Nikon 2X TC and bird flights

[Juan Aragonés]

I am back from the holidays:(. I enjoyed three nice weeks with my family, far from computers, internet connection, phone calls and a lot of fun and easy living. Of course, my camera gear went with me and I managed to find a couple of hours each day early in the morning for photography and birding.

This is one of my favourite images from the summer and I am really happy with it, specially considering that is an action image made using the 2X teleconverter on the 300VR. The 2X Nikon TC has a very poor reputation between Nikon shooters due to the lost of image quality and poor AF performance. My experience with this TC matched with the 300 2,8 (the only lens that is considered to work fine with the 2XTC) on static subjects under good light condition is that the combo can produce excellent results but I rarely use it for action due to its slow AF performance. This summer I decided to explore the possibilities of the combo for birds in flight and, to my surprise, I obtained pretty decent results. This image belongs to a series of ten frames tracking the landing of a flamingo. Three of the images in the middle of the series were OOF because the central AF sensor of the D2X went to the BG but the camera locked on the bird again very quickly so I am sure that it was my failure to keep the AF sensor on the bird the reason for the OOF frames.

I cropped this image to a square format for a better web presentation at 800 pix but I prefer the original landscape composition with room at the left. I added a very little touch of Gaussian blur to the BG, selective sharpening to the bird and a touch of highlight/shadow filter to the left wing. Saturation was boosted very little to avoid oversaturation problems on the red channel.

As always, your comments, suggestions and critics are highly appreciated.

Nikon D2X AFS Nikkor 300VR + 2XTC 1/1250s f8 ISO200 -0,7EV manual exposure, HSC mode, tripod and WH II

[Mike Lentz]

First off, its a beautiful image!
Secondly, I have the Nikkor 300mm F/2.8 and the Nikkor 2X and will agree that while its slow focusing, it can also product really nice images. I also I heard the 2x works pretty good with the 200-400mm as well, but can't speak from first hand experience on that one.

[Ramon M. Casares]

I think that Iwould like the original non-square format better, but this is one terrific shot Juan! Mil Felicitaciones!!!!

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

Great details,light,colors and wing position!!!

[Arthur Morris]

As usual, I disagree with Ramon :) :D :) I feel that the square format is perfect here.

This speices has about the most difficult eye to render sharply. You did quite well here. Did you go any eye repair work?

The pose and the hanging feet and the BKGR are superb. I would like to see a bit of canvas added above the bird (as there is more room below the bird than above...)

[Juan Aragonés]

Artie, no aditional sharpening for the eyes here:). I have lots of flamingo images and I think that their eyes are no more difficult to render than the eyes of other species. Why do you think in that way?.

[Scott Grant]

that is one incredible image! i love the background and also like the square format.

thanks for showing us this one!

[Brutus Ostling]

Great shot. Fun to be back and have time to enjoy such photos.

The pose and the hanging feet and the BKGR are superb. I would like to see a bit of canvas added above the bird (as there is more room below the bird than above...)

I think that Arties comment here is good - I mean, for the rest it's a fantasticly beautiful image. :) The classic rule we all know is always to have more space (canvas) in front of the movement than behind the bird/subject, and if you want to have more space in the bottom than in the top, you can brake the rule more consciously so that you also get more space behind the bird than in front of it.

[Arthur Morris]

My experience with Canon with both Lesser and Greater Flamingoes is that the irises are so over-saturated that the reds and pinks need a big de-SAT in order to be rendered sharp... Same with the yellow irises of scaup.

[Juan Aragonés]

My experience with Canon with both Lesser and Greater Flamingoes is that the irises are so over-saturated that the reds and pinks need a big de-SAT in order to be rendered sharp... Same with the yellow irises of scaup.

Artie I thought that you were asking about adding more sharpening to the eye.I didn´t worked the eye color of this guy. I do not experience that kind of problem with the red/yellow eyes. Of course if the bird has large areas of reds/yellows I have to process the image very carefully to avoid over-saturation.

[Juan Aragonés]

Great shot. Fun to be back and have time to enjoy such photos.




I think that Arties comment here is good - I mean, for the rest it's a fantasticly beautiful image. :) The classic rule we all know is always to have more space (canvas) in front of the movement than behind the bird/subject, and if you want to have more space in the bottom than in the top, you can brake the rule more consciously so that you also get more space behind the bird than in front of it.

Hey Brutus, nice to see you are back :) I choosed the square format for web presentation but I prefer the original, landscape, composition with much more room at the left. Not much space to add on the top of the frame. It was not my intention to broke the rule but I am not a big fan of that rule ;)
Here is the almost original composition.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Juan this is an outstanding flight capure and the pose is awesome. Actually I like everything about it. Great BG . eye contact. exposure and both crops work for me. Many thanks for sharing.

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

Juan,I prefer the square format!!!

[Gus Cobos]

Juan,
Welcome back from vacation. Your image and capture is fantastic as always. I do like the square crop. I would too, like to see just a tad more canvas added to the top for the wing space...:D The color rendition of your flamingo is very pleasing, you display rich vibrant colors and razor sharp details. The background with the applied blur is just right...congrats...I like this very much...:cool:

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Very cool pose, details and light. I agree with Artie regarding more room at the top.

[Laura Hughes]

This is such a remarkable bird I can't stop staring...gorgeous s-shape to the neck, impressive bill, nice open wings and dainty pointed toes, a beautiful shot Juan

[Linda Robbins]

I much prefer the square crop, and your PS work added beauty to this wonderful image. Love the pose and the bg. Agree that a little more room at the top would be nice. Very well done.

[Ramon M. Casares]

That's the way aha aha.. I like it :D Seriously, I undesrtand why you choose the square format for web, but this repost looks MUCH better to me!

[Fabs Forns]

Impressive, both of them :)

I'm going to start collecting f/f miles to go visit you!!!!!

[Arthur Morris]

I like them both but would love to see a bit more room above the bird. In either case, still lovely.

[Alfred Forns]

Agree on the room above the bird Juan !!! One spectacular image Great looking bird and what a bg !!! Big Congrats !!!

[Juan Aragonés]

Thanks a lot for the comments and for the suggestions. I still prefer the landscape version but will take into consideration your suggestions about more room at the top of the image and will work on the original file to produce a definitive version with more room at the top. :)

[Georgina Salup]

Killer shot! A real beauty