PetKal wrote:
Here are a few suggestions:
* use center AF point only.
* set the lens distance limiter right.
* prefocus the lens to the approximate distance of the first "contact" with the bird.
* use IS mode 1.
* maximize DoF
* shoot in Tv mode, min 1/1250 sec.
* Job No.#1 is: keep the center AF on the bird steady as if your life depends on it. As soon as you slip off, go back and refocus.
* Start shooting in single shot mode, then increase to 3 FPS.....keep a watchful eye on focus maintenance while firing....that means developing control as opposed to "spray and pray" affliction....Show more →
Great advice, Pete! Any BIF sample shots using those settings, especially with mode 1 IS used?
I wouldn't use IS with flying birds - only with stationary ones. The problem being that birds don't usually travel only horizontally or vertically but almost always diagonally, and also with changing speed. Under those circumstances even IS mode 2 does not help. Usually when I get blurry images with my IS lenses it's because IS has been left on for a moving subject (or the IS hasn't had time to settle down).
My advice: turn the IS off until you master BIF. Also, use exposure times shorter than 1/1000s, preferably even 1/2000s. Then you have eliminated two of the most common problems with BIFs.
Also, center point only, AF Servo. Learn to keep the focus point on the bird. It takes practice, practice and practice. AF should be fast enough if you are following the bird and keeping the focus point on the bird, because then it's only doing incremental changes.
Heck, I have been able to follow flying birds with a 10D plus 400f2.8L II + 2x TC! You really cannot talk about fast AF with that combination. Though, the success rate wasn't exactly high (maybe 1 in 10), but that was also due to my inexperience. BIF is a really difficult thing to do.
I blew a whole aftermoon of surfing shots once because my focus range switch on my tele was set too close, or had accidentally been knocked between 2 ranges. Out of about 500 shots, maybe 5 were in focus. A few weeks ago my 400 5.6 with 1.4 converter was focusing erratically - turned out to be the tape that I used over the sensor pins to allow the converter to work had worn out. It could be so many nutty little things like that. If IS is on, and doesn't have a chance to "settle down" before the shot is taken, it has blurred some of my shots. You might try checking all your switches, and then tape them before you go out. Something I've been intending to do, but haven't actually done yet, so s*** just keeps on happening.
astrolucida wrote:
I wouldn't use IS with flying birds - only with stationary ones.
I also turn IS off at BIFs if I get a shutter speed of say 1/400 sec or faster. I'm wondering though if Pete has discovered a better way to do it with his suggestion of mode 1 IS at BIFs.
Liquidstone wrote:
I also turn IS off at BIFs if I get a shutter speed of say 1/400 sec or faster. I'm wondering though if Pete has discovered a better way to do it with his suggestion of mode 1 IS at BIFs.
I agree. With IS it usually takes about a second for it to wind up thereby slowing your initial focus. Besides, with shutter speeds high enough for BIF IS is really of no value.
Thanks, I am gonna head back out today to try again. There is a great place I know where I can get pelicans pretty easily. And skimmers too (NONE of the skimmers came out worth a shit).
Here's my BIF picture -- I used IS mode 1, one shot focus But I was watching them when they were still standing and then I followed them as they took off in flight. Luck I guess, but it can be done ...
Haven't read the whole thread but to OP - Why you shooting BIFs at ISO100? Start with atleast ISO400.
I would
1.keep IS off.
2. Shoot wide open or say at f6.3 or so. This will get you the fastest shutter speed. Why use Tv set to 1250 when you can have higher shutter speed? Manual exposure is better IMHO.
3. Ceneter AF point only unless bg is clear sky then more points can be helpful.
4. Use C Fn 4-03 and use * button to focus.
5. Engage target, track and while tarcking press shutter to take pictures. If target gets OOF, re-acquire target and start over this step.
Troy, before doing BIF's with a new lens may I suggest you do some still shots and test the focus/sharpness. If these are ok then go on to more challenging BIF's. FWIW, the few BIF's I have done with a 30D/100-400L, I found more success with higher SS helped along with higher ISO's, and also IS on mode 1.
matonanjin wrote:
There was a long thread here recently about "bumping the focus" which I need to find again.
But do you suppose you could define "bumping the focus"?
Thanks,
Ron
It is a rather silly way of saying "re-focus" - i.e. taking your finger off the AF button for a moment and then pressing to acquire autofocus again. Nothing special about it and would seem the natural thing to do, to me.
bobbyz wrote:
Haven't read the whole thread but to OP - Why you shooting BIFs at ISO100? Start with atleast ISO400.
I would
1.keep IS off.
2. Shoot wide open or say at f6.3 or so. This will get you the fastest shutter speed. Why use Tv set to 1250 when you can have higher shutter speed? Manual exposure is better IMHO.
