Bird Study...

[camyam73]

I would love to photograph wildlife... Birds are abundant around here! This is a shot of a bird feeder right off our deck. I was using my canon 70-300 IS USM (IS turned on of course). 300mm, iso set to 400 (its snowy and cloudy right now!), 5.6 aperture on AV and the shutter set itself to 1/160... The bird just doesn't quite seem completely sharp (I was on AF with the lens, on AI mode for canon auto focus, with center selected, and the image slightly cropped to go to ROT). Any advice on making these types of shots much better, I would really and truly appreciate...

[xxpinballxx]

i would think something like this shot the AF is not going to know what to focus on....it looks like it picked the post of the deck.....im guessing you used a tripod? if not might have helped focus a bit......another factor being at 300mm it will be a bit softer. might want to set up a bit closer and step back some to maybe 200mm. A lot of lenses will be softer at its farthest distance....now i am no expert on this but from reviews and my own experiences it seems that way. hope to see more shots from you.....

[windrider86]

Ot might even look better of the post were cropped out. It seems to "take over" the whole pocture and minimalize the bird

[NaturesPixel]

OK despite the fact you have IS.. USE a tripod..., USE a remote... SET your AV to F8-F11 on a cloudy day you are at a disadvantage as you need to up your ISO so your shutter speed can fire of fast enough for moving birds..

Set Tripod up on deck with camera pre focused on the hanging feed bag... and go hide somewhere Dark eyed juncos are shy.. as are most songbirds/backyard feederbirds except chickadees and the downy woodpecker...(i find anyways)

also read my article on back yard bird photography it will help you with some ideas...
http://digital-photography-school.co...tography-tips/

[camyam73]

Leisa! Thank-you so much for those tips. I hadn't even thought of setting up and then hiding. I do have an IR remote,, so I guess Ill have to play with it and see what angles and how far away it will actually function. I do have a tripod, and will most defintely use it next time. I'll be sure to bump my iso and my aperture as you said as well....

On a standard non-is lens, the maximum shutter to focal length ratio should be 1/(1.4 times focal length) for handheld operation... is there a similar ration for IS?

Thanks for al the info and help guys. I really and truly appreciate it.

Cammy

[NaturesPixel]

ok err ok.. i have never used a IS or VR(in my nikon world) but have read that you can safely handhold a 18-200 VR at about 1/30 now i know i could as most of my bird shots are handheld even on overcast days i know i should use a tripod but when i do my 2 year old then wants my camera...lol
if he is not around then yes i use a tripod..

and you will only need to up the ISO if your shutter speed is below about 1/400 when shooting birds after all they are "kinda" stationary while feeding its all a matter patience and some luck,

cheers

[RussHeath]

Nice shot. Couple of things to note about the above discussion. IS (or VR) makes a clear difference, and I personally spend a lot to get lenses that have it. However, it can actually cause problems if it's turned on when using a tripod and shutter release (it tries to correct for non-existent motion and actually introduces a little blur). All my VR lenses have a switch to turn it off. You need to do this if shooting while hidden as Leisa describes above.

Also, I agree with Pinball that it appears you focused on the post rather than the bird. Make sure you're setting focus and metering with the center spot on the bird. Using a smaller aperture (again as Leisa mentioned) like f/11 will give you more DOF and give you a little more wiggle room if the focus is off plane just slightly.

Again, nice shot and thanks for sharing!

[camyam73]

Hi Newbie!

I used center spot metering for the shot. This image has been cropped to ROT, as I didn't have time to center focus and re-compose. the little birdie just kept moving! LOL My aperture was 5.6, a little too low I think... But it was cloudy, and so I thought I was doing good... guess not! LOL. Next time I'll bump it to a sweet spot between 8 and 11, bump the iso, and hope that my shutter speed is fast enough... I'll also make sure to try and shoot on brighter days!


So - What standards do you use for deciding han-held vs tripod with an IS or VR lens??
Cammy

[xxpinballxx]

my guidelines are if its moving and i can use it...tripod. i feel if its a location you can use a tripod than do so. my camera stays on a tripod at home so if i run outside to shoot something its already on the tripod. granted there are times i do not need a tripod but i still use it.

[RussHeath]

Camyam -- I have my D80 set to automatically crank up the ISO to keep me from slowing the shutter speed past a set point. That point moves a little depending on what lens I'm using and what focal lengths I'm likely to use. If I use my 18-200 VR and I'm somewhere where I think I'll use the 200mm end a lot, then I set my slowest shutter speed to 1/30 - 1/60. This plus the VR plus shooting multiple frames of important subjects usually nets me a reasonable number of well focused shots.

If I'm indoors with the same lens and shooting mostly at the 18mm end, I'll change the setting to 1/8-1/15 which gives me a little more room before the ISO starts to rise.

If I'm shooting on a tripod, I have to remember to turn off the auto ISO, because I usually want all my shots on ISO 100 (unless I'm using a strobe and trying to save battery power, but that's another discussion).

I started out trying like crazy to avoid a tripod. Eventually, like everyone, I found that the more I use a tripod, the more I like my pictures. So I agree with Pinball to try and use one when possible. The nice thing about VR is that life is full of times when you just can't set up a tripod.

Cheers.