Reading mode: Light Dark

SX30 Birds - Backyard Variety Pak

Go to last post
K

kenn threed

Leading Member
Messages
852
Reaction score
76
Location
MO, US
Hi again all,

Here's another batch of backyard bird photos...
On the deck, in the trees, and around the yard.
All taken with the SX30, hand-held in Manual mode.

House Finch (male) :



Downy Woodpecker (male) :



Dark-eyed Junco (male) :



Northern Cardinal (male) :



Northern Cardinal (female):



American Robin (female) :



American Robin (male) :



Eastern Bluebird (female) :



Eastern Bluebird (male) :



We hope you enjoy them,

Kenn

--
Kenn & Temple - Backyard Birders in St.Louis, MO USA
http://kenn3d.smugmug.com
 
Excellent shots! I think the Eastern Bluebird is my favourite of the set.

Have you done any editing on these photos? If you have would it be possible to see an unedited photo please as I am considering buying an SX30.
 
Thanks Tricia and John B for your comments. We love to share our birds :)

arrow180 - I process all the images we post online (in Photoshop).

You can find several before and after samples in some of my earlier posts re:Birding with the SX30.

Here is one such thread where I've described our settings and post processing methods, which includes a slide comparing an sooc image with the posted image.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=37342216

Hope this is helpful,

Kenn

--
Kenn & Temple - Backyard Birders in St.Louis, MO USA
http://kenn3d.smugmug.com
 
Those are great pictures. What settings do you typically use in manual mode?
 
Very nice and interesting collection of birds. I only see pigeons and sparrows here in New York City. One time a few years ago I saw 2 big black crows in Times Square on a billboard - they were making such a racket that I looked up, and there they were to my surprise.
Ed
--
NewYorkEd

 
You have done a very nice job on these I might even try to take a few myself!
Good work enjoyed looking
 
Thanks Ed, Mark, and Barry, for your encouraging comments.

We're fortunate to have a lot of nice birds here...
We love to photograph them, and we love to share them. :)

Kenn

--
Kenn & Temple - Backyard Birders in St.Louis, MO USA
http://kenn3d.smugmug.com
 
Scott Cannon said:
Those are great pictures. What settings do you typically use in manual mode?
Click to expand...
Hi Scott, thanks for your comment.

Because we shoot in Manual mode, our settings tend to be different from each shot or series to the next.

Here is exif for the House Finch shot (#1 above):
File Name IMG_6979.JPG
Camera Model Name Canon PowerShot SX30 IS
Shooting Date/Time 3/11/2011 9:09:32 AM
Shooting Mode Manual
My Colors Mode Custom Color
Tv (Shutter Speed) 1/250
Av (Aperture Value) 5.8
Light Metering Spot
ISO Speed 80
Lens 4.3 - 150.5 mm
Focal Length 127.7 mm
Digital Zoom None
IS Mode On
Image Size 4320x3240
Image Quality Fine
Flash Off
White Balance Day Light
AF Mode Continuous AF
Parameters Contrast -1
Sharpness -2
Saturation Normal
Color Space sRGB
File Size 2664 KB
Drive Mode Continuous shooting

These settings are fairly typical, but with changes (especially to ISO, shutter speed, focal length, and aperture) as required for each shot.

Hope this is helpful,

Kenn

--
Kenn & Temple - Backyard Birders in St.Louis, MO USA
http://kenn3d.smugmug.com
 
Thanks. I'm still getting used to the sx30, but there are many birds in our rural, agricultural area. My composition is based on luck, as is the focus. I appreciate the response. I've kept it in auto mode primarily, but I can see where manual mode, for a known distance, lighting condition, etc, would probably be much more responsive.
 
Kenn,

Is sharpness equal -2 or 2 ? I am bit confused about that - .

Thanks,

VadiV
 
Excellent photos, that far exceed most I have seen with DLSR's and expensive lens
 
John Szeto said:
Excellent photos, that far exceed most I have seen with DLSR's and expensive lens
Click to expand...
Hi John, and thanks very much for your comment,

The SX30 is not a DSLR of course, and its small sensor and slower response sure cannot match the performance of larger more expensive cameras. But when used in the right conditions, and when settings are optimized, it can indeed produce images which rival the higher spec gear, especially at screen resolutions.

We have kinda specialized in shooting our backyard birds with these small Canon superzooms. We've had a lot of practice and we process every image individually. For us, the results we get are very satisfying. For what we do, we simply can't justify the expense and weight of a DSLR/lens combo with comparable reach. But each photographer must decide which gear is best for his/her needs. We have many birding friends who produce excellent images with their DSLRs, and who take BIF and low-light images we could not hope to capture with our humble gear.

Still, we do feel the SX30 is a very capable camera for our purposes.... and we don't hesitate to recommend it for others with similar interests.

Backyard birding on a budget? ... it works for us.

Kenn

--
Kenn & Temple - Backyard Birders in St.Louis, MO USA
http://kenn3d.smugmug.com
 
I like them all. How much zoom were you using?

--
----------------------------
regards,
sue anne

 
Hi Kenn

Many thanks and appreciations for sharing these wonderful and amazing shots,i believe that these are taken with SX 30 for i have taken more or less few a bit similar to these,but not as well as your shots,these are superb.Do you work with photoshop with them,i do not see EXIF on them,good luck and have fun with its end zoom lovely 840 mm,all the best,mo :)
--
mbkamrani
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top