-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Tcon-17 without tripod? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter helenol
- Start date
I have it's previous lens, the B300 and where I think you will get a better shot with a tripod, I seldom use mine. I have learned to brace myself against something if the subject is above eyelevel and I brace my arms into my chest. Your arms will get used to holding it eventually and you will notice little, if any, camera shake.
Last edited:
IanF
Moderator
Hi Helen,
Whilst I use the Tcon-17 with the Olympus C2100UZ which has IS, I also find that the Tcon-17 doesn't reduce the amount of light entering the camera. If anyhting it seems to give hihger shutter speeds. The only other consideration is the longer telephoto reach may lead to more noticeable camera shake.
As KC says, I'd have thought simple bracing yourself or even exhaling and taking the shot should be sufficent especially on brighter days. If you do need additional support at times then a monopod may suffice. I used to use one when taking photos with the EagleEye 5x converter.
Whilst I use the Tcon-17 with the Olympus C2100UZ which has IS, I also find that the Tcon-17 doesn't reduce the amount of light entering the camera. If anyhting it seems to give hihger shutter speeds. The only other consideration is the longer telephoto reach may lead to more noticeable camera shake.
As KC says, I'd have thought simple bracing yourself or even exhaling and taking the shot should be sufficent especially on brighter days. If you do need additional support at times then a monopod may suffice. I used to use one when taking photos with the EagleEye 5x converter.
Last edited:
Helen,
I have exactly the same camera as you with the TCON 17. I take shots with the TCON 17 without a tripod and at full zoom. The higher the shutter speed ,the sharper the photo. To achieve this i use ... Apeture Priorety mode, open it up to the widest setting, this will give you a shallow depth of field but it is not a problem because it will isolate the subject nicely , but will also let the most available light into the cameras sensor. Then set ISO to 200...which makes the sensor more sensitive to available light. Next setting is SHQ ( super high quality ) which gives you plenty of pixels to play with if you want to crop the photo on the PC. When taking a shot i support the end of the big lens because that is where all the movement takes place, that is the balance point, not the camera. Put all these settings into ( My Mode ) and save them there so when you are in the field with the TCON 17 attached you can switch over to them quickly. Also i have found it wise to use the same settings in ( My Mode 2 ) with spot metering added for those difficult lighting situations..Roy.
I have exactly the same camera as you with the TCON 17. I take shots with the TCON 17 without a tripod and at full zoom. The higher the shutter speed ,the sharper the photo. To achieve this i use ... Apeture Priorety mode, open it up to the widest setting, this will give you a shallow depth of field but it is not a problem because it will isolate the subject nicely , but will also let the most available light into the cameras sensor. Then set ISO to 200...which makes the sensor more sensitive to available light. Next setting is SHQ ( super high quality ) which gives you plenty of pixels to play with if you want to crop the photo on the PC. When taking a shot i support the end of the big lens because that is where all the movement takes place, that is the balance point, not the camera. Put all these settings into ( My Mode ) and save them there so when you are in the field with the TCON 17 attached you can switch over to them quickly. Also i have found it wise to use the same settings in ( My Mode 2 ) with spot metering added for those difficult lighting situations..Roy.
Roy, thank you very much for your excellent advice.
You seem to have solved all my problems in just one paragraph! What I have been doing is always concentrating on the shutter speed, and/or taking pics in the "sports (?)" mode.
I have been reluctant to use ISO 200, as I always thought it would lead to a slightly grainy appearance on the photo. I usually have the SHQ setting on.
Do you, by any chance, have the macro mode switched on too, when using the tcon?
You seem to have solved all my problems in just one paragraph! What I have been doing is always concentrating on the shutter speed, and/or taking pics in the "sports (?)" mode.
I have been reluctant to use ISO 200, as I always thought it would lead to a slightly grainy appearance on the photo. I usually have the SHQ setting on.
Do you, by any chance, have the macro mode switched on too, when using the tcon?
Helen,
No i don't use macro with the zoom, but that is up to you, in fact i have not tried it, give it a shot. I only use macro for macro shooting not telephoto. As far as ISO 200 is concerned i doubt whether you will notice any difference in quality, i hav'nt. You could also try using the + and - settings in the exposure values and that will give you under expose by 1...normal....and over exposed by 1 , the camera will take three shots when you press the shutter. Can set the + or - up to about 3 steps either side of normal. At least one of the shots will be acceptable. Set it in ( My Mode 3 )...Roy.
No i don't use macro with the zoom, but that is up to you, in fact i have not tried it, give it a shot. I only use macro for macro shooting not telephoto. As far as ISO 200 is concerned i doubt whether you will notice any difference in quality, i hav'nt. You could also try using the + and - settings in the exposure values and that will give you under expose by 1...normal....and over exposed by 1 , the camera will take three shots when you press the shutter. Can set the + or - up to about 3 steps either side of normal. At least one of the shots will be acceptable. Set it in ( My Mode 3 )...Roy.
jebir
Yoda Eagle
Hi,
I use Macro when I use the Raynox DCR 1850 Pro teleconverter with my Olympus C5050. OK, not the same devices but I don't think there is a huge difference between the teleconverters and the cameras ought to behave similarly. I found that the camera more often finds the focus when in Macro mode.
