White-throated Sparrow

Gallery: AvianPosted December 2, 2010154 views16 comments

Hello all!

After using a 20D and 40D for nearly 6 years, I was rarely satisfied with the focus ability of either of those cameras for wildlife, birds & birds in flight, etc. Of the thousands of photos I have taken, I was frequently disappointed as the files always appeared soft; regardless of the sharpness and the myriad of other settings I attempted to customize to get truly sharp images. I was beginning to think the softness issue was just a result of shoddy technique.

This is one of the first photos I took with the 1D Mk.IV - back in June. It was my first venture into the realm of the "professional" camera body. The first thing (of many) I noticed was its incredible AF capabilities - I'm rarely disappointed now.

I'm no pro, I just like taking pictures; so to spend $5,000+ for a camera body might seem a bit extreme. Notwithstanding, I literally take my camera in my backpack with me everywhere I go - along with my trusty EF400mm f/5.6L which is probably my favorite lens for birds right now because of its portability, focus speed and incredibly image quality (now... if they could just add IS).

I consider myself very fortunate to be able to afford a Mk.IV, but if someone would ask if it's worth spending three times as much for 1D Mk.IV over a "prosumer" SLR? I wouldn't hesitate - for me at least, absolutely! I wish I did it sooner.

Sorry for the winded post; just my thoughts.

1D Mk.IV, EF400mm f/5.6L@f/7.1, 1/800sec, ISO 800, light fill flash (580EXII), fairly heavy crop (about 50%).

Comments

16 comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on December 2, 2010 at 6:49 AM

Derrick,

Love the sparrow's pose, view of the eye, how there is fluff of some sort caught in the webs at the bottom of the branch and the great, natural colors. A small thing but some areas of the bird's plumage look a bit crispy to me, I might back off the sharpening a little. Comp works well for me.

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

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on December 2, 2010 at 9:33 AM

Nice, Derrick. I agree that this might be even a touch oversharpened, but the detail is great.

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

Comment posted by Monica Siri on December 2, 2010 at 9:39 AM

Derrick,
a beautiful comp with great detail, pose, perch and background.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the new camera body, since I have a 40D and after reading all the enthusiast comments on MKIV, I'm dreaming it.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on December 2, 2010 at 10:24 AM

Derrick, an all around great shot. Love the BG and the bird. Nice perch branch too. I agree about the sharpening. Also, I would clone out one of the catch lights. Well done

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Terry Sohl on December 2, 2010 at 10:24 AM

Glad to see you're enjoying your new toy!! I too sometimes fret over the AF of my 20D, then 40D, now 50D...but unfortunately, getting the 1D Mk IV isn't an option for me! Totally agree with you though...if you have the resources, go for it!

Note I too have my trusty 400mm 5.6L...my "long" lens, which I REALLY love for sharpness. TOTALLY agree...the thing would just be KILLER if it had IS. Such a perfect lens for flight shots.

As for the photo, nicely done! Only thing I'd do is clone out one of the 2 catchlights from the flash.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 513 Posts, 6889 Comments

Comment posted by Derrick Lipinski on December 2, 2010 at 11:03 AM

Mia, Dennis & Ron: Thanks for your comments.

Actually, I applied very little sharpening to this file; it didn't need it. I suppose a little bit of flash reflection could produce an over-sharpened appearance.

The only other thing I might attribute it to could be the export feature of Photoshop Lightroom, which has its own sharpening algorithm; I usually leave it set to "screen" - perhaps that might be "double-dipping" as far as sharpening goes. Other than that, hardly any sharpening was applied to the original image.

Registered on October 5, 2007, 58 Posts, 2039 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on December 2, 2010 at 12:01 PM

A lovely image. Very nice setting and composition. I agree about the over sharpening.

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

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on December 2, 2010 at 1:43 PM

Very nice image!
Good pose, very nice interesting perch with the moss and lichen, bright eye and good feather detail.
Possibly a bit over-sharpened..

Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on December 2, 2010 at 3:13 PM

Derrick-look's as though the investment was well made. The image is tack sharp and the bird and perch both pop against the blurred BG.

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by Doug Gilham on December 3, 2010 at 9:03 PM

I like the perch with the lichen and cobwebs on it. The bird is really sharp and you have good seperation from the BG. Wish it hadn't had such a wide stance and you were able to get both legs in view. If this were mine I'd clone one of the catchlights out. These are beautiful sparrows and I'm awaiting their return to my area.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 77 Posts, 489 Comments

Comment posted by Derrick Lipinski on December 3, 2010 at 10:06 PM

Here's a re-post with one catchlight removed and no export sharpness applied. The upper catchlight produced a more natural appearance to me. (only 720p, though)

Registered on October 5, 2007, 58 Posts, 2039 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on December 3, 2010 at 10:51 PM

Nice one, Derrick. I do like the repost better....but to some extent sharpness is a matter of taste unless you can spot some artifacts. I found your comments about the Mk. IV and the EF400 f/5.6L very interesting. That combo is my favorite too. I like to add the 1.4 x TC now too since the Mk. IV allows me to have autofocus in the viewfinder with the TC attached. Since the combo with TC is f/8, only the center autofocus point works. However, that's generally enough for me. I like the mobility I have: it's about the most I can carry on a hike. I look forward to seeing more of your images.

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

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on December 4, 2010 at 10:17 AM

Wonderful image Derrick. I like everything I see here (repost) including your slightly unusual composition to show off the forked perch and spider webs with debris. I think the removal of the second catchlight was a large positive step. I was fascinated to read your account regarding your camera selection and reasons for it.

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on December 4, 2010 at 7:36 PM

Image quality looks very good Derrick, colors natural.
Sharp details, great BG, and the web visible at the bottom adds interest IMO.
I was going to move up to the MIV recently, but decided to wait.
The MIII serves me well, and besides, the resale market's really soft right now..
I'll be able to get a MIV with a low number of accuations, for a good price in a year or two. You always lose money when ya buy em' their first year out..
Sorry for the winded critique

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Fabio Giarrizzo on December 6, 2010 at 12:03 PM

Beautiful shot, great colours and details- Also background is awesome (maybe I'd add a bit more of it in the upper part of the picture)- well done, Fabio

Registered on December 3, 2010, 90 Posts, 1614 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on December 6, 2010 at 2:30 PM

Excellent shot, good detail, perch and background, well done, enjoy your new toy, way to go.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments