Brown Pelican | D3 flight test

[Ric Kasnoff]

Hi...glad I found this forum

Been playing w/ the D3 for the month or so trying to get used to the new focusing system before I start shooting the Olympic trials and games later this year (I'm the team photog for USA Canoe/Kayak and their 9 sports)...Thought that trying to shoot flight pics, something I haven't done much of, would help hone my reaction time and get me used to how this gem reacts under a variety of situations...

Here I was in San Diego Marina down on the docks experimenting with focus tracking and trying to see how well it kept a focus lock as the birds flew in and out of the boats...must say I continue to be impressed

Tech stuff: D3 @ iso 400, 200-400vr with 1.4x @ 550mm f10@ 1/640 Center Weighted metering

This "experiment" really gave me respect for what you folks who shoot birds all of the time accomplish...and it also gave me a taste of how addicting this type of photography can be...I immediately got Art's CD when I came back ;-p

Thanks for looking...Ric

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Ric, Nice to meet you. Best of luck with the Olympic stuff. How did you get connected there?

I like the image but with the head turned a bit away and thus a bit in shadow, the image does not appear to be screamingly sharp (though it probably is...) In other words, a perfect head angle here would have made the image appear much sharper (than it does here).

Thanks for the plug, and later and love, artie

[Ric Kasnoff]

Thanks Artie...

No problem...I really enjoyed the ABB2 CD (despite having to wade through the Canon stuff ;-p) Lots of good info and great pics (of course)

I'm a long time kayaker and just kept showing up at meets with my cameras and giving them stuff that was better than they were used to...(see http://www.ecophoto.com/07_usack_whitewater1 for some examples) eventually they started calling me...

It's sharp at 100% in the original but I can see what you mean about the shadowing giving that impression...especially when compared to the cross-lighting of the under wing...I'll be sure to tell them to turn their heads a little more next time...they weren't really listening well this time and I was just scambling to get the shot

;-p

Thanks again...Ric

[Scott Linstead]

Interesting discussion here, Ric. What setting are you using on the D3's AF?

Scott

[Ric Kasnoff]

Hi Scott...

I've been experimenting with all of the different combos...I really miss my "Group Dynamic" mode from the D2X...The Whitewater shots referenced above were all shot in that mode and as you can see once it grabbed focus it held even with the waves and splashes coming between the subject and camera...

I've mostly been using:

- AFC on Focus priority
- AFS Focus priority
- Dynamic on 21
- Focus tracking on normal
- Point selection on 11

Selector switch on position 2

This has worked really well for me during the bird flight experiments and on a more "creative shoot" I did at the Billabong Surf Championships for my "Art of Surfing" book I'm working on (samples at http://www.ecophoto.com/07_hawaii_surfers )

Tried the 51 point, both normal and 3d and can't get my head around letting go of that much control yet...worked out well with my D300 on the bird shoot as a back-up but still don't have enough confidence in it (or knowledge of it) to use it on a "real" shoot

That's why I'm practicing and experimenting ;-)

...Ric

[Ric Kasnoff]

oh Artie...

forgot to tell you I was talking with Chuck Keim this morning and mentioned your mention of him in the CD...He said to say Hi

I've led 2 Bear trips with Chuck and Eric (Olga too) and have to agree with you that out of all of the services I've used he's one of the best...

...Ric

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Ric, Thanks for the info and the link. Amazing stuff. Even with the 200-400 framing must be a b _ _ _h. (There were a few where focus was more on the water than the guy's face.) Birds should be a peice of cake compared to those guys. A lot of the head angle stuff with flight has to do with the wind.

later and love, artie