K-3 Bird In Flight

**Canada_Rockies** · 02-12-2014, 09:00 AM

cd1500 - Your AF system might be losing track of where it is focusing. You might need to use a wider area of AF points to maintain the focus. Play with the focus area settings and see if you can find the optimal focus point group size. An alternative is, of course, to use centre point only and keep that over the bird, but it is tricky due to the times when a wing drops out of the area leaving the camera to see blank sky.

audiobomber · 02-12-2014, 11:21 AM

With my K20D, anything but Center Point AF is hopeless. With the K-3, I have had the best performance with Expandable AF, Center Point. I use all 27 points for BIF and do my best to keep the bird in the center of the frame.

dc1500 · 02-24-2014, 08:50 AM

Originally posted by traderdrew

Downsizing and posting on certain places can make the sky look inconsistent. It can have a bitmapped look to it. I've experienced this on flickr. I figure your full sized images are cleaner?

My K3 seems to give more noise in blue skies than my K30. Even at ISO 250.

---------- Post added 02-24-14 at 03:52 PM ----------

Originally posted by audiobomber

With my K20D, anything but Center Point AF is hopeless. With the K-3, I have had the best performance with Expandable AF, Center Point. I use all 27 points for BIF and do my best to keep the bird in the center of the frame.

Thanks Dan - I'll give that a try and play around a bit more with the settings. What priority setting do you give to focus - I've set mine on medium but am not really sure how that interaction works.

audiobomber · 02-24-2014, 10:48 AM

Originally posted by dc1500

My K3 seems to give more noise in blue skies than my K30. Even at ISO 250.

Don't forget that you are pixel peeping at 24mp resolution vs. 16. It is pretty well established by now that noise is the same at comparable resolutions, only differing in how much noise reduction is applied.

Originally posted by dc1500

Thanks Dan - I'll give that a try and play around a bit more with the settings. What priority setting do you give to focus - I've set mine on medium but am not really sure how that interaction works.

My current AF-C menu default settings are:

16. 1st frame action in AF-C - Focus Priority
17. Action in AF-C Continuous - Focus Priority
18. Hold AF status - Medium

However, I shot a kids' hockey game and had to use Hold AF status - High because the aluminum uprights holding the Plexiglas at every five feet around the rink were causing trouble.

I use 27-point expandable AF for BIF. I use 9-point for sports, and shooting a moving vehicle.

dc1500 · 02-24-2014, 03:27 PM

Thanks. I am using 16,17,18 the same but not the 27 point expandable.

---------- Post added 02-24-14 at 10:31 PM ----------

Originally posted by audiobomber

Don't forget that you are pixel peeping at 24mp resolution vs. 16. It is pretty well established by now that noise is the same at comparable resolutions, only differing in how much noise reduction is applied.

I'm not talking pixel peeping, more or less as shot, raw, no noise reduction. I find generally noise the same as K30 which as you say is good considering 24 mpx but it does seem to add more fine grain noise in the blue part of the spectrum. Easy enough to remove though so no big deal.
Dave

Pentax_WA · 12-30-2017, 09:45 AM

Do you have a link on Flickr or other websites to see the actual file(s)? They don't appear quite sharp to me here.

dc1500 · 12-30-2017, 10:54 AM

Hi, sorry, no. That post was over three years ago! I still have my K3 which I like for certain things but now have a Nikon D500 which, frankly, is in a different league for tricky action shots like BIF.

audiobomber · 12-30-2017, 11:02 AM

Originally posted by Pentax_WA

Do you have a link on Flickr or other websites to see the actual file(s)? They don't appear quite sharp to me here.

Not sure who you are talking to. I have more small images in Picasa. Note that some of these are crops.

Browser no longer supported

Browser no longer supported

I can probably find an original if there's something you want to see full size.

Not sure if you can see the linked images. Here they are again in a Picasa archive:

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/100586096103361553535/album/AF1QipNn8NDj...I-qoO2weBtBfot

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/100586096103361553535/album/AF1QipPST_eL...KXc5cLh-uGl9AE

Pentax_WA · 12-30-2017, 02:37 PM

Originally posted by dc1500

Hi, sorry, no. That post was over three years ago! I still have my K3 which I like for certain things but now have a Nikon D500 which, frankly, is in a different league for tricky action shots like BIF.

I am debating between fuji 100-400 vs my Pentax 60-250 and new 55-300 since I have both K3II and XT-2. if I sell my pentax, it covers the cost of Fuji 100-400. I hate to leave Pentax APC-S, but none of the pages on this forum convinced me that K3II AF is ready for wild life. How do you like your D500?

---------- Post added 12-30-17 at 03:38 PM ----------

Originally posted by audiobomber

Not sure who you are talking to. I have more small images in Picasa. Note that some of these are crops.

Browser no longer supported

Browser no longer supported

I can probably find an original if there's something you want to see full size.

Not sure if you can see the linked images. Here they are again in a Picasa archive:

Album Archive - K-3 BIF

Album Archive - K-3 Tracking test

Thanks Dan for the links.

