I just upgraded from a Canon Rebel Xsi to a 7D. So I took it out for a trial run to our local pond. I realize that my posted image isn't the best, but I thought it would be instructive for me to post it. So, first of all, I thought I had set the camera to RAW, but unfortunately I had not: all images were shot in jpeg. Second, in my excitement over my new toy, I forgot to expose to the right. So those were two mistakes from the start. Also, there wasn't a lot of light...it was about an hour after sunrise. But my main question is about focus. I had the camera on the default autofocus setting. You'll notice that the goose on the right is the most in focus, and the second goose from the right is the least in focus, since he was a little farther away. My first question is: how acceptable is it, in a group shot like this, for one bird to be a little OOF? Second, for all of you 7D owners, are there settings I could have used to bring all the birds into focus?
The shot was taken with my 300 f/4 mm lens and 1.4 extender. It was shot at 5.6, 1/800 s, ISO 800. I cropped it by about 50%, increased exposure by about .35, and sharpened it.
It seems like this camera is going to have a steep learning curve, although after I my first trial, I found a great article by Dan Cadieux on the BAA blog about the 7D, which I think will be really helpful. All suggestions are welcome.
Great questions, I too have a 7D great cameral with a nice sensor crop factor to support that 300 and 1.4 TC. I might suggest purchasing Artie's 7D manual. I own a copy and it addresses several of the question you asked (e.g, RAW vs JPEG, Metering and Exposure mode). It is available on the birds as art site - I will forward the link later.
I have a few questions, you mentioned the exposure was set to auto focus setting,.not Manual or AV - what metering mode was used (e.g., Evaluative) - and were you using the center sensor? The reason I ask is there are many many aspects to owning an advanced camera like the 7D and rather than suggesting things on the basis of one picture, I want you to understand the options?
As you know BIF are challenging and the DoF/Focus is an art. With the wide aperture of f/5.6 you limit the DoF and an aperture like f/11 would expand range of focus - but the trade off is less light and given the late hours shooting open like you did is probably best. It is acceptable for some of the group to be OOF but the sharper the better is a good general rule. You are on the right track, keep posting, keep reading and keep practicing looking forward to your answers and talk more.
Reading Dan's book is great, do you have the Art of Bird Photography and Digital Basics by Artie Morris?
Last edited by Jeff Cashdollar; 12-06-2012 at 08:58 PM.
Jeff...thanks for your comments / questions. I was using evaluative metering, and I think I was using the default autofocus mode, if that makes sense. I was pretty confused about all of the focus options mentioned in the manual, so I'm not sure. And I really don't know if I was using the center sensor. I'm a little overwhelmed by this camera!! I discovered Artie's 7D manual after shooting this image, and it looked like exactly what I need, but as far as I can tell, the link to it on BAA is broken. I'm going to have to send an email. I do have the Art of Bird Photography, which I'm learning a lot from, but do not have Digital Basics.
Wendy - you are on the right track and go easy here. The cameral is great spend time on learning the basis like:
Focus options - I like the center sensor and moving it up and down as needed
Metering mode - use Eval for now
Exposure settings, look at the AV mode - it is used by many photographers
Continue to practice and post - remember to look at the histogram and make adjustment as needed. I assume you have it available on the back LCD screen for rapid feedback and turn blinkies on to see over exposure issues.
Last edited by Jeff Cashdollar; 12-07-2012 at 06:10 PM.
Wendy, Doug Brown, a regular contributor to BPN, wrote a set up guide for the 7D. Here is the URLhttp://www.dougbrownphotography.com/2011/10/04/321/
He is a superlative BIF photographer & has extensive experience with the 7D.
Andrew...thanks for the link, I will definitely read the guide. Jeff, I was able to access Artie's guide as well, and it is really helpful. I now see the source of some of my confusion. When I took the photo above, I had been shooting in AI Servo...I use that mode on my Canon Rebel as well. But I wasn't aware of the sensor choices when I made the image. So thank you both for your input. I'm planning to study the guide this evening and venture out tomorrow for another try, so hopefully I'll come home with an image worth posting!
Wendy, I like this grouping and it is a nice BG too. I agree with Jeff that it is acceptable for some of the group to be OOF, but having the front/center bird out of focus is distracting. I would be more comfortable if it were a bird in the BG. Stopping down some would help here. Compositionally, I think this image works very well.
Composition and background are nice. I am surprised that you ONLY forgot to shoot RAW - amid the OMG NEW CAMERA excitement! That's better than most enthusiast photographers do - that's why they call us "enthusiasts".
Geese in Flight with new Canon 7D
