Dancing in a boisterous breeze...

[David Roach]

EOS R RF 100-500 RF 2xtc @856mm f13 1/800 ISO 3200 HH, Manual EXP, cropped for composition

Many of the herons and egrets as well as cormorants and anhingas and wood storks will be nesting soon at Wakodahatchee. This heron is coming into full mating plumage (the eye and lores are usually last to change colors). On a windy afternoon last evening this beauty, with all the feathery finery, flew up to the railing and gave this look. The 2xtc, even on the slow zoom, mates well with less IQ loss than I expected . Thinking it will work wonders with an f4 prime (out next year). Not the best perch but with this finery couldn't resist.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi David, I like the capture and the image has a lot more potential, however I feel a great deal has been lost through PP. It's too tight at the foot and a tad too much above, move the whole crop down as the OP is cropped. Was the image exposed well, as overall there is a truck load of noise/colour noise in the BKG. I'm not sold on the 100-500 David, the 100-400EF works as well, but all personal preference. I feel either reprocess, or address both noise & colour noise and the image begins to pull through, I like the HA and slightly raised leg, adds some interest. Based on the JPEG I feel you can go warmer on the Temp and add some magenta via the Tint slider just to balance the basics, then you can take it in any direction you wish. There is more detail to pull out, but again it's all about balancing the sharpening and NR without going overboard with Contrast or Clarity too, masking the finer detail.

I know the attached may not help on colour, but hopefully illustrate the detail you have and control of colour noise.

Cheers
Steve

[Arthur Morris]

Ditto Steve's positives. I think that in his repost that the bird's feathers do look a bit sharper with more detail.

with love, arite

[David Roach]

Hi David, I like the capture and the image has a lot more potential, however I feel a great deal has been lost through PP. It's too tight at the foot and a tad too much above, move the whole crop down as the OP is cropped. Was the image exposed well, as overall there is a truck load of noise/colour noise in the BKG. I'm not sold on the 100-500 David, the 100-400EF works as well, but all personal preference. I feel either reprocess, or address both noise & colour noise and the image begins to pull through, I like the HA and slightly raised leg, adds some interest. Based on the JPEG I feel you can go warmer on the Temp and add some magenta via the Tint slider just to balance the basics, then you can take it in any direction you wish. There is more detail to pull out, but again it's all about balancing the sharpening and NR without going overboard with Contrast or Clarity too, masking the finer detail.

I know the attached may not help on colour, but hopefully illustrate the detail you have and control of colour noise.

Cheers
Steve

Thanks Steve, Your help always appreciated and learned from. Restarted from scratch. First issue. out of camera, 1.5 stops below ETTR. Definitely not good at ISO 3200. So, restarted with bringing exposure up and applying minimal noise reduction in DPP. Again, I need to learn what color noise looks like to properly deal with it. BTW, I think the noise was caused by the under exposure and the sensor, not the lens. But you also have to look at the lens combo (very slow). Followed up with very light touch (2 or 3) on the clarity and dehaze. Also didn't add any additional specific contrast or vibrance boost this time. Oh, I did warm it a little last time, so increased that further. Also added 3 point of black to the neutrals. WDYT?

Thanks as always for your help and PATIENCE!!! BTW from three deep technical reviewers, the R6 has very negligible color noise even in 10s of thousands ISO settings. Keeping my fingers crossed as I put in my order yesterday.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi David, well worth going back and starting from scratch, well done. 1.5 below, wow thats a lot, I know with the 1DX's you had a stop to play with, but having not shot with the R it's hard to say what the IQ is really like, but do know it's not that forgiving at higher ISO's. Colour noise looks like grain from the film days, but appears in colour ie greens, magentas..., but often stems from upping the exposure, so if it appears in colour I'm not sure if you will see it David???? Might be worth looking on the web, as there are plenty of images illustrating colour noise and this would give you a great start in identifying it I think. All the additional Blacks, Contrast, Clarity etc may amplify things may be, may be not, would need to view the two side by side, but I still come back to 'lightening' the image. Depending on the type of NR you use, you may find options to specifically address it, but as you sue DPP then it is there I'm sure.

Both the R5 & 6 are great cameras and they have rapidly moved on in may ways. With the light you shoot in either would deliver fantastic images, but if you don't shoot video and don't need the px's I think you have made the right choice. Just sit down quietly and set the camera up correctly, as you'll find you have a lot more options to play with. I would advise on the battery grip and additional battery, these are hungry beasts, and CF Express cards are awesome. It should also have the latest Firmware as of 11/11/20 1.2.0

[David Roach]

Hi David, well worth going back and starting from scratch, well done. 1.5 below, wow thats a lot, I know with the 1DX's you had a stop to play with, but having not shot with the R it's hard to say what the IQ is really like, but do know it's not that forgiving at higher ISO's. Colour noise looks like grain from the film days, but appears in colour ie greens, magentas..., but often stems from upping the exposure, so if it appears in colour I'm not sure if you will see it David???? Might be worth looking on the web, as there are plenty of images illustrating colour noise and this would give you a great start in identifying it I think. All the additional Blacks, Contrast, Clarity etc may amplify things may be, may be not, would need to view the two side by side, but I still come back to 'lightening' the image. Depending on the type of NR you use, you may find options to specifically address it, but as you sue DPP then it is there I'm sure.

Both the R5 & 6 are great cameras and they have rapidly moved on in may ways. With the light you shoot in either would deliver fantastic images, but if you don't shoot video and don't need the px's I think you have made the right choice. Just sit down quietly and set the camera up correctly, as you'll find you have a lot more options to play with. I would advise on the battery grip and additional battery, these are hungry beasts, and CF Express cards are awesome. It should also have the latest Firmware as of 11/11/20 1.2.0

Yes, the BG and extra battery are coming with it. Due to smaller sensor and no 8K, the R6 has two SD II slots. I have one of the best and fastest (2 x128s) from when I purchased the R. So, I will be set with my mini 1DX MK III(plus IBIS and improved DPAF II)... I do always shoot near(within 1.5 hrs) and before and after sunrise and sunset. So, I think the lowlight performance will serve me well. Your help is always very valued and appreciated, mate...

[Paul Burdett]

I like Steve's repost (he's so good at pp images), but admit I do prefer the colour of the original wooden perch...looks a more natural colour to me.

[Steve Kaluski]

So, I think the lowlight performance will serve me well.

Hi David, looks like you are all set and just await the goods. If you need to push the ISO do it, if not don't, but having a good SS really helps, but ultimately Artie's 'Golden nugget' of ETTR is the bedrock to high ISO and everyday shooting and just get used to reading the Histogram, this is every photographers best buddy.

I like Steve's repost (he's so good at pp images),

Cheers Paul, all I ever try to do is unlock the potential that is still hiding occasionally in an image, or by adding a small tweak, but everything is easy and what all folk can do themselves, as it all stems from obtaining a good WB to start with, this is why raw converters are laid out in the way they are, so you logically drill down in the correct way. In doing so you have the correct platform in which to build on. Having a well exposed file, correct WB will mean limited PP required, meaning more time in the field. Keeping a clear head on what is required disciplines you and hopefully means you don't get side tracked and feel you need to throw the kitchen sink into the equation too. Yes, there will be some sliders we will all use on each image, but in other times it may be less or not at all and if in doubt, do the over night test and look at the image the following day with a fresh pair of eyes.