Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Sony Forum | Join Upload & Sell

1      
2
       end
  

Archive 2017 · Please help an amateur birder

  
 
Ltgk20
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Please help an amateur birder


I'm not a birder but one thing you might try is to turn IBIS off when shooting really high shutter speeds. Some report no problems with it on, some report problems, but with a shutter speed of 1/2500 I can't imagine it's helping.


Aug 17, 2017 at 07:59 AM
k-h.a.w
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Please help an amateur birder


Ltgk20 wrote:
I'm not a birder but one thing you might try is to turn IBIS off when shooting really high shutter speeds. Some report no problems with it on, some report problems, but with a shutter speed of 1/2500 I can't imagine it's helping.


Well, I can not only imagine but know IBIS helps me by providing a stabilized image for framing.
If IBIS causes a problem for handheld shooting my suspicion would point towards faulty equipment.
I have setup my camera to give priority to stabilization and focus and not high frame rate - even for AF-C.



Aug 17, 2017 at 12:09 PM
CMYK Designs
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Please help an amateur birder


It looks like atmospheric interference, but I see you are shooting wide open on that lens. Try bumping up the ISO to 1200 and stopping down to 7.1 or 8. back off the zoom to about 500mm and see if that helps....
I know you said that your lens is calibrated and looks fine on a chart, but it looks like the focal length vs. focus point seems to be a bit off, possible the metering in the camera.
I also see that the feathers on the rear of the "If only they didn't fly " shot are pretty sharp. Did you have a single focus point selected? If not, try it and put it right on his eye. That's the critical point of focus.

Edited on Aug 17, 2017 at 12:28 PM · View previous versions



Aug 17, 2017 at 12:25 PM
CMYK Designs
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Please help an amateur birder


Ltgk20 wrote:
I'm not a birder but one thing you might try is to turn IBIS off when shooting really high shutter speeds. Some report no problems with it on, some report problems, but with a shutter speed of 1/2500 I can't imagine it's helping.


+1 on the vibration reduction off when panning and following BIF...



Aug 17, 2017 at 12:26 PM
pizdets17
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Please help an amateur birder


thanks for all the tips guys, will try stopping down and turning IBIS off and see what happens!


Aug 17, 2017 at 12:52 PM
RZ350
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Please help an amateur birder


I own the Sigma 150-600 sport lens. I have played with OS on and off. I don't think it makes any difference. I contacted Brad Hill who tested the Sigma lens extensively and he left it turned on. Atmosphere can make a difference but it has to be in the range of 100m or more. Stopping down to f7.1 makes a very large difference. Don't shoot wide open unless stationary. One thing I have found which I find somewhat strange is the limiting the focusing range doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. It seems to be quick enough either way. I assume that you have the dock for it. Make sure that the firmware for it is up to date. Shutter speeds should be in the range of 1/2000 and up for BIF.


Aug 17, 2017 at 02:14 PM
scrappydog
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Please help an amateur birder


RZ350 wrote:
Atmosphere can make a difference but it has to be in the range of 100m or more.


I've gotten wonky results at distances far less than this, in situations and with gear where the shot should have been razor sharp (e.g., 1/1000, f/8, on tripod with a still bird 50-100' away, solid A/F, Canon 500/4 II). I don't know why it happens but it does, and it happens a lot. It usually occurs in hot conditions, and usually with bad light (e.g. bright, noonish).



Aug 17, 2017 at 03:57 PM
pizdets17
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Please help an amateur birder


yea I do most of my shooting on the way to work around 12-2pm which is definitely the worst light. never though it would affect sharpness though. Good thing I started this thread


Aug 17, 2017 at 06:46 PM
SoundHound
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Please help an amateur birder


I read a lot of posts like these. Essentially, even with perfect conditions, a medium priced slow super tele zoom will not give the results of the expensive Ultra Teles and a top notch Wimberley 200 MKII Gimbal coupled with a really HD tripod.

Lens choice is everything so pick the lens then pick the, Native, camera that matches it. Today, the Nikkor 800mm F5.6 (with it's included made-with-the-lens 1.25 TC) edges out the Canon. Only something North of $16,000.

Both Canon and Nikon make 400, 500 and 600mm lens with equivalent IQ-for current generations. I have a modest suggestion try the Sony RX10 MKIII with its 24-600mm F4.0 lens..It is handy and cheap )$1500). Should give you hean held results to rival what you are now shooting with low weight and hassle. Rent one.



Aug 18, 2017 at 03:51 AM
scrappydog
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Please help an amateur birder


SoundHound wrote:
Lens choice is everything so pick the lens then pick the, Native, camera that matches it.


