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Thread: Custom settings for shooting terns...

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    Default Custom settings for shooting terns...

    I have the good fortune of shooting terns, common and roseates and would like to know if their is a suggested custom function so i can achieve quicker focus. I seem to have trouble achieving initial focus against the sky, ocean and can also lag focus when they fly against the rocks before landing... Incredibly fast and sometimes aerobatic. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Also, I have my setting so the shutter will not fire unless i am in focus, good idea?
    My gear is the 1DX and the 600II... Ill be back shooting them this weekend and would like to try your suggestions.
    I have been using:
    Tracking sensitivity -2
    Accel/decel tracking +2
    AF pt auto switching +2

    Also 9 pt expanded...
    Thanks,
    Ann
    Also, suggested ss above 2500 for terns, correct...

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    Lifetime Member David Salem's Avatar
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    Hi Ann,

    I shoot a ton of Terns in flight, I shot 1000 frames a couple nights ago, and I shoot with the exact same gear as you so I should be able to give you some info on what I do.

    I use the preset "Cases" Canon has setup in the camera. I have found "Case 2" to be the best for most of the shooting I do and I haven't changed it in over three years. Most of my friends use Case 2 also. Not sure if it really makes a ton of difference for the type of shooting we do but it seems to work the best for BIF stuff.

    It's Not a good idea to have the shutter not fire until it's in focus. You want the shutter to fire no matter what incase something epic happens and you might be just a hare out of focus. Also if you are loosing focus during a burst it might quit shooting while it is re-aquiring. I think most bird photographers have their cameras set up this way.

    The expansion points will help you to aqire the Terns better, especially in the sky so I suggest you keep it set to the 9 point setting you are using. Once you get better try the 5 point and then the single point. Much harder but it is more accurate when you can keep a Tern in the center for a few seconds.

    The beauty of shooting terns is they are almost all white so in good light you should be shooting at 1/3200 to 1/5000. Also you should only want to stop down just a little as the distance isn't usually not going to be ultra close so the DOF isn't going to matter that much, f6.3 to 7.1 should be as much as you need.
    My typical setting for a sunny afternoon of Tern shooting is f6.3--ss1/4000--ISO640. Obviously you will have to adjust for cloudy or overcast conditions but remember that these birds are white and you should be able to keep your shutter speed up.

    Also another important thing that I have learned over the years shooting Terns is I always want to have some blinkies on my highlight alert. A figure about 15 % of the body should be blinking. The Highlights aren't usually blown in that area and are easily recovered with the highlight slider, but the blacks on the head will be much better exposed. This is critical to a good Tern shot, a nice detailed head and a very visible eye, and it is the biggest challenge to getting a really nice frame, besides actually getting one of these suckers in the frame.

    Hope I did't write to late as I know you are probably shooting tomorrow morning.

    P.S. I decided to post a few images Terns that were taken in the exact same way. Notice the head and eye are very visible but the whites look clean and white. That just got me thinking of anther thing too. If you expose soly for the whites they start to get more grey looking as opposed to keeping them bright white.

    Good luck and I hope some of this helps.
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    Thanks very much David, your images above are gorgeous and definetely what I'm "aiming" for! Wasn't able to view these on the island without internet, and i do want to thank you very much for all of your suggestions. I tried Case 2 and 3 and also increased my exposure bc i found i was generally under... I especially kept in mind the "15%" blink tip and that also helped. I'll keep at em!

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    Also do not forget to set your distance limiter switch to the far setting for this type of photography. This way if focus misses or gets thrown off it will not hunt the full length of the lens and back. Pre-focussing also helps a lot for initial focus acquisition.

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    [QUOTE=David Salem



    I use the preset "Cases" Canon has setup in the camera. I have found "Case 2" to be the best for most of the shooting I do and I haven't changed it in over three years. Most of my friends use Case 2 also. Not sure if it really makes a ton of difference for the type of shooting we do but it seems to work the best for BIF stuff.


