7DI + 100-400mm - New to DSLRs - Still Dialing In (1 Viewer)

Lens is used from B+H - Body was "NIB" but second hand from Craigslist

I've never had a DSLR but had some experience with Mirrorless, mostly adapted to a telescope for birds from my deck

Even letting the camera do ALL the thinking my photos are soft... just NO detail. That's the problem. I only pulled this out of the box a few days ago. I've gotten fairly familiar with the settings, read quite a lot and believe I have ruled out a lot of the obvious stuff. But of course, it will be something obvious, won't it?

Hand-held or fully stabilized, the problem is the same. I've been shooting both RAW and Large, Landscape - Aperture Priority, fully open, depending on the focal length to improve shutter speed. Low ISO, but whether the Sun is out or it's overcast like today... focus is either off, or it's just plain fuzzy. It is set for "neutral," quality for RAW post processing. I can't access the Mac this weekend where my photoshop is, but looking at the available detail on the jpg files, PP will enhance the images, but won't make up for this degree of fuzz. The information just isn't there.

I'm really worried I may have a bad copy of the lens, but it's gorgeous. The camera came out of a box with zero count on the shutter... untouched.

So tonight I've been researching lens calibration... well, getting familiar with how it works. I really don't think it's off... but I'll know more tomorrow, when it's not raining and I get to go through that process outdoors.

OK, I guess that's not properly "a question," but that's where I am... having angst that the equipment is the problem.. until I get some decent shots.

The photo is a bit small but I can see good detail in the fine feathers just below the 3 white spots on its wing

I would try some test shots on fine print in the garden a serial box is good with a tripod 1/2000sec f 6.3 and good light to keep the iso low and see what you get .

Rob.

Will do, Rob. I took a thousand pics and got a couple, that's one... that were close. I got feather fine detail, cross thatching of feathers, droplet of rain on a hummingbird's beak, glint in the eye... with a refractor scope and little micro 4/3rds camera.... so my expectation is high. This camera has a fine reputation. Tomorrow will tripod up, but don't know how clear it will be... overcast but not raining.

overcast, late afternoon

manual
f/6.3
1/2000 sec
3200 auto iso - dang.. forgot to shoot this with low ISO - now i'm stuck till it stops raining... maybe June?
350mm
40 feet distance
resized down to 25% for the forum
Shot from a really clunky tripod, no remote shutter release

I think the autofocus is so fast, a millisecond with the lightest touch,
that I was telling it to refocus, confusing it - just holding down focus too long - making it search and re-search.
Also, a lot of the shots were in a densely branched, leafless tree, making autofocus very difficult for the camera.
My steadiness hand held is horrific - You would think I was video recording a UFO.
Originally, although shooting aperture priority with open diaphragm... letting the 7D select shutter speed... it wasn't as fast as this 1/2000.
This is "neutral" style so it's super mild, colorwise (for processing raw) and this, is the attending .jpg, without ALL of the information - Still won't be able to access my Mac with Photoshop until tomorrow evening.

I Think this shows its ok as it looks good on my screen and can only be sharper at a lower iso

so I don't see any reason to worry if you can keep the shutter speed up for birds it should be ok

Rob.

Thanks Rob!

It's going to rain all week. I'm counting my shekels, hoping to get a head for a monopod someone gave me.

I think that might help... but first things first

The second shot looks good to me in terms of sharpness.
Good light makes all the difference and my tip is the one given to me when I started. Use all manual settings and use the Sunny 16 rule until you have a feeling for what is or isn't likely to work in a given situation.You take total control instead of the camera making decisions for you.
With the 7D1 from what I can gather the only limitation is ISO values. Best at 800 or below I'm reading from previous comments but you can probably push it a little bit more if you are happy to accept a bit of noise in the image.
Certainly no need to pull your hair out thinking it's a poor lens.( Sorry couldn't resist that one!) cheers Dave

Thank you, Dave

I will put that advice to good use. I just love looking at these photos you all take from all over the world. I live in the Pacific Northwest US. Most of our birds have mild colors. It's frequently light challenged.

I say we live in Kansas but the rest of the world gets to live in Oz.

My son is in India... has been for a while, but is travelling extensively. He's taken an interest in what you all do, so I get to "tour the world" vicariously through his photography. It's great fun as well.

SeattleDan said:

I will put that advice to good use. I just love looking at these photos you all take from all over the world. I live in the Pacific Northwest US. Most of our birds have mild colors. It's frequently light challenged.

I say we live in Kansas but the rest of the world gets to live in Oz.

My son is in India... has been for a while, but is travelling extensively. He's taken an interest in what you all do, so I get to "tour the world" vicariously through his photography. It's great fun as well.

Click to expand...

Thanks Dan, the grass is always greener somewhere else it seems but there is always something you miss about being back home and after a trip I realise that I wouldn't swap home for anything!
I would imagine you get a similar climate to the UK but you must also have some fabulous mammal opportunities as well as birds.

I hadn't thought about mammals but...

My son used to tell me, when I first started doing this, "I'm into furry things." Now he's into fur AND feathers. (sounds kinky)

Right out my window I have a lovely river with Otters, Muskrats, Raccoons and even the rare Harbor Seal. We have Mink, I think but haven't seen a Black, Weaselly looking thing here in a long time.

However, our mountains and parks are full of Lions, some Bears, Deer and Elk. I've watched a Bull, Roosevelt Elk, standing sentry in the river at dusk, (not my river), while a single file of more than a hundred others, forded across. (I counted them) -

You're right. I've been limiting myself... but to tell the truth, it was hard to lug around a big apochromatic refractor on a
hike. Now I'm hoping, I can get into the field.

This is a terrible, fuzzy photo, but I caught these two, hunting for a place to give birth, right out my living room window, across the Green.

Let me know when you want to do a holiday house swap Dan !!!!!