Last edited by Donald; 19th May 2012 at 11:10 AM. Reason: Image inserted inline
Clear and sharp and beautifully set off by the nice background and twigs.
Well done.
David
As you will see, I've put your image into the message. To learn all about posting images, just read -
HELP THREAD: How can I post images here?
You might also find this one helpful - How to Get Effective Feedback for your Posted Images
As to the image - one thing I wonder about is trying to get rid of that twig creeping in at the top. I don't know how you rate your digital post-processing skills, but I think you'd be able to clone that so that you'd never know it had been there.
Many thanks Bobobird
Many thanks for that. I'll have a try in Photoshop Elements that I have, and see if I can remove the twig. On the whole I was reasonably pleased with this shot as it was one of the first taken using my latest aquisition, a Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens) and was taken handheld at 500mm at f8 and 1/400 - but what do the experts here think?
Last edited by DavidM61; 19th May 2012 at 11:44 AM.
Much better David, nice image.
Hi David,
Not that I consider myself an expert, I am reasonably experienced shooting birds and I'd be pleased with the quality of this shot.
The lens you have just acquired is really the only available sensibly priced option for the average amateur. I am torn between getting one to get beyond 300mm (450mm FFE) on my Nikon, or getting a bridge camera with a 25x zoom that goes to somewhere around 800mm FFE. The latter option is much lighter, but will be challenged on quality I suspect.
How do you find the lens for focusing?
Is it accurate? - I had a Sigma once (the 18-250mm), but on my Nikon, it consistently 'back focused', meaning I had to focus on the ground (or water) some distance in front of the bird to get a shot as good as yours.
Your bokeh looks quite good too, if anything, better than my 70-300mm.
Cheers,
David nice image, I think you made the right call regarding the twig/ good advice as always by donald.
Nice sharp image and great background blur.
David nice image, I think you made the right call regarding the twig/ good advice as always by donald.
Nice sharp image and great background blur.
Hello Dave
Thanks for the comments.
The camera I used on this shot is my Nikon D300s. So far I've the focusing on it is quick and precise - the exception being in low light conditions when it can hunt a bit, but it is only in really low light. It certainly seems accurate when focusing, and so far I am very pleased with it. On my D300s I've found that when shooting at 500mm, (equivalent using the Nikon to 750mm in full frame), the best results come at f8 and an ISO around 800 - 1000. The blackbird here was at 500mm, f8, 1/400, ISO 800, handheld and in a shaded wooded area. Budget wise, I can't afford a prime 400 or 500mm lens, and against other zoom/telephoto type lenses I feel that this Sigma will give the others a good run for their money.
Hello Dave
Thanks for the comments.
The camera I used on this shot is my Nikon D300s. So far I've found the focusing on it is quick and precise - the exception being in low light conditions when it can hunt a bit, but it is only in really low light. It certainly seems accurate when focusing, and so far I am very pleased with it. On my D300s I've found that when shooting at 500mm, (equivalent when using the Nikon to 750mm in full frame), the best results come at f8 and an ISO around 800 - 1000. The blackbird here was at 500mm, f8, 1/400, ISO 800, handheld and in a shaded wooded area. Budget wise, I can't afford a prime 400 or 500mm lens, and against other zoom/telephoto type lenses I feel that this Sigma will give the others a good run for their money.