Coyote Hunting in Snow

[Loi Nguyen]

Hi folks, I have bene absent due to work, no time to do much. We recently purchased a second home in Silver Gate just outside the North East entrance of Yellowstone National Park, so I got to spend a couple of days this past week there. We had a white Christmas, no sun except for one day.

This has to be the largest coyote I have ever seen. I first spotted him crossing the road, and there was no one out, so I manages to get out of the car and watched him searching for voles under the deep snow. He was a cool guy and totally ignored my presence.

Overcast sky, so not much details on the snow. The 2X doesn't seem to do as well under the situation. Wish I had the 1.4X and then drop the ISO to 1600.

1DXII
500f4 II + 2X III @ 1000mm
1/1300
f9
ISO-3200
AV, 1+ 2/3 EV

Thank you very much and Happy New Year!

Loi

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Loi and a merry Xmas to you too.

The 2X doesn't seem to do as well under the situation

Why do you say that Loi, the only 'addition' it adds, is that it magnify's as there are NO moving parts, although I do agree it needs more light, but the MKII is superb in these conditions, plus the additional assets of have a moving AF point beyond f/8 is just so cool...

Wish I had the 1.4X and then drop the ISO to 1600.

So you would prefer to crop more from the image? To me you wanted minimum 1/2500, preferably 1/3200 on a moving subject like this, plus you are already +1 & 2/3 EV so you are loosing SS, so why drop to ISO1600??

I just feel you could have easily gone to ISO6400, kept the techs the same, but had more SS as it appears to lack the 'perceptual' sharpness, although you don't say how much of a crop this is or FF.

cheers
Steve

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Loi - Welcome back and congrats on the house in Silver Gate. Hopefully that means we'll see lots of images from the Greater YNP ecosystem. Leaving the techs aside which Steve has covered. I don't mind the minimalist feeling and lack of detail in the snow. The pov is great. Yes, you needed more light and ss. There's a slight reddish cast evident in the shadow/snow beneath the coyote. Looking forward to more images.

TFS,
Rachel

[Loi Nguyen]

Hi Steve and Rachel, I have experimented a lot with ISO in the 1600 to 3200, not much for 6400. My personal results are that when the light is great, there is really no issue with shooting in the 3200 range. I have posted some excellent results with the Butrowing Oels series in Avian forum this summer. But when there is little light as the case here, cranking up the ISO just doesn't deliver the details and sharpness that I want, as you see her at +1 2/3 EV. My white reading was about 225-230, yet there was no details of the snow and the noise is evidence in the coyote fur. Small crop. When I get home, will post the FF. Would appreciate if Other folks think about the "low ISO in low light" as the way to go or not. I hadn't been shooting for awhile, so skills are a bit rusty too. May be my HH iwasn't quite up to standard.

[Steve Kaluski]

Would appreciate if Other folks think about the "low ISO in low light" as the way to go or not.

Loi, checkout Mike Poole's Seals with (MKI 14k) and Andreas Seals with the MKII (16k - 20k).

With the kit you have, pushing the ISO is what it's design to do and easily handle it. If you are still unhappy send it back to Canon for calibration as that is the best route, or get high res prints done, grain will barely show if processed correctly, as your screen will show a slight coarseness in it's nature.

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Loi - Steve is much more of an advocate for pushing the ISO than I am. I do think you needed more ss here especially if hh. If on a tripod, then it would probably have been sufficient. The best suggestion for in the field is to experiment with different settings if time and subject allow. It sounds like you could have here.

[Alex Becker]

Hi Loi, This does look like a very large coyote. Agree with Steve re: techs and Rachel re: the reds. I too like the minimalist design although I wonder about having a bit more room on top, if you have it. The bit of snow on the snout makes it for me.

[Steve Kaluski]

I do think you needed more ss here especially if hh

Guys, now think - what happens when a subject is moving towards you and it's getting closer, what does the lens need to do and why? Loi what rate were you shooting at 14fps, 10, 5...?

[Loi Nguyen]

Steve, Hi Speed continuos set at 12 fps, but I only shot in short burst of 2-3 frames per shot. The coyote was moving towards me, but not fast as he was struggling thru deep snow.

Alex, yes I have more room all around.

[Steve Kaluski]

Loi, I will wait for yours & Rachel's replies to my question, as this is quite key and something I have said many times now.

Irrespective of setting at 12, 14, 8 fps the camera, in it's nature will not shoot continuously, it will drop/vary Loi.

[Loi Nguyen]

Steve, how do you check the actual frame rate?

[Steve Kaluski]

You don't, all I'm saying is that over a rate of frames the camera will drop the frame rate' it's not guaranteed (so to speak), you would not notice it, as it's a split nano, hairs breath drop... it could be 14, drops to 12, back to 14 in a split second, but that isn't the issue and lets not get side tracked, it's the lens question I've asked and shooting Snowy's Loi you know the answer.

