Greater spotted

Thanks for the comments on my last post. Here is a greater spotted woodpecker, taken today.

Canon 7D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM II & 2x extender mk3. ISO1600, f/5.6, 1/320th sec, aperture priority mode. Forgot to lock the exposure, so -0.33 EV Taken from my car, with a beanbag and some cammo net over the window. Imported with ACR and processed in CS6. NR only on the BG. Cropped into a portrait, roughly 20% off each side.

I know I'm using the extender with this lens a lot, but I think the results are good enough not to bankrupt myself further with a 600!

Thanks for looking, c's and c's welcome as always!

Paul.

Ideally I would like a little more space at the bottom for the virtual tail, but only a minor nit as I think this is one of your best to date.

David

Paul this looks very good to me,looks like your lens with that extender really works very well.

Keith.

Hi Paul, I agree with David, but really would like more of the subject with an image like this, or you go for a more intimate, detail shot. Personally I feel you could lose perhaps two thirds of the trunk widthwise, it's just a little dominant for my taste. Have you lightened any of the plumage, just seems a little noisy?

If you go for the 800, plus 1DX let me know, you can scarp your extenders first of all!!!

TFS
Steve

Thanks for the comments guys. I applied a pass of shadow highlight in CS6 Steve, its great at pulling out the 7D noise! 800mk2 or mk1?? 1DX? In my dreams!

Honestly I'm loving the 7D/300mm f/2.8 mk2/2x extender mk3 combo. Its way better than anything I've managed to afford so far!

Great GSW image Paul, perhaps a little more roomat the base as already mentioned but I quite like the comp as it does feel quite intimate.

Nick.

Hi Paul, great to hear you are loving the 7D. From a lot of images I've seen, it can look 'sooty' and is perhaps less forgiving in regard to exposure, you really need to nail it, compare to other bodies. The 300 I have always said, is/was the sharpest tool in Canon box, which has probably been equalled now with the rest of the MKII lenses. The 2x MKIII is worth buying providing as I mentioned, you don't have the 1DX & 800!!! With the new Firmware I'm not sure if things have been fully resolved, but hopefully someone has seen what you can do with the kit and another product, and they have seen, 'The Light.'

Personally I have found H/S to be rather aggressive and needs to be applied carefully, I would look at adjusting in RAW, or using Curves adjustments, or better still drop mr Astbury a line.

I agree with David, a little more room at the bottom Paul.

It's Great Spotted btw.

Shadow/highlight adjust - yikes, something else Adobe should get rid of - pixel-killer adjustment

7D noise is real easy to get rid of in ACR 7 Paul - you could make the image look this good or better inside ACR BEFORE it's converted to a pixel-based image. Always do all your base tonal adjustments in ACR, and leave that damn S/H adjust alone!

As Andy knows from seeing some of my shots the 7D is not forgiving, that said it can be handled in LR and CS6 and personally I prefer to now open a noise reduced with no sharpening copy and a sharpened copy with a touch of NR (plenty of colour NR). Then paint the background out. That way you are not noise reducing a sharpened shot, which is less effective. Andy probably will kill me for saying this as there is most likely a super better way.... ;) 7D noise can be handled, just need a spot on exposure and a sharp shot to begin with.

Have to agree, S\H IS a total destrustification tool. You want noise, use that.

Nice GSW however, a little cool for my tastes but a nice image.

Yeah there is Neil - it's called Buy A Nikon!

Fine GSW and would be perfect with a bit more leg room

Apart from not using S/H the only advice I can offer is sell the family jewelry tomorrow and get a 1Dmk4 or a 1DX if you have plenty of sparklers

The 7D is the worst piece of Canon kit that I have ever used and I have tried two of them. My 40d does a better job

Bob

Thanks for the comments everyone. I think the 7D is a great bit of kit, but I'd rather we didn't get into a 7D slagging match. Lots of that on here already!

Nice shot, classic GSW, though think it needs either more space on the bottom or a tighter crop.