Focusing on Birds

[Michael_2010]

I don't see anything that looks like "subject distance" in my EXIF data. The little Mockingbird really helped me out. I wanted to get a shot without the TC and much closer than the other shots just to make sure the lens and camera were working properly. The mockingbird kept buzzing me and would perch on the rack on top of my SUV, which was not all that far away.

Now I need to put the TC back on and try to get a close shot with it and see how it works out.

[sk66]

Looking at the first example pic I'm guessing it was subject motion....the mailbox and wings seem much sharper than the head.

In the second example, quite often if you try to use a BB as primary light (or anything more than catchlight really) it will result in "redeye" which is generally "silver/white" with birds. To use it at higher levels would require it be off camera by about 3 ft.

BTW, I was blocked from viewing the photos on flickr at a larger size....

[Michael_2010]

Thanks for the input. I need some more practice with birds to find what works best for me and my gear. Funny that the light coming from the BB would mess up the eyes in the distant shot and do pretty good with the closer one. I guess the strongest beam of light was going over the bird's head in the close one.

I didn't block anything on Flickr. I did set most of the above photos to private, because I was just using them as examples in this thread. Could that be the reason?

[RichardTaylor]

Re the eye and flash.
It is probably similar to the red eye problem when shooting at a distance - it gets a lot worse.

See notes on Red Eye here.
Flash Photography with Canon EOS Cameras - Part II.

Private on flickr means that if you click on a pic in a DPS thread you cannot see it at all on flickr (let alone a larger version)

[sk66]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

Re the eye and flash.
It is probably similar to the red eye problem when shooting at a distance - it gets a lot worse.

See notes on Red Eye here.
Flash Photography with Canon EOS Cameras - Part II.

Private on flickr means that if you click on a pic in a DPS thread you cannot see it at all on flickr (let alone a larger version)

Yep.
The angular offset of the flash becomes much less as subject distance increases. That's why I don't see the benefit of a bracket for long distances. I also don't think there is any great benefit of a BB if working under 100ft (with current flashes).

[BuddhaPi]

Pretty happy with this..these buggers are difficult!

[sk66]

getting there.
SS is a little slow yet for that subject.

[Michael_2010]

Over the weekend I gave my 70-300mm plus 1.4x TC a limited test. This first shot falls within the 20-25 foot distance and is acceptably sharp.

Camera Canon EOS 7D
Exposure 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture f/8.0
Focal Length 182 mm
ISO Speed 640
Exposure Bias -1 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire



The following shot gets closer to the 50 foot mark and the detail falls off pretty quickly and the digital noise level increases for the overall shot. BTW, removing the noise with software really wreaks havoc with these bird shots. While it cleans up the noise nicely, it pretty much kills any detail in the bird’s feathers. It can render an interesting result, if you are seeking a painterly quality to the presentation, but……



Camera Canon EOS 7D
Exposure 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture f/8.0
Focal Length 315 mm
ISO Speed 3200
Exposure Bias -1 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

I should also mention that in the first shot the bird was pretty stationary, while standing on the ground. In the distant shot there was a good bit of movement with the bird hanging onto the flimsy branch, while taste testing the bug. The shutter speed is obviously way too slow to properly catch the bird in that shot, but how can I introduce more light if the aperture is wide open and the sun is shining brightly?

Soooooooo………. I think the lens and TC are working fine together. The conditions make all the difference and I’m not sure how to overcome those circumstances. However, I do know that if I can get within 20-25 feet of my target, I don’t really need the extra reach provided by the 1.4x TC.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm……….

Same bird more in the 30 foot range and I can live with this level of detail.

[BuddhaPi]

[QUOTE=Michael_2010;1265711]I should also mention that in the first shot the bird was pretty stationary, while standing on the ground. In the distant shot there was a good bit of movement with the bird hanging onto the flimsy branch, while taste testing the bug. The shutter speed is obviously way too slow to properly catch the bird in that shot, but how can I introduce more light if the aperture is wide open and the sun is shining brightly?/QUOTE]

That first shot looks great! as for raising your shutter speed ( take this with a grain of salt as I am learning to!) if you have a speedlight that swivels, perhaps swivel it way from the target, this should allow you to raise the SS without freaking the target?? or maybe a diffusrer to bounce the light backwards??? just a thought.