crazyfingers
Well-known member
You could easily be right. it was so long ago that I set those I just no longer recall. The Manual probably says.
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Canon SX50 Specs (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Roy C
- Start date
You could easily be right. it was so long ago that I set those I just no longer recall. The Manual probably says.
Congrats on the lifer CF.
Rich
Rich
draycotebirding
Draycote recorder
I think I have requested this before? Seeing as it is a good starting point and many people ask as to settings when they first get the camera, can the Mods put it as a sticky at the top?
John
Hi Crazyfingers, thanks for directing me here, looks like a lot of great conversation about the SX50.
Thanks for posting your settings, too. Mine are very similar, although I do use Program mode, I "think" because it allowed me to choose a smaller focus square.....but I might be remembering incorrectly. The manual is a bear, but I'm determined to tackle it. Had my hubby print the whole thing out and put it in a binder so I wouldn't have any excuses....
Got out for a while yesterday to try "sports mode" again on some smaller subjects. First little birds I encountered were a bunch of Tree Swallows hunting....very challenging and frustrating, but I did manage to get a couple of so-so pics. Don't remember ever having caught flying swallows in P mode (that were recognizable.)
Then I found a Merlin on a tall snag and got some shots of him preening that I was pretty happy with. I watched him for awhile, hoping he'd fly but he didn't, so I moved on.
A cold front started moving in and it got a lot darker and windy, so nothing else I shot was good. Still, I was impressed that the camera could get me any BIFs under the conditions, and I think sports mode will be very useful for making id's, even when one can't get a "pretty picture."
Some from yesterday are here; https://www.flickr.com/photos/127980272@N06/sets/72157649057274429/
I also added some "not quite" shots to the pelican folder. The birds were diving, and I kept trying to get the entrance into the water, but my tracking skills and reaction time weren't up to the task. It was fun though, and I can see how trying to get BIFs in this mode could be addictive.... cause it's hard, but not hopeless. Does use up a lot of battery. https://www.flickr.com/photos/127980272@N06/sets/72157649414055595/
Then I found a Merlin on a tall snag and got some shots of him preening that I was pretty happy with. I watched him for awhile, hoping he'd fly but he didn't, so I moved on.
A cold front started moving in and it got a lot darker and windy, so nothing else I shot was good. Still, I was impressed that the camera could get me any BIFs under the conditions, and I think sports mode will be very useful for making id's, even when one can't get a "pretty picture."
Some from yesterday are here; https://www.flickr.com/photos/127980272@N06/sets/72157649057274429/
I also added some "not quite" shots to the pelican folder. The birds were diving, and I kept trying to get the entrance into the water, but my tracking skills and reaction time weren't up to the task. It was fun though, and I can see how trying to get BIFs in this mode could be addictive.... cause it's hard, but not hopeless. Does use up a lot of battery. https://www.flickr.com/photos/127980272@N06/sets/72157649414055595/
lulubelle
Well-known member
I have purchased an SX50 and tried a few photos after programming it with Crazy Fingers set up. Having looked literally through every post in this thread and every photo, many of you have taken better shots of birds at a farther distance than the ones I have taken from a relatively close distance! Further reinforces the fact that I am not a photographer! Here are a couple of shots that I have taken and I would love feedback on what I can do to improve. Most birds were taken from a distance that I could have easily walked to in a matter of 5 minutes or less.
https://flic.kr/p/pwu3gv
https://flic.kr/p/pNVesv
https://flic.kr/p/qcmdJS
https://flic.kr/p/pwu3gv
https://flic.kr/p/pNVesv
https://flic.kr/p/qcmdJS
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They can't but you can bring the digital zoom up to around 100x without things getting too messy which gives the same results more or less. No way to save those settings though |=(|
AndyM.
Andy, Lulubelle, I use digital zoom at 100x a lot, and just manually zoom in and out as needed. Telephoto settings can be saved though, so if you want, you can set the "digital zoom" (in the menu) to 2x telephoto and save it to a custom setting (C1 or C2). Then you can access 2x telephoto quickly, just by going to C1 on the settings dial on top of the camera.
Using the telephoto setting reduces shake at long focal lengths, but does also limit you to 100x zoom (unlike "standard" digital zoom, where you can got to 200x.)
I don't like to leave the camera in telephoto mode all the time though, cause if you shoot within the optical range the image is negatively impacted (at least on my camera, might want to test in yours.)
Using the telephoto setting reduces shake at long focal lengths, but does also limit you to 100x zoom (unlike "standard" digital zoom, where you can got to 200x.)
