Today I finally got the lens I've been dreaming for since I got my first dSLR about six years ago--a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L. I even had the day off from work, and was itching to go try out my new lens. Unfortunately, while my home, Tucson, AZ, is in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, where almost every day is sunny...this was not one of those days.
I went out to the desert behind my house and got some pictures of phainopeplas, lesser goldfinches, a white-crowned sparrow, and some hummingbirds. While they were quite sharp, they were also quite noisy because of the high ISO I had to use with such dreary skies. Then, just before dusk, I looked outside and saw some sunshine! I ran out again, and managed to snap a few shots of this little guy, shivering in a mesquite tree. I know it's not the most artful composition, but it sure got me excited to go out and shoot more pictures with this lens!
It's handheld, taken from about as close as the 400 f/5.6 will focus (about 3.5 meters). Compared to what I usually have to do with photos I take with my previously longest lens (70-200 f/4 + 1.4x), I had to do relatively little post processing on this one: touch of fill-in to lighten the head, mild vibrancy boost, and very modest sharpening and then luminance NR. I was so excited to see him that I took it at a slower shutter speed than I had intended-
1/500 at f/5.6.
ISO 400
No flash; no exposure compensation
center-weighted average metering
The sun was low, and the purple came out when he turned toward me. I posted a slightly more head-on pose that shows a bit more purple in a SmugMug gallery (I hope it's ok to post that here).
Welcome to the team, boy do I have a story for you. I have the same lens and absolutely love it. On day in AZ I traveled to a state park with a hummingbird aviary. It was fantastic but the minimal focus on this lens killed me, I could not get the distance right there was no place to go. I had to place myself against the plants to get anything in focus. Should have brought the 70-200, still had a blast anyway.
This is a nice first post. Techs are good, a little tight but the placement is fine. The detail is nice looks like the darks are blocked. Might try adjusting the mid-tones in levels or shadows and highlights, on balance well done. I know what you mean about the sunlight and the Hummers, when it hits them right the colors are beautiful. Keep em coming and lets see more from the new lens.
Last edited by Jeff Cashdollar; 12-03-2011 at 11:06 PM.
Paul, nice Costa Hummer. You live in a great place for birding, but I can relate to your frustration with the light. I have a 100-400 which needs a lot of light. I like your Costa very much, and am looking forward to seeing more.
Nancy
Costa's Hummingbird
