The birds they mock me

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Discussion

nre

531 posts

269 months

Friday 26th September 2014
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A few from Worthing

herring gull 6 by NRE, on Flickr

herring gull 4 by NRE, on Flickr

herring gull 7 by NRE, on Flickr

2slo

1,998 posts

166 months

Saturday 27th September 2014
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DibblyDobbler said:
Nicely exposed Mark thumbup
Thanks Mike. Another one from today from the same pond:

Grey Heron by 2slo7, on Flickr

ExPat2B

2,157 posts

199 months

Saturday 27th September 2014
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I have been trying my hand at some wild raptors in flight. I figure if I can shoot that, I can shoot anything. I found the location of where some hobby's fly and have been trying to get decent photos of them. Its very, very, very, very hard, hard to get close, hard to get sharp focus, and hard to track them. So these are not up to my usual standards, they are 100% crops.

Hobby_Landing by natureiser, on Flickr

Hobby_Flight by natureiser, on Flickr


central

16,744 posts

216 months

Saturday 27th September 2014
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It's a Kestrel smile

ExPat2B

2,157 posts

199 months

Saturday 27th September 2014
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You know what, I just went over the other shots and you are right its definitely a Kestrel ! I thought it was a hobby as it was swooping in on dragonflies the same as a hobby. Amazing what confirmation bias does to your brain.

It was hunting in the same spot as the bird I shot earlier this month.

Hobby by natureiser, on Flickr

central

16,744 posts

216 months

Saturday 27th September 2014
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thumbup

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

181 months

LongQ

13,864 posts

232 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
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Heron standing guard.




Close friends snacking.



Egyptian geese on a Norfolk Broad.

DibblyDobbler

11,257 posts

196 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
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400mm on FF is really not enough for small birds is it? I was about 20 feet away when I got this, and yet it still needs a big crop...



Greenfinch by Dibbly Dobbler, on Flickr

LongQ

13,864 posts

232 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
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DibblyDobbler said:
400mm on FF is really not enough for small birds is it? I was about 20 feet away when I got this, and yet it still needs a big crop...



Greenfinch by Dibbly Dobbler, on Flickr
You either need to get closer or live with the crops if shooting an active target.

If set up with a feeder or "perch" you know where you will be shooting so a narrower field of view is OK but it's not great if you are trying to follow a subject even if it is only moving small distances.

Manual focus would work well with a fixed location. Set the focus and, more or less, forget it.

Why not beg, steal or borrow a couple of extenders (1.4x and 2x for Canon of course) and see what you think about the longer reach in principle?

Interestingly you have reminded me that my old FD mount 600mm has a minimum focus distance of 21ft iirc. Still nowhere near a frame filler with a small bird even on a crop body.

DibblyDobbler

11,257 posts

196 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
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LongQ said:
You either need to get closer or live with the crops if shooting an active target.

If set up with a feeder or "perch" you know where you will be shooting so a narrower field of view is OK but it's not great if you are trying to follow a subject even if it is only moving small distances.

Manual focus would work well with a fixed location. Set the focus and, more or less, forget it.

Why not beg, steal or borrow a couple of extenders (1.4x and 2x for Canon of course) and see what you think about the longer reach in principle?

Interestingly you have reminded me that my old FD mount 600mm has a minimum focus distance of 21ft iirc. Still nowhere near a frame filler with a small bird even on a crop body.
Thanks for the reply LQ smile

Quite hard to get much closer even with my ninja like skills! I do have an extender but have never found it that successful to be honest (especially when the light is a bit iffy).

Maybe sell the 400 and the extender and put them towards a Tamron 150-600! biggrin

LongQ

13,864 posts

232 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
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DibblyDobbler said:
LongQ said:
You either need to get closer or live with the crops if shooting an active target.

If set up with a feeder or "perch" you know where you will be shooting so a narrower field of view is OK but it's not great if you are trying to follow a subject even if it is only moving small distances.

Manual focus would work well with a fixed location. Set the focus and, more or less, forget it.

Why not beg, steal or borrow a couple of extenders (1.4x and 2x for Canon of course) and see what you think about the longer reach in principle?

Interestingly you have reminded me that my old FD mount 600mm has a minimum focus distance of 21ft iirc. Still nowhere near a frame filler with a small bird even on a crop body.
Thanks for the reply LQ smile

Quite hard to get much closer even with my ninja like skills! I do have an extender but have never found it that successful to be honest (especially when the light is a bit iffy).

Maybe sell the 400 and the extender and put them towards a Tamron 150-600! biggrin
From what I have read so far in the alleged meedjur I rather think for the 600 end you might find the 400 + extender (1.4x? Canon?) a better bet. What is the sensitivity of the 6D's central AF point? If it goes to f8 you you should be fine.

Does the 6D have micro-focus adjustment? If so it could be worth playing with for the 400mm + extender combo. And then remember that a high shutter speed counts for a lot when you want fine detail. But you know that already ....

