I like the expression on this coal tit - seems to capture its personality.

Coal tits are inquisitive shy little birds, and very restless. This is a perfect example to me of why I need AF: This bird stays in any one place for less than a second at a time. So, I am giving up on my M-series 300mm, I guess it will show up on the marketplace soon. This was taken with my DA 55-300mm - maybe inferior optics, but it gets the shot where the other one doesn't...

[MetteHHH]

No comments for the coal tit - so I will try to add a redpoll, also from our feeders. He is a cute little fellow too, I always feel like telling him to stop worrying. I don't know what it is about redpolls, but they have this troubled look...

[Rupert]

The 55-300 does a good job, and yes those little chickadees are near impossible to get still long enough to shoot. Love that second little birdie, I saw one in my yard the other day. Nice shot!

I prefer a crop...but I crop most everything...just an addiction....a little more light and a little sharpening. Nothing wrong with that lens, it is excellent.
Attachment 86794

Best Regards!

[8540tomg]

Very nice.

I wouldn't give up so easily on the M*300/4.

MF is a challenge and you miss a lot of shots but when you get a good one its is a special achievement. You also get the bonus of the better optics.

Black Capped Chickadee - Pentax K10, lens SMC Pentax M 400/5.6




Tom G

[MetteHHH]

Thank you for your comments, Rupert and Tom!

Rupert: I had already done a bit of cropping and unsharp mask - I guess I tend to go a bit easy on both. There is the added fact that I love that particular tree, the only big tree in our garden, so I kept the trunk and branches as a "frame". Your crop looks good though.

Tom: Lovely chickadee. I can understand your sense of accomplishment getting that, but I have to say that for me it is swamped by the sense of frustration getting for instance this pic of a long-tailed tit with my manual 300mm:

(I have a perfectly focused second shot a split second later - of the empty branch!)

My 300mm f4 has lovely bokeh. I just don't want that all over my main motif!

I know practise improves manual focus speed (and I am old enough to have owned an Olympus OM20 with only manual lenses), but I would prefer to spend my energy getting better at positioning myself, and capturing the light and the behaviour better, and let the AF motor handle the focusing.

[8540tomg]

I know practise improves manual focus speed (and I am old enough to have owned an Olympus OM20 with only manual lenses), but I would prefer to spend my energy getting better at positioning myself, and capturing the light and the behaviour better, and let the AF motor handle the focusing.

Totally understandable mon ami.

Who wouldn't prefer a new DA* 300/4 to an M* 300/4.

Tom G