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Astroscope + DSLR = Gallery! (1 Viewer)

Tord

Well-known member
Nice photos Tord. You seem to have more DOF with the TS102 than I have with The SW80ED. Is it so ?

Regards
Jules
Thanks Jules

This must be an illusion. The DOF on the TS102 should in theory be shallower than the SW80 (102/F7 vs. 80/F7.5), and my feeling based on the results so far points in that direction. I could setup a test to confirm this.
 

JGobeil

Nature Photographer
Thanks Dan and Tord,

Elementary... I should have figured this !!!

I'm concerned with DOF. I did some BIF on Saturday and I'm worried about the shallow DOF.

Have a good day
Jules
 

Tord

Well-known member
Though it was overcast these ones turned out quite OK I think. The Kestrel is photographed from the car parking outside the office, using my car roof as support.
 

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JGobeil

Nature Photographer
My first BIF

Well, there is always a first. I tried my luck at BIF a few days ago and I'm surprised with the results.

Snow Geese are quite easy to photograph when in flight. Even if they are fast flyers, their flight path is predictable except when they come near the water where it becomes a Free For All...

I still found it quite difficult to follow the birds and focus at the same time. So I took a lot of photos, hoping that some will turn out decent. Here is the result.

I was quite pleased at the way the Oly EM-5 handled exposure. This was not easy because there was a strong automn light, the sun was low and the birds are white. The camera was in Aperture mode and I let it do its thing - no burned whites. Auto White Balance was not as effective and the photos turned out too warm but it was easy to correct.

The last photo is interesting: the second bird is a dark morph and the third one is a juvenile. The other Geese are adults.

SW80ED with 1.5X TN
Distance 50 to 100 m. - cropped
ISO 400
1/1600 to 1/2500 s.

Regards
Jules
 

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Paul Corfield

Well-known member
They all came out pretty good Jules, the second one being the best I think.

At my old house we used to be on the flight path for the local airport. That gave me the opportunity to practice photographing a wide variety of aircraft many times per day. I found that a great way to practice the techniques needed.

Paul.
 

DanC.Licks

AKA Daniel Bradley
Tord,
The Kestrel is really nice, but I think you could draw more out of it with adjustment of the exposure and contrast.
10152849595_27a428ff7f_o.jpg
Jules,
Overall I like the first one best. The narrow DoF is a problem though, when you are doing a group like that. The focus seems to be on the eyes of the birds in the center and lower left, which works fine. Keep it up!
 

Tord

Well-known member
Well, there is always a first. I tried my luck at BIF a few days ago and I'm surprised with the results.

Snow Geese are quite easy to photograph when in flight. Even if they are fast flyers, their flight path is predictable except when they come near the water where it becomes a Free For All...

I still found it quite difficult to follow the birds and focus at the same time. So I took a lot of photos, hoping that some will turn out decent. Here is the result.

I was quite pleased at the way the Oly EM-5 handled exposure. This was not easy because there was a strong automn light, the sun was low and the birds are white. The camera was in Aperture mode and I let it do its thing - no burned whites. Auto White Balance was not as effective and the photos turned out too warm but it was easy to correct.

The last photo is interesting: the second bird is a dark morph and the third one is a juvenile. The other Geese are adults.

SW80ED with 1.5X TN
Distance 50 to 100 m. - cropped
ISO 400
1/1600 to 1/2500 s.

Regards
Jules
Well done Jules, keep on the good work!

Agree with Paul, the second one is the best, followed by the first one. (I think)

[Edit] After revisiting the pictures I am inclined to change my mind. The first one looks best, it has some back focus but the head of the front bird in the group is well within focus. The photo could perhaps benefit from re-cropping and enhacing the focal point?

Tracking while refocusing is a challenge. With practice you develop a feeling how much you need to compensate to keep the subject in focus, but achieving spot on focus is a game and takes some luck. A degree off with the focusing knob and an otherwise great shot becomes just a record shot. But with practice you increase the likelihood of a great shot by narrowing the spread in the distribution.

After a season practice I have come to a point where I feel confidence in my gear, the BIF keeper rate I achieve with the scope (10%) means I will more often than not come home with some nice pictures from a session.
 
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JGobeil

Nature Photographer
That time of year again. We are lucky to see anything more than crows, sparrows, and a few tits. My new scope has good color though!;)
View attachment 467457

By the way, my trusty SkyWatcher found a new home. I put a link to my latest pictures from Hungary in the ad and it went right away!o:)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157635228747166/

Only the last 30 are with the new 90/600.


Nice Automn photo. I see that you also have those damn fungi on the maple tree leaves. We have been having them for the last 2 years.

That's quite a nice display of your work on Flicker. Congrads.

Regards
Jules
 

DanC.Licks

AKA Daniel Bradley
Thanks, Tord.
The Bittern! Ha! He definitely had something against me taking his picture. We saw him nearly every day but he avoided us. Really inconsiderate!o:D

Jules,
It is ivy, but yes, it seems the fungus is more this year than before. Always been some, but not this much. Here are a couple from years past. Right out our window.
10169019475_d147241e01_o.jpg

8113736676_2764c7493e_o.jpg
 
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