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

New Sigma 150/600 (2 Viewers)

I wish I'd had time to really get into the usb dock tuning before I came to Spain on this trip. Unfortunately I only had time after the dock arrived to tune the image stabilisation and never got my head around the focus tuning, or even what it does.

At the time the lens seemed to be working ok so I brought it to Spain with me.

I must say that although it's a load I managed to do a good few miles up and down slopes at high altitude without any ill effects other than a slight ache in my lower back when nature was telling me to turn round and go back down the mountain.

I'm not convinced I've got the focus right. At close range it looks great, but at longer range subjects such as birds in flight, or even perched birds at longer distance the images seem soft. I found that using the stabilisation when hand holding for birds in flight was also a big no no, even in mode 2. Much better results when I remembered to switch it off when I saw a kite, vulture or eagle arriving.

I won't know for certain if I've got a problem until I get back home to my computer. So far I've only viewed them on the camera screen.

Can anyone fill me in on what exactly the focus tuning consists of and does?
 
I wish I'd had time to really get into the usb dock tuning before I came to Spain on this trip. Unfortunately I only had time after the dock arrived to tune the image stabilisation and never got my head around the focus tuning, or even what it does.

At the time the lens seemed to be working ok so I brought it to Spain with me.

I must say that although it's a load I managed to do a good few miles up and down slopes at high altitude without any ill effects other than a slight ache in my lower back when nature was telling me to turn round and go back down the mountain.

I'm not convinced I've got the focus right. At close range it looks great, but at longer range subjects such as birds in flight, or even perched birds at longer distance the images seem soft. I found that using the stabilisation when hand holding for birds in flight was also a big no no, even in mode 2. Much better results when I remembered to switch it off when I saw a kite, vulture or eagle arriving.

I won't know for certain if I've got a problem until I get back home to my computer. So far I've only viewed them on the camera screen.

Can anyone fill me in on what exactly the focus tuning consists of and does?
I agree with you about switching off OS (or IS) for BIF, you are most always at shutter speed where it is not needed anyway and OS can only slow things down IMHO.
As for Focus tuning - it is the same as AFMA although with these Sigma zoom lenses you can AFMA four distance zones whereas with Canon Cameras you can only do two - the wide and long end of the zoom.
Focus Speed is the same as Image priority with Canon Cameras although with the Sigma you have only got one image priority instead of 1st and 2nd with the Cameras (in servo mode)
The setting I do find useful is the OS setting - all this does as far as I can see is to determine how quick the OS settles down in the viewfinder.Dynamic OS is best in this respect although from what I can gather from the manual it is not the best setting for the most stabilized shot, that would seem to be Moderate View Mode. For me the default setting is poor as the OS seems to take a long time to kick in.

Another setting you can change is the focus limiter setting although I have not bothered with this and just choose from the options on the lens itself.

You can assign a group of settings to C1 and/or C2 on the lens.

EDIT: just seen you have already changed the OS so sorry about mentioning that and the CI C2 stuff.
 
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I wish I'd had time to really get into the usb dock tuning before I came to Spain on this trip. Unfortunately I only had time after the dock arrived to tune the image stabilisation and never got my head around the focus tuning, or even what it does.

At the time the lens seemed to be working ok so I brought it to Spain with me.

I must say that although it's a load I managed to do a good few miles up and down slopes at high altitude without any ill effects other than a slight ache in my lower back when nature was telling me to turn round and go back down the mountain.

I'm not convinced I've got the focus right. At close range it looks great, but at longer range subjects such as birds in flight, or even perched birds at longer distance the images seem soft. I found that using the stabilisation when hand holding for birds in flight was also a big no no, even in mode 2. Much better results when I remembered to switch it off when I saw a kite, vulture or eagle arriving.

I won't know for certain if I've got a problem until I get back home to my computer. So far I've only viewed them on the camera screen.

Can anyone fill me in on what exactly the focus tuning consists of and does?

As I wrote earlier I also had really sharp images mixed with soft ones. Now after af adjusting all the distances it is sharp sharp sharp!
 
The main one I find that alters the sharpness of your shots is changing A.F to main focus point priority ,the distant shots thing is something I have encountered to and may ? Simply be down to atmospherics over a greater distance .not yet really managed that many distance shots of late to come to a conclusion .one thing I have noticed is that the sports tends to be better with larger sensors ,and I should have a chance tomorrow to test up against a c model to .
 
