Quote Originally Posted by thekingb View Post
The fourth shot is by far my favorite. The fifth is a nice composition. All of these shots seem to be in challenging light conditions, and the kingfisher?? isn't sharp. But in that fourth shot, you've captured some intense direct light right on the bird's face, and it is striking. Nice job! Contrast that one to the black bird with the bright background, where the bird has little detail.

A better Beamer flash accessory can help eliminate harsh shadows in some challenging light situations. http://www.amazon.com/X-Tender-Bette.../dp/B000SLNNG4

Did you have to crop in much?
Thanks for the feedback. I had to crop 3 of them pretty significantly. The black bird against the bright background and the last pic with the nice composition were not cropped very much. The others had to be because I was pretty far away and it was the closest I could get with my 200mm focal length. Sharpness was affected on these heavier crops. I have heard some good things about the better Beamer. I found some knock offs on eBay and wondered if they would do the same job. Here's a link.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/150675949396?...#ht_4754wt_949

Size and functionality look to be comparable. Have you heard or read any feedback on sticking with the brand name vs going generic?