Bird Watcher (iso 4000)

Gallery: AvianPosted November 4, 2009183 views9 comments

(Eastern) Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca iliaca)[initially I misidentified this bird as a Hermit Thrush (Hylocichla guttata faxoni); please see comments below): This sparrow was scratching around in deep shade beneath some bushes. It didn’t take him long to spot me and leave.

I’m beginning to wish that the sun would stay out long enough for me to obtain a presentable image using the 7D at normal iso settings! At any rate, here is another hi iso image. I’ve been experimenting with post processing using Dfine, Viveza and Sharpener Pro as smart filters in CS4. This time, as you can see, I used more selective application of these programs and also allowed more noise in the bird in an effort to improve detail. However, I still have plenty to learn about how best to apply these programs. Also, I used a square crop to eliminate some distracting OOF leaves in the foreground; the crop would be considered large by some of you; the exposure time is fairly long even with the high iso; and the shot is hand-held resting against the corner of a building.

Despite all this, I find that this image is appealing to me. I hope that some of you will examine it and I look forward to your comments.

EOS 7D, EF400mm f/5.6 L: iso 4000, 1/250 s, f/5.6,
Image is 2798x2798 pixels (=7.8 MP, 43% of full frame for the 7D…..or hey, it’s 64% of my “old” 450 D…also a 9 x 9 inch print would have a resolution of 310 pixels per inch)

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on November 4, 2009 at 11:44 AM

Nice image, Steve. I like the composition. While I can see the noise in the bird, it wouldn't be feasible at lower iso without flash. I wish you sun, but I've been enjoying the high iso work you've been posting-mostly because I've been looking at the 7D.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on November 4, 2009 at 11:52 AM

Steve, I can't believe you're getting shots that are remotely usable in these conditions! I hope you get some sun to shoot in one of these days....

I really like the setting of all the colorful leaves.

Your subject is a Fox Sparrow--note especially the breast with dense rufous streaks (as opposed to dark spots) and the thick sparrow bill.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on November 4, 2009 at 1:01 PM

Thank you both very much for your comments. I'll say more after a couple of days have passed. However, I just checked my bird guides as well as another shot of this bird and I must say that I agree with you Brian: it does fit the description of a Fox Sparrow much more than that of a Hermit Thrush. Amazing. I've seen several people id this bird as a thrush.....well, maybe it wasn't this bird...!! Tricky business this! Excellent observation. I'll amend the caption above.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Drew Fulton on November 4, 2009 at 1:52 PM

Steve, I like the image and its of a bird I hadn't ever seen until a couple weeks ago. Nice work. The high ISO is great. You have the ID correct now, definitely a Fox Sparrow. I like the pose and the habitat as thats where you find these secretive little birds.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 43 Posts, 357 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on November 4, 2009 at 8:04 PM

An amazing capture under those conditions and at that ISO Steve. I know nothing about the smart filters you're using and have never experimented with the higher ISO's of the 7D or with NR in general for that matter. But I'm following your posts and their comments to try to learn more about "our" camera.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Shellenberg on November 4, 2009 at 8:44 PM

Excellent results for the low light Steve. A little noisy but pretty impressive for ISO 4000.

Registered on February 6, 2008, 168 Posts, 3118 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on November 5, 2009 at 8:24 AM

Steve,

Nice results from such a high ISO, a touch noisy, but nothing drastic.

I like the color of the leaves and how the sparrow seems to be peering around some thing at you.

I'd wish for more of a head turn to show of the sparrow's beautiful face btu then the feeling of it peering at you would be gone.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on November 6, 2009 at 3:01 PM

Another impressive demonstration of how far digital has outdistanced film. This is perfectly respectable given the ISO, and looks better than many ISO 400 images I've seen posted here.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on November 6, 2009 at 10:26 PM

So many encouraging comments. Thank you all. The more I experiment with high iso settings, the more I can see so many advantages in using them. At the moment it is a real struggle to balance noise and sharpness. I suspect that present day software is powerful enough to solve the problem. The main difficulty is just that there are so many ways of using the software and so many aspects to image quality. It's a matter of developing the right strategy and deciding what is a good image. I expect that there is more than one "right strategy" as there is more than one idea of what is a "good image".

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments