Jackal

[Harshad Barve]

Dear all

This Jackal was one good sighting for me , I know image is not top notch one and I nvere believed in any camera's ISO capability beyond 400
In nearly dark conditions D300 , 300/F4 at F4 , ISO 400 , 1/500 , -0.7 for SS
All C & C are most welcome
Harshad

[Ken Watkins]

Harshad,

Looks like a nice supper

What a great sighting!!

Given the conditions this is stunning, I have no idea about the noise levels at high ISO on the D300, but most other people seem to believe that Nikon has good results at higher ISO's.

You should give it a try, but not on a good opportunity like this.

That said this is sharp enough and exposure is OK for me.

It is certainly much better when opened in PS.

[Hilary Hann]

Excellent view of a somewhat bizarre sight! I don't know how you managed F4 at 1/500 if it was getting dark but the image hasn't suffered much to my eyes.

Interested to know if this jackal was following in the footsteps of another as you can see what looks like prints in the dirt ahead of it? Was this a kill or a scavenge?

[Harshad Barve]

I don't know how you managed F4 at 1/500 if it was getting dark but the image hasn't suffered much to my eyes.

Minus 0.7 compensation in camera to get SS

Was this a kill or a scavenge?

Can't tell , he was with his/her mate and this jackal pulled ou this head which was buried in sand

[Ofer Levy]

I think this is a very strong image! Would crop a bit off the top so the two head will be on the diagonal which goes from UL to LR corners.
I easily shoot 800-100 iso and get very clean files. The benefit of getting more SS and/or DOF is crucial for my type of photography.
Technology is getting better and better and I think it is a good idea to go with it...

[Robert Amoruso]

Harshad,

Very powerful image. I think you handled this well.

Ken,

The original D300 (and I had one for awhile) was noisy over 400.

[Todd Frost]

Lovely sighting indeed Harshad. As I have shot the D300 from when it first came out I don't buy into the noisy after iso 400 bs. Very capable camera at iso's above that (400 is my base iso normally), is it a D3s not a chance. Everyones levels of acceptance re: noise are different . Have we become a group of technophobes that sit and pixel peep @100-400% trying to find noise? Proper exposure goes a long way, Steve C should not be achieving the results he is with the 7d or 40d if you buy into all the bs that is stated.
Back to the image. Very nice pose with good eye contact. Meal in mouth is a plus. Good sharpness as well. As I live in the Pacific Northwest (read dark, wet , full of under and over brush and I wan't out!) I routinely shoot @ iso800 with the D300 and have found that trying to underexpose to get a bit more ss is counterproductive. I have much better luck shooting a higher iso and expose to the right, without going over and doing any recovery in raw pp rather than bringing up the levels.
Well done.
TFS
Todd

[Vivaldo Damilano]

Impressive stuff Harshad, like the extra head awesome. I used the D300 for about two year, loved it as it could take good clean image up to ISO 800. It was slighty noisy but much much better then the D200 IMO TFS

[Marc Mol]

A most extraordinary image Harshad, well captured here.
TFS

As I have shot the D300 from when it first came out I don't buy into the noisy after iso 400 bs. Very capable camera at iso's above that (400 is my base iso normally), is it a D3s not a chance. Everyones levels of acceptance re: noise are different . Have we become a group of technophobes that sit and pixel peep @100-400% trying to find noise? Proper exposure goes a long way, Steve C should not be achieving the results he is with the 7d or 40d if you buy into all the bs that is stated.
Todd

Couldn't agree more Todd, had the D300 and was quite a capable DSLR with ISO's of around 800+ IMHO.