BIF: why these shots are so bad ?

Seb P wrote:

Distinctly Average wrote:

Seb P wrote:

Distinctly Average wrote:

Seb P wrote:

Dareshooter wrote:

Seb P wrote:

Thanks Distinctly Average & spec68.

Spec68, ok regarding lack of contrast and sharpness but can this explain the autofocus errors ?

(photos taken at 9:30 a.m.)

Look at where the focus reticule is in relation to the subject. Much of it falls outside so there's more room for AF error.

I don't understand why the AF box is wrong placed. Because during the shot the box seems to follow correctly the subject ... Is it too fast maybe ?

Can you post your case settings? Also, have you tried setting your case to auto?

What was the percentage of in focus shots? How much did you have to crop to see that?

During this burst, i thing 6/10 shots are blurry. (even when the subject is coming to me, no very fast lateral movement). The images are not cropped at all.

I use the Case "Auto".

Lateral movement is often a lot easier for the camera to track than a bird flying at you.

I think you probably just need practice and better conditions. Black subjects can be a nightmare. We’ve all been there and had the same struggles. Some days you get everything right, other days it doesn’t go so well. In better light with less cropping you will almost certainly have a much higher hit rate. Personally I look at the bad days as an excuse to go out and shoot more. It is a challenge that I relish. Sometimes it is disheartening, but then another day you come home with an image that the moment you take it the smile begins.

Thanks. I hope it's as you said and that my camera & lens are ok ...

I am sure they are. Those last three of the warbler, it is very small in the frame so is almost certainly going to struggle.

Karen Casebeer wrote:

If I set my ISO manually, and start low and gradually increase it, I have better control over the shutter speed while I’m in Av. I can make sure I have enough shutter speed for birds in flight. I live in northwestern Lower Michigan where winters are pretty grey and with the constant F8 aperture, it has helped me get better pictures.

Unfortunately that doesn’t work everywhere. I shoot auto ISO in M mode and use compensation where required. Others swear by the new Fv mode,

Karen Casebeer wrote:

Here are three shots of cormorants I took a couple days ago. You can see with each manual upping of the ISO, the shutter speed increases until at 3200 ISO, I finally get a decent shutter speed for birds that move. These are straight out of the camera with no post-processing.

1/200 at 400 ISO

1/500 at 1600 ISO

1/1000 at 3200 ISO

spec68 wrote:

I agree it's a combination of bad light and an all black subject. Going off your data shooting at 1/2000 ISO 500, F8 it must have been quite bright out -- like noon sun. Sure looks like it in your last couple of shots. Try again shooting in softer morning or late afternoon light or on a cloudy day.

Would it have been good to underexpose in that case ? I have already experienced that kind of bad IQ with black birds. And with white birds ?

Thanks !

sintos wrote:

spec68 wrote:

I agree it's a combination of bad light and an all black subject. Going off your data shooting at 1/2000 ISO 500, F8 it must have been quite bright out -- like noon sun. Sure looks like it in your last couple of shots. Try again shooting in softer morning or late afternoon light or on a cloudy day.

Would it have been good to underexpose in that case ? I have already experienced that kind of bad IQ with black birds. And with white birds ?

Thanks !

I tend to try and expose for the subject in question, and for the sort of image I am trying to achieve. On a really bright day I may want to throw the background into darkness and show off the bird, or I may want a good exposure for the background and have my subject as a silhouette. It is not as simple as just doing X in a particular set of circumstances.

I seem to really be missing something in your "method." I would not give up getting acceptable action shots by starting at low shutter speeds and working up. I am more conservative and choose shutter speeds that I feel completely confident in right from the start (and use auto iso).