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D7000 - tips & advice (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter kral0001
- Start date
BillN
Well-known member
basically the "conditions" will dictate the camera settings that you should use for optimum effectiveness
but the following may help
I do not have the Sigma, so do a little research on the best settings for your lens
I have a D300 and D7100
For small birds at a distance and assuming good light I tend to use "spot" exposure and "spot" focus.
(not flying).
ISO depends on the light available ....... anything below "good light" you will probably have to move up to ISO 400/800 quite a lot of the time to get a high enough shutter speed, and if you are taking shots at 500mm ........ even 1/500 sec will not be fast enough when "hand held"
If you are using a good PP software package most of the time in normal condition if you over expose slightly it may help as you can bring the detail back......... dial in plus one third of a stop and increase to experiment
If you can use a tripod with a good (suitable) head for bird photography
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RJM
Don't Worry, Be Happy!
Shoot that lens handheld in APERTURE PRIORITY at F8 for maximum sharpness and set AUTO ISO to maintain minimum shutter speed of 1/800sec or faster (min 1/1200sec for birds in flight). Tweak exposure against the histogram with Exposure Compensation. You can turn the lens stabilization OFF with these shutter speeds.
ericbowles
Well-known member
I normally use Aperture priority with center weighted metering for wildlife. Spot metering works, but can vary a lot based on the color of the subject. Matrix places a little too much weight on the entire scene - including the background.
I don't like AFA - I found that it often misses focus on a static subject that starts to move. I was photographing bears bathing, and AFA consistently failed when the bear was shaking off water. AFC with Release Priority is a better choice for subjects that move.
Auto ISO is a good choice but you'll still need to use judgement. I prefer a fixed ISO, Aperture priority, and let the shutter vary. I watch the shutter speed to make sure it is 1/500 or higher for perched subjects and 1/1250 for flying subjects or those that twitch a lot. If you want to use Auto ISO, use it with Manual exposure mode setting the aperture and shutter speed as needed. ISO will float and maintain your settings.
I use the fewest number of AF points possible. That means I use Single point most of the time for perched subjects. If AF is difficult, I might use Dynamic 9 point. The problem is that 9 point lets you choose the focus sensor, and the camera chooses the actual sensor to use based on the surrounding 8 sensors and which one has the best AF focus. So if you are focused on the eye, and the camera has a better idea, it can choose an alternate sensor. But for moving or flying birds, Dynamic 9 point is a good option.
I use 11 points for AF rather than 39 points, but that's because I am using the back button focus approach and do a lot of focus and compose shooting. 11 points makes it faster to move across the frame. This is a matter of personal preference, and the 39 point option may be better if you use the shutter release to focus.
AF Lock is relevant if you have sticks or grasses that temporarily block the subject. With AF lock, your camera maintains focus on the subject when it temporarily walks behind a blade of grass or a tree. A higher setting maintains focus for a longer period. Normal is probably a good setting. Setting it too high makes the camera slow to switch subjects.
Be sure you pay attention to light. Dim light makes images look soft due to a lack of contrast. Bright light is too contrasty. Soft directional light is better than dim or bright light.
I shoot in Continuous High. Normally I am looking for a single frame with a good head position - and a catchlight in the eye. I only fire a single frame or two. The only time I fire a burst of frames is for peak action as they are landing, fighting, displaying, eating, etc.
Your images will be a little soft if you shoot at the widest aperture. Stop down a full stop if you have enough light. If you are at 500mm, try to get closer as the lens is a little soft fully zoomed.
I don't like AFA - I found that it often misses focus on a static subject that starts to move. I was photographing bears bathing, and AFA consistently failed when the bear was shaking off water. AFC with Release Priority is a better choice for subjects that move.
Auto ISO is a good choice but you'll still need to use judgement. I prefer a fixed ISO, Aperture priority, and let the shutter vary. I watch the shutter speed to make sure it is 1/500 or higher for perched subjects and 1/1250 for flying subjects or those that twitch a lot. If you want to use Auto ISO, use it with Manual exposure mode setting the aperture and shutter speed as needed. ISO will float and maintain your settings.
I use the fewest number of AF points possible. That means I use Single point most of the time for perched subjects. If AF is difficult, I might use Dynamic 9 point. The problem is that 9 point lets you choose the focus sensor, and the camera chooses the actual sensor to use based on the surrounding 8 sensors and which one has the best AF focus. So if you are focused on the eye, and the camera has a better idea, it can choose an alternate sensor. But for moving or flying birds, Dynamic 9 point is a good option.
I use 11 points for AF rather than 39 points, but that's because I am using the back button focus approach and do a lot of focus and compose shooting. 11 points makes it faster to move across the frame. This is a matter of personal preference, and the 39 point option may be better if you use the shutter release to focus.
AF Lock is relevant if you have sticks or grasses that temporarily block the subject. With AF lock, your camera maintains focus on the subject when it temporarily walks behind a blade of grass or a tree. A higher setting maintains focus for a longer period. Normal is probably a good setting. Setting it too high makes the camera slow to switch subjects.
Be sure you pay attention to light. Dim light makes images look soft due to a lack of contrast. Bright light is too contrasty. Soft directional light is better than dim or bright light.
I shoot in Continuous High. Normally I am looking for a single frame with a good head position - and a catchlight in the eye. I only fire a single frame or two. The only time I fire a burst of frames is for peak action as they are landing, fighting, displaying, eating, etc.
Your images will be a little soft if you shoot at the widest aperture. Stop down a full stop if you have enough light. If you are at 500mm, try to get closer as the lens is a little soft fully zoomed.
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