Not sure what it's called but I know it's a bird.

[richmond]

I would appreciate any thoughts you have on this. This little chappie just wouldn't stay still, but kept returning to the same spot. I shot dozens of frames but this was the only one that is anywhere near in focus. Is there anything I can do to improve it further? I've cropped, sharpened and resized only.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e386/daidoh/Birds/Bird-resized.jpg

100% crop on the bird.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e386/daidoh/Birds/Bird-crop.jpg

Thanks in advance, please don't hold back. I can take it.

:popcorn:

[Cuddy]

Well its a House Sparrow, i leave the critique to others as im not qualified to offer anything other than an ID.
regards brian.

[Marcel]

I think with these little beggars, luck does play quite a part.

Also, you need to plan your shot as best you can. IE, thinking about backgrounds, location, where the birds are going to land.
For this particular shot though, I think you've let down by too slow a shutter speed. As you've said, these never sit still, and from what I understand, when they move, they don't do it slowly...lol
As you can see on the crop, there's movement on the upper half of the bird.
I think if he'd have just sat still, the focus would be spot on.

[G2EWS]

Looks to me like the focus is on the fence. If you look at the Sparrows feet they are in focus whilst the rest is out.

I would imagine that pre focussing would have solved the problem.

BTW what camera lens combination did you use?

Regards

Chris

[theMusicMan]

It certainly is a House Sparrow, and a male at that. They make a greta deal of noice chirping in the mornings!!

[richmond]

Thanks for the replies.

1. Pre-focus. I did try sitting with the shutter half depressed but I can't keep my hands still for very long. :'( (I didn't go out with the intention of shooting wildlife so left the tripod at home.)
2. Shutter speed. Although I know this is important, every thing I know about the subject just goes out of my mind when I need to remember. :shrug: Which is the more important setting, shutter or aperture?
3. Plan. I told him my plan but the critter didn't listen. :lol:
4. Combination. Canon 300D, Sigma 19-200 OS, Exp. 1/100, F6.3, ISO 100, focal length 173mm.

Thanks again, and thanks for the ID. Never was very good at identifying birds.

[G2EWS]

Hi Richmond,

You don't need to hold the shutter down, you should be able to put the lens on manual focus then pre focus at the point you expect the bird to land. But a I am a Nikon owner so cannot confirm that your combination will do this!

Be really surprised if it did not though!

With regards to shutter speed and aperture, both are important and with something like this you need to set your speed as fast as possible. Remember the rule for your lens would be 1/focal length. So if you were at 200mm you would need a shutter speed of 1/200 or faster. Then the aperture would be set to suit the given light.

But I am only a learner as well!

Get this book it is the best one I found to understand aperture:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Camera/dp/0817463003

Regards

Chris

[CT]

I don't think you quite got critical focus although these little birds are buggers for moving their heads just as you take the shot, which might have happened here. Still it's possible to sharpen it enough to save the shot and make it presentable, although I'd have cropped it more like the smaller example..

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/1269/sparrer_-edit.jpg

You really need to work off a tripod to get consistent good results with birds. Set one AF point and Servo AF. Make sure you get that AF point as accurately over the eye as you can. :)

[G2EWS]

As ever CT, brilliant job!

Chris

[richmond]

I really need to hone my skills (?) both photography and PS. I think I'm afraid to use manual focus :shrug: As for sharpening :shrug: I either go too far or not enough.

I have the Understanding book but it's a little big to carry around :lol:

CT, If I didn't know differently I'd swear the image you've put up wasn't from my original. Love it :clap:

Right, back to the drawing board. Thanks for the input guys. :thumbs:

[Gerods]

Try down loading this action for PS. It really does work and saves a lot of time.

http://www.panosfx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=115&Itemid=27
I notice by the EXIF That your iso was 100 and shutter speed 100 I would lift the iso to give you a shutter speed above the focal length of what lens you are using.
In your case you were using 173mm, so set you shutter speed above that amount 250+
Just a rule of thumb but it works.

[CT]

I think I'm afraid to use manual focus



Use manual focus if the auto focus packs up altogether! :D

Seriously - forget it - if I used MF I'd rarely get a decent bird shot. Tripod/ One AF Spot/ Servo AF! ;)

[G2EWS]

Hi CT,

Surprised you say use auto. I am on another photography forum and the guys there maintain it is the way to go.

Although I am not a twitter! So maybe it is different. But seems to me you don't get much of a chance to get it right with birds!

Regards

Chris

[CT]

Well I'm amazed anyone would recommend manual focus for bird photography. I can't remember the last time I used MF, and birds has formed the bulk of my photography for quite a while now.

They're just rarely still - even those perched on that branch are hopping and moving around all the time - just the situation that servo AF was designed for.

Beg, borrow, or otherwise acquire a gimbal head and all you have to do is keep that single AF point over the bird's head and let the servo AF system take up the slack for those little movements the birds are continually making - so small in fact that you'd struggle to detect them with the naked eye, let alone make manual adjustment for them, but more than enough to take the edge off the sharpness of your shots.

Especially using long lenses, DOF is never enough, even for tiny birds. It's common to have the near leg in focus and the far leg oof, but as long as that eye is sharp.... all is good. ;)

[G2EWS]

Hi CT,

Reckon I did not explain properly, I don't think the other guys are necessarily into bird photography so as always I bow down to your greater knowledge.

But with my eyes I always struggle with manual focus anyway.

Never quite worked out, if like me you wear glasses, is the view finder (dioptic) in focus? If not, how can you tell the lens is in focus?

Catch 22 I reckon.

Chris

[CT]

LOL Yep I need glasses to get out of bed these days.

Well what camera do you have? Usually you can adjust the eyesight correction in the viewfinder. I can adjust the viewfinder sharpness to see a sharp image without specs, but then I can't see the LCD info without putting my specs on, so I adjust the viewfinder for a sharp image wearing specs.

The bottom line though is that whilst it's nice to see a sharp viewfinder image, the AF system will still produce a sharp image, whether the viewfinder is sharp to you or not, so another big up for AF. AF is something you appreciate more and more as you get older. ;)

[Les McLean]

AF is something you appreciate more and more as you get older. ;)

I'll second that :)

[G2EWS]

I suffer with pure double vision, so whatever eye I look with I see two of everything!

Great when I look at my wallet.

Truly weird!

Chris