[vcollerp]

[normhead]

The third photograph (of the squirrel) is lovely with smooth and warm background, the kind of shot I'd print and frame. Seems your setup is well optimized. I'd like to be able to do the same shots as you, but I think I need a few more years to get to the next level and tune my method.

This is my third position for the blind. I am constantly reworking things, changing where I put feed etc. to entice the critters into better position. IN this case it's not all about the camera work. This part of my back yard is not much different than the 7000 square KM of bush it borders. foxes, weasels (4 types) bears and wolves wander through from time to time. So, my biggest advantage here is my studio. I'm sure if you were sitting out in my blind, you'd have no trouble getting images the same or better than these.

[Kevriano]

Fab. Safari holiday?

[vcollerp]

Fab. Safari holiday?

Hi
Taken in the Pilansberg game reserve in South Africa I usually go the for a week every year.


Philip

[biz-engineer]

Puling details of distant Cormorant, with the DFA150-450 @ 450mm and K1 sensor crop, using ES On and IR remote, walking a few meters away from camera tripod to avoid vibrations. Cropped 30%, so that's about 900mm.

[biz-engineer]

Documenting of the White Swan fitness and stretching session.

[derekkite]

Documenting of the White Swan fitness and stretching session.

Very nice. Did you try the electronic shutter on the K1?

[biz-engineer]

Very nice. Did you try the electronic shutter on the K1?

For the shot of the Cormorant, I used the electronic shutter to reduce vibration because of cropping, every pixel counts. But... for every other shot when using the viewfinder because PDAF is so much faster than LV AF, I couldn't use the electronic shutter. For being able to use an electronic shutter, PDAF should be one the image sensor itself. There was a guy next to me with a D810 and 600 f4, we compared the same photos, his with magnetic shutter of nikon D810 (+gitzo tripod and Jobu gimbal) and mine with DFA150-450 K1 crop mode and electronic shutter. It was hard to see any difference between the D810 image 100% zoomed and the K1 image cropped, the D810+600f4 was only a tiny bit sharper but really hard to justify the cost difference with the Nikon combo and the Pentax combo. It seemed to me that with long lenses vibration can ruin pixel sharpness of the most expensive gear.

[marquis1955]

These were made this morning K3 DA*300 f4

[Canada_Rockies]

Documenting of the White Swan fitness and stretching session.

Gorgeous

These were made this morning K3 DA*300 f4

And also gorgeous

[normhead]

There was a window of good light this morning before the afternoon rains were to start... you gotta go when you can.

K-3 with Tanron SP AF 300 and HD DA 14 (420mm ƒ4)
400 ISO, ƒ4.5 AV

There was a window of good light this morning before the afternoon rains were to start... you gotta go when you can.

[marcusBMG]

Another great set normhead, with a lovely sense of autumnal colors - cheers.

[normhead]

Another great set normhead, with a lovely sense of autumnal colors - cheers.

I think I'm really going to miss them when they are gone this year, I always say spring snow is my favourite shooting environment, but this year, fall is challenging it.

[kacansas03]

For the shot of the Cormorant, I used the electronic shutter to reduce vibration because of cropping, every pixel counts. But... for every other shot when using the viewfinder because PDAF is so much faster than LV AF, I couldn't use the electronic shutter. For being able to use an electronic shutter, PDAF should be one the image sensor itself. There was a guy next to me with a D810 and 600 f4, we compared the same photos, his with magnetic shutter of nikon D810 (+gitzo tripod and Jobu gimbal) and mine with DFA150-450 K1 crop mode and electronic shutter. It was hard to see any difference between the D810 image 100% zoomed and the K1 image cropped, the D810+600f4 was only a tiny bit sharper but really hard to justify the cost difference with the Nikon combo and the Pentax combo. It seemed to me that with long lenses vibration can ruin pixel sharpness of the most expensive gear.

I recently sold my Tokina 800 mm f/8, a lens that comes in 2 sections, plus the heavy duty tripod and the Velbon "magic arm" with modifications I did to it to enable freedom of motion while getting the mirror slap stabilization down the tube of the 30 inch long lens to a Canon full frame user. He was impressed with my photos using the lens with one film SLR and 2 Pentax DSLRs. During the trip to the same location for him to try out the lens he told me he wasn't getting good results from his Canon 200 mm f/1.8(!!), 300 mm f/2.8, 400 mm f/2.8,100-400 mm f/4. He then said he was mostly using a P&S(?!?!!) with a 20X zoom for good shots at long ranges plus a Nikon spotting scope with a 40X eyepiece. He took his 1DS MK 3 and the 5D MK 2 with us and all the lenses along with 3 tripods(all Carbon fiber) and 4 gimbals! I spent an hour or so demonstrating the 800. It takes about 30 minutes to get it setup, leveled, lens assembled and onto my gimbal, camera body and then attach the stailizing arm to the body. I used my K-5 and not my K-10-D which was one that gave me great images. I set it to f16 after focusing at f8 with focus confirmation. The shots were fair but not up to my best because I had never used a preset lens on the K-5 in "M" Made lots of mistakes. during all that time he never set up a camera! He did set up his spotting scope. I have never used one and could not spot the items I was shooting through it due to extremely narrow angle of view. He thought my shots were great. After several hours of shooting we packed up and went for lunch. When we arrived back at his home I showed the photos all of which were a bit blurry because I was getting focus confirm from trees only 1000 feet away. This was a hot August day with lots of haze over a large lake yet the shots of a marina about 3 miles away were good and the ones of a large condo with balconies 5 miles away were good. I should say snapshot good comparable to a P&S camera. He showed me the shots he had taken with his Canon bodies. All with AF and IS and they were bad. I found out that he didn't understand how to set his cameras at all. I taught him more about his cameras without opening a manual for them than he had known in years of attempted use. He thought the cameras would do it all! He did not know the difference between a MF switch on a lens and a fully manual lens. I found those bodies easy to set up for actual MF. I learned from him that he had been sold this gear from our biggest photo store who push Canon a lot and he attended their classes to learn about the cameras. He had never seen the performance of a Adaptall 70-210 f3.5 19AH lens which is brighter than all of his shorter zooms. I have the Pentax copy of his 28-200 f4-5.6 zoom and my images from it look better. I was not critical of his framing and camera control but did attempt to help him learn that the operator must help the DSLR do it's job. He has about $40,000 invested in his 6 tripods 5 gimbals and 20 or so lenses. He said he didn't care if the 800 ever worked for him after he had paid me. It was cheap and he could resell it or junk it. He wasn't sure good photos could be taken with "old junk lenses". By that time he had learned about all he could and would get angry when I suggested practice with his cameras. I am on my tablet without access to shots taken with my 800 but I will post some!

[kengoh]

Tiger Shrike shot with K5-IIs + Sigma 500 F4.5