ETA: One of the problems with small subjects is getting the focus point on the subject. Using manual focus to a fixed location eliminates the problem. It's easy to overlook that benefit. My Norfolk bird shots would have been much easier to try for had the boat not been moving forward as well as sort of up and down. I think even resetting the focus method (had I been using the 1D3) would not have totally resolved the problem but I reckon it would be better than the 600D overall despite the compromise on reach with the different crop factors.


Edited by LongQ on Thursday 2nd October 21:55

DibblyDobbler

11,257 posts

196 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
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LongQ said:
From what I have read so far in the alleged meedjur I rather think for the 600 end you might find the 400 + extender (1.4x? Canon?) a better bet. What is the sensitivity of the 6D's central AF point? If it goes to f8 you you should be fine.

Does the 6D have micro-focus adjustment? If so it could be worth playing with for the 400mm + extender combo. And then remember that a high shutter speed counts for a lot when you want fine detail. But you know that already ....

ETA: One of the problems with small subjects is getting the focus point on the subject. Using manual focus to a fixed location eliminates the problem. It's easy to overlook that benefit. My Norfolk bird shots would have been much easier to try for had the boat not been moving forward as well as sort of up and down. I think even resetting the focus method (had I been using the 1D3) would not have totally resolved the problem but I reckon it would be better than the 600D overall despite the compromise on reach with the different crop factors.


Edited by LongQ on Thursday 2nd October 21:55
Oh you old spoil sport! It's been ages since I bought a lens! It's a Kenko 1.4x I have - they are meant to be pretty decent and autofocus is maintained on the 6D. Last time I used it I just didn't find the results to be that sharp (ie not as good as cropping the 400mm pics) so maybe it does need micro focus adjusted (which the 6D has). One to ponder on for another day smile

LongQ

13,864 posts

232 months

Thursday 2nd October 2014
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DibblyDobbler said:
Oh you old spoil sport! It's been ages since I bought a lens! It's a Kenko 1.4x I have - they are meant to be pretty decent and autofocus is maintained on the 6D. Last time I used it I just didn't find the results to be that sharp (ie not as good as cropping the 400mm pics) so maybe it does need micro focus adjusted (which the 6D has). One to ponder on for another day smile
Well the obvious answer is to buy the lens and satisfy that craving, run a side by side comparison and go from there. Sell whichever you are least pleased with. Or, indeed, both on the basis that the price you would get for the two would be about half way to paying for a used 500 or 600 mm EF prime. wink

The Kenco always had (going back some time perhaps to the Mk1 extenders certainly) a good comparative reputation but I have a feeling that they all very a bit, even the Canon's. The Mk2 Canon extenders were reckoned to be pretty good and better than the Mk1 especially with newer lenses. My 2x is a Mk2. The Mk3 are meant to be even better but at the price they need to be. Mr. 2slo may be able to offer advice in that area.

GravelBen

15,655 posts

229 months

Friday 3rd October 2014
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Shiny starlings out on the neighbours roof this evening:

Starling by gravelben, on Flickr

Starling by gravelben, on Flickr

AndyT350

247 posts

170 months

Friday 3rd October 2014
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DibblyDobbler said:
Thanks for the reply LQ smile

Quite hard to get much closer even with my ninja like skills! I do have an extender but have never found it that successful to be honest (especially when the light is a bit iffy).

Maybe sell the 400 and the extender and put them towards a Tamron 150-600! biggrin
Or the Sigma 150-600mm Sport which i'm sure you could justify a 'need' for with some creative man-maths!

http://www.techradar.com/news/photography-video-ca...

nellyleelephant

2,705 posts

233 months

Friday 3rd October 2014
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AndyT350 said:
Or the Sigma 150-600mm Sport which i'm sure you could justify a 'need' for with some creative man-maths!

http://www.techradar.com/news/photography-video-ca...
I have to say, that lens looks mighty interesting. If it's good at 600 I can see it sitting next to my 500 for extra flexibility.

DibblyDobbler

11,257 posts

196 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
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Robin by Dibbly Dobbler, on Flickr

Sparrow by Dibbly Dobbler, on Flickr

rich888

2,610 posts

198 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
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Took these pics at Rufford Park in August of a beautiful owl using a Sony DSC-HX50 compact camera which was on loan to me whilst my other camera was in for repair. Was a handheld shot took after waiting a few minutes, though wasn't able to wait around much longer and take any more pics because the wife and kids started moaning at me to get a move on!









A couple of weeks ago I spotted a Magpie balancing on the top of a small tree and staring straight at me for what seemed an age, I pulled my camera out, pointed it in the direction of the Magpie, zoomed in and took the shot, and as my finger went down on the button he flew away!!! Was a one in a million shot that wasn't, I was gutted. Not seen the Magpie since!

Yellabelly

2,258 posts

252 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
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Here you go then have a Magpie on me wink


DSC_2059_002LR by ray_blake, on Flickr