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Flight Shots (1 Viewer)

Denny Woodthorpe

Denny Woodthorpe

Denny
I took a whole load of photos of Red Kites on a recent visit to Gigrin Farm and I am a little disappointed with the results. The problem I have is a slight loss of sharpness compared to the results I have been getting on perched birds. Now I appreciate that BIF photography is more difficult, but even though I was operating at 4000th of a second at times, and auto focus using the central sensor and servo AF, I feel the camera and lens (Canon 60D and Canon 300IS USM) didn't really do the job as well as I would have expected. I had IS set on setting 2 (for panning) and I suspect that might have had something to do with it, as I wasn't merely panning from side to side.
Does anyone here use IS for flight shots at high shutter speeds?
Any tips? Or is it merely practice?
 
Which 300 lens is it? The f4 or the f2.8? I'll assume the former.

You need to post some examples for us to see...........

A bit difficult to give any tips without examples but to me 1/4000 sec sounds rather high unless you had very good light and/or a very fast lens. Were you using a teleconverter?

I use IS for BIFs for no other reason than I always forget to switch it back on afterwards. Some say it slows down initial AF acquisition.
 
At that speed IS has next to no efect other than steady the shot you see through the view finder this helps You stay on the bird so i leave IS on all the time even at high shutter speed.
I gather you were quite high in the ISO range ? to get 1/4000
Did you stop the lens down ?
Rob.
 
Slight mistake. The lens was the 70-300IS USM zoom lens. It has provided really good results prior to this, so I know the general lens quality is good.
I have posted a shot on the gallery of a red kite. The exif data is as follows:
Aperture:5.6
Speed: 4000th second
Zoom: 300mm
ISO 400
Hand held.
IS on setting 2

Photo is a crop of about 50%

I have an idea that the lack of precise sharpness might be to the auto focus being a little bit slow. Or perhaps not being able to accurately focus on the eye of the bird at that distance and speed of flight.
Am I being paranoid?
Thanks for your comments.
 
Is it the new 70-300L (a white lens) or the older (black) one? The EXIF data suggests it was the latter.

My wife has the 70-300 IS (not the L version) and TBH the AF isn't quite up to the task of decent flight shots and wide open (f5.6) it is rather soft. Stepped down it is better but the IQ difference between the 70-300 and my 100-400L is massive.

Basically I don't think you can expect great results from that lens in this situation (moving subject, lens wide open and a 50% crop).
 
Thats a cracking shot Denny i just put it in photoshop and there is a bit more that can bring it up .
I will post it here if you want .
Rob.
 
That would be great, GyRob.
Yes, my lens is the black one and I agree it might not be quite up to the job as much as an L series.
This means two things:
1. Practice
2. Save up.
Thanks for all your comments. Cheers.
 
Like Rob said the Kite photo wasn't bad at all, that lens is capable of good results. I used it as my main birding lens before a secondhand 100-400L practically fell into my lap.

But yes.................... I'd save up. Or I'd break out that credit card.

To get the best results with your current set up I'd step the lens down to f7.1 or f8 especially if you use it at 300mm.
 
some one may do better than me, iv added your shot so you can see the difrence.
Rob.
 

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Thanks Rob.
What settings do you use for umsharp mask (assuming that's what you use)? I tend to experiment a bit, increasing settings until I get artefacts, then back off a bit.
Thanks for everyone' s advice.
Denny
 
their is no one USM setting it really depends on the shot and its best as a rule to just sharpen the bird by selecting it .
Rob.
 
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