Some of the previously posted images without noise reduction or sharpening applied. Still remarkably clean, IMO. High ISO Noise reduction tuned off in camera, only adjusted for exposure, WB and a bit of added saturation in post process, recuced for web and saved to jpeg.
A few more BIF images late afternoon.
Nikon d500 and 200-500mm lens.
All at 1/2500 sec and f5.6.
Duck at iso 2000
Egret at iso 3200
Heron at iso 6400
Some cropping and noise reduction in lightroom.
Joe, superb shots! Thanks for posting them. How are you finding the af performance of the 200-500 lens for BIF shots? Is it now better than other bodies you've used. Would you recommend this combo for quick action. Thanks!
prosumerhacks wrote:
Joe, superb shots! Thanks for posting them. How are you finding the af performance of the 200-500 lens for BIF shots? Is it now better than other bodies you've used. Would you recommend this combo for quick action. Thanks!
Thank you. Funny, but I'm not much of a bird photographer. The first time I started taking bird photos was about three years ago with a Nikon V1. I did a bit more when the 70-300cx came out last year. I've used the 200-500mm on a D810, D750 and V3 mostly for surfing and indoor performances and the lens is responsive with each. However, my initial assessment of the D500 is the AF is better than any of those other cameras (the V3 is surprisingly quick by the way). Tomorrow there may be some nice waves on the northshore so I may try this combo for surf action. This will give me a better feel for AF speed. But for now, the D500 AF speed feels great for BIF shooting. Just have to figure out which AF mode setting works best. Lots to learn.
The frame rate allows to create some cool animations. I am sure there are better ways to do it, but Google does it for me automagically. A couple from my first weekend of ownership:
trenchmonkey wrote:
Need to bump up your SS as well. Sharp grass w/motion blur
on the critters....that's a 750mm FOV you're handholding.
No...no...just no.
Of all the claims of things that are affected by crop vs full frame, this is a bizarre one.
If you take a sharp image and crop 1/3 off it, you've still got a sharp image. Crop sensor is not actually influencing the image being projected by the lens, so while it very well may be a "750mm FOV" it's still not a 750mm lens, and as such the lens technique would be the same as would the shutter speed required (in theory) to net a sharp image.
