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7D mark 1 settings (1 Viewer)

Pitta Patter

Well-known member
I took my Canon 7D mark 1 on a recent trip and was a tad disappointed with the results. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for settings for bird photography?

Kevin
 
There's no silver bullet I'm afraid Kevin, giving you settings would be futile because they change for differing ambient conditions.
Concentrate on exposure (Google sunny 16) make sure you nail focus and get as close as you can to the subject (without stressing it)
It's a frustrating but rewarding process.
Good luck.
 
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This won't be very helpful, but buying the mk2 will greatly improve your images - it is light years better than the mk1

cheers, alan
 
Single point AF, (focus on bird's eye, or at least head) AL servo (tracking moving subject) burst mode - take several pictures increases the chance of getting one decent shot.

What lens are you using?

And you will take many, many photos and reject most of them. Such is the challenge of bird photography
 
Kevin,

First, MFA (micro focus adjust) the camera to the lens. Be patient and methodical.

Shoot in RAW + small jpg. Do your post exposure work in RAW, then convert as necessary.

Try not to go higher than ISO400

Use your fieldcraft and get close to your subject as best you can. The less cropping, the better

Keep your shutter speed up and use a tripod.

The 7D is capable of producing fine images but it's noisy at higher ISOs. Fieldcraft and patience are your best assets.

Remember you are photographing light. If the scene doesn't look good to your eye it won't produce a good image. Also, with birds, eye shine is critical.

I'm sure we'd all like to know what lens you are using
 
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Thanks guys for all your comments. I used a canon 400mm F5.6 but I also have a Sigma 150-600 mm contemporary. Not sure which is better but I am thinking of taking the latter on my next trip.
 
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