High ISO advise

[HDNitehawk]

I see you posted right before I did that you use LR 5.
Perhaps we could get a few people to offer suggestions on how they do Noise Reduction in LR 5. It might help.
For me I just zoom to a certain spot in LR 4 and adjust the sliders to get the best look. I balance it with sharpness as they tend to cancel each other out. I know there are more advanced methods.
I know there are others here who can give an advanced tutorial if asked.

[Joel Eade]

In reality, no matter what equipment you have, some days just aren't made for getting good images of birds. Severe overcast and rain will be very tough no matter what you have. On those days get out your wide angle and tripod for some slow shutter speed landscape work. You can make some lovely images with long shutter speeds and blurred water You just have to take what mother nature gives you and wait for good light to go after the birds.

I use manual mode 100% of the time on birds in flight. You need a fast shutter speed, probably at least 1/1000 or faster, to get a sharp image in most cases. Additionally light is needed and at a good angle to get enough contrast to see detail the plumage. If it is so overcast as to eliminate those two things you will really be frustrated. Rain in the air will only make it worse. But if you are trying it.....I would use manual mode, lens wide open, set the ISO to what is needed to push the exposure to the right without over-exposing the bird. Let the background blow out if you have to. You will get a so called "high key" image but that's probably the best you can do. Then deal with noise in post processing.

[Joel Eade]

PS ... I agree that 7D is capable of excellent images....look up a guy named Daniel Cadieux.....awesome bird pics with a 7D: http://www.dancadphotography.com/Homepage.html

[clemmb]

OK, While I was writing that, I do shoot in Raw and do use Lightroom 5. The problem is I still need to learn Lightroom a bit better as well. I will try the above mentioned ideas. Perhaps I can get away with an ISO of 1600 and/or overexposure and still get away with adjustments in Lightroom. I have a lot to learn LOL. Either way I see I am pushing the limits of the equipment.

The 7D is one of the best for birding but as mentioned, low light makes it difficult for any equipment. A faster lens will help.
Do you use Adobe camera raw to process your raw files? Adobe camera raw is part of your lightroom package and it does a better job with noise than Canon DPP.
For birding you will not like the 6D. The auto focus is no where as good as the 7Ds.

[peety3]

I like the Auto ISO as then I only need to worry about aperture & shutter. I have set the maximum at 3200 - perhaps setting to 1600, 800, 640, or lower will force the slower shutter speed, but then a bird in flight is a challenge as it almost requires hand held at the same time. Perhaps I am just frustrating myself by the limitations I have set with my equipment, but I really enjoy getting birds in-flight, and do well in good daylight (I love the 7D for fps and AF) - its only when the conditions don't provide the light I need is when I get stuck.

I'd argue that you don't like Auto ISO, for the simple reason that it's not giving you the image quality you desire. I'd also suggest you try Aperture Priority with manual ISO - essentially you're still controlling two out of the three variables in the exposure triangle, but you're letting the camera pick the value where it has the widest range (I think shutter speed has a 17-stop range, while aperture is very lens-dependent but usually about5 stops and ISO is 3-4 stops for a 7D if you want to stay out of noiseville). As a result, you have consistent noise levels and consistent DoF shot-to-shot, and you get to decide if you are comfortable with a given shutter speed before you take the shot.

OK, Oops forgot to mention. I was trying to capture Birds in Flight (Pelicans) with a Canon 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS Lens (Not "L" & mostly at 300mm). I'd love to go Full Frame but as a hobby the minimum 6D even on sale at $1800 is more than I can justify for a hobby unless I hit the Power Ball . I have decided I need to learn how to use what I have, I know the 7D has its limitations but I have seen other photographers do much better than I do in low light with less quality equipment.

It's not all about "L", and if you were to go FF you'd regret it on the long end of your lens collection (as your 300 will behave like a 300 instead of a 480). Is it safe to assume you're shooting the lens wide open for these shots?

[Joel Eade]

For birding you will not like the 6D. The auto focus is no where as good as the 7Ds.

Agreed....for birds the 7D will be better overall. When I suggested the 6D I did not realize birds were the main interest. Your best equipment upgrade for birds will be a L series telephoto lens.....maybe the 100-400 or the 400 f/5.6.

[Andy Stringer]

Overcast days are not good for shooting moving subjects at high shutter speed, so you may need to change your expectations. The suggestions above are all good and should improve your results, but I'm going to suggest something completely different and it doesn't require new equipment. Use Tv mode and set the shutter speed to 1/50s or slower and try to capture some motion blur. The objective is to track the subject during the exposure to get the head as sharp as possible but not to worry about anything else. Blurred wingtips or a streaky background give a sense that the bird is moving at speed. The technique requires some practice, and the results may not be to everbody's taste, but I quite like the effect it can produce.

An example:

Black-Browed Albatross taken at 1/30s, f/7.1, ISO 100 by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr

This works best with large birds that don't flap their wings very fast.

[Joel Eade]

Overcast days are not good for shooting moving subjects at high shutter speed, so you may need to change your expectations. The suggestions above are all good and should improve your results, but I'm going to suggest something completely different and it doesn't require new equipment. Use Tv mode and set the shutter speed to 1/50s or slower and try to capture some motion blur. The objective is to track the subject during the exposure to get the head as sharp as possible but not to worry about anything else. Blurred wingtips or a streaky background give a sense that the bird is moving at speed. The technique requires some practice, and the results may not be to everbody's taste, but I quite like the effect it can produce.

An example:

Black-Browed Albatross taken at 1/30s, f/7.1, ISO 100 by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr

This works best with large birds that don't flap their wings very fast.

Another good example of taking advantage of the conditions you are presented with....intentional blurs can be very nice!

[Lumens]

WOW! Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to have to make a list of the things to try and perhaps get braver with the things I've already tried. I know a better lens ("L") or Full Frame might resolve my issues, but learning how to use the excellent equipment I already have will make me a better photographer. The better equipment can come once I learn how to REALLY use what I already have.

Thanks again!

[HDNitehawk]

I know a better lens ("L") or Full Frame might resolve my issues

Not a completely accurate statement.
A faster lens or a camera that handles noise a bit better will help you go longer in the field before you lose light. With the best gear you might gain 4 (+/- 1) stops of light. For your 300mm length those stops will come with a price tag of about $3000 per stop.
As evening falls no equipment short of bringing your own lighting will resolve the issue.