The main one I find that alters the sharpness of your shots is changing A.F to main focus point priority ,the distant shots thing is something I have encountered to and may ? Simply be down to atmospherics over a greater distance .not yet really managed that many distance shots of late to come to a conclusion .one thing I have noticed is that the sports tends to be better with larger sensors ,and I should have a chance tomorrow to test up against a c model to .
no, it's not atmospherics. I'm talking about shots at reasonable distance, say 50 or 60 metres of a large bird in brilliant sunshine in clear dry mountain air at 1500 metres plus. Visibility is limitless without a hint of haze.

I forgot to mention that I'd also tuned the focus to focus priority as you suggested last week and I have my 7d2 set to focus priority also.

It just seems to be struggling with range. I hope I'm wrong, I'm travelling home in a couple of days and I'll get them downloaded. I'd hate the close shots of lammergeier I got the other day to be duff because I'd not set up the lens right. The trouble is, I wasn't intending to bring the sigma, because it was only partly tried and I was bothered about the weight. I changed my mind once I'd tuned it and left my 400/5.6 at home to save baggage weight.

All my eggs are well and truly in one basket.
 
ok i'll take today as an example camera 1d3 10mp ,sigma S lens ,conditions bright and sunny ,but with gale force winds ,as i got to the sea wall a cormorant took flight ,distance approx 200 to 300 yards the first shot is a unedited raw full frame ,the second a edited raw ,neither is perfect it was a grab shot hand held but the finished result is better than a record shot imho ,it would have probably been sharper with the 70d but i find noise to be a problem in all except perfect conditions ,is yours similar to the first in which case editing will cope or worse .
btw the focus point was right on the bird ,its not a shot i would normally use but to show what i'm getting
 

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ok i'll take today as an example camera 1d3 10mp ,sigma S lens ,conditions bright and sunny ,but with gale force winds ,as i got to the sea wall a cormorant took flight ,distance approx 200 to 300 yards the first shot is a unedited raw full frame ,the second a edited raw ,neither is perfect it was a grab shot hand held but the finished result is better than a record shot imho ,it would have probably been sharper with the 70d but i find noise to be a problem in all except perfect conditions ,is yours similar to the first in which case editing will cope or worse .
btw the focus point was right on the bird ,its not a shot i would normally use but to show what i'm getting
As I said, I don't really know how good or bad they are until I can download them when I'm back in the UK. I've only seen them so far on the camera screen, but what I've seen is giving me cause for concern. Some of them will be user error, because it's harder to track a relatively close raptor with a heavy 600 than with my trusty old lightweight 400, but I'm not sure that it's the whole answer.

I'm comparing what I'm seeing on my screen with what I'm used to seeing from my regular trips to Spain for the purposes of photographing among other things the autumn raptor migration. If I'm right in my concerns I've got a lens that's outstanding for taking pictures of small stuff from a car window or a hide, but is a liability with the larger, shyer stuff that of necessity needs more reach.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect better results from a 600 than I've been getting by cropping my non-is 400.

I'm looking now at a sequence of shots I took this afternoon of a short-toed eagle that was soaring nearby for quite some time. 'Nearby' being a relative term. It was probably 70 or so yards away (my house at home is about 100 yards from the nearest pub, and the eagle was closer to me than that). I'm certain the focus spot was on the bird in the sequence I'm looking at. I use back button focusing and servo AI. If I'd got those same pictures with my 400 5.6 in bright sunlight and no wind of what was a large, slow-moving target I'd worry. And yet the close range shots I took of citril finches and mistle thrush are razor sharp.

I even managed to get a sharp shot (only one, though) of a crag martin that was jinking and turning overhead while going like a bullet. But it was at close range. Ironically the short range made it the harder target, because of the increased angular velocity and a shorter time in the viewfinder.

I'm just hoping this focus tuning thing can make a difference, or the 600 might be staying in the UK for my three weeks on the strait in September.
 
