distance for sigma 50-500 (1 Viewer)

hello all,

could someone kindly give a rough distance estimate for a fairly large image of a (e.g. dove in tree) when using a sigma 50-500 on a Nikon D70s, at the 450-500 focal length. If the above doesn't make much sense put another way, how close could I roughly get to the dove to get a frame filling shot.
For anyone who replies I give them all my thanks.

David

The closer = the better.
If the bird fills the viewfinder - then according to your question : you're close enough .
The closest distance is dependant on the bird's size . The bigger the bird = you can manage from further away .
I use a Tamron 200-500 on my D70, - for small birds- i try to get as close at 3-4 meters for a good close-up. With egrets \ herons - i can manage a good frame filler from 5 meters & up .
If you shoot from far away - and the picture quality is good - then you can always crop the photo and get a nice close up.

here's an example - shot from 2-3 meters and slightly cropped .

http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/162614/ppuser/6414

DeeJayTee said:

hello all,

could someone kindly give a rough distance estimate for a fairly large image of a (e.g. dove in tree) when using a sigma 50-500 on a Nikon D70s, at the 450-500 focal length. If the above doesn't make much sense put another way, how close could I roughly get to the dove to get a frame filling shot.
For anyone who replies I give them all my thanks.

David

Click to expand...

Can't comment on the Nikon D70, but these are with a Canon 40d and the 50-500:

Here's a shot of a pretty big dove (Redeyed Dove - 33cm) at 7m (f=500mm)


Here's the same dove at 12m (f=500mm)


(both images uncropped)

Here ya go...

DeeJayTee said:

hello all,
could someone kindly give a rough distance estimate for a fairly large image of a (e.g. dove in tree) when using a sigma 50-500 on a Nikon D70s, at the 450-500 focal length. If the above doesn't make much sense put another way, how close could I roughly get to the dove to get a frame filling shot.
For anyone who replies I give them all my thanks.
David

Click to expand...

Distance to subject, subject size and IQ of the lens are all inter-related. -- The first two correlate to determining the long end needs and the latter is strongly related to cost.
Mothman13 did a chart for a Nikon D80 with a 1.5X crop Factor for different FOV image sizes (18mm - 600mm)... Look at the vertical height of the field of view at each subject distance.

http://www.pbase.com/mothman13/image/74511515 (5 - 30 feet)
http://www.pbase.com/mothman13/image/74511517 (35 - 60 feet)

Evaluate your intended subjects' sizes in light of his FOV chart above/my Bigma chart below.... A perched Bald Eagle stands about ~24" tall so it would fill ~one-third of the vertical field of view of a 500mm lens if the subject was at ~200' distant (FOV ~72"-see below). In my experience, IQ starts to take a hit when an image is cropped more than 1/3 - 1/2 of the original FOV. Less cropping usually equates to more detail/better IQ of a properly exposed image.

Using my D50/Bigma, I've derived the additional following relationship...
Subject Distance -- ~Vertical FOV (assuming 2,000 vertical pixels)
50-ft -- 20"
100-ft -- 40"
200-ft -- 72"
300-ft -- 110"
400-ft -- 140"
500-ft -- 175"
600-ft -- 210"
What this all means is that the distance to the subject and subject size will also play a large part in just how detailed and sharp an image will be. :t:

In the end, I think one will be better served to also understand the issues of subject size/distance to subject/crop amount when evaluating ability of a lens to obtain the best IQ, detail and sharpness. (One can also guesstimate distance to subject by comparing the estimated subject's vertical height to full vertical FOV from the charts...)

The three images attached reflect my Bigma's FOV at 500mm and 50' (Tape Measure shot); The other two are of a Bald Eagle on a perch eating a fish breakfast - one image is unprocessed/uncropped FOV and the second is a post processed cropped image. Based on the uncropped FOV and guesstimating the head - tail is 20"; I'd estimate the subject was about 120' from me on his perch...

The last image is one at a wild life rehab station that was at about 20' from me... Good glass and close subjects make for the best images/IQ...:smoke: