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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

First day with Fuji F31fd (1 Viewer)

Thanks Neil. I did find what I think is the EXIF data by right-clicking on the raw file in Windows XP and selecting Properties -> Summary. I didn't think I'd used camera zoom but it says the aperture for the shot was f4.9, which implies I must have zoomed in. Sorry if I misled anyone. I find it hard to believe I zoomed in fully though, since the bird is no bigger than it was through my 8x bins, and I was only slightly further away with the scope. Although on second thoughts I was cropping with the bins, but didn't have to here.

The shutter speed was only 1/153 s, so maybe the reason the subject is burnt out is the same as with the butterfly - shutter speed was computed on the scene as a whole whereas the subject is significantly brighter. Neil, would I be correct to think that this is what your default -0.7 exposure compensation is designed to deal with? I will try that setting. I will also have a look to see if there some kind of 'centre-spot' light metering option, unless someone tells me I am on the wrong track there.
 
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Stephen, the F4.9 doesn't imply you were zoomed in at all. You can be on F8 and still be zoomed right out, it just depends on the brightness of the scene.

Yes, right clicking in Windows and then choosing summary will give you some EXIF info.

There is a spot metering option on the F31 and there's also a semi-spot metering option which looks at the center and and the surrounding area and then there's the default average option which looks at the image as a whole. For the butterfy spot metering would have been ideal.

I do the same as Neil and stop down -1/3 to -2/3 and sometimes as much as -1.

Paul.
 
Hi Paul,
doesn't the fact that I had set it to Aperture Priority - f2.8, and yet the EXIF says the aperture was f4.9, mean that I must have zoomed in?

Thanks for the heads-up re. the different light metering modes, I will definitely try centre 'spot' metering.

I looked at the exposure compensation setting today and found that it was already set to a 'plus' value, either +1/3 or +2/3, the latter I think. It seems to be set from the directional buttons in the same mode that you set the aperture, so I probably accidentally set it while I was trying to set the aperture. I expect this explains why my shots were over-exposed!
Thanks all,
Stephen
 
Ah yes sorry, I missed the bit about it being in aperture priority mode so that would imply it was zoomed in.

Having the camera on a + compensation would make quite a difference especially as the Fuji is prone to blowing out the whites.

Paul.
 
I was photographing some Kingfishers yesterday and, having heard that some people prefer not to use the Macro setting, I tried turning Macro off. For some reason, with my set up, the shots were noticeably blurred. I turned the Macro back on and they immediately looked much better.

I don't know if this is because I focus the scope first through the lens and then swing the camera into position to take the shot. Perhaps something is different if you focus using the camera's lcd.

I have to admit my photos are never razor sharp like Neil's. Perhaps it just the limitations of my tiny scope and zoom lens or perhaps it's my technique.

You can see a couple of the Kingfisher shots in my User's gallery (click on my Username next to this post.)

Ron
 
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