Lunch Time Chaffs

Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson

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I know its dangerous to post here, ....

However, my limited garden space gets plenty of birds, including these chaffinches.

Looking right to left alas, but anyway, pleases me.

Olympus EPL5 wit 600mm lens and X2 digital tele converter (as an experiment), aperture controlled (about F6.7 I think..)

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I think that you have missed the focus on the eye Mark and the image is also soft ...... I only saw #2 when I commented, (my internet connection can be slow to load sometimes)

What shutter speed did you use?

also could you explain the 600mm plus X2 converter on the M4/3 body

i.e. what did you end up at ........ I did not think that there was a 600mm lens for the Oly ........ was it the panasonic 300mm zoom x 2 using the converter?

so were you "effectively" (when measured in a certain way), at 1200mm - i.e. 300 x 2 x 2

I have never found the M43 system to be much good for birds ........ and I have tried with the 300mm Panasonic zoom ........ I'm would think that it's the lens not the body as the V1 plus the CX 300mm lens turns out some good shots
 
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Ah yes, it was a 300mm lens of course on the micro 4/3rds system Thus equivalent to a 600mm lens on standard lens with full size (?)SLR., and as said X2 digital tele converter

As for focus, the camera is in autofocus, and is on a spot focus setting. As aperture is wide open (6.7) DPF is minimal. Shutter was 1/200 on the first and 1/320 on the second,ISO 200

The eye on the first seems to be sharp...

I used CS2 to crop the 2nd, but decided the first was best un-cropped. Also Auto colour adjustments, which lightened the photo slightly.

Image is soft?? How do I correct that, and don't quite understand what you mean.

Thanks for time here....

 
Mark, I would think 1/200th and 1/320th sec are way too low

I'd be looking at around 1/1000th sec plus on a tripod ..... hand held the M43 body plus 300mm is never steady and when you add x 2 ...... you can be buggered, (if you excuse my French).

"soft" means that it is not in focus or not sharpe.

Explore the relationships between focal length, (the lens), fvalue, shutter speed and ISO settings to get a sharpe image

as a general rule on a DSLR the shutter speed should be higher than the focal length of the lens ...... for some people like me, a doddery old git ...... it needs to be much higher
 
Also Mark, the x 2 converter will degrade the IQ, (sometimes considerably), and can slow the AF system down to a point where the camera will not AF at all, (depending on the value)

Considering the slow shutter speed, distance and kit set up the images are presentable
 
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Ok,, Many thanks all, the X2 was a bit of an experiment anyway. Camera was on a tripod but not tightened up, as you say the little blighters are continually on the move.

A faster shutter speed will be worth a try, but of course I was at full aperture with this lens anyway... I note your Rule Of Thumb about lens length and speed..

these birdies are about 15 feet away from camera, so trying to get close in.
 
If the birds are 15 feet away, I would expect the lens without the teleconverter would be long enough??............ 600mm in Full Frame terms, so shutter speed should be set to this as a minimum 1/600, but as Bill and Dave have said, even higher will be better especially if handholding and using a TC. I find Blue Tits to be very fast movers, their heads never keep still.
 
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Again Thanks for the time and constructive criticism.

If I increase exposure, I am most likely to have to up the ISO.

I guess I need to play with the combinations to see what does so to speak.

I guess I might be a bit a~~~ about the ISO, I always keep it as low as possible. But I think a 400 ISO might be good enough.

Remember film days, perfect photography use 100 or less ISO (ASA??)

Mj
 
I'm not sure on M4/3 cameras but up the ISO and then pull back if needed.. It's suprising what modern cameras can do. Start at ISO1600, 1250, 800 etc............ It's better to get a shot in focus and a higher ISO rather than no shot at all.

A lot of people let the ISO be in auto with a maximum set and then set the shutter speed for the desired shot if in manual or minimum speed if in auto. I have my D750 at max ISO of 6400 and SS of 1/800 for a 300mm lens.

Also, a lot of the modern processing software will have noise reduction settings in them, they can clean up very well. I use lightroom through the Adobe CC package where I pay £8.74 a month. You can have a 30 day free trial. > http://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/catalog/desktop.html
 
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