Owl Flight

[Deborah Hanson]

Still trying to get a Snowy in flight with eye contact. Yesterday had some luck except that we had freezing fog and very overcast skies, once again. And once again, the snowys have been keeping their distance. I think they see me and do that on purpose.:D
I tried to work with the image but still not doing well with Photoshop.
This taken with D700 and 200-400+1/4TC at 1/1600, f/8, 320 ISO, EV -0.3, 550mm.
Applied Fuji Velvia 100 filter from Nik Software - don't know if it helped or hurt. Other than removing a bit a branch by its tail, not much else done. (Cropped, NR, added a little black and contrast, some sharpening).

Don't know if this an image that will work or need to try again with better skies.

Suggestions appreciated.
Deb

[Randy Stout]

Deborah:

I think you did well here. Limited eye contact mentioned. The white on white is this birds native environment, so I am OK with the sky.

A couple of points to consider.

I like the branches in the LRC, but would be tempted to remove those at the bottom of the frame in the middle.
They seem to interfere with the birds movement through the frame, at least for me.

If possible, you would find things easier if you had a crop body, like a D300, on this lens. It is too short for most birding, esp. with wild birds. I found that the 200-400 isn't great with converters, so the crop body would give you more reach than you have now, and although the D700 is very nice, it doesn't have as much pixel density as the D300.

I might also consider cropping down 1/4 of the free space above the bird.

Keep working it! The snowies are a lovely subject.

Cheers

Randy

[Fabs Forns]

I like your composition with the vegetation perfectly framing the bird. I think it could go a touch lighter, no need to go minus here, white bird, white BG, camera will want to make it neutral gray.
I may take a bit off the top as Randy suggested and the eye is what I see on them most of the time.

[arash_hazeghi]

Excellent image, love the full stretch position, details and exposure, agree with Fabs going plus EC instead of minus.

Not sure if I agree with Randy about 200-400 and TC being short, I made lots of good images with this combo, depends on distance and size of the bird. Also in my experience the combo with 1.4X was very sharp even wide open, fast AF and accurate for flight!!! The best harrier photo that I made and is in my signature was made this way. I would pick this combo over D300 any day :)

[Randy Stout]

Arash:

My comments on the 200-400 came from the use of a rental lens two years ago. I shot 4-5K images with it, in Florida, mainly large,tame Florida birds. I had both the 1.4 and 1.7 TCs. In my hands, I found the distance shots to be a bit soft with the 1.7, ok with the 1.4. At closer distances, I really appreciated the zoom capabilities.

For all around birding, I would prefer the 500mm f/4 over the 200-400. If the light is low, I will use the D700 and TCs, but as light comes up and I need the reach, will switch to the D300.

Perhaps I got a bad copy of the lens (200-400)

Thom Hogan has some interesting thoughts about this lens in a review he just posted.
http://www.bythom.com/Nikkor-200-400mm-lensreview.htm

I am glad it works for you. Maybe operator error on my end.:D

Randy

[Deborah Hanson]

My thought process (which very well may be flawed) was that the -EV was going to help with focusing the bird. The sky was really flat and bright and I was having trouble with getting the snowy in focus with no EV - altho could have been different cause. If I had gone to +EV I was afraid that I wouldn't get anything in focus/blown out whites. Should I have been spot focusing on the owl?

I love the D700 and with the close up short-eared owl images I had no problem with detail with 200-400+TC but I agree it becomes more difficult with the TC to get great detail - but I am relatively new at this. Also, a problem might be that I handhold everything.

Again, any help appreciated.
Deb

[arash_hazeghi]

Hey Randy,

Sure 500 f/4 VR is the best, seen the pics, spectacular SH, No doubt about that, if you can afford the 500, no brainer! but 200-400 with TC ain't a slouch, never tried the 1.7 (not a fan of big TCs) but very good results with 1.4!!! Check this out http://ari1982.smugmug.com/Animals/r...413_vcttS-O-LB nailed AF for these harriers too! ISO 1600 no noise at all and sharp tip to tip! Not that many cameras can do this. Nice to have D300 too, but as a primary camera would still pick the 700!

Best,

Arash:

My comments on the 200-400 came from the use of a rental lens two years ago. I shot 4-5K images with it, in Florida, mainly large,tame Florida birds. I had both the 1.4 and 1.7 TCs. In my hands, I found the distance shots to be a bit soft with the 1.7, ok with the 1.4. At closer distances, I really appreciated the zoom capabilities.

For all around birding, I would prefer the 500mm f/4 over the 200-400. If the light is low, I will use the D700 and TCs, but as light comes up and I need the reach, will switch to the D300.

Perhaps I got a bad copy of the lens (200-400)

Thom Hogan has some interesting thoughts about this lens in a review he just posted.
http://www.bythom.com/Nikkor-200-400mm-lensreview.htm

I am glad it works for you. Maybe operator error on my end.:D

Randy

[arash_hazeghi]

My thought process (which very well may be flawed) was that the -EV was going to help with focusing the bird. The sky was really flat and bright and I was having trouble with getting the snowy in focus with no EV - altho could have been different cause. If I had gone to +EV I was afraid that I wouldn't get anything in focus/blown out whites. Should I have been spot focusing on the owl?

I love the D700 and with the close up short-eared owl images I had no problem with detail with 200-400+TC but I agree it becomes more difficult with the TC to get great detail - but I am relatively new at this. Also, a problem might be that I handhold everything.

Again, any help appreciated.
Deb

Hey Deb,
EC affects exposure but not AF, AF sees whatever you see throught the finder. since you were pointing the camera at sky, meter would put neutral gery on the sky so bird will be slightly underexposed, you want to push the sky all the way to the right in histogram to get the details out. With Nikon meter you need +0.7 to +1EV. can get away thanks to D700 low noise and high DR sensor!!!

Looking forward to more snowy pics!

Best

[Mitchell Krog]

That is superb Deborah, well captured, wish it were mine :D

[Fabs Forns]

Deb, contrast will influence AF and a smaller aperture will help you with more depth of field giving the impression of more of the bird being sharp.
I used the 200-400 for two years, it was never my favorite lens, but it could tolerate the 1.4X at shot distances. The 1.7X was a no-no to me with lenses other than 2.8. Unless of course, you take 200 in the hope of getting one sharp one.
You are certainly improving. This is one good looking image.

[Mike Tracy]

Nice looking well exposed bird and I like the inclusion of his habitat. Try squeaking a squeaker from a dogs toy the second he takes off to have him glance your way.