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Thread: Short-eared Owl

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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    Default Short-eared Owl

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    This was taken last February, one half hour after my previous post of the Grey Ghost, thus the loss of light and high ISO. Not the perfect IQ, but there are reports of a few of these guys back in the same fields again this winter, so I'll keep trying.

    D500, 500f4 + 1.4 TC, ISO 4000, 1/2000s @ f/6.3 manual. Fill with SB-700 @ -1.7 EV.

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    I like the setting and the owl pose. I guess the SB - 700 is a flash gun. It's an eye catching image - did you use a Better Beamer or similar?
    I have similar images from this week but I didn't use a flash - but maybe that's a good idea.
    Have you read about MagMod flash modifier (USA made) - seems like it might be pretty good, the downside is it is rather expensive.

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    Super Moderator arash_hazeghi's Avatar
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    I like the mood but the IQ has really suffered here, hope you can get one in better light keep trying!

    TFS
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    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
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    Love the color palette and the grasses. IQ is OK.
    I have the MagMod and I really like it much better than the Better Beamer. Easier to use and less finicky.
    Gail

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    I would love to see one of these let alone photograph one. Yes image quality isn't the best here. But i like the framing.

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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gail bisson View Post
    Love the color palette and the grasses. IQ is OK.
    I have the MagMod and I really like it much better than the Better Beamer. Easier to use and less finicky.
    Gail
    Thanks Gail, and thanks Jonathan for raising the question of the MagMod. I didn't know about it. The reviews point out a number of issues that concern me. The weight of the unit can cause the speedlight to droop, so it requires some adjusting/focusing to get the light properly on the subject -- something you can't do with a BIF. It is difficult to collapse once extended, but maybe this takes practice. And some users noted it caused flash-eye. Have you experienced these issues? I know the Beamer is a nuisance to install (I have had a strong wind blow the Fresnel lens into the bushes), but it is cheaper, lighter, and stores flat in my bag. I only use flash rarely, so I don't know if it's worth going through the learning curve. But if you find it better than the Beamer, that's an incentive to try it.

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    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
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    The IQ is not great on this, but I would keep it till I got a better one..That is my motto.
    Dan Kearl

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    Nice Image. I see that when it is blow up big, Image quality suffers. Still Love the background colors. I think you can increase the saturation of the foreground grass.

    TFS

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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    Thank you all. Yes, I'll keep trying, but getting a close fly-by in decent light is a rare (if ever) event for me.

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    Ditto all the above, but guessing where this was this is about as nice of a product as I've seen from this spot. I think there is a cloning line in front of the far wing. These guys are so challenging to get before sunset much less a reasonably close pass, so kudos. TFS

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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    Thanks Alex. I went back there tonight. Lovely evening, nice light, but saw just one SE Owl and one Grey Ghost, both specks at a distance. (And nine Tree Sparrows along the path.) I'll keep trying.

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