Grey Heron and some reflections on OMD E-M1 + Pana 100-300

[Stan Bax]

Hello !

This post is rather verbose, as it's my first one here. Will cut down in later posts :w3

As I mentioned in my introduction (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/128244-Introduction), I've decided to to try BIF photography with the micro4/3 OMD E–M1 (firmware 3.0) and a Panasonic 100-300 f/4-5.6 lens.
The beginning is not very encouraging, but honestly I didn't really expect this combo to be equal to my (sold) 5DIII and say a 500 mm lens ;)
So far: Out of ca. 700 images I have around 4 keepers, this being the best one (my rating 3/5).

So far I've come to the following conclusions:
- the user has little experience with BIF.
- the lens is soft @ 300 up to f/7.1, even when focusing on stationary objects.
- focusing is a huge challenge, IMHO even this image is OOF although the bird filled a large part of the camera, I use back-button focus.
- the best mode is S-AF with manual; absolutely no keepers with C-AF (C-AF is equivalent of AI servo on Canon)

Thanks for all and any critique, as this is my first ever public BIF, so I know I have a lot to learn !

Stan

=================
Image data as per instructions for this forum:

Thought Process
- Were you creating a Portrait?: No, just trying to shoot some BIFs flying around a river...
- An Environmental Image etc.: Not especially, no.
- What obstacles did you face in creating your image?: Sudden start of bird from bush approx 100 ft. away
- Location: River bank
- If an animal, what species? Was your subject captive? Did you attract your subject or subjects into photographic range with food, water, audio, or any other means?: Grey Heron, not captive, not attracted.
- Was your image significantly altered by adding or removing elements of the composition post shutter?: No, just cropping.
- Time of day, weather conditions etc: Taken at 8 a.m. - I was actually on my way back home, sun from back right


Capture
- Camera Type and Model: OMD E-M1, crop equiv. 2x
- Lens Focal Length and Model: Panasonic 100-300 f/4-5.6 @ 300mm
- ISO, Metering Mode, Exposure Mode: 800, Manual
- Exposure Compensation (if used): 0.0
- Shutter Speed, Aperture: 1/1000, f/4.97
- Focus Mode: S-AF w/manual
- Tripod, Tripod Head: No
- Flash, Flash Settings: No

Post Processing
- Crop: Yes, 1/3 of image in front of bird removed
- USM:
- Levels/Curves: See below
- Noise Reduction: See below, could possibly sharpen bird itself and blur background (mask), otherwise it lookes like the BG noise has been sharpened - what do you think ?
- Cloning or other modification: No

==== For those interested in all deatails - I process in LR 5.7

Detailed PP:
- Treatment: Colour
- WB mode: As shot
- Temp: 6050
- Tint: +15
- Exposure: 0
- Contrast: -7

- Highlights: 0
- Shadows: 0
- Whites: 0
- Blacks: 0

Clarity: -10
Vibrance: +2
Saturation: 0

Tone Curve
Highlights: 0
Lights: 0
Darks: -29
Shadows: 0
Point curve: Linear

HSL
Hue: No change from 0
Saturation: No change from 0
Luminance: No change from 0

Split toning
- Highlights
- - Hue: 0
- - Saturation: 0
- - Balance: Middle
- Shadows
- - Hue: 0
- - Saturation: 0

Detail
Sharpening
- Amount: 24
- Radius: 1
- Detail: 41
- masking: 0

Noise reduction
- Luminance: 15
- Detail: 50
- Contrast: 37
- Colour: 25
- Detail: 50
- Smoothness: 50

Lens corrections
- Basic
- - enable profile corrections: On , but no profile for this lens
- - remove CA: On

Effects
- Post crop vignetting: No change
- Grain: No change

Camera calibration
- Process: 2012 (current)
- Profile: Adobe standard

[Mike Hitchen]

This about sums up my experience with the 100-300 (on my E-M5 or GX7): a decent lens but not brilliant at the full 300. I have experimented a bit with reducing to between 220 and 250m and cropping and it seems slightly better.
The other issue is, of course, the AF tracking and although the E-M1 is supposed to be better than most of the micro-fourthirds bodies I am guessing the internal weight of the 100-300 is an issue here as well.

I am finding out if there is a way to trial the 40-150 f2.8 because that seems to be essential for any hope for decent focus tracking. Until the 300mm f4 comes along, that is...

[Stan Bax]

I was considering the 40-150 + 1.4x extender myself, but I'm worried that I'll invest a lot of money to small effect, and get 420 FOV equivalent at best.
The tracking for slow moving @ 200 is ok, but even gulls are a huge challenge, yesterday had a gull filling 50% of the viewfinder - tracked it in VF for approx 10-12seconds - no focus :(

Maybe just better to go back to Canon and get a 7DII (or used 1DIV) + 400 f/5,6 for starters ?

Oh well...

[Diane Miller]

Hi Stan,

Good to see you here, and nice to see a detailed post.

This image is so soft as to be a delete on the first round, unfortunately. No processing can fix a soft image.

I'm reading in haste here, about ready to run out on a trip, but this equipment is not up to the task of BIF, as you have demonstrated. I was shooting with a friend the other day who recently got the same rig and I think she had about the same results as you did.

The 7D2 and the 100-400 II, + a 1.4X, if in your budget, is a decent rig for large birds or those you can get close enough to. The 1D4 would possibly be an alternative -- I have no experience to compare it to the 7D2 but others here do.

Even better would be a 500 or 600, if budget isn't a consideration. And of course the 1DX is in a class of its own.

[Diane Miller]

Just raced thru your settings -- why negative Clarity? I would never use that except for an "artistic" effect, and I don't like it even for that. There are better ways in PS to soften an image.

[Stan Bax]

The clarity: it's :e3 most likely carelessness on my part...

..frankly being tired at that time & seeing the image was so bad I skimped on the PP, and just left it alone (didn't even bother to sharpen the bird, and smooth the BG).

[David Cowling]

Hello Stan and welcome to the forum. My experience into birding was exactly the same as your own, EM1 and 100-300, and my results about the same. I very quickly realised that if I were to succeed with BIF then I had to change my whole outfit. I had hopes that the long promised Olympus 300 + 1.4x extender would solve the problem but I still have doubts about the tracking ability of the Mu 4/3 bodies. Diane has given you some good advice on equipment. I am now using the Canon 7D Mk 2 and Canon 100-400 Mk 2 with a 1.4x extender Mk 2 and am very pleased with the results I am getting. It is a very steep learning curve but you will get some great advice on this forum. Good luck in your future endeavors.

David