European Robin







White Wagtail

[Lowell Goudge]

Just a few additional comments here

My observation about MFD comes from using the K300/4 which is limited to just under 4 meters, I agree the DA300/4 is somewhat less restrictive in that respect. But having said that, 3-4 meters is a good distance, and is also a distance where the 1.7x AF TC can get the image a lot bigger in the frame. While not intending to offer "competing images" in this thread, here is what can be achieved at 3-4 meters using the 1.7x AF TC along with the K300 / 4

this has been used as an example in many posts because it illustrates a lot of things.

This shot was taken using flash, which you shold also consider when photographing birds. I know the High ISO capabilities of the cameras have improved greatly since I took this with my *istD, but flash offers another thing, specifically the ability to freeze the image.

With respect to the birds in flight, someone pointed out the shutter speed was too low and that the shots relied on SR. When shooting BIF, I find SR can also add blurr, because the subject is moving and SR cannot distinguish the lateral movement from deliberate panning. THe shot with the gull at much higher shutter speed is a good illustration of this.

Keep at it you are making great improvements in a very short time. Small birds like your robin (or my chickadee) are actually the hardest thing to photograph because they are very very small. It is relitively easy (some exceptions excluded) to get a shot of a bird that is 500mm long, compared to one that is less than 100mm.

[cem.kumuk]

having said that, 3-4 meters is a good distance, and is also a distance where the 1.7x AF TC can get the image a lot bigger in the frame. While not intending to offer "competing images" in this thread.....
With respect to the birds in flight, someone pointed out the shutter speed was too low and that the shots relied on SR. When shooting BIF, I find SR can also add blurr, because the subject is moving and SR cannot distinguish the lateral movement from deliberate panning. THe shot with the gull at much higher shutter speed is a good illustration of this. It is relitively easy (some exceptions excluded) to get a shot of a bird that is 500mm long, compared to one that is less than 100mm.

Dear Lowell, please feel free to share your images in my threads without hesitation. In my understanding these threads are discussion points and does not give any exclusivity to the person who starts the thread. One thing for sure that as subject goes far in distance and we have to crop the image, the qualitgy is reducing dramatically. So if we intend to shoot BIF, we have to be lucky enough and to wait unrtil bird comes near at a reasonable distance. Whatever we do at the end we are all limited with abilities of body and lenses. Last weekend I was luckier than the previous weeks and birds came at closer distances. For example the following grey heron was somehow modeling to me though she's considered to be a very shy bird and very hard to catch such instants with them. However, with my wild birds I was still not lucky enough. They came nearer this time but still far enough to shoot razor sharp detailed images and they stayed in about 300 to 400 meters high. I know we have to be patient and sooner or later the moment will come. For some of us it comes quicker and easier, for some of us it happens harder.