Upside down Bald eagle with the new 100-400 II

[gail bisson]

I have had very few opportunities to use my new 100-400 II because of work and lousy weather. I was able to get out on Sunday afternoon to feed the eagles.
I am still loving this lens. Quick to auto-focus with the 1D MKIV and even faster when paired with the 1 DX. The ability to zoom in or out quickly with a large bird like an eagle is priceless.
This lens will be awesome in places like Fort deSoto for herons and cranes and storks and osprey. I still need the 600 for the smaller shorebirds though.
Canon 1 DMKIV
100-400 II
ISO 800 SS 1/2000 Av 6.3
I cooked the whites on the head but was able to get quite a bit back by using DPP 4 and decreasing the highlight slider to -3. I then used Detail Extractor in NIK EFEX Pro to bring out more detail. I selected the hot whites and pushed the DE to 10% ( I usually only go to 2 or 3 % with this tool).
I feel like I am getting the hang of DPP4 and I am using it if I have an ISO of 1600 or above or if I have underexposed the image or blown highlights.
I am still mostly using LR5 for all the other images. I feel like DPP4 is a terrific tool to have in the drawer for problem images.

This type of flight position happens incredibly quickly and is really hard to catch so this shot really speaks to the quick auto focus ability.
Image is cropped to 70% FF with a sliver of canvas added below.
Comments and critiques are always appreciated and learned from with thanks,
Gail

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Fantastic image Gail, love the upside down pose, the HA and eye contact. The details you have achieved is superb. Glad the new lens is performing well.

[Joseph Przybyla]

What an unusual flight angle. Perfect IQ as always. Thank you for sharing.

[dankearl]

Crazy cool pose and nice IQ.
The whites are on the edge but not a distraction....

[Raybel Robles]

Love the pose by the eagle on this photo. Very different and very captivating. Great details, and the whites don't bother me at all.

[Steve Large]

Hi Gail,
Really like the post processing on this image. Unique with lots of detail. Thanks for the feedback on the 100-400. People like myself need some info before taking the plunge as regards purchasing it. Looks like you got a good issue of the lens for sure judging by the sharpness etc. It will make a great walk around lens for me as I am finding that even with the newer version of the 600mm IS2 it is starting to weigh heavy on my shoulders.

Take care and good light,

Steve

[Dennis Zaebst]

Unique and arresting image, Gail! Sharpness and composition are superb.

I just got back from Fort De Soto and got many nice images with my 1D Mark IV and the new 100-400 II. The reddish egret-1985 was taken with this lens here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/119749943@N05/16392270395/.

I feel using this lens has increased my keeper ratio considerably and that this was one of my best purchases ever. I agree the lens snaps to focus very quickly with the Mark IV. A great combination.

[Bill Dix]

Stunning shot, Gail. Great recovery of the whites.

[WillieHall]

Nice capture of unique pose! Is the Nik EFEX Pro a separate software program? Loving my 7D 2 and thinking of this lens as an upgrade from my older 100-400 L lens, thoughts?

[Mike Poole]

Incredible pose and beautiful timing. Beautiful PP work, if it hadn't been in your explanation I doubt many would notice the whites had been worked on.

Got my finger hovering over the buy button for this lens - you're not helping my bank balance!

[gail bisson]

Hi Willie,
NIK EFEX PRO is a plug-in for Photoshop and LR. You can download a trial version for free. There are several tools within this program but the ones I use most often are called Detail Extractor and Tonal Contrast.
Very easy and intuitive to use. The default settings when you click on DE are way too much as you will see and I usually use the slider to 2 to 4 % at the most. These tools really help to sharpen and add lovely tonal contrast to any image.
I had the 100-4000 vI and quite liked it but the version II is a whole new beast. Autofocus is amazing AND you can use your 1.4 X converter on it for even more reach ( but then slightly less fast autofocus but still excellent).
I think that you would love it paired with the 7D2.

Gail


Nice capture of unique pose! Is the Nik EFEX Pro a separate software program? Loving my 7D 2 and thinking of this lens as an upgrade from my older 100-400 L lens, thoughts?

[gail bisson]

Incredible pose and beautiful timing. Beautiful PP work, if it hadn't been in your explanation I doubt many would notice the whites had been worked on.

Got my finger hovering over the buy button for this lens - you're not helping my bank balance!

Go for it! You will not regret it I promise you. Life is short...just saying:c3:

[gail bisson]

Unique and arresting image, Gail! Sharpness and composition are superb.

I just got back from Fort De Soto and got many nice images with my 1D Mark IV and the new 100-400 II. The reddish egret-1985 was taken with this lens here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/119749943@N05/16392270395/.

I feel using this lens has increased my keeper ratio considerably and that this was one of my best purchases ever. I agree the lens snaps to focus very quickly with the Mark IV. A great combination.
Had a look at your shots with the 100-400 and I love the umbrella pose one!

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Wow! Wow! Wow!
This one is over the top, Gail. Amazing pose and a great recovery on the whites (good to know I'm not the only one blowing the exposure from time to time)
This image makes me want to buy this new lens and take the next flight to Nova Scotia :)

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Great flight image Gail! love the nice details on the bird´s chest and happy to see how you fix the whites, they look totally natural to my eye. Great use of that lens, thinking seriously about getting it! :)

[Binu John]

Wow! You nailed it! What a terrific pose you've captured. Excellent pose, IQ and light! Brilliant PP work!

[David Salem]

Agreed!!! Killer frame in all regards Gail!! Techs look great and I really like the tight comp you chose as it accentuates the moment the eagle rolls over into a dive and it's sheer strength. One of your best eagles.

[christopher galeski]

now that eagle is showing off,great shot,nice exposure,sharp with good detail.well done.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Super shot Gail terrific pose and well focused. I find DPP4 very good too, often preferring it to ACR but I do find if the exposure is tricky that I often prefer ACR which is the opposite to your experience.

[arash_hazeghi]

nice pose and details, one unique feature of DPP4 is linear RAW conversion, you can use this feature to recover details that are otherwise invisible to other programs. The resulting image will be very dark. Then you do a normal conversion and blend the two in PS to get maximum detail in highlights.


great dynamic frame, TFS

[Marina Scarr]

This is truly an impressive frame, Gail. Thanks for explaining your steps. You did a great recovery job here with no evidence!

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Gail, this is insane!!!!! Great pp work, and just love the detail on the wings, and curled primaries. He certainly is fixated on something, and I like the hint of clouds in the sky. Very well captured.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Not much to add here Gail...just one fantastic looking eagle in a great dynamic pose. Super nicely done form start to finish.

[Grace Scalzo]

This is great, really shows off the athleticism of the bird and the photographer. :S3: Had you not fessed up about the whites, I never would have known.

[Walker Noe]

Amazing image. Simply stunning and a great display from the eagle.