Greetings Everyone! Question for Canon 100x400 users (2 Viewers)

[yorkienuts]

Hi everyone, I'm new to SLR photography, I recently acquired a Canon 400d secondhand and have matched it with a 100-400mm canon lens. Any tips and information from anyone would be appreciated as at the moment I do feel as though I'm trying to run before I can walk... I would like to be able to take sitting birds and the dream is to get some half decent shots of flying ones!!

Thanks
Jules

 

[tdodd]

Jules, three tips, not uniquely applicable to your gear.

- Get close to your subject, filling the frame as much as you can;
- Pick your light. Light matters. It improves IQ and reveals texture;
- For perched birds use a tripod. It not only keeps the camera/lens steady but stops you wavering about after you've locked focus. I've found a tripod increases my keeper rate significantly for such subjects.

A recent victim of my efforts with my 100-400, with no edits apart from a slight crop....

 

[yorkienuts]

Jules, three tips, not uniquely applicable to your gear.

- Get close to your subject, filling the frame as much as you can;
- Pick your light. Light matters. It improves IQ and reveals texture;
- For perched birds use a tripod. It not only keeps the camera/lens steady but stops you wavering about after you've locked focus. I've found a tripod increases my keeper rate significantly for such subjects.

A recent victim of my efforts with my 100-400, with no edits apart from a slight crop....

Thanks for answering and your advice Tim. Seeing our next holiday is on the Mull it looks likes I'm going to have to invest in another tripod as the one I have I use for the scope!! Your Great tit is a cracking shot I'm envious but perhaps one day.:t:

Jules

 

[HokkaidoStu]

Hi everyone, I'm new to SLR photography, I recently acquired a Canon 400d secondhand and have matched it with a 100-400mm canon lens. Any tips and information from anyone would be appreciated as at the moment I do feel as though I'm trying to run before I can walk... I would like to be able to take sitting birds and the dream is to get some half decent shots of flying ones!!

Thanks
Jules

I used that combo for a couple of years and it is capable of nice shots.

Tips? Everyone has their own tips and everyone's experiences are different but from my own experiences with the 400D/100-400 I'd say use ISO 400 as 'default', step down the lens a bit (say to f7.1 or f8) and if you're handholding try and keep the shutter speed above 1/250 for static subjects. AV or M mode are best.

For flight shots try using AI Servo, continuous shooting in TV mode with 1/1250 and ISO 400 (or 800 on a dark day). Very general I know and others will have different opinions I'm sure......

Here are my photos with the 400D, most of the bird ones were with the 100-400.

 

[yorkienuts]

I used that combo for a couple of years and it is capable of nice shots.

Tips? Everyone has their own tips and everyone's experiences are different but from my own experiences with the 400D/100-400 I'd say use ISO 400 as 'default', step down the lens a bit (say to f7.1 or f8) and if you're handholding try and keep the shutter speed above 1/250 for static subjects. AV or M mode are best.

For flight shots try using AI Servo, continuous shooting in TV mode with 1/1250 and ISO 400 (or 800 on a dark day). Very general I know and others will have different opinions I'm sure......

Here are my photos with the 400D, most of the bird ones were with the 100-400.

Thank you HokkaidoStu, for your help I can see this is going to be one hell of a steep learning curve for me. I think the pics of the Crossbills are stunning and the 7D looks to be performing very well indeed!:t:

Jules

 

[AndyMc]

................I'm going to have to invest in another tripod as the one I have I use for the scope!! ..............:t:
Jules

To pass on what I occasionally do in such circumstances: Slap a beanbag on top of the scope. When you want to use the camera, spin the scope sideways on & lay your camera on the top. Of course make sure you've tightened up the tripod head :eek!:. Certainly saves lugging 2 tripods about.
Alternatively, all you may need is another quick release plate for the lens.

 

[yorkienuts]

Thanks Andy, the beanbag idea sounds good and worth a try. My Manfrotto 701RC2 has a quick release plate for the scope. So are you saying that I can buy a another plate like the one that fits on my scope for the camera? I've been looking at the beanbags that fit over car doors etc so it should lay over the scope which would then give the whole setup more stability at the same time.

Cheers
Jules

 

[AndyMc]

Thanks Andy, the beanbag idea sounds good and worth a try. My Manfrotto 701RC2 has a quick release plate for the scope. So are you saying that I can buy a another plate like the one that fits on my scope for the camera? I've been looking at the beanbags that fit over car doors etc so it should lay over the scope which would then give the whole setup more stability at the same time.

Cheers
Jules

A quick google comes up with manfrotto 501PL plate for your head at around £17.

 

[yorkienuts]

Cheers Andy:t:

 

[Keith Reeder]

looks likes I'm going to have to invest in another tripod

Errrmmm... don't feel that you need to rush into that - it's entirely possible to use the 100-400mm very effectively without one. Mine has never been on a tripod once since I bought it in 2006, and I have no trouble getting sharp images...

 

[Keith Reeder]

It's not bad for handheld flight shots either, with a bit of effort:

 

[yorkienuts]

Were you using your 7D in the shots Keith? I've had some excellent reports about lens so I'm pleased that was my choice. As I said earlier it is going to be a steep and I'm sure a very enjoyable learning curve.:t:

 

[Keith Reeder]

Yep, these are all with the 7D, Jules - but although that will have helped with the flight shots, the static shots are definitely within the scope (so to speak!) of the 400D with the 100-400mm.

 

[John In Ireland]

It's not bad for handheld flight shots either, with a bit of effort:

Keith, hello again. Your photographs are out of this world!! I always enjoy looking a them. What are you doing that everyone else isn't ???

 

[yorkienuts]

TV Mode

Hi

Although the light was bad today thought I would have a practice anyway. When I have the camera set at TV mode everything is under exposed any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong. When I change it to AV then it's ok again.

Thanks Jules

 

[John In Ireland]

Shutter speed will do this in bad light ... try a slower speed.

 

[John In Ireland]

Basically AV gives the priority to light an TV gives priority to shutter speed.

 

[yorkienuts]

Basically AV gives the priority to light an TV gives priority to shutter speed.

Hi John
Here's one of the practice shots this morning here are some details 1/1600 F5.6 ISO400.

Jules

 

[yorkienuts]

A quick google comes up with manfrotto 501PL plate for your head at around £17.

Hi Andy

I sourced a quick release plate from Warehouse Express the magic words were 'RC2' priced with postage £14.98 it is the same one as I have attached to the scope.:t:

Jules

 

[yorkienuts]

Basically AV gives the priority to light an TV gives priority to shutter speed.

I just kept on trying to increase the shutter speed!3
Jules