Can't tell if my lens is broke or if I'm rubbish (1 Viewer)

[Roy C]

Ah, right. So, to be able to use pushing and pulling effectively, you'd need to know the true native ISO of whichever camera you're using. Either that or use trial and error, and get to know your camera well enough to work out which ISO values on that specific model are best for relatively low noise or whatever. Cheers,

David

The consensus of opinion for Canon is the the native ISO are indeed, 100,200,400 ..............

 

[seaspirit]

Ah, right. So, to be able to use pushing and pulling effectively, you'd need to know the true native ISO ......

Well, seems the whole "Native ISO" is a bit of controversial with a lot of different opinions.

Higher ISO always comes with more noise, native or not.
Will there be a difference between ISO3200 (full stops up from native) and ISO2500 (somewhere inbetween? Try it, I never bothered.

However, from own experience using 3200 will allow to expose further to the right than 2500 and pulling a slightly underexposed 2500 file up will likely result in more noticable noise than bringing a slightly overexposed 3200 down. So if Iam somewhere between choices I rather go now with the higher ISO.

 

[the black fox]

What's happend to retro daz ,it's his thread after all

 

[Dave Williams]

He took the lens cap off.

 

[Retrodaz]

I'm still here. I just don't finish work until 6.30, so haven't had a chance to put everyone's advice into action. I am going out with a fellow forum member on saturday, so will post results at the weekend.

 

[Retrodaz]

I went to Hengistbury Head today with MSA, who kindly took me around some of the most popular walks. As I was trying out my new binoculars, I didn't get as many shots as I would have liked, but I did take these.

I've been trying AV settings, shooting wide open and used auto iso for the majority of shots. I am also practising a new bracing technique for making my lens steadier.


Was able to get within 20 feet of this I reckon.


House Martin were wheeling overhead everywhere. This was one of the nearest.


Another Stonechat, roughly the same distance as before, but with higher shutter speed.


As usual, I took the picture of the magpie, then noticed the Green Woodpecker when I was cropping. Oops!

As a general rule I'm staying well away from 100% crops and trying to get as close as I can. I will keep on practising, but feel these are moving in the right direction.

 

[Retrodaz]

One thing I have noticed is that when shooting in av it seems to automatically aim around the 650 shutterspeed. I up it up to 800 iso but then the image get quite noisy.

Also if i select tv and put it on auto iso there seems no way to set the aperture.

 

[Roy C]

One thing I have noticed is that when shooting in av it seems to automatically aim around the 650 shutterspeed. I up it up to 800 iso but then the image get quite noisy.

Also if i select tv and put it on auto iso there seems no way to set the aperture.

In non Auto ISO Mode
If you use Av mode you select the aperture and the Camera selects the shutter speed (to give correct exposure) Control shutter speed via ISO
If you use Tv mode you select the shutter speed and the Camera selects the aperture (to give correct exposure) Control aperture via ISO

In auto ISO Mode
When you use Auto ISO with either of these it is the ISO that controls the exposure so things change:
In Tv mode the Camera will almost always open the lens right up so with a f5.6 lens it will be f5.6 or f6.3
In Av mode the Camera will give you a shutter speed of around focal length x 1.6 so with a 400mm lens it will be around 1/640 sec.

The only way you can control both the shutter speed and the aperture is to use Manual mode.

Conclusions are:-
Only use Av mode and auto ISO if you are happy with a shutter speed = to focal length x crop factor of the camera.
Only use Tv mode and auto ISO if you are happy with a wide open aperture.

With a non IS lens like the 400/5.6 Tv mode and auto ISO works well because the lens is pin sharp wide open.

 

[Retrodaz]

By your explanation then Roy AV mode might be worth staying away with as the shutterspeed is lower that the 1/1000 that was originally recommended, unless I pump the iso higher.
Can you actually see any improvement in the shots or is more practising needed (something I obviously don't mind).

 

[seaspirit]

By your explanation then Roy AV mode might be worth staying away with as the shutterspeed is lower that the 1/1000 that was originally recommended, unless I pump the iso higher.
Can you actually see any improvement in the shots or is more practising needed (something I obviously don't mind).

You can deal with high-ISO noise in post processing, but a blurred image because of low shutter speed will always be a blurred image. So what is more useful? And as light is the essence of photography one runs into the situation once in a while that no matter how camera setting are pushed no decent images are possible.

