Wow, great shots.
I was shooting birds too, trumpeter swans. My faith is restored. There was great light and I shot at low iso and fast shutter speed and got some great shots. I'll post some in a couple of days when I have time to develop them. I've only done an initial cull so far.
This Blue Heron flew over me from behind & I was only able to grab a couple shots as he headed off with his meal. Interestingly, I think there may be more than just a fish. Look closely at the last shot.
cpe1991 wrote:
As a newbie to Nikon and the D500, I am intrigued why you used -2 and -2.3ev for these magnificent shots. I can think of a few obvious reasons, from correcting exposure, preserving highlights to fixing shutter speed and having auto iso, but I am keen to learn. So far, I have been really impressed how far I can push in post-processing to correct under-exposure.
You're correct. The primary reason was an attempt to control highlights. It's always a tradeoff when shooting this type of subject. The bright white of the head with the dark feathers is a nightmare in direct sunlight and the sun was at my back. I always shoot Aperture priority, and I never use auto ISO. I am constantly adjusting exposure comp and ISO on the fly as conditions change. As it was, I probably could have gone even lower with my EC because the whites were still a little hot and I also find the D500 pretty good when you have to lift the shadows.
I find that as long as you can keep track of where you are as far as EC goes, it's pretty easy to adjust without ever taking your eye from the viewfinder or bothering to look at the actual setting in the viewfinder. That way you can keep your eye on the subject at all times. In other words, as long as I can remember that I increased EC by 2/3 of a stop (from 0) with 2 clicks, I know that I can decrease EC by 2/3 of a stop with 4 clicks in the opposite direction. The tough part is keeping track but it comes with practice. Just the way I taught myself. I'm sure others have different ways that work for them.
Four years later, the Nikon D500 continues to be one of my favorite cameras of all time. Having once shot Contax RTS/ST/S2 cameras, Hasselblad 500cf, Pentax 645 AFD, Canon 1DmkIII/5DmkIII, and Nikon F100/F4/D3s/D4/D810's, the D500 feels like the perfect balance between speed, af consistency, and rugged build.
I currently own three, and these may be the last DSLR's I will ever own as I slowly acquire Z bodies and glass when they become wildlife capable cameras.
