This is a fairly healthy crop. 40D, Sigma 50-500mm, 1.4 T/C, 500EX II with Better Beamer at -2 FEC. AV mode, manual focus, ISO 400, f7.1, 1/500, EC +0.33. Post included unsharp mask on the bird, some noise reduction on the background, a touch of dodging around the eye, a slight contrast boost and a curves adjustment.
Nice composition and I love the J's. I would evict some of the hanging branch ends on the RHS. The large crop cost you some detail, so it goes - still looks pretty good given the high angle.
Not sure is BB @ -2 is helping much with 700MM of focal length, 1/500 shutter and the large crop would suggest you were probably what,..maybe 70 feet away, assume you have high-synch on? Notice shadows on head and body, but I like the ideal and keep practicing.
You are using manual focus on 700MM of FL, I guess you do not have bifocals like me (smile). I always use AF and would drop the TC but that's my eye - overall well done - get closer and try to stay with auto focus. IF HH, keep shutter higher.
Last edited by Jeff Cashdollar; 11-17-2009 at 12:03 AM.
Jeff, my eyes aren't all that great these days. Using the 1.4 TC almost forces manual focus. Something about a lack of patience while it hunts and hunts and hunts and.... ;) You're probably pretty close with the 70 feet guess... though I'm thinking maybe as much as 100. This was in an estuary area... there's water between us. Getting closer really wasn't an option in this case. I was using a tripod.
I'm having a hard time convincing myself that dropping the TC will result in more detail... granted it probably will but the idea of that severe of crop messes with my mind. Focus looks a little off. The eye seems soft. I didn't catch that before. Maybe a touch of selective shaprening to the eye? I totally agree with the suggestion of getting rid of some of the distracting limbs. Flash was in HS sync in order to get the shutter speed. -2 might have been a bit much too little, but I was really looking at creating a catch-light in the eyes more than using it to open up the shadows. Again, it's probably my wedding & portrait background but I find catch-lights almost necessary for an image to please me.
Thanks for the input and encouragement Jeff, Lance and Gus. It is appreciated.
Here's a revisit with some selective sharpening applied to the eye and a little thinning of the brush:
Last edited by Bob Decker; 11-17-2009 at 08:19 AM.
Jeff is correct on the flash, you had zero effect even if you had placed it on full manual !!
Manually focusing is no problem and you don't have to rely on your vision :) Turn the focusing sound (beep) and focus then pass it slightly then come back and press the shutter at the sound of the beep !!! Works great !!
Crop wise don't get used to massive crops, even posting at a small size they look strange and are a dead give away to to the enormous dof. Best to pass them up and try getting closer.
Position wise the bird is well placed, just the perch is not cooperating with the image !!! Looking forward to the next one !!
that repost is a massive improvement!!!!!! great job. i would not recommend a TC with that lens either. tough to get sharp pics with them. you already have to be at f/8 or smaller to get into the zone with the bigma. a tc will just make it worse.
Blue Jay
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