I shoot my Canon super-telephotos (100-400 II, 400/5.6, and 500/4 II, with and without the 1.4x III teleconverter) with the Metabones IV on the A7RII, and the image quality is much better than what I have gotten with my Canon bodies using the same lenses. The autofocus can be slow and/or hunt at longer FLs (there are workarounds for this), but that is the only downside to using non-native super-telephoto lenses. At the end of the day, the image quality is what matters to me. YMMV.



Aug 18, 2017 at 06:29 AM
mitesh
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Please help an amateur birder


SoundHound wrote:
I read a lot of posts like these. Essentially, even with perfect conditions, a medium priced slow super tele zoom will not give the results of the expensive Ultra Teles and a top notch Wimberley 200 MKII Gimbal coupled with a really HD tripod.


As a generalization, there is certainly some truth to your statement, although to what degree, is something that reasonable people may disagree on. However, sticking to the OP's images, it is clear that even the third-party super telephoto zooms should offer better results. Many fine images using those lenses have been posted on FM, and with a few adjustments, I have no doubt the OP will see better results.



Aug 18, 2017 at 07:09 AM
rdcny
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Please help an amateur birder


yes atmospheric haze is partly responsible in the flight shots...you might also want to use a faster shutter speed (minimum 1/2500 sec but preferably 1/4000).

All SLRs with a long telephoto are prone to this problem from about 10am through 3pm...unless the bird is very close when in flight. I had this problem often in Thailand (August through October) when doing my migration studies there...however, in Nepal (November) in the mountains I experienced these problems from about 11am to 2pm.

A QUESTION for mirrorless owners/shooters: (such as Sony a99) do you have this problem when using long lenses in the middle of the day on sunny summer days?



Aug 18, 2017 at 08:02 AM
Chris_88
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Please help an amateur birder


rdcny wrote:
yes atmospheric haze is partly responsible in the flight shots...you might also want to use a faster shutter speed (minimum 1/2500 sec but preferably 1/4000).

All SLRs with a long telephoto are prone to this problem from about 10am through 3pm...unless the bird is very close when in flight. I had this problem often in Thailand (August through October) when doing my migration studies there...however, in Nepal (November) in the mountains I experienced these problems from about 11am to 2pm.

A QUESTION for mirrorless owners/shooters: (such as Sony a99) do you have this problem when using long lenses in the middle of
...Show more

The a99 does have a translucent mirror, so it's not mirrorless.

To answer your question: I don't think the mirror (or the lack thereof) matters. I've seen the same problem with my a7 series cameras.

As for shutter speeds, I would think it depends on the bird you're tracking. A fast-flying falcon probably requires at least 1/2500 to freeze entirely, while I get by with 1/1600 to 1/2000 for larger birds like eagles or cranes.



Aug 18, 2017 at 08:12 AM
Herbc
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Please help an amateur birder


I will search for the link, but others may know of a Spanish Doctor who is a bird specialist-he has MAGNIFICENT bird shots of perigrines and the like as well as polar bears, and he camped out in blinds that put him really close to his subjects, shooting Canon big glass. The physical suffering he went through to get his shots was significant. He has a web site, which eludes me for the moment.


Aug 18, 2017 at 10:07 AM
rdcny
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · Please help an amateur birder


did the photos look like these?





Peregrine Falcon ssp. peregrinator - Nepal 2014 (December)







Chinese Sparrowhawk - female - Thailand - October 2014







Bearded Vulture (Nepal) - late November 2015




Aug 18, 2017 at 02:47 PM
Herbc
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · Please help an amateur birder


yep, that's the dude- he has some stuff on his website that are really amazing.


Aug 19, 2017 at 08:23 AM
dalite
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · Please help an amateur birder


mitesh wrote:
It can be hard to isolate the exact reason for unsharp results, but I believe that your results are indicative of atmospheric interference due to temperature differentials in the air column. This is a very common occurrence, and the farther the distance to the subject and longer the focal length, the more apparent this effect becomes. It can happen at any time of the year, and in any air temperature. Shooting across water bodies, pavement, turf, etc., can exacerbate the problem. Your two flight shots likely suffer from this, as your subject is quite distant and there is a lot
...Show more
______
Another reason why "the closer you get the better I look."




Aug 20, 2017 at 11:30 PM
pizdets17
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · Please help an amateur birder


Thanks again to all who chimed in, it was a great help. I think this is a better example of how to do it right. Much sharper image:












huge crop




Aug 23, 2017 at 12:30 PM
1      
2
       end




FM Forums | Sony Forum | Join Upload & Sell

1      
2
       end
    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.