JimPearce

I use Capture NX2 "Better Quality 2012" 10% (sharpness 50%). Over ISO 1000 up to ISO 1600 I may use additional NR in the negative spaces in the background. Over ISO 1600 likely Dfine2. In my...

From the looks of your recent flycatchers, vireos and warblers you've brought your photography up a notch.

Really the D7100 is good for everything I do in wildlife photography except birds in flight. If you're happy with the D300s at ISO 800 you'll be happy with the D7100 at ISO 1600.

Here it is given the full Dfine2 treatment at NEF level.

Noisy is a judgement call. Sometimes yours is lacking. I can't say that mine is perfect. Here's a 100% crop. I don't think it is noisy in the least.

The eye is dead sharp at 100% and the OOF branches may appear to be noise. I brought up the exposure by 1/6 of a stop, which is a little less hot than I normally shoot.

I have Dfine2 but so far up to ISO 1600 with the D7100 I haven't needed anything but Capture NX2's NR.

The basic trick is in bird photography is to set the widest aperture that will keep the subject in focus, and all but the nearest background out of focus. For perching songbirds full frame...

He means this lens: http://www.bythom.com/300lens.htm . This was my first serious wildlife lens - it was for most of us twenty years ago. Still a great lens.

I hang my 300 f2.8 VR around my neck with the camera and lens strap. Once the bird in flight action starts, the adrenaline flows and I can go several hours without noticing the weight. I do feel it...

Anyway, there's data on write sprrds at IR and elsewhere. No, that's what the buffer is for. What is critical is the read speed from the sensor.

It took me about 40 years to learn to take pictures like this. And most of the improvement is in the equipment.

Better 6 pounds of 300 f2.8 on a D300 than 8-1/2 pounds of 500 f4 on an FX camera for handheld work Kris.

This has been my typical songbird combination for 17 years now. The only difference is that now I can get better quality at ISO 1600 than I could shooting Velvia at ISO 40.

I was there on Sunday briefly - saw one night heron.

I think you'll enjoy the D7100 Ed. It's nice to be able to shoot when last year I'd have been waiting for the light.

Right now if we want to go with current technology we need to choose a camera with too little reach (D4), one that is too slow (D800) or one that has next to no buffer (D7100).

My first foray into ISO 1600 territory with the D7100. I used a two layer NR strategy in the first two; in the third I was looking for a dreamy look and only used one layer. I was fairly happy with...