What's wrong with these techs?
D3 200f/2 1/2000 f/2.8 ISO200 Spot-metered (mid beak)
Custom raw curve to bring up midtones, a curve for the eye, screen blend for the gull's head, crop, sharpening
Shot while discovering base ISO on my D3 ;)
One of a 40-shot sequence of the peli - dive, fight with gull (handicaped with pouch full of fish), finally lifted off while stepping on the gull... peli wins.
Up next different shot same techs (not from the sequence).
Cheers,
-Michael-
For grins same techs:
D3 200f2 1/3200 at f/2.8 ISO200 Spot-metered Shot on release (no focus lock).
Didn't keep track of the pp... sure there were curves, sharpening, eye curve.
Thanks for looking... commenting.
Cheers,
-Michael-
I've never tried spot-metered, assumed it would be too difficult on moving subject. But seems to work for you. Maybe you use a BIG "spot"? :)
So, f2 lens at f2.8, think f4 or f5.6 might have worked better here for more DOF, especially for no. 2 photo. My all time fav is f8 :) . I'd think 1/2000 would be fast enough, probably.
Tom
Michael, I don't understand the rationale for using spot-metering - especially in action shots. In this situation, with full sun and water splashing, I would have gone for more shutter speed and shot somewhere around f/5.6 or higher with that ISO. First image seems contrasty and a bit soft for the shutter speed. Second image could have used a bit more DOF and focus seems to be on the near wing.
BTW, only one image per post is allowed except for a repost to show changes in the original. :)
"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson
Please visit me on the web at http://kerryperkinsphotography.com
The first one looks kind of messy :D But then of course it should be as it was a fight :)
Were you shooting in auto-mode?
Hi Michael - Have to agree with Kerry - I cant see why you would want to use spot metering?
Maybe this is what you are referring to in the title.
Kerry is also correct on the 1 image per post point.
I find that on high end nikons spot works well. By default it meters on the active focus point which I personally find useful for birds in bright light.
Hi Michael .....only one image per post unless is a re post !!
Tech wise the ISO is low and would have smaller aperture for dof, going after multiple birds.
With the proper light angle the gull would have been lit up and made a great image ... this is all luck since the bird are thrashing every which way !!
Spot metering is an efficient way of determining the exposure but not generally good for action birds. Some say you can pre set before shooting etc but will lead to more trouble than its worth. Metering on mid beak I just don't want to even make a comment :)
As presented would try lightening the gulls head so it shows better !!!
I did shoot with the D3 for over a year and agree the metering system is better, not only form the linking the spot but taking into consideration the light temp early morning. Still would not like using the spot since you are not certain the spot will grab the white area only and if it does not .... huge exposure difference with anything but manual metering.... and for manual you need to have the bird standing still or meter on similar object etcOriginally Posted by wijnands
Metering wise it all boils down to results and everyone should stick with what works best, results is what matters not how you got there !!! Understanding and executing are the keys !!!
Folks,
Sorry about posting the second shot (I plead a mental lapse).
I took these shots early in my learning about photography and can't explain the aperture-priority set f/2.8 (though it is a sweet spot for sharpness with this lens).
I've been shooting lately with matrix, but struggling a bit with adjusting EV for changing conditions over a shoot/sequence. I learned to use spot shooting stage productions from the audience where lighting is dramatically different from actor to actor and as they move through the stage lights.
As wijnands points out, with the high end Nikons AF and metering are linked somewhat (focus point is used for metering, I think I recall reading the meter is used also in AF). It feels like (but am not sure) that the settings change with the autofocus, that is, if my focusing is working tracking bif, the metering is, too. What I don't get in sequences is wild changes in settings as, for instance, with a bif moving from a dark background to a light one (as long as my focus tracking is keeping up ;) ).
Anyway, I was fairly happy with spot on that day of fast action shooting of a large group of pelicans fishing off the pier.
But you did ;) The spot was mid beak for AF (highest contrast center of action)... did the metering (settings) go wrong? I think it handled the light reflecting off chin & water pretty well. I had to lift the shadows in pp for the gulls head and peli's back, but what could have been blown, I think, held pretty well. No?
Cheers,
-Michael-
Michael you exposure was just perfect for that image !!
While doing birds in flight is very difficult keeping the sensor on the bird all the time, at times it will fall off but will retain focus then grab again. As I said before go with what you are comfortable with but my strong opinion form experience is to stay away from spot.
Compensating with the matrix is simple, take into consideration the bg and how much the subject fills the frame. Dark bg will make the meter open over exposing a white bird ... light bg will make the meter close down under exposing the bird. So in situations like these you compensate ... with little time you will be accurate.
Metering wise I use a mixture of Av, Tv and manual depending on circumstance .. not stuck on any one !!
Alfred,
Thanks for the comments about spot/matrix... I have on yours & Lance's recommendation been working with matrix.
I think I understand, but want to check. When moving from a dark to light background, one wouldn't expect matrix to expose correctly without a EV adjustment. Is that right?
Cheers,
-Michael-
You were right, that was why many recommend Manual exposure for BIF so you can correctly expose the bird (as long as the light source doesn't change) regardless of the background.
I have read (from D700 guide by Thom Hogan's) that even in Matrix, for Nikon (at least on D700), the Autofocus Area Mode does play contribution on camera exposure decision. What under the selected autofocus senor contribute more to exposure in Single Point Autofocus than Dynamic Area Autofocus, where Dynamic Area looked at a larger pattern across more sensor points.
Last edited by Thanaboon Jearkjirm; 04-27-2010 at 10:43 AM.
Hi Michael The camera meter will try to make everything 18% gray, so a white subject shot at meter reading will not be rendered white... same for black, will be rendered gray. You need to compensate for the proper exposure.
In the bird in flight scenario as Thanaboon pointed out the bird will be in the same light but going through different bg which would change the exposure .... bird has to be over/under for some.
For flight with different bg I find it best to go manual exposure and don't trust the sensor being on the bird, it is accurate and just need to make changes for changing light conditions or different color bird !! .... btw agree with all you posted and was well explained !!!
... btw if you use the spot meter the subject will be rendered 18% gray also and you would need to adjust the same as in any other.... and getting the point out of the target (easy to do) will cause lots of problems.
..... Michael you might want to check out Arties Book, covers exposure in depth and easy to follow !!!
Ah, (ding, ding, ding) I get it! I couldn't understand the recommendation for manual for bif (I can barely track the bird and I'm supposed to manually set exposure at the same time?)... but now, your explanation makes it understandable for me.
Not that I'm promoting spot, but the effect of manual exposure as above would be similar with spot if you can keep the spot on the bird (and you know that you have the spot on the bird if it continues to be in focus when using single point autofocus ;) and, I might ask myself, why would I care if it is correctly exposed if it's not in focus?).
A lot clearer now. Thanks, Thanaboon.
Cheers,
-Michael-
Michael If you have a bird (white) but not solid white and the whites are of different tones ext some are slightly shaded (shadows) your optimal exposure has been calculated for white on sun ... not white shaded, or dirty white, or another part of the bird. Exposure will be off !!! Will leave this subject alone sine I'm beating a dead horse as they say !!!!
Thanks, Alfred. I do appreciate your efforts. Slowly, I put together previous experience, new experience, thinking and practice...
Cheers,
-Michael-
Posting Permissions
