I am trying to learn the art of getting sharp pictures of images period but today the subject was waterfowl.
Some Background info:
Camera Nikon D50
Lens: Tokina 80-400 4.5-5.6 AF lens
Tamron 1.4x extender
Silk 700DX tripod
weather was cold, light rain and overcast. Subjects were routinely 150 to 200 yards away
The attached image is about the best quality I could get. The autofocus on my camera was pitifully due to the lens or the extender or both. I actually tried to take this shot with manual focus. No matter what I did, I could not get sharp pictures.
I turned the ISO on the camera up to 1600 to get some faster shutter speeds (this shot was 1/500) but the noise was terrible. Would a D200 or better allow for sharper focus or is it a lens problem?
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
Brian
Posted by Kent Staubus on January 26, 2008 at 11:29 PM
Get rid of the teleconverter. They really mess up image quality on those kinds of zoom lenses. The D200 would not help you. What would help would be a Nikon 300mm f4 AFS with a Nikon 1.4x. Remember, with an AFS lens the motor is in the lens, so the body matters less. If you keep the 80-400mm, toss the 1.4x.
Kent in SD
Posted by Dan Borzynski on January 27, 2008 at 1:05 AM
Another thing as well. Sometimes, you just have to pick your battles. With the 1.4 converter on, you have three issues. Slower shutter, you are using it on a zoom lens (which usually isn't a good idea), and even with top of the line Nikon gear, adding a converter will slow down the autofocus. The D50 with the third party lenses will be a lot slower. Adding into the mix you have a fairly fast moving and small in the frame object, low light and most likely, fairly new at panning (that last one is a guess from the number of posts you have). This wasn't the battle to pick.
So how can you improve, without getting more gear? First, remove the converter. This should speed up the autofocus, give you an additional stop of light for shutter speed and improve image quality. Try for shooting in the morning and evening under brighter conditions, but not the super high contrast situations of midday sun. That should help the autofocus nail the shot. Learn to stalk better. You said the birds were 150-200 yards away. This is too far for any lens setup. You'll have to be closer anyway without the converter. It can be done, but takes practice. Last, practice panning technique. This will help the camera autfocus as you can then maintain one sensor consistantly over the birds, so the camera isn't fooled by the background.
Manual focus flight shots have always been near impossible, except by highly skilled photographers with luck. One good shot in a roll would have been a great day. It never hurts to practice, though, as you never know when those skills come in handy.
Posted by Kent Staubus on January 27, 2008 at 2:02 AM
Dan mentioned something I overlooked. Two hundred yards is WAY out there. Stick to shotgun range, get rid of the converter. Considering you had the handicap of the distance and use of teleconverter, you actually did better than I would have thought.
Kent in SD
Posted by Bill Garwood on February 2, 2008 at 9:20 PM
Hi Brian,
Flights shots are tough. One thing I don't think anyone mentioned was batteries. If they're not fully charged autofocus will slow down a lot especially in cold weather. With my D70 flight shots were nearly impossible when using autofocus. With my D200 things were a lot better but not perfect. I hear the autofocus on the D300 rocks. My suggestion with your D50 would be to shoot in manual and follow focus while holding down on the shutter release. After all it's not costing you anything.
Good luck,
Bill
Posted by Mike Maples on February 3, 2008 at 11:03 AM
I'm not familiar with the AF modes on a D50 but our D200's and D2X's have a selection for "closest subject" priority. For flight shots the closest subject mode is perfect. It activates all focus sensors so as long as the bird is somewhere in the viewfinder and is the closest object to the camera it will track the bird while the shutter button is pressed half way. Use the closest subject priority along with Continuous AF and you will greatly increase your chances. My flight shots were really hit-or-miss until I discovered this combo of settings. I got to try this technique on Sandhill Cranes a few weeks ago and it worked like magic. You can see the results on our website under "Recent Photos".
