...but a good lens sure as hell does help. I am much more impressed with the quality of the image crops than my attempt at capturing the images. I know the 200mm isnt really made for this, but this is all I have for now. Can't wait to get the 300mm.

This little guy has a nest outside my front door on top of a pillar under the overhang. It happens every spring, there will be chicklets in a matter or weeks. I want to capture images of this progressions, but I don't wanna stress the birds out. Every time I open the door she flies away and into this tree. If I stay in the doorway too long, the father shows up. I will try and get him tomorrow, I didn't want to stress them out too much two days in a row. [Orkin man and FedEx man yesterday]

DA*200mm ISO 200 f/4 1/1500-2000

From about 25 feet.


100% CROP




100% CROP


From about 100ft


100% CROP


From about 100ft


100% CROP

[Lowell Goudge]

Buddha

It's all in the math. (for distant objects)

Image size = object size * Focal length / object distance

as long as all units are the same it works out.

take your sparrow.

150mm (.15 meters) high
lens = 200mm (.2meters)
distance 25 feet (8 meters)

Image size is .15 x .2 / 8 = 3.8mm high on a 24 mm wide by 16 mm high sensor or just under 1/4 the height.

Seems you muight have misjudged the distance a little, it's easy to do.

300 mm will help by 50% but a 1.4x TC on top of 300 mm will really help.

Having said all that the sparrow shot is pretty good, and with the extra length you will get just enough detail in a similar crop for a good printible shot. Exposure is right on, and the dark blue sky helps out.

p.s.

try something really challenging, sparrows are big birds compared to warblers and humming birds. even with my 300mm F4 and 1.7x AF TC, I still don;t have any good shots of hummers in nature.

[Buddha Jones]

Thanks, but I don't think that is a big bird, he is no more than 3 inches head to toe. I am waiting on my TCs for the extra reach, hopefully by this weekend. I will be getting some bird feeders over the weekend, hoping for some good results from them.

PS. I hate math!

[JCSullivan]

Lowell, that is some interesting math. You might save me from selling my 400mm if you would take time to explain this a little further. I complained in another thread because I'm about to give-up.

I realise we can't all be like Tom and Walter and a couple more but I can't even get close. Mind you, many of their birds are big compared to the finches I got to shoot around here.

Jay, I agree that crop of the first shot is quite good.

[daacon]

Nice shots Jays - I hear ya makes one appreaciate all the fine birder's we have on this forum. The colors and sharpness of the lens look great. Keep it up !