[Rachel Hollander]

Steve, obviously, dof narrows as the subject moves closer, but my point was a general one. With a moving subject such as a mousing coyote, which could jump/pounce at any time, I would want a higher ss than 1/1300, especially while hh a 500 mm lens and 2x tc. I would probably want 1/2000 at least.

[Morkel Erasmus]

I like this one Loi! Won't comment on the colour of the snow as I've not seen proper snow in my lifetime...
I use the 2x on the 400 f2.8 from time to time but do prefer the AF speed of the 1.4x, probably similar in your case.
Congrats on the new house, means you'll spend lots more time in Yellowstone right??

Regarding Steve's question - besides DOF changing, the lens needs to refocus every time the subject changes position towards you (comes closer), so that slows down actual capture and processing speed?

[Loi Nguyen]

Morkel, , thanks for explaining. I shot 2 or 3 frames at a time, rarely if ever just pressed the shutter button. I do agree that the focus is off as this frame is the best of the sequence. Had the focus been dead on, I'd have several frames in good focus. Yes, I'm sure I will have more images from Yellowstone, but it's tough to take time off from work. Getting there from California takes one day of flying and 4 hours of driving. Or when I want to take the family and dog, it takes 2 days of driving. It is the only place in America that gives me the feeling of being on a safari!

[Loi Nguyen]

Morkel , forgot to say you're welcomed to visit me in Yellowstone to experience your first snow and see what it looks like! Happy New Year everyone.

[Steve Kaluski]

Loi, Morkel is almost right, there is a bit more to it, plus you have the added factor of 'Cases', something Nikon lifted from Canon on he D5 (albeit only 2 of the 3 configurations). If you had the 200-400, I doubt you would have nailed it as it got closer, this is why you need to think ahead with settings and set-up. I'm not going to do a step by step to expand my question, as from what Morkel said, you said you understood things, but there is a bit more to it. However what I would say is this, with any convertor it magnifies, therefore the 2x will expand on any slightest movement, shake, jolt, you need to be rock stead, supported and or have a good SS when HH.

To me it appears the images are all suffering in a similar way i.e. Bob Cat, Leopard and now the Wolf, so:

- Ensure the camera body is correctly set-up & configured, especially when using Cases as the act as Brake & Acceleration, but some folk have it incorrectly set, with two brakes on, stopping the camera.
- Get Canon to check your gear and calibrate, (having tested four 5DMK4 & 1DX MKII with 500 & 200-400 lens, we found all four were out, but fell into the same AF alignment setting).
- Put your gear on a tripod, shoot single frames at f/4 of a brick wall (face on, sensor is facing the flat wall, not angled) about 60ft away, then see how sharp the images are on the PC at 100%. If your camera gear is out, you will just be spending money for nothing when out in the field.

If both are done correctly and you still have issues, then it's operator error, but my feeling is, its a bit of both. Book yourself on a CPS workshop on the 1DXMKII and get to grips with the body and learn to push the ISO and with good PP skills you have no issues, worth every penny.

[haseeb badar]

Hi Loi -- I simply have nothing to add here except that i like this image . Very interesting discussion and i feel most of the things implies to me also , so thank you for this post and everyone for their inputs .

TFS !

[Loi Nguyen]

Hi Steve, you are a perfectionist when techs are concerned, so I'd better do something about getting every image tack sharp. I know a tack sharp image when I see one at 100% view and this one is not. Yet I have taken plenty of tack sharp images with this kit and posted in the Avaian forum. So nothing is wrong with the kit. Good idea to send in for calibration, but I'm leaving for Kenya and Tanzania and so I'm worried that I won't get things back. Just yesterday I shot a Northern Harrier handheld at 1000nm and it is tack sharp. Just posted in avaian forum. For perched bird, I have shot down to 1/250 and got tack sharp. I think my skills are not quite good enough to get consistent ack sharp image handheld for moving subject no matter what SS. My BIF keeper rate is very low. So this is something I need to work on and it is a common look links. Agree that tripod or beanbag would have been better and I do use them when I have them. But in many cases, that is not possible, so I keep practicing hand held. Thanks again and happy new year.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Loi, depends on how far a Canon Service Centre is to you, as they will have a 'fast' turnaround service I'm sure, I can get a full service for either of the 2 MK2 in 2 hours.

OK, if you are saying that some are tack sharp, others may not be, then yes, I guess sadly it's operator error, but I would hate to think your trip is peppered with images that are not salvageable because the kit is not calibrated, having been there myself, 'in-field' calibration is not a wise choice IMHO.

At the end of the day we can only advise about ISO, calibration, shooting practices PP etc, you have to make the final call in which elements you wish to cherry pick and wish to implement. But you have the best kit available on the market and the opportunities to use it, in locations many people can only dream of, so don't let 'image capture' slip through your grasp via elements that can be easily addressed.

Happy shooting in 2017.