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02-12-2014, 09:00 AM	#46
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	cd1500 - Your AF system might be losing track of where it is focusing. You might need to use a wider area of AF points to maintain the focus. Play with the focus area settings and see if you can find the optimal focus point group size. An alternative is, of course, to use centre point only and keep that over the bird, but it is tricky due to the times when a wing drops out of the area leaving the camera to see blank sky.

02-12-2014, 11:21 AM	#47
audiobomber Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sudbury, Ontario Photos: Albums Posts: 6,806 Original Poster	With my K20D, anything but Center Point AF is hopeless. With the K-3, I have had the best performance with Expandable AF, Center Point. I use all 27 points for BIF and do my best to keep the bird in the center of the frame.

02-24-2014, 08:50 AM	#48
dc1500 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Essex Posts: 105	Originally posted by traderdrew Downsizing and posting on certain places can make the sky look inconsistent. It can have a bitmapped look to it. I've experienced this on flickr. I figure your full sized images are cleaner? My K3 seems to give more noise in blue skies than my K30. Even at ISO 250. ---------- Post added 02-24-14 at 03:52 PM ---------- Originally posted by audiobomber With my K20D, anything but Center Point AF is hopeless. With the K-3, I have had the best performance with Expandable AF, Center Point. I use all 27 points for BIF and do my best to keep the bird in the center of the frame. Thanks Dan - I'll give that a try and play around a bit more with the settings. What priority setting do you give to focus - I've set mine on medium but am not really sure how that interaction works.

02-24-2014, 10:48 AM	#49
audiobomber Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sudbury, Ontario Photos: Albums Posts: 6,806 Original Poster	Originally posted by dc1500 My K3 seems to give more noise in blue skies than my K30. Even at ISO 250. Don't forget that you are pixel peeping at 24mp resolution vs. 16. It is pretty well established by now that noise is the same at comparable resolutions, only differing in how much noise reduction is applied. Originally posted by dc1500 Thanks Dan - I'll give that a try and play around a bit more with the settings. What priority setting do you give to focus - I've set mine on medium but am not really sure how that interaction works. My current AF-C menu default settings are: 16. 1st frame action in AF-C - Focus Priority 17. Action in AF-C Continuous - Focus Priority 18. Hold AF status - Medium However, I shot a kids' hockey game and had to use Hold AF status - High because the aluminum uprights holding the Plexiglas at every five feet around the rink were causing trouble. I use 27-point expandable AF for BIF. I use 9-point for sports, and shooting a moving vehicle.

02-24-2014, 03:27 PM	#50
dc1500 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Essex Posts: 105	Thanks. I am using 16,17,18 the same but not the 27 point expandable. ---------- Post added 02-24-14 at 10:31 PM ---------- Originally posted by audiobomber Don't forget that you are pixel peeping at 24mp resolution vs. 16. It is pretty well established by now that noise is the same at comparable resolutions, only differing in how much noise reduction is applied. I'm not talking pixel peeping, more or less as shot, raw, no noise reduction. I find generally noise the same as K30 which as you say is good considering 24 mpx but it does seem to add more fine grain noise in the blue part of the spectrum. Easy enough to remove though so no big deal. Dave

12-30-2017, 09:45 AM	#51
Pentax_WA Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Seattle Posts: 307	Do you have a link on Flickr or other websites to see the actual file(s)? They don't appear quite sharp to me here.

12-30-2017, 10:54 AM	#52
dc1500 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Essex Posts: 105	Hi, sorry, no. That post was over three years ago! I still have my K3 which I like for certain things but now have a Nikon D500 which, frankly, is in a different league for tricky action shots like BIF.

12-30-2017, 11:02 AM	#53
audiobomber Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sudbury, Ontario Photos: Albums Posts: 6,806 Original Poster	Originally posted by Pentax_WA Do you have a link on Flickr or other websites to see the actual file(s)? They don't appear quite sharp to me here. Not sure who you are talking to. I have more small images in Picasa. Note that some of these are crops. Browser no longer supported Browser no longer supported I can probably find an original if there's something you want to see full size. Not sure if you can see the linked images. Here they are again in a Picasa archive: https://get.google.com/albumarchive/100586096103361553535/album/AF1QipNn8NDj...I-qoO2weBtBfot https://get.google.com/albumarchive/100586096103361553535/album/AF1QipPST_eL...KXc5cLh-uGl9AE

12-30-2017, 02:37 PM	#54
Pentax_WA Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Seattle Posts: 307	Originally posted by dc1500 Hi, sorry, no. That post was over three years ago! I still have my K3 which I like for certain things but now have a Nikon D500 which, frankly, is in a different league for tricky action shots like BIF. I am debating between fuji 100-400 vs my Pentax 60-250 and new 55-300 since I have both K3II and XT-2. if I sell my pentax, it covers the cost of Fuji 100-400. I hate to leave Pentax APC-S, but none of the pages on this forum convinced me that K3II AF is ready for wild life. How do you like your D500? ---------- Post added 12-30-17 at 03:38 PM ---------- Originally posted by audiobomber Not sure who you are talking to. I have more small images in Picasa. Note that some of these are crops. Browser no longer supported Browser no longer supported I can probably find an original if there's something you want to see full size. Not sure if you can see the linked images. Here they are again in a Picasa archive: Album Archive - K-3 BIF Album Archive - K-3 Tracking test Thanks Dan for the links.