[senatore]

I ask this question because recently,as the weather has become cool,damp and dull when I have been out birding,the number of "keepers" I have taken with my camera (350D/400f5.6) has plunged from 10% to 1% and in some cases 0%.

To take a decent pic. I seem to need not only to get close but also bright conditions.So when the conditions are poor should I leave the camera at home?

Cheer me up and encourage me to take the camera with me by posting here any pics. you have taken in poor conditions that you are pleased with.If possible state the camera settings please.

Max.

[Keith Reeder]

It's a very open-ended question, Max.

By poor conditions you mean poor light, and you're right to suggest it's harder with a "slow" lens like your 400mm f/5.6 or my 100-400mm.

A faster lens like a 500mm f/4 is letting in a stop more light, all other things being equal, and that can make a difference.

But we can always up the ISO - have you tried that? What ISO are you actually using in dull light?

[whomes]

Don't know- but I can certainly take a poor picture in decent conditions!

[paul goode]

Poor conditions photos, I've got hundreds of them. I'm convinced I live under a permanent black cloud! The attached are all ISO800 @ 500mm, with the lens wide open and some horribly low shutter speed.They were all taken on dull, 'orrible winter days. I have no illusions about my ability to handhold a lens so they are all taken with the lens well supported on a beanbag or tripod.
There is every reason to keep taking the camera out, Max, because in winter when food becomes scarcer many birds become more approachable and easier to photograph. As Keith says, wind the ISO up (your kit will still give good images at ISO800, 1600 at a push) to keep the shutter speed high, get the lens well supported and you should be able to get perfectly acceptable images.

Paul

[Keith Reeder]

They're excellent, Paul - love the waterlogged mallard!

[Roy C]

Originally Posted by Keith Reeder

They're excellent, Paul - love the waterlogged mallard!

I will second that Paul - the waterlogged Mallard is a stunner.

[JohnZ]

I have the same lens as you Max and while it is true that good light really makes the lens shine it is also true that in poorish light it can also work quite nicely. Keith and Pauls suggestion to wind the ISO up is normally my solution to poor light.
I have also found that if the poor light is uniform, if you know what I mean, then some shots can look just as good. Just look at Pauls shots ! If the worst comes to the worst you can always do a bit of PP`ing which is an option not open to me as I am a total plank in this department.

[scampo]

Originally Posted by senatore

I ask this question because recently,as the weather has become cool,damp and dull when I have been out birding,the number of "keepers" I have taken with my camera (350D/400f5.6) has plunged from 10% to 1% and in some cases 0%.

To take a decent pic. I seem to need not only to get close but also bright conditions.So when the conditions are poor should I leave the camera at home?

Cheer me up and encourage me to take the camera with me by posting here any pics. you have taken in poor conditions that you are pleased with.If possible state the camera settings please.

Max.

Dull light means flat light and that is a photographer's nightmare, but there are some things you can try that will help.

Changing the film sensitivity from 100ASA to 800 or even 1600ASA will give you a very useful aid on dull days. You can use this extra sensitivity to allow you to use a higher shutter speed (to lessen the chance of camera shake blur) or to use a smaller aperture (to give you a greater depth of field/focus). To change your lens to one with a slightly wider aperture will make precious little difference and cost a small fortune; changing the sensitivity gives a real advantage and is free.

The main difficulty inherent in dull day photography is that the lighting is much flatter and more even, with low levels of contrast (it is contrast that helps make a shot sparkle and seem sharper). Low contrast is difficult to overcome but there are a couple of tips. A switch to spot metering will allow you to take more accurately exposed shots, shots in which the main subject can look much better.

Secondly, you can try to pick subjects for photography that are lit sufficiently well to create a greater contrast between themselves and the background. Subjects that have greater contrast (lots of dark + light) are better than subjects that are all much the same colour.

[sask]

I have been really enjoying and appreciating the valuable comments in this thread. There are now several things I can try to improve my photos when shooting through a window on a very grey day.

Presumably the pics I posted earlier - 'natural food' - are so lousy that no-one at all can think of anything positive to say about them!

sask

[raymondjbarlow]

I love the challenge personally.. but it is very frustrating at times...

here are a few of mine.

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/70184805

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/70015751

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/69589950

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/69077953

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/67962541

I hope these encourage you to have a go! a good tripod, and a still bird will help a ton!! good luck.

[Andy in West Oz]

Raymond and Paul

Stunning pics guys. Something to aspire to.

Cheers

Andy

[scampo]

Originally Posted by raymondjbarlow

I love the challenge personally.. but it is very frustrating at times...

here are a few of mine.

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/70184805

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/70015751

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/69589950

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/69077953

http://www.pbase.com/raymondjbarlow/image/67962541

I hope these encourage you to have a go! a good tripod, and a still bird will help a ton!! good luck.

Superb. The cormorant shot is instructive to this thread - despite the rainy weather, you have picked on a well lit subject and exposed it to perfection.

[scampo]

Originally Posted by sask

I have been really enjoying and appreciating the valuable comments in this thread. There are now several things I can try to improve my photos when shooting through a window on a very grey day.

Presumably the pics I posted earlier - 'natural food' - are so lousy that no-one at all can think of anything positive to say about them!

sask

Shooting through a window won't help the clarity and contrast, I'd think. I can't see the pictures you posted, though - is it a different thread?

