Post your best bird shots!

[Joel Eade]

Joel:

First, I would like to thank you for always including you camera, lens, and settings data when you post..................


I hope you do not mind the sill questions. But I was curious why you use one over the other.

Disclaimer: The numbers I reference above are just from recent post... so I may have over simplified your thought processes - If I did, then I am sorry.

Pat

No problem Pat. I include the EXIF because I myself find it helpful when others do the same.

I have been switching back and forth a lot lately mostly because of different sized birds....with the MKIV I can get more pixels on the subject which is helpful for small birds. (finches, sparrows, wrens etc) When the bigger species come in, however, I cannot always get the bird framed correctly with the MKIV without quickly moving back a few feet which doesn't work too well usually....I did pull it off with my last Pileated WP shot because the bird was calling as it came in so I had time to slide back enough. Since I never really know what is going to show up I end up having the "wrong" camera quite often (i.e. I am just goofing around most of the time)

With both cameras my main goal is to get as much shutter speed as possible because this gives me the best chance of a sharp image. (as you know birds rarely sit still) In addition, my 500mm is sharper when stopped down slightly and also I want the entire bird in focus if possible so I don't shoot much at f/4. As for ISO, I use whatever is needed to give me shutter speed. My back yard is mostly shaded so I usually have to go to at least 1600 and frequently will add fill flash too. If I get a light overcast day with diffused, relatively bright light sometimes I can go lower. I mainly want to avoid underexposure of the subject regardless of BG.

The distance in my set up seems to be just about right for 700mm on the 1DX but with the MKIV 700mm can be too much with the larger birds so I shoot with the bare lens and stop down a little for DOF and sharpness. Using the 1.4 TC II on either camera doesn't degrade the image significantly if I have good light.

I just switch cameras in anticipation of what birds may show up which is not too predictable! I have never calculated a DOF....I just shoot and see what works.

There are some differences in the cameras....with 1DX I seem to always need to be adding + EC and not so much with the MKIV, not sure why. I think I like the 1DX images overall a little better and I have thought of selling the MKIV but it's depreciated so much I will probably just keep it.