I don't like to leave the camera in telephoto mode all the time though, cause if you shoot within the optical range the image is negatively impacted (at least on my camera, might want to test in yours.)
HermitIbis
Well-known member
Last year I shot a Barn swallow BIF - recognizable, but not sharp (see below; 1/250 sec, iso 1600). Still, for BIF sports mode is the SX50's best option, I believe, and I used it here. In sports mode, the AF often struggles with low contrast, but birds in flight (dark against a bright sky) are a good target.
I like the settings recommended in this thread, but unfortunately Goldcrests stay in the shadow 90% of the time. This may be an even worse situation than swallows in flight: the low-light talents of the SX50 too often succumb to the lively Goldcrests. The second photo is one of the few keepers: 1/125 sec, iso 320. Basically crazyfingers' settings, but I used the flashlight. The bird was ~ 4 m away, so the flash may have had a small effect.
Attachments
Nice shots. Would be great if SX50 handled low light better.....the birds around here always seem to manage to put themselves between me and the sun (when there is any) or pop into the shadows just as I get the camera up. Never think to use the flash.....
I've never tried it with the SX50, but my husband uses a "better beamer" flash magnifier with his big rig. He got it to shoot hummers, cause the BB can help get the stopped-wing effect he likes and brings out the iridescence in their plumage. He pretty much uses it all the time now for birds, cause they're so often silhouetted (especially the little woodland buggers.)
It weighs practically nothing, but I already look like a pack mule when I'm birding, so I won't be adding it to my gear list...
crazyfingers
Well-known member
BiFs can be a lot easier to photograph when they are coming straight at you! June of 2013 I accidentally wandered into an area with a lot of nest boxes. Before I new it these tree swallows started to barn-storm me. I took some photos and left.
In any case, rotten weather the last day. Snow in fact. Today being Thanksgiving we will be taking our traditional walk in the woods at my parents house. Still overcast. But they do have a wonderful view of the bird feeder out the dining room window.
In any case, rotten weather the last day. Snow in fact. Today being Thanksgiving we will be taking our traditional walk in the woods at my parents house. Still overcast. But they do have a wonderful view of the bird feeder out the dining room window.
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crazyfingers
Well-known member
That's a really impressive shot of the red-shouldered hawk. Was that sports mode?
HermitIbis
Well-known member
Like +1, mzettie. And crazyfinger's swallows are also excellent. It is encouraging to see that the SX50 has better BIF capabilities than I thought.
SX50 Technical question: compression settings
Ploughing through the instruction manual (original language, hieroglyphics?). On page 147 I find the instructions for changing compression settings. Seems straightforward:
Press the "funct set", choose "L" (or M1,M2,S)
Press the "Disp" button
Choose desired option (fine/superfine) to choose compression ratio.
Great except pressing the "Disp" button does nothing and my display does not match the manual - "Disp" is not displayed on my screen.
Am I missing something here? Or am I doing something wrong?
hopefully I have attached the relevant bit of the manual.
Help!
Andy
Ploughing through the instruction manual (original language, hieroglyphics?). On page 147 I find the instructions for changing compression settings. Seems straightforward:
Press the "funct set", choose "L" (or M1,M2,S)
Press the "Disp" button
Choose desired option (fine/superfine) to choose compression ratio.
Great except pressing the "Disp" button does nothing and my display does not match the manual - "Disp" is not displayed on my screen.
Am I missing something here? Or am I doing something wrong?
hopefully I have attached the relevant bit of the manual.
Help!
Andy
Attachments
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Toirealach
Well-known member
What is the "Mode" dial set to?
On "P", it works for me ok.
On "P", it works for me ok.
lulubelle
Well-known member
Took some more shots to get more familiar with the camera. I believe that these were taken with C1 per Crazy Fingers settings. maybe C2, but am pretty sure C1. At any rate, the birds were probably 10-15 ft away from me at most. I really thought the junco would be clearer, but instead it is very grainy - the one without the branches in the way. The mocker isn't bad, except on the right side of the birds head, it looks really soft. when I took these they were at full zoom. After looking at all the photos in this thread, these are really crappy. What am I dong wrong? Obviously closer is better, but I can't get any closer than I did without scaring the birds and again, people on this thread have taken shots at longer distances that have turned out better. For some off reason, It won't let me post images from Flickr and tells me that photos downloaded from my computer are too large. What the heck?
https://flic.kr/p/pgQHnc
https://flic.kr/p/pgQHnc
https://flic.kr/p/qbjdLu
https://flic.kr/p/pgQHnc
https://flic.kr/p/pgQHnc
https://flic.kr/p/qbjdLu
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