[senatore]

Originally Posted by Keith Reeder

It's a very open-ended question, Max.

By poor conditions you mean poor light, and you're right to suggest it's harder with a "slow" lens like your 400mm f/5.6 or my 100-400mm.

A faster lens like a 500mm f/4 is letting in a stop more light, all other things being equal, and that can make a difference.

But we can always up the ISO - have you tried that? What ISO are you actually using in dull light?

Hi Keith,
At my local patch last Sunday I took 34 pics and as the weather was dull I was on ISO 800 and 5.6f for most of the pics.Allthough I never got close to the birds the pics were all very dissapointing.No keepers!!!!!Hence the post.

Max.

[senatore]

Originally Posted by paul goode

Poor conditions photos, I've got hundreds of them. I'm convinced I live under a permanent black cloud! The attached are all ISO800 @ 500mm, with the lens wide open and some horribly low shutter speed.They were all taken on dull, 'orrible winter days. I have no illusions about my ability to handhold a lens so they are all taken with the lens well supported on a beanbag or tripod.
There is every reason to keep taking the camera out, Max, because in winter when food becomes scarcer many birds become more approachable and easier to photograph. As Keith says, wind the ISO up (your kit will still give good images at ISO800, 1600 at a push) to keep the shutter speed high, get the lens well supported and you should be able to get perfectly acceptable images.

Paul

Great pics Paul.I would be happy with those on a bright day.

Max.

[senatore]

Thanks everyone for the comments.I have been encouraged to continue taking the camera with me when the weather is poor.

Max.

[bpw]

Some excellent pictures here to encourage photography in poor conditions. I agree that Ray’s Cormorant shot is first-class. I think one of the things that make it so successful is the eye-level – were you actually in the water?!

With the weather we get in the UK, it’s worth considering one of these covers, if you can get one to fit your camera + lens.

[raymondjbarlow]

thanks everyone.

Originally Posted by bpw

Some excellent pictures here to encourage photography in poor conditions. I agree that Ray’s Cormorant shot is first-class. I think one of the things that make it so successful is the eye-level – were you actually in the water?!

With the weather we get in the UK, it’s worth considering one of these covers, if you can get one to fit your camera + lens.

my left arm and shoulder was in the water, I was hiding behind my car, parked on a boat ramp., almost too much rain though., we must be careful not to wreck our hardware!

[psilo]

At the end of the day there is poor light and there is dull but interesting light. It is alwasu good to experiment to see what kind of light creates the best effects.I would never consider taking any photo at iso 800 or above unless it was something very rare or very unusual. Photos that lack sparkle due to flat light do not inspire or interest me but then we all aspire to different things. Having said that I would always have my camera with me in case that extra something special did turn up.

[scampo]

Originally Posted by psilo

I would never consider taking any photo at iso 800...

Not speaking from experience, but the latest Fujifilm cameras seem generally to be accepted by reviewers as being quite usable up to 1600ASA with 3200 not being utterly out of hand if judicious noise removal is applied.

[tittletattler]

It's also worth noting that birds can still be digiscoped in dull conditions as well.

I rarely get above 1/60 of a second when using a Coolpix 990 and Leica APO 62mm scope and I usually get about 1/15 or 1/30 of a second on a good day.

The attached pic was taken at 1/1 (ie, a full 1 second).

[psilo]

Steve it depends what their definition of usable is? If you are needing to use an iso that is so high then there is little or no good natural light and to me photos taken at these isos look unnaturally enhanced and rarely look good. In the past I have taken many a photo due to our often poor light at these high film speeds but nowadays I just dont bother as I do not want the quality of my photos to be compromised.

[scampo]

Originally Posted by psilo

Steve it depends what their definition of usable is? If you are needing to use an iso that is so high then there is little or no good natural light and to me photos taken at these isos look unnaturally enhanced and rarely look good. In the past I have taken many a photo due to our often poor light at these high film speeds but nowadays I just dont bother as I do not want the quality of my photos to be compromised.

I agree but some of those reviews are from leading and highly critical photo sites. I think that Fuji has, uniquely, turned away from the faux-attractiveness of mega-mega-pixel offerings and looked, instead, at the much more important practical consideration of how to take photos in low light without flash. The examples I saw in the reviews of shots at up to 1600ASA were exceptionally clean and put even Nikon and Canon to shame.

[sask]

Originally Posted by scampo

Shooting through a window won't help the clarity and contrast, I'd think. I can't see the pictures you posted, though - is it a different thread?

Thank you for replying.

I posted a couple of photos in an earlier thread - named 'natural food'. It is down the page a bit from this thread.

Certainly, even as a beginner, I realised that through a window wasn't going to lead to great pictures. However, it was bitterly cold (-15 C), windy, snowing a bit and VERY dull and grey. Also, going outside would have scared the birds away - I'd done that a few days earlier.

I look forward to any comments you may be able to make.

sask

[scampo]

Originally Posted by sask

Thank you for replying.

I posted a couple of photos in an earlier thread - named 'natural food'. It is down the page a bit from this thread.

Certainly, even as a beginner, I realised that through a window wasn't going to lead to great pictures. However, it was bitterly cold (-15 C), windy, snowing a bit and VERY dull and grey. Also, going outside would have scared the birds away - I'd done that a few days earlier.

I look forward to any comments you may be able to make.

sask

Hi - I can't find that thread by searching, sorry!