    Hi David,

    Very good advice. I am interested in your settings for case 2, could you provide more detail please?

    regards,

    Gerhard

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    Hello
    do tou think id better "shutter not fire" for fist shoot and also for the second ?
    Well done for your shoots!
    Quote Originally Posted by David Salem View Post
    Hi Ann,

    I shoot a ton of Terns in flight, I shot 1000 frames a couple nights ago, and I shoot with the exact same gear as you so I should be able to give you some info on what I do.

    I use the preset "Cases" Canon has setup in the camera. I have found "Case 2" to be the best for most of the shooting I do and I haven't changed it in over three years. Most of my friends use Case 2 also. Not sure if it really makes a ton of difference for the type of shooting we do but it seems to work the best for BIF stuff.

    It's Not a good idea to have the shutter not fire until it's in focus. You want the shutter to fire no matter what incase something epic happens and you might be just a hare out of focus. Also if you are loosing focus during a burst it might quit shooting while it is re-aquiring. I think most bird photographers have their cameras set up this way.

    The expansion points will help you to aqire the Terns better, especially in the sky so I suggest you keep it set to the 9 point setting you are using. Once you get better try the 5 point and then the single point. Much harder but it is more accurate when you can keep a Tern in the center for a few seconds.

    The beauty of shooting terns is they are almost all white so in good light you should be shooting at 1/3200 to 1/5000. Also you should only want to stop down just a little as the distance isn't usually not going to be ultra close so the DOF isn't going to matter that much, f6.3 to 7.1 should be as much as you need.
    My typical setting for a sunny afternoon of Tern shooting is f6.3--ss1/4000--ISO640. Obviously you will have to adjust for cloudy or overcast conditions but remember that these birds are white and you should be able to keep your shutter speed up.

    Also another important thing that I have learned over the years shooting Terns is I always want to have some blinkies on my highlight alert. A figure about 15 % of the body should be blinking. The Highlights aren't usually blown in that area and are easily recovered with the highlight slider, but the blacks on the head will be much better exposed. This is critical to a good Tern shot, a nice detailed head and a very visible eye, and it is the biggest challenge to getting a really nice frame, besides actually getting one of these suckers in the frame.

    Hope I did't write to late as I know you are probably shooting tomorrow morning.

    P.S. I decided to post a few images Terns that were taken in the exact same way. Notice the head and eye are very visible but the whites look clean and white. That just got me thinking of anther thing too. If you expose soly for the whites they start to get more grey looking as opposed to keeping them bright white.

    Good luck and I hope some of this helps.

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    I too shot a couple thousand frames at terns recently (Arctic, Roseate and Common for the bird watchers out there) and played a lot with the AF settings. I use a 7D II and 500 f4 II. In the end, I found that Case 4 with -1, 1, 1 was the best for me. That being said, I found that other things, most of which have been pointed out, were more important...
    - don't use all the focus points...the fewer you choose the faster it acts (ie. like 9 or 5 point)
    - pre-focus close to where the tern is (like focusing on the water where a dive will happen)
    - use high shutter speeds (I used ISO 800, 1/4000, 5.6 mostly)
    - agree with the comment about a few blinkies...I adjust to have just a few (just a few visible) and bring down in post.

    Good luck...here are a few from my last outing.

    edit: just remembered another tip for pre-focusing for diving birds. If you use back-button focusing (which I'd recommend), focus on the bird before and during the dive. Right before they hit the water, release the focus button, which essentially locks the focus at the location of the dive. When the bird comes out of the water again, re-hit the focus button again to regain focus. If you don't do this and keep the focus button down, you will end up focusing on the background while the bird is in the water, which you want to avoid.
    Last edited by Simon d'Entremont; 07-06-2016 at 08:05 AM.

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    Must agree with all your wisdom Simon, I just must learn how to use back- button focus the way you said ,,lol

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