched birds, but the slow AF issue crops up over and over again. It's one of the many reasons why having a tc is not the same as just having a longer lens. I'd actually recommend trying it without the tc for a while, and just cropping and learning how to sharpen in post.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gmom
I'd greatly appreciate tips on the best settings for catching hummingbirds in "frozen" flight in less than optimum light. ...I use a Nikon D40 with a 55-200 VR lens....
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Hate to say this, but... find a better lighting situation:
Canon XT/350D, EF 135 f/2L USM. iso 100, f/2, 1/250s.
I was shooting one of the exhibit animals at the zoo when I got buzzed by the freeloading Anna's, hence the less-than-optimal settings.
Obviously, you can't move the feeder into the sunlight (mold in the sugar water not good for little hummers), but maybe if there's a time of day when there's more light hitting that side of the house, or maybe setting up some kind of reflector for while you're shooting might not be a bad idea, either.
I say bump up the ISO or buy a faster lens (larger max. aperture), and check your histogram carefully to avoid underexposure. Underexposure can often cause more noise than the higher ISO setting. Shoot RAW, expose to the right, and bring it back down if you have to. Also, investing in some noise processing software like Neat Image or Noise Ninja might be worth it.