pingflood wrote:
I'm no noelle, but I often prefer to shoot with manual exposure. When you remain in the same light it's often easier to do so than fiddle with the camera's various metering modes and trying to get them to do what you want. The camera will meter entirely different exposures when you point it towards the sky vs the ground even if the light remains the same, so the same bird might go from overexposed with a dark background to underexposed with a light background. What I do--and mind you, I am nowhere near in the same league as most of the people posting on this thread--is pick a 'reasonable' looking area (with enough range to tell me if the exposure is too high or too low), fiddle with aperture and shutter until the camera tells me the metering is right, fire off a frame, and then inspect the histogram and look for blinkies in the highlights. If everything looks good I'll run with that exposure; if not I'll adjust the aperture/shutter until it does. Then I'll use that exposure setting as long as the light doesn't change.
When carrying the camera in changing light conditions I usually leave it in Av (aperture priority) mode though....Show more →
YUP! I would have said the same thing
Hello Al, This family was in a pond I frequent and the ducks are not that wild. This mom was very trusting and sometimes brought her family too close and I would have to move back because of the 400mm. Some of the images were cropped but not too heavy since I was close enough.
wing tong wrote:
Jealous! I hear we get that way when we get old and useless and have too much time on our hands... Go out and shoot some real birds for a change, Peter, we know you still have a few feeble shots left in those used hands of yours! Better than spending your old age lonely behind a computer taking my photography out of context and making a mockery out of it unprovoked for over 2 months now and intertwined over a dozen posts. Don't fret, Canon will come out with that fabled 10-stop IS !!! hahaha...
pingflood wrote:
I'm no noelle, but I often prefer to shoot with manual exposure. When you remain in the same light it's often easier to do so than fiddle with the camera's various metering modes and trying to get them to do what you want. The camera will meter entirely different exposures when you point it towards the sky vs the ground even if the light remains the same, so the same bird might go from overexposed with a dark background to underexposed with a light background. What I do--and mind you, I am nowhere near in the same league as most of the people posting on this thread--is pick a 'reasonable' looking area (with enough range to tell me if the exposure is too high or too low), fiddle with aperture and shutter until the camera tells me the metering is right, fire off a frame, and then inspect the histogram and look for blinkies in the highlights. If everything looks good I'll run with that exposure; if not I'll adjust the aperture/shutter until it does. Then I'll use that exposure setting as long as the light doesn't change.
When carrying the camera in changing light conditions I usually leave it in Av (aperture priority) mode though....Show more →
What do you mean by "look for blinkies in the highlights" - is there a setting that will worn you...I'm assuming the highlight tone alert. One thing I liked about my old Panasonic P&S is that I could place the histogram in the upper right hand of the screen so that I could see it as the camera metered the shot and adjust on the fly without having to take a picture go to the screen and check it. But I know P&S and DSLRs are worlds apart. Can this be done with a 50D?
Here's been the way I've tried it: Point the camera at the scene and get a meter reading, adjust either the aperture or shutter speed, usually shutter speed because I like to keep the aperture wide open on the 400, until the meter is centered and then compensated to either +/- exposure compensation based on the scene (i.e. - for dark colors and + for lighter colors) or what I perceive to be the best exposure.
I plan, NEED, to take a class in exposure, particularly manual exposure because that is what I want to learn most.
The 500mm gave me a bit more cropping power on the terns today, although the lens is much more cumbersome for extended handheld BIF photography than the 400 f/5.6. There is always some compromise in this craft, ideally we'd be able to get closer to the birds so that a very agile 300 f/4 or 200 f/2.8 could be used.
Target proximity rules.
Nope, handheld; I'm really trying to learn proper hold and brace technique. It could be the hanging Finch feeder was swaying in the 15mph wind.
Squirrel is eating a peanut. I throw out a few handsful every morning and watch the squirrels and grackels fight it out. The squirrels are smarter - they come up to me and beg.
harrygilbert wrote:
Nope, handheld; I'm really trying to learn proper hold and brace technique. It could be the hanging Finch feeder was swaying in the 15mph wind.
Squirrel is eating a peanut. I throw out a few handsful every morning and watch the squirrels and grackels fight it out. The squirrels are smarter - they come up to me and beg.
PetKal wrote:
Where is Conrad ?
His friend is on a lookout for him, saying "Hey Conrad, let us practice some exposure control."
Damn you and your Grackles... I love the exposure you're able to get on those birds Peter. Hehe... Sorry I've been out shooting more eagles and stuff. But the light has not been cooperating by the time I'm off work.
PetKal wrote:
The 500mm gave me a bit more cropping power on the terns today, although the lens is much more cumbersome for extended handheld BIF photography than the 400 f/5.6. There is always some compromise in this craft, ideally we'd be able to get closer to the birds so that a very agile 300 f/4 or 200 f/2.8 could be used.
Target proximity rules.
So..... looks like I'm going to have to save up for the 500mm now! Hehe... Nice shots Peter. Very nice. #3 is my fav.
The more I use the combo the more it surprises me.
