Turkey Buzzard

[ik631]

I'm trying out some new stuff and wanted to know if I'm doing it right (thought it was a hawk until I saw its ugly head in the viewfinder). I was using a Canon T1i with the EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS. The camera was set in AI Servo using only the center auto focus point and I tried to track it by panning the camera through its flight path. Should I have enabled all the auto-focus points to get better focus?


Any other thoughts to better capture the shot?

Exif info:

Exposure 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture f/7.1
Focal Length 214 mm
ISO Speed 400

Thanks

[Doug Sundseth]

I would strongly recommend the use of a single focus point when shooting birds. Because they're so small, if you use some sort of matrix focus, it's very common for the lens to hunt or to focus on the background.

Suggestions for bird photography:

1) Shoot many photos. Continuous shooting can help, though it's pretty easy to fill your buffer and miss photos as a result. Wing position and background are much of what makes a good bird photo, and you have effectively no control other than timing or shotgunning.

2) Be persistent. You might not get the photo you want today, but if you keep trying, you're likely to get the photo eventually.

3) Learn the habits of the birds you are trying to shoot. Knowledge will get you shots that you can't otherwise get.

4) Spend lots of money. Birds are a subject that actually wants really expensive gear -- long, fast lenses and cameras with good high-ISO performance. (I'm unwilling/unable to do this one, and it shows in my photos.)

[FDCPR]

I think Doug has given you some great ideas and I only add one additional comment in relation to his item #1.

When shooting multiple photos, take them in bursts and don't just keep the shutter button down all the time. Even when using continuos focus, the focus needs a little catch up time. What I recommend is to shoot three or four frames, release the shutter button, then start again. All the while trying to keep a single focus point on the eye of the animal.
A vulture is a great bird to practice this on, they're big and slow enough you get some good shots and don't get frustrated. Then move on to increasingly smaller birds. When you get to the swallows and can get them consistently good let me know how because I can't get those birds, I'm lucky if I keep 1 out of a 1,000 shots!

[Doug Sundseth]

What he said, especially about swallows. (We hates them. )

I've been trying for a zone focus to get swallow shots, but they're so fast I really want 1/2000 or faster and the minimal DoF at a long focal length has been endlessly frustrating -- grainy shots, small relative to the frame, and still not sharp. Hope springs eternal, though.

[ik631]

Thanks for the tips. Even though there is a ton of stuff I want to go out and buy I am resisting the urge and trying to work on improving my technique with what I have. I know I have way too much to learn with what I have before I start investing in more gear.