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So Jeff if could only choose one camera, would you choose the extra mp and crop sensor or IQ and larger sensor of the 1D3. I myself find the 1D3 a good worth horse despite its age. Wish I could afford the 1d4 but prices are still to high and the glass should always come first for best results.
 
my choice would be the 1D4 for handling and all round usage paul ,but like you till the price drops its a no no ,i,m caught between the speed and nice files of the 10mp id3 and the extra (alleged) reach of the 70d .
i am going to have a play in a minute with changing settings in the 70d i.e one shot and AI focus rather than AI servo to see if thats where the problem lies or if its just purely a sensor size thing
 
right just had a play and run through the shots nothing conclusive but the sharpest shots are definetly being produced using A1 SERVO something i wouldn't normally use .might be worth a try nothing ventured nothing gained ,i am about to phone sigma re this to see if they have heard similar reports
 
I wish I'd had time to really get into the usb dock tuning before I came to Spain on this trip. Unfortunately I only had time after the dock arrived to tune the image stabilisation and never got my head around the focus tuning, or even what it does.

At the time the lens seemed to be working ok so I brought it to Spain with me.

I must say that although it's a load I managed to do a good few miles up and down slopes at high altitude without any ill effects other than a slight ache in my lower back when nature was telling me to turn round and go back down the mountain.

I'm not convinced I've got the focus right. At close range it looks great, but at longer range subjects such as birds in flight, or even perched birds at longer distance the images seem soft. I found that using the stabilisation when hand holding for birds in flight was also a big no no, even in mode 2. Much better results when I remembered to switch it off when I saw a kite, vulture or eagle arriving.

I won't know for certain if I've got a problem until I get back home to my computer. So far I've only viewed them on the camera screen.

Can anyone fill me in on what exactly the focus tuning consists of and does?


Well. I'm delighted to say I was wrong.

It just shows the danger of judging on things from the camera screen. I've just downloaded about two and a half thousand pics. It's late and I've had a long day travelling, including a 200 mile drive before the flight, but here's one to be going on with, almost at random (not quite), but it's at the sort of distance I was worrying about.

It was shot on manual in difficult lighting conditions of sunlight and heavy cliff shadow and it was underexposed, so it's noisier than ISO 640 would give with a properly exposed image. Modest noise reduction has been applied, but at least the focus was caught, and on a subject moving towards the camera.

I like this lens.
 

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A few more from the trip, including one of the short-toed eagle that I was concerned about in my earlier posts. The ortolan was one of the last half dozen on the final evening as the sun poked through what had been a heavy overcast all day, with high humidity and a threat of thunder in unseasonal 30° temperatures.
 

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PHEW thank god for that .i was getting worried ,you even had me doubting myself there for a while ,panic over my big trip is next month for 10 days at bempton and i won't have computer access ,so trying like mad to get everything spot on .at least this puts that part of it to bed .
the tests i did however with the 70d proved a couple of useful points ,the Ai focus gives sharper pics than AI servo does also i thought that for distance shots f8 was o.k the sharpest has turned out to be f10 thats at 600mm .
the older and less megapixel 1D3 is not so fussy though ,but you can't crop as much so its a catch 22 situation .
also been down with man flu most of the week and only managed a couple of back garden test shots shown here
 

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after some thought over he last few days i have just done a trial upgrade with the usb dock .results published as they occur

the reasoning goes along these lines close up work can be done by switching off any c1 or c2 settings and just using minimum focus distance on the lens .

C2 i have left as my standard long range setting for slow moving or stationary birds in conjuction with o.s1 and are
(range)10mtrs to infinity
(A/F) main focus point priority for sharpness
(O/S) dynamic

C1 i have changed to keep up with fast moving birds ,for when i go to bempton i.e fulmars,puffins ,razorbills etc that fly below you at incredible speeds ,and therefore to be used in conjunction with OS2
(range) 10mtrs to infinity again
(A/F) af set to speed
(O/S ) now set to moderate view mode ,not used this yet so have to give it a fair crack of the whip to see what it does .


and whilst on the subject i have had two enquiries this week from new owners regarding the sport and contemporary lenses both questioning the quietness of the O.S system and thinking it wasn't working .
now having had a C lens to set up as well for a friend i can state that the O.S system in both lenses is whisper quiet the only real way to ensure that its working is to hold the lens against your ear while pressing the shutter ,you will hear it whirring up ,compared to older generation sigma lenses these are virtually silent so don't panic .
 
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