Lesser Kestrel

[Richard Unsworth]

:S3:

Another from LPN Castro Verde yesterday
Sat for considerable time in 32 degrees! eventually this parent bird began delivering insects to the brood.

1/2500 f7.1 380mm HH ME ISO 800
NR , curves, sharp CS6

[Gerald Kelberg]

Hi Richard,

I'd be quite pleased to be sitting in 32C sunshine - especially if this is the sort of shot I could get. :c3:

Nice full under view of the male and good to see he is bringing home the bacon!

Can't help but think it might be a bit sharper and there is an amount of noise on the left wing (not a political comment, you understand!)

I'd really recommend you get hold of Arash's guidelines where he uses DPP for conversion and shows how to use Neat Image to handle noise on the bird not just the background.

Best wishes,

Gerald

[Richard Unsworth]

Hi Gerald

yes I have Arashi's guide but I dont have the Denoise bit; I am poor lol
I bought Topaz instead haha.
The 7D is hard to handle, it can make noise on a white page. I also am using a beat up laptop as my good ones mobo got fried by the generator
it is in Huddersfield being rebuilt - -Huddersfield should also be rebuilt lol

Anyway, cant complain, I get a free suntan with every shot. Wish I had the bucks for a 1DX and a 500 prime (any donations grateful received)

[Richard Unsworth]

:S3:

OK just paid a little more attention and reposting

ran Topaz on the bird 0.1 looks a lot better?
made whole image brighter as well - I like it!

[PhilCook]

Re post has improved, I also find it very hard to get shots lie this without the under wing noise, gotta love the eye contact with the camera in this shot and nice soft blue sky...maybe a little more contrast applied may help with the slight haziness

[Jonathan Ashton]

I like your repost Richard, was this a substantial crop, I would consider making the bird 25% smaller in the frame and I think you will see a transformation. I will defend the 7D it's not a bad camera at all but it does not like being underexposed or being cropped at ISO 800 and above.

[Richard Unsworth]

Thanks Phil and Jon

Jon I like my 7D - interesting fact re iso 800++ for cropping, thx for that
heavy crop 50 at ISO 800 !

Reposting at much less, do you like it?

Today I got several amazing shots.....light was bright and flat, no glare :-)

[Jonathan Ashton]

Hi Rich yes I prefer the repost - was the original image taken at + 0.66 or more or was it at standard setting, I suspect the latter, full exposure will minimise the noise, I don't mind a few blinkies at high ISO - remember the image on the back of the camera is a jpeg so when you get the raw file you can deal with overexposure, the latest raw converter in CS6 and Lightroom is just amazing.

[Richard Unsworth]

Actually Jon exposure was manual with Ev +1.66 in the crossed light.
Ev does not appear to be recorded when shooting a manual exposure unless I am missing something?
Anotebook is required. The histogram predominantly well to the right.
I use DPP though I will go to CS6 acr OCCASIONALLY.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Ok Rich, for what It's worth I far prefer ACR to DPP in my hands it is much more flexible and less yes less noisy I know there are folks who won't agree but this is the case in my hands. It's the old story horses for courses etc.

[Richard Unsworth]

Jon

Thank goodness everyone has choices, thats a good thing. Canon vs Nikon, DPP vs ACR it all makes for interesting banter :-)
Once again thanks, I really like my 7D and the 100-400 its what I have. Patience and fieldcraft are very important, subjects will be closer if time and trouble is taken.
The issues of cropping too much then recede, but some like tight images, others loose, as you say horses for courses!