So my choice always was AV, where you set the aperture to wide open.
This will get you on the right track for the fastest possible shutter speed before cranking ISO up. With the aperture wide open the exposure time determined by the computer is the fastest possible at the given ISO value. Is it still is too slow the ISO has to go up or the camera back into the bag.

Yes, you will need more practice. We all do, it never stops! But even more important is to learn and understand the basics and you camera.

 

[Retrodaz]

So if I am using aperture should I always ensure iso changes to I'm shooting at at least 1/1000 Seasprite? I noticed that if I set the iso at 400 it was typically at around 640 for shutterspeed. I'm assuming that a relatively early morning (I was taking photos around 7.30 am) also didn't help matters.

I've started going back through Mike Aitkinson's blog again as I find his approach to the subject far less stuffy that the other one I was reading.

 

[MSA]

Hi Darran

As I know the distances and the light on the day, I'd say those pics are pretty good and do definitely show signs of improvement on the first batch. I did mention that I'm not a "photographer" just a birder with a walkaround camera; you may have noticed that I didn't actually take any pictures that morning, that was because in my opinion we weren't really getting close enough to warrant more than a record shot, and the light wasn't the best, so all in all you've done a good job.

All the best, Mark

 

[seaspirit]

So if I am using aperture should I always ensure iso changes to I'm shooting at at least 1/1000 Seasprite? I noticed that if I set the iso at 400 it was typically at around 640 for shutterspeed. I'm assuming that a relatively early morning (I was taking photos around 7.30 am) also didn't help matters.

I've started going back through Mike Aitkinson's blog again as I find his approach to the subject far less stuffy that the other one I was reading.

The 1/1000s isn't written in stone. You can go slower but as already mentioned an old rule of thumb for handheld shooting is that you want a shutterspeed that is at least 1/focal length (i.e. for your 400mm on a crop body that would be 600mm) or faster. So 1/650s may work, but 1/1000s would be safer. With a steady hand one can go even slower, however than you will get into the catch22 that your subject is moving. So even with the camera being steady you will start see blur due to subject movement.

 

[Retrodaz]

Thanks Mark. I will pretty much snap anything that flies into my sights. I will keep practicing, but will have to wait until the weekend again now

 

[Roy C]

So if I am using aperture should I always ensure iso changes to I'm shooting at at least 1/1000 Seasprite? I noticed that if I set the iso at 400 it was typically at around 640 for shutterspeed. I'm assuming that a relatively early morning (I was taking photos around 7.30 am) also didn't help matters.

This is really not rocket science, you just need to ascertain what shutter speed you are happy with to get consistent sharp shots. Once you establish this it just a matter of using Tv mode and auto ISO and dial-in the shutter speed you want - job done, you do not have to mess around setting/changing the ISO yourself like you would have to in Av mode. For a given shutter-speed with the lens wide open Av mode offers nothing whatsoever over Tv mode and auto ISO. Another nice advantage using this method is if you want to change from stationary birds to flyers (or visa versa) you just need to alter the shutter speed via the little top wheel, and this can be done in a fraction of a second.

 

[Retrodaz]

I've taken a few more pics this week. It wasn't great for light though

Shutter 1/1600
ISO 800
F 5.6

I was as close as I could get to it at my minimum length. It just wouldn't fly off and was extremely tame (until it flew off).

Sparrowhawk
This was on TV Settings
Shutter 1/1000
Iso 800
f5.6
Personally it probably should have been a higher shutter speed.


Teal
The same settings as the Sparrowhawk.
Again, it's probably not quite fast enough.


None of them are 100% crops, although the Dunnock is probably fairly close.

 

[Retrodaz]

The light wasn't the greatest on Saturday, but I managed this shot of a Dartford Warbler.

Shot in AV from about 20 feet away.
F5.6
ISO 400
1/800


The light is largely awful now, so it seems like everything is now stacked against me

 

[Dave Williams]

The light looks pretty good in your shot, it was more a case of you being in the wrong spot at the time .Frustrating but it happens to us all.

 

[Retrodaz]

when you mean wrong spot do you mean the sun is in front of me? I can't remember where it was, all I remember is my first Dartford Warbler
Here's a non-cropped image that I've resized

 

[MSA]

Hi Darran

Long time no speak!

As well as harsh light conditions, I believe the focus point was on the gorse.

I'm back from Scilly but away again soon, working flat out to make up time, so maybe we can meet up again when I'm back from Zambia later in the month?

Cheers