Birding

[wuapinmon]

In all fairness, we don't know what he meant by "backyard."

[swampfrog]

A few that are decent technical pictures, but limited artistic value. Birds I either don't see regularly, or usually get close enough to get a good picture.

[wuapinmon]

That Red-Breasted Sapsucker Shot is really cool. I mean, they're all good, but I've never seen a RBSA before, so it was fun just looking in my Sibley's to figure out what it was.

Here's a couple I got this morning. A friend got a Tamron 150-600m and we were messing around with it at the Carolina Sandhills NWR.

[wuapinmon]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...their-eaglets/

[swampfrog]

A friend got a Tamron 150-600m and we were messing around with it at the Carolina Sandhills NWR.

Some day I'll be able to afford something that will get me out to 400mm and beyond without the use of an extender...

How is the auto-focus at 600?

[wuapinmon]

Some day I'll be able to afford something that will get me out to 400mm and beyond without the use of an extender...

How is the auto-focus at 600?

Jumpy on the sport setting, a little better on the general one.

[Donuthole]

[wuapinmon]

Sadly, those are ravens, so I think someone did you an unkindness.

[wuapinmon]

I shot these last two in the rain in such poor light conditions that I was amazed I got the camera to even take the shots.

[falafel]

Sadly, those are ravens, so I think someone did you an unkindness.

It says attempted.

[wuapinmon]

It says attempted.

Jackdaw.

[swampfrog]

I shot these last two in the rain in such poor light conditions that I was amazed I got the camera to even take the shots.

Out of curiosity, what camera, and what focus mode do you use?

[wuapinmon]

Out of curiosity, what camera, and what focus mode do you use?

Nikon D3000. Tamron 70-300mm. I vary between Auto, Sport, and Macro, depending on light and how bouncy the critter is. Finches I use auto. If it's a warbler, I'll go to sport because the damned things won't hold still. I usually am all the way dialed out on 300 mm. I should take a photography class, but I'm waiting for my daughter to start taking one in the fall, I want her to teach me how to be better since I've taught her so many things and I'm usually the know-it-all. I also have a heavy hand in Picasa.

[swampfrog]

Nikon D3000. Tamron 70-300mm. I vary between Auto, Sport, and Macro, depending on light and how bouncy the critter is. Finches I use auto. If it's a warbler, I'll go to sport because the damned things won't hold still. I usually am all the way dialed out on 300 mm. I should take a photography class, but I'm waiting for my daughter to start taking one in the fall, I want her to teach me how to be better since I've taught her so many things and I'm usually the know-it-all. I also have a heavy hand in Picasa.

This is just a quick summary, probably non-solicited so I apologize if I'm overstepping the intention of the thread.

That's the exposure/scene mode. A quick google shows the focus mode is Menu -> Wrench -> Focus Mode. This won't work when the exposure mode is set for Auto. I think it defaults to AF-A when in Auto mode. For birds, you typically want to force the camera into continuous auto-focus mode, for Nikon this is "AF-C", for Canon it's "AI-Servo". It's likely the "sports" setting also enables this.

Most of the "scene" modes (portrait, landscape, sports, etc.) are really just a quick way of changing a number of settings to specific values that are generally good for that type of photography. Bird mode is not usually one of the options. Sports might be close, but it's likely the shutter speed will be too slow for rapidly moving birds (flight or small song birds), where you want at minimum 1/500, better if you can get up to 1/2000.

Once you realize that all those scene modes do is control 4 parameters for image capture, (Focus mode/properties, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO), then at some point you learn that for some situations it is better to control those directly because there isn't a mode for the specific situation. These modes will also change the processing applied to the jpeg after the capture.

DSLR's can track moving subjects and continuously refocus until you fully press the shutter button. Once you have changed the auto focus mode to "AF-C", half-press the shutter button and hold it there while holding the selected autofocus point (likely the center one) on the moving subject. Try it on a moving child/pet sometime to see what it does. It will significantly help the number of in-focus shots you can get. It's also very useful for sports.

I also set my camera for continuous shooting, so if I hold down the shutter button the camera keeps shooting. It can track moving objects and take burst of shots at the same time. In between shots, the auto focus system will adjust to the subject. This is the one area that is seeing continuous actual improvement in new bodies. They have algorithms built to attempt to predict the motion of the subject based on the most recent history of focusing. In the most recent models you can change some parameters of the algorithms. Better processors continue to enable better and faster algorithms.

The 3000 is going to be limiting at some point relative to newer bodies. The sensors have continued to improve, especially over the last 5 years. I recently upgraded to the Canon 7D mark II specifically because I enjoy shooting birds and my kids' sporting events.

All of my pictures are edited significantly, I only shoot RAW.

[wuapinmon]

This is just a quick summary, probably non-solicited so I apologize if I'm overstepping the intention of the thread.

That's the exposure/scene mode. A quick google shows the focus mode is Menu -> Wrench -> Focus Mode. This won't work when the exposure mode is set for Auto. I think it defaults to AF-A when in Auto mode. For birds, you typically want to force the camera into continuous auto-focus mode, for Nikon this is "AF-C", for Canon it's "AI-Servo". It's likely the "sports" setting also enables this.

Most of the "scene" modes (portrait, landscape, sports, etc.) are really just a quick way of changing a number of settings to specific values that are generally good for that type of photography. Bird mode is not usually one of the options. Sports might be close, but it's likely the shutter speed will be too slow for rapidly moving birds (flight or small song birds), where you want at minimum 1/500, better if you can get up to 1/2000.

Once you realize that all those scene modes do is control 4 parameters for image capture, (Focus mode/properties, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO), then at some point you learn that for some situations it is better to control those directly because there isn't a mode for the specific situation. These modes will also change the processing applied to the jpeg after the capture.

DSLR's can track moving subjects and continuously refocus until you fully press the shutter button. Once you have changed the auto focus mode to "AF-C", half-press the shutter button and hold it there while holding the selected autofocus point (likely the center one) on the moving subject. Try it on a moving child/pet sometime to see what it does. It will significantly help the number of in-focus shots you can get. It's also very useful for sports.

I also set my camera for continuous shooting, so if I hold down the shutter button the camera keeps shooting. It can track moving objects and take burst of shots at the same time. In between shots, the auto focus system will adjust to the subject. This is the one area that is seeing continuous actual improvement in new bodies. They have algorithms built to attempt to predict the motion of the subject based on the most recent history of focusing. In the most recent models you can change some parameters of the algorithms. Better processors continue to enable better and faster algorithms.

The 3000 is going to be limiting at some point relative to newer bodies. The sensors have continued to improve, especially over the last 5 years. I recently upgraded to the Canon 7D mark II specifically because I enjoy shooting birds and my kids' sporting events.

All of my pictures are edited significantly, I only shoot RAW.

Cool. Thanks for that. I'll mess around tonight and see what my evening shots look like.