3. Ceneter AF point only unless bg is clear sky then more points can be helpful.
4. Use C Fn 4-03 and use * button to focus.
5. Engage target, track and while tarcking press shutter to take pictures. If target gets OOF, re-acquire target and start over this step.
6. Practice, practice, and more practice.
And focus limit switch on farthest setting. ...Show more →
Colin Key wrote:
It is a rather silly way of saying "re-focus" - i.e. taking your finger off the AF button for a moment and then pressing to acquire autofocus again. Nothing special about it and would seem the natural thing to do, to me.
matonanjin wrote:
There was a long thread here recently about "bumping the focus" which I need to find again.
Good luck with that. Jim Neiger went into a considerable detail describing his technique of "focus bumping". I tried to understand it but couldn't. That's probably because I am just an old photo hack. I also tried to learn from a seemingly related instruction by A.Morris on BIF prefocusing method and turning the focus search off and some such. Again, to no avail.
I suppose one just needs to do it a lot, then perhaps improvements would come naturally.
PetKal wrote:
Good luck with that. Jim Neiger went into a considerable detail describing his technique of "focus bumping". I tried to understand it but couldn't. That's probably because I am just an old photo hack. I also tried to learn from a seemingly related instruction by A.Morris on BIF prefocusing method and turning the focus search off and some such. Again, to no avail.
I suppose one just needs to do it a lot, then perhaps improvements would come naturally.
I picked this technique up many years ago shooting sports and just related it to wildlife. Back then cameras had a tendency to grab on to an object passing in front of the subject of your focus. Bumping the focus, or refocusing, allowed you to let the distaction pass and reacquire focus.
PetKal wrote:
Good luck with that. Jim Neiger went into a considerable detail describing his technique of "focus bumping". I tried to understand it but couldn't. That's probably because I am just an old photo hack. I also tried to learn from a seemingly related instruction by A.Morris on BIF prefocusing method and turning the focus search off and some such. Again, to no avail.
I suppose one just needs to do it a lot, then perhaps improvements would come naturally.
This was the guy who recently posted that in one of his "workshops" (allied, I believe, to Art Morris) he had taught a very slightly-built little old lady in her mid-seventies how to hand-hold a 1D series body + 500 f/4 lens. Apparently, after his instruction, she was able to do this for eight days in succession (the secret being that you only lift the camera and lens when you are about to take a photograph!!!). How much cash this old dear paid for this amazing advice was not revealed.
The pelican images the original posted posted were shot at 1/400, f/8.0 and ISO 100.
Always remember to lock focus and follow BEFORE you fire off a frame. Don't expect AI-Servo to lock into focus instantly when you press the shutter. You'll be disappointed more often than not.
Next, for the Pelican shots it would have been better to shoot at ISO 200 or 400 to get the shutter speed up. If you get it up to 1/800 or 1/1000, IS should not matter much. Also, if you are shooting at f/8.0 to get more DOF, that's one thing, but if you are using f/8.0 to improve the sharpness of the lens, it's a mixed blessing at best. IMHO, you are probably better off opening up the lens to at least f/6.3. Now at ISO 400 and f/6.3, you would have been able to shoot at about 1/2500th of a second. I promise you, at that shutter speed, you will have MUCH better results.
To PetKal who suggested using TV mode, this goes against what most birders use. Most of us use AV mode or Manual (I tend to use Manual). In AV mode, you will get the fastest shutter speed possible if you open up the lens to where you feel comfortable with its native sharpness and have sufficient DOF. You will also be able to control the DOF by controlling the aperture.
If your light is not changing, I STRONGLY suggest you shoot Manual mode. Here you will have full control over shutter speed and DOF via aperture. Chimping a few frames will get you quickly dialed in. Unless there are clouds moving over head, the light will remain constant (near sunrise and sunset you'll have to check every 15 minutes or so). If the light isn't changing, your exposure shouldn't either.
I did a workshop with Jim down in Florida. Little old ladies aside, it was well worth the time and the money. There are places where Jim's hand-holding techniques for long lenses work great, epecially if you have a suitable place to set your camera/lens down while not actually using it. In other places (i.e. muddy grounds, wading in water, sandy beach) not so much. However, his workshops are much more than just about this one technique. I would not recommend dissing something that you have no direct experience with.
= Ed =
Colin Key wrote:
This was the guy who recently posted that in one of his "workshops" (allied, I believe, to Art Morris) he had taught a very slightly-built little old lady in her mid-seventies how to hand-hold a 1D series body + 500 f/4 lens. Apparently, after his instruction, she was able to do this for eight days in succession (the secret being that you only lift the camera and lens when you are about to take a photograph!!!). How much cash this old dear paid for this amazing advice was not revealed.
