What is my weak link?

andy_fozzy

andy_fozzy

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Andy!
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Since I changed over to Nikon, I have to say, I've not in general been impressed.

Something is stopping my pics having that WOW factor.

Example:


200911 by andy foster2007, on Flickr

Nikon D300 & Sigma 150-500mm OS @450mm
1/1250
F8
ISO 800

It actually looks ok small size, but have a look at it bigger. It's CRAP.
WTF is going on?

The D300 isn't impressing me tbh. Noise handling is poor, the slightest crop degrages IQ quite substantially.
It most certainly is not a good wildlife body, although it does have allot of good points.......

The sample image I've posted seriously disapoints me, and I'm really starting to consider jacking the hobby in completely. I have the best kit I can afford, and if the only way of getting better shots is to spend 4-5k on glass, it ain't EVER going to happen.

What's the weak link in my kit then. The D300 or the Sigma 150-500mm?
 
That Wagtail shot was taken in poor light, you will struggle with any combination when conditions are against you.

I have a gallery full of images shot with the D300, must say it has always been kind to me, however I have been using Nikkor glass on it.

ISO3200

 
Bloody hell Martyn, that's a cracker. Where's the noise?
I'm seeing noise @ ISO 800 on mine :thinking:
Have you used any removal software?

The light today was pretty poo, but not a complete washout. I've taken better shots than that in worse light.
But the very upsetting thing is, they were when I was shooting Canon........

I'm starting to think I've made another bad decision.......
 
Don't do birds..... feathered kind anyway but Martyn... has shown many examples at 3200iso and his shots are superb.

I would say that as a Sigma owner I wouldn't want to crop too much and would prefer to fill the frame.




Too late....
 
I've had that lens on a D90 and TBH I wasn't a big fan. Fill the frame and you're ok but any cropping just looked naff - serious cropping, forget it.
 
andy_fozzy said:
Bloody hell Martyn, that's a cracker. Where's the noise?
I'm seeing noise @ ISO 800 on mine :thinking:
Have you used any removal software?

The light today was pretty poo, but not a complete washout. I've taken better shots than that in worse light.
But the very upsetting thing is, they were when I was shooting Canon........

I'm starting to think I've made another bad decision.......
Click to expand...

That was run through Noiseware set on default, the thumbnail below is the same image before Noiseware. Bear in mind this was also shot with a 300/4 AF-S + 1.7TC @ f7.1 (that is nearly wide open), and that is not the best combination for smooth out of focus areas.

I used to own a Sigma 500 f4.5 and to be honest it was pants, the images lacked any punch, resolution left a lot to be desired, as I said most of those on my gallery were using the D300.

 
andy_fozzy said:
Ok, the light is a hundred times better, but Jesus, I can't pick and choose which light I'm going to shoot in!!!
Click to expand...

That looks harsh and over-saturated, could be your processing regime, I shoot raw, and run the image through capture NX2, save as a jpeg and polish it up in Elements.

To be honest it would have to be a rarity for me to want to shoot it in that gloom in your first image, light is everything. That silvery grey reflection on the water seems to suck the life out of most images.

Anyway I thought you were after a 300 f4 AF-S
 
i find the d300 ok at sio 1600 if the exposure is good and you can still crop, and iso 3200 is the same, but as martyn said its all about the light,,
i have lots of pics taken with my d300 and sigma 150-500mm os and 50-500mm os.
SJB_8422.jpg


SJB_2530-1.jpg


SJB_0614.jpg


SJB_9859.jpg


SJB_9784.jpg


SJB_8912.jpg
 
Andy, a few basic settings I use for birding shots (on a D300 or D700)

I am always shooting raw

Picture Control - C1 Standard

White Balance - Sunny (I can always change to cloudy in CaptureNX2)

Most of my bird shots are using spot metering, as it is the subjects exposure I want nailed ... having said that I will switch to matrix if the light gets a bit tricky, but that is intuitive and I doubt I could apply any rule to that.

For static birds I like to be at 1/500 sec and f7.1, I let auto ISO worry about the rest, but I keep an eye on what it is doing, and reign it in by tweaking the aperture or shutter speed.

I always use rear button focus, and have disabled the shutter release from focusing, this means I can let go of the focus button, then take the shot.

Hope that helps :thumbs:
 
Thanks for the advice guys :thumbs:

Martyn, I hopefully am going down the 300mm AF-S road. Gotta sell my old 300mm and then I should almost have the funds for it.

At least now I have seen that the D300 is capable of producing the goods.
I guess the 150-500mm is letting me down.
It's really good in good light, but like I said, I can't always have good light!

Time to work on my technique perhaps???
And my editing skills!
 
If it makes you feel any better Andy, all my bird shots suck - its not the camera, its not the glass (neccessarily) its down to birding technique which others on here show is perfectly possible with some careful planning.

I'd normally say I am quite familar and capable with my D300 for lots of things, but birds have always been a dissapointment for me.
 
desantnik said:
If it makes you feel any better Andy, all my bird shots suck - its not the camera, its not the glass (neccessarily) its down to birding technique which others on here show is perfectly possible with some careful planning.

I'd normally say I am quite familar and capable with my D300 for lots of things, but birds have always been a dissapointment for me.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. Does make me feel a bit better!!

I think in my case it's 50/50. The Sigma is pretty very bad in poor light.
Although I really did think that the D300 wasn't so bad at high ISO.
As usual, I'm probably expecting too much :cuckoo:
 
I shoot most of my wildlife images with the D300. To be honest i use auto ISO quite a bit but try and stay below ISO 800 with that camera, whilst on the D700 im happy to shoot right up to 6400. I would suspect poor light, processing and your Sigma lens to all be playing a part..The D300 can be fantastic but just pick and choose your settings carefully.
 
Interesting test Scott... but now try cropping a small chunk outta the bottom left of the brick stack and leave in some of the black.

Crop/resize it to the same size as your posted image...

Because thats what our friend here has done with his little birdie i will bet you...
 
BTW, I'm not knocking the D300 - far from it, I love mine but there are limitations that we shall see probably only overcome with the D400 (whenever that might be!!)
 
desantnik said:
Interesting test Scott... but now try cropping a small chunk outta the bottom left of the brick stack and leave in some of the black.

Crop/resize it to the same size as your posted image...

Because thats what our friend here has done with his little birdie i will bet you...
Click to expand...

You lost the bet.

A very small amount of cropping was done, just to re-frame the shot.
I will post the uncropped version...........
 
Blimey, I thought you'd cut like 300 pixels out the corner or something!

Show us a 100% crop of tweetie-pie there...
 
desantnik said:
Interesting test Scott... but now try cropping a small chunk outta the bottom left of the brick stack and leave in some of the black.

Crop/resize it to the same size as your posted image...

Because thats what our friend here has done with his little birdie i will bet you...
Click to expand...
hers a quick go its no perfect just a crop from each one.
d300 iso 6400
d300iso6400c.jpg

d700 iso 6400
iso6400cd700.jpg

d700 iso 12800
iso12800cd700.jpg

then after quick adjustments.
d300, 6400
d300iso6400done.jpg

d700, 6400
iso6400done.jpg

d700, 12800
iso12800done.jpg
 
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