Post your best bird shots!

[Joel Eade]

I'd like to hear your opinion about it if you shoot more distant objects or moving objects with your 2X TC.
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I set up my feeders and hide with the 1.4X in mind so I haven't used the 2.0X very much. I bought them both at the same time thinking I would use them equally but it just hasn't worked out that way. Mostly because I have been successful with the 1.4 so I haven't adequately explored the possibilities with the 2.0X.


I can tell you that the 2.0X doesn't yield as many sharp images as the 1.4X ( at least to my standard of sharpness) and this is especially true when it's wide open (ie f/5.6). In post processing you can tell the 2.0X image needs more work most of the time.


If you have enough light to stop down to f/8 or f/11 and still maintain a high shutter speed it can produce some good images with the 300 2.8 lens.


Most of the birds I shoot are moving but not flying, the songbirds seldom sit still around the feeders. They are constantly looking around and shifting position and they are at close range so a high shutter speed is mandatory. On these gray winter days I am using fill flash and still have to use ISO 1600.


I think the 2.0X Version II can do well under the right conditions but the 1.4X is no doubt sharper. It appears the version III 1.4X is not much better than version II on the current lenses.


From what I have seen the version III 2.0X is better than the version II on the current supertele. lenses but I will be waiting for the new version lenses to see howthey both perform.


Joel

[HDNitehawk]

From what I have seen the version III 2.0X is better than the version II on the current supertele. lenses but I will be waiting for the new version lenses to see howthey both perform.

Joel


Your setiments about the 2x are identical to mine.


A few days ago Bryan posted the results of the new III version convertors on 300mm F2.8L. To me they looked better than the initial lens used for the first test, the200mm. Even the 2x looked like it had potential.


I would have ordered one and tried, but they are just up for preorder now.


RIck

[JJphoto]

From what I have seen the version III 2.0X is better than the version II on the current supertele. lenses but I will be waiting for the new version lenses to see howthey both perform.

thanks Joel! and yes, that will be very interesting to see. this year is going to be very interesting and exciting because of those new lenses and TCs with all the possible combination with older lenses, TCs and different bodies......, can't wait!

[JJphoto]

two recent shots with the 500mm+1.4TCII


hard to do BIF with it, so kind of miss the 300mm,it looks like I will not sell the 300mm or trade it for a 200mm2.0( but I have been thinking trade it for a 1D IV though)





thanks for viewing!

[Joel Eade]

Nice shots JJ ... the comorant looks to need a little sharpening on the wing but I love the pose.....what f stop did you use? You might make that image stronger by cropping some off the left and bottom then add some canvas on top and right side.


that 500mm is a life changer ain

[JJphoto]

the comorant looks to need a little sharpening on the wing but I love the pose.....what f stop did you use?

yes, the wing is blurred because of the small f(f5.6, ISO800), I tend to use wider aperture to avoid high ISO I should have used bigger f stop for wider DOF. I feel more comfortable using higher ISO since I understand more about exposure and PP.

that 500mm is a life changer ain't it?

kind of I think, but I havn't touched my 300mm and 400mm since I got the 500mm, 500mm+1.4 TC needs a lot of light to get faster shutter speed even in sunny day light, it forced me to push the ISO higher so I have to pay a lot more attention on getting best exposure and effective NR in PP to reduce noise, i think that should also contribute to the improvement of the IQ. but then, reach is reach, more reach does make big difference and better bokeh, plus the contrast of the 500mm seems better too.

[HDNitehawk]

two recent shots with the 500mm+1.4TCII


hard to do BIF with it, so kind of miss the 300mm,it looks like I will not sell the 300mm or trade it for a 200mm2.0( but I have been thinking trade it for a 1D IV though)
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My 1D IV came in last night and I took it out for a test drive. The 500mm felt just right for tracking BIF, and it did an awesome job. AF is a big jump up. I am gonna hang on to the 7D a week or so more to make sure the 1D IV is the way to go, but so far I am impressed. ...it even gets me thinking about trading off my two 5D's and maybe getting a 1Ds Mark III instead.

[JJphoto]

Wow, congratulations!, HD, but don't convince me please![]


anyway, I 'd like to know how you think about this 1D IV compare to the 7D, especially the Al Servo AF, tracking .... those kind of stuff. I'm thinking get a second body so I can use one for BIF with my 400mm 5.6 and one for other kind of bird shot, maybe two 7Ds is more suit to me since the 7D is just a lot lot cheaper. would you post some BIF shots take with both bodies if possible? thanks!

[Joel Eade]

BlueJay .... from the backyard setup ... on a gloomy winter day


1DMKIII


300mm 2.8L IS USM + 2.0X TC II


Tripod + Wimberly II


Manual mode and evaluative metering


External Flash : 2 430EX II flashes on light stands triggered with pocket wizards


1/1000


f/6.3


ISO 1600





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[HDNitehawk]

I 'd like to know how you think about this 1D IV compare to the 7D, especially the Al Servo AF, tracking

This was the second day I got to try out the 1D IV. Nothing exceptional today as the birds were only cooperating a little. I did get to see a bald eagle, which is the first I have ever seen in my part of the world. I got shots but he was over 400 yards away so really all I got was proof I saw one.


After two days I am certain of this. Today I got to try AI mode. The auto focus is a lot more accurate and a lot faster than the 7D. When I bought the 7D to use instead of the 5D for wildlife, my keeper rate never went up and I really thought it would have because of the 7D's autofocus. The keeper rate the two times I have went out so far have went up significantly.


For some reason with the 7D it felt like I was always fighting to get enough light. It doesn't feel that way with the 1D and it never felt that way with the 5D. Maybe its the crop factor and I just needed to get more used to it.


The IQ out of any of these three cameras, I do not think you would ever notice in the final product in any difference in real world situations. The 7D image has to be manipulated more in DPP, the 5D you could manipulate just a little but for the most part seemed like they came out of the camera very close. The 1D Mark IV come out of the camera very sharp and with good IQ, when you start manipulating them there is not as much to do.


This little guy posed for me, 500mm 1D Mark IV, F4.0 1/800, ISO200





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