I also use the My-mode to quickly set the camera to a default setting but I take another approach to the exposure setting: I use shutter priority and set the shutter speed to the longest I know I can handle for the situation. For example 1/250 sec. if the subject is still or swimming or 1/500 if it is flying. (Maybe you would need 1/500 sec. and 1/1000 sec. for those situations, respectively because of the longer zoom of the 750Z.) In that way I have the chance of gaining some depth of field which also is desirable when taking pictures of birds that actually do move quite a bit and also are quite small and difficult to get the camera to focus on. Usually I spot focus and lock the focus on the bird before taking the pictures. In that way, I get rid of a lot of the shutter lag due to AF to take action.
I use ISO400 with a the sharpness factor set to -5 in order to minimize the noise. Also, If you use RAW and import the pictures in Photoshop CS, you will be able to correct the exposure by ±2 steps! So a perfect exposure becomes less critical. However, I don't know if you can do that on the 750Z?
Cheers, Jens.
I use Macro when I use the Raynox DCR 1850 Pro teleconverter with my Olympus C5050. OK, not the same devices but I don't think there is a huge difference between the teleconverters and the cameras ought to behave similarly. I found that the camera more often finds the focus when in Macro mode.
I also use the My-mode to quickly set the camera to a default setting but I take another approach to the exposure setting: I use shutter priority and set the shutter speed to the longest I know I can handle for the situation. For example 1/250 sec. if the subject is still or swimming or 1/500 if it is flying. (Maybe you would need 1/500 sec. and 1/1000 sec. for those situations, respectively because of the longer zoom of the 750Z.) In that way I have the chance of gaining some depth of field which also is desirable when taking pictures of birds that actually do move quite a bit and also are quite small and difficult to get the camera to focus on. Usually I spot focus and lock the focus on the bird before taking the pictures. In that way, I get rid of a lot of the shutter lag due to AF to take action.
I use ISO400 with a the sharpness factor set to -5 in order to minimize the noise. Also, If you use RAW and import the pictures in Photoshop CS, you will be able to correct the exposure by ±2 steps! So a perfect exposure becomes less critical. However, I don't know if you can do that on the 750Z?
Cheers, Jens.
Hello Jens,
I think the shutter priority mode is a good idea also, except when you have a gloomy overcast day and the apeture will open to it's widest setting anyway to try and gather light for a set shutter speed.. 1/500 for example. But i am no pro and i experiment all the time and try others ideas. I will give your method a shot, i think it is good for bright sunny days but at this time of year it is quite dull down here and light levels are low...Roy NZ.
I think the shutter priority mode is a good idea also, except when you have a gloomy overcast day and the apeture will open to it's widest setting anyway to try and gather light for a set shutter speed.. 1/500 for example. But i am no pro and i experiment all the time and try others ideas. I will give your method a shot, i think it is good for bright sunny days but at this time of year it is quite dull down here and light levels are low...Roy NZ.
Bubo
Registered Birder
Hi Helen,
I've got the exact same rig - oly750 and tcon-17. I generally use a monopod when shooting, as i usually hike with my camera. when i go jogging i shot just by hand, and will definitly try Roy191's suggestion of aperture priority mode. I usually shoot in P and Sports mode. I use macro when 11.5 ft to about 18 ft. and non-macro there on out. Leslie (who has awesome photos in the gallary) has same setup too. Not sure if she uses tripod... I've used M mode too, for backlite situations, first metering in P mode, then drop down a few stops in shutter speed. i mainly also set ISO to auto, as i've not have much luck with high ISO's, just too much grain. I think cameras vary a bit perhaps w/ this. not sure. Well, my 2 cents
I've got the exact same rig - oly750 and tcon-17. I generally use a monopod when shooting, as i usually hike with my camera. when i go jogging i shot just by hand, and will definitly try Roy191's suggestion of aperture priority mode. I usually shoot in P and Sports mode. I use macro when 11.5 ft to about 18 ft. and non-macro there on out. Leslie (who has awesome photos in the gallary) has same setup too. Not sure if she uses tripod... I've used M mode too, for backlite situations, first metering in P mode, then drop down a few stops in shutter speed. i mainly also set ISO to auto, as i've not have much luck with high ISO's, just too much grain. I think cameras vary a bit perhaps w/ this. not sure. Well, my 2 cents
bigbadja
Well-known member
G'day Helenol,
I just posted "Galahs Canoodling" using my beloved Oly700+Tcon-17.
The morning light was poor, heavy overcast sky, camera on auto.
It choose to shoot at 1/100; F5; ISO174; Focal length 640mm.
I supported the lens against a verandah post.
This was fine....but I will be setting up the in future, tripod just in case. I leave the quick-fit bracket on the camera at all times.
The images are definitely brighter with the T-con-17, which makes it a remarkable lens.
Could you advise me as to the size and type of memory card, and the battery size your 750 uses. How many SHQ images does your Card accommodate? I realize that digitals will have a lesser use-by date than conventional film cameras.
I just posted "Galahs Canoodling" using my beloved Oly700+Tcon-17.
The morning light was poor, heavy overcast sky, camera on auto.
It choose to shoot at 1/100; F5; ISO174; Focal length 640mm.
I supported the lens against a verandah post.
This was fine....but I will be setting up the in future, tripod just in case. I leave the quick-fit bracket on the camera at all times.
The images are definitely brighter with the T-con-17, which makes it a remarkable lens.
Could you advise me as to the size and type of memory card, and the battery size your 750 uses. How many SHQ images does your Card accommodate? I realize that digitals will have a lesser use-by date than conventional film cameras.
