Using Canon 400 f5.6 lens (1 Viewer)

tringbirds said:

Just bought Canon 400 5.6 lens to use with 350d. Any tips/advice using this combination when taking shots. Advice regarding camera settings would be helpful.Does anyone change the parameters settingin the camera. Shots of birds in trees with bright background causes problems sometimes. I use CS2 to produce best end result but would prefer to get the best picture possible before using photoshop, hence the purchase of the lens very recently.thanks in anticipation

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Roy C said:

Main thing if handholding is to get a fast shutter speed - aim for 1/1000 sec or faster (although 1/500 should be ok for sharp shots).
In all but the brightest of days I would use ISO400 as standard and switch to ISO 800 if required to get the shutter speed up.
On the 350D I used to use Partial metering (nearest to spot on this camera) and centre focus point only.
For birds with a bright background you need to use a plus EV of between +1 and + 2.
Shooting in RAW also gives you a bit of leeway on the exposure.
BTW you can shoot wide open with this lens as it is very sharp at f5.6.

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mw_aurora said:

Yes - smaller f number means bigger aperture, which means more light but less DOF. The number quoted with lenses is the maximum aperture for that lens - you can close it down with the camera. I guess your phoenix lens is manual or fixed aperture? The camera expects electronic control of the aperture so when it gets nothing reported from the lens, reports 00.

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