The lens you have will be a bit of a problem due to slow AF. An AF-S Nikkor or HSM Sigma would be better. Don't hesitate to practice with your current lens using the settings described above but if flight shots are something you want to do then be looking for a lens that is better suited for the job at hand.
Good luck and post those better flight shots when you get them.
Here's another useful tip, Brian. Or is it an insight?
Waterfowl hunting season closed only recently in many areas, so the birds are a lot spookier than they will be in another month. In addition, they are a lot less wary as breeding season approaches. I bet that a month from now you will have little trouble getting into the "shotgun" range Kent recommends. I agree that the root of the problem is probably the combo of extended range and the converter you're using to compensate. Not only might the extender be degrading image quality, the loss of light is forcing you to use higher ISOs than might be optimum.
Concealment will help you in new locations, but in truth if you visit the same place each day the birds will quickly become accustomed to you and frequently approach within "range" if you dont' move around much. Stalking is threatening behavior to them, so it's best to let them come to you whenever possible.
One final observation- That looks like pretty flat light in your photo. Get a little brighter day with the sun over your shoulder, and photos will look a little sharper simply due to the increased contrast.
Discussion
6 repliesSome Background info:
Camera Nikon D50
Lens: Tokina 80-400 4.5-5.6 AF lens
Tamron 1.4x extender
Silk 700DX tripod
weather was cold, light rain and overcast. Subjects were routinely 150 to 200 yards away
The attached image is about the best quality I could get. The autofocus on my camera was pitifully due to the lens or the extender or both. I actually tried to take this shot with manual focus. No matter what I did, I could not get sharp pictures.
I turned the ISO on the camera up to 1600 to get some faster shutter speeds (this shot was 1/500) but the noise was terrible. Would a D200 or better allow for sharper focus or is it a lens problem?
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
Brian
Kent in SD
So how can you improve, without getting more gear? First, remove the converter. This should speed up the autofocus, give you an additional stop of light for shutter speed and improve image quality. Try for shooting in the morning and evening under brighter conditions, but not the super high contrast situations of midday sun. That should help the autofocus nail the shot. Learn to stalk better. You said the birds were 150-200 yards away. This is too far for any lens setup. You'll have to be closer anyway without the converter. It can be done, but takes practice. Last, practice panning technique. This will help the camera autfocus as you can then maintain one sensor consistantly over the birds, so the camera isn't fooled by the background.
Manual focus flight shots have always been near impossible, except by highly skilled photographers with luck. One good shot in a roll would have been a great day. It never hurts to practice, though, as you never know when those skills come in handy.
Kent in SD
Flights shots are tough. One thing I don't think anyone mentioned was batteries. If they're not fully charged autofocus will slow down a lot especially in cold weather. With my D70 flight shots were nearly impossible when using autofocus. With my D200 things were a lot better but not perfect. I hear the autofocus on the D300 rocks. My suggestion with your D50 would be to shoot in manual and follow focus while holding down on the shutter release. After all it's not costing you anything.
Good luck,
Bill
The lens you have will be a bit of a problem due to slow AF. An AF-S Nikkor or HSM Sigma would be better. Don't hesitate to practice with your current lens using the settings described above but if flight shots are something you want to do then be looking for a lens that is better suited for the job at hand.
Good luck and post those better flight shots when you get them.
Waterfowl hunting season closed only recently in many areas, so the birds are a lot spookier than they will be in another month. In addition, they are a lot less wary as breeding season approaches. I bet that a month from now you will have little trouble getting into the "shotgun" range Kent recommends. I agree that the root of the problem is probably the combo of extended range and the converter you're using to compensate. Not only might the extender be degrading image quality, the loss of light is forcing you to use higher ISOs than might be optimum.
Concealment will help you in new locations, but in truth if you visit the same place each day the birds will quickly become accustomed to you and frequently approach within "range" if you dont' move around much. Stalking is threatening behavior to them, so it's best to let them come to you whenever possible.
One final observation- That looks like pretty flat light in your photo. Get a little brighter day with the sun over your shoulder, and photos will look a little sharper simply due to the increased contrast.