First attempts with my new DSLR

[AlphaZeroOne]

Guy

I am soooo looking forward to getting to grips with the camera and lens this year, Guy. I have been so impressed with the 'tack sharp' images that I seen. I am also a keen macro person and so we can compare our efforts also.

But you raise a good point Raff; I am shooting in RAW format (you need a pocket full of compact flash cards,Guy) and I noticed how soft these shots are. I use PSE 5, which has sharpening filters. Are these what you use and why are RAW files so soft. I thought that the focus was set at the point of shot?

[glsammy]

To give you an idea of the need to sharpen/adjust the image, here's one I took today, straight out of the camera:




Here it is after sharpening and balancing:






Quite a difference.

Just to take this further, this is how I prepare my shots for WAB.

Firstly I crop the image to the correct size, if the exposure is about right I use the highlight/shadow tool to balance the shot.
I then mask the bird and do unsharp mask. For the 880x600 image I usually do 299%, 0.3 Radius and 0 Threshold.
If the background image is noisy, I run neat image, the demo version will do this size perfectly well.

That's about it.

[Raffman]

I believe that most digital cameras have a filter to prevent various unwanted effects from fine detail, the consiquence is some softening if the image. It is expected that you need to sharpen your images to bring out the best of them. You will only see this in RAW files as JPEGs receive in-camera processing including sharpening. Glsammys' sample images show the need for sharpening well.

Yeh RAW images do eat into your CF cards but you are able to work better with these rather than JPEG images, RAW files are far more flexable. Over time though you'll find that you start to take less and less shots in one go as you begin to nail the shot you want first time.
I use 2GB cards and get something like 200 RAW files on it which I never use up when shooting wildlife for a day.

Raff

[GuyF]

Thanks again for the help people.
I had a little go at editing with the software that came with the camera and I am certainly pleased with the results, you can make it a much sharper image.

Here is the improved buzzard, still a bit blurry but you can see the features better.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age-26094.html

Here is the sparrow
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age-26095.html

And here is the Coal Tit. I have possibly over sharpened?
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age-26096.html

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by GuyF

Thanks again for the help people.
I had a little go at editing with the software that came with the camera and I am certainly pleased with the results, you can make it a much sharper image.

Here is the improved buzzard, still a bit blurry but you can see the features better.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age-26094.html

Here is the sparrow
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age-26095.html

And here is the Coal Tit. I have possibly over sharpened?
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ga...age-26096.html

Certainly see an improvement Guy. I wouldn't have said the Coal Tit was over sharpened but it is a touch over exposed. I generaly find that birds with white cheeks such as Coal Tits Great Tits or any bird for that matter with white on need under exposing a little depending on the light conditions at the time. The white on the Coal Tits cheek is blown out and has lost any detail.
Roger

[cannylad]

Hi Guy a tripod is a must, also consider a cable release. Your combo might have a sweet spot that u will find by experiment i use a 100-400 L canon lens which operates best at about 380mm at f8.

There is a website devoted to Canon photography, called POTN (Photography On TheNet) which has loads of useful info about all Camera/ lens combos

You will be able to buy a plate for your Manfrotto tripod they cost about £10

[GuyF]

Hi again,
After looking through my camera instruction booklet a bit, I found out how to change the ISO and the shutter speed. The previous images were all taken on Auto mode, but these ones are taken with ISO 800 and a shutter speed of 1/2000th. I personally a much happier with the quality of the images now as there is much less blurring, but I'm sure there is still room for improvement. All these pictures have been cropped and edited.

This Long-tailed Tit was taken in quite dull conditions but I was pleased to get so close and be able to take clean shots as they were moving quickly.


I took quite a few shots of this pied wagtail, this isn't the closest one but I do like the pose.


I was really pleased when this Robin came and landed in a bush near me and started singing. I got lots of photos of it with his beak open and closed but I liked this one most because you can tell that he's singing.


These shots are all still handheld because I am still working on getting a tripod.
Many thanks for your replies already, they've helped me out lots.
Guy

[GuyF]

Just another picture to add that I took today at Studland in very dull conditions. I tried increasing the ISO and decreasing the shutter speed. So this Blue Tit is taken with ISO 1600 and a shutter speed of 1/1250



Thanks
Guy

[Seajay]

Hi Guy, Sorry I,ve come in on this a bit late but I,ve just finished mjy spate of night shifts so am catching up on the forum posts. I have also just acquired a sigma 50-500 and am experiencing exactly the same problems as you - I just cannot get a fast enough shutter speed to freeze action. Images look great till you enlarge them (that's the ones that are usable - I,m getting about 10 percent at the moment). With a 1.4 and 2x converter the problem is even worse of course. No matter how much I whisper the birds won't keep still!
I have also settled on an ISO of 800 finding this helps me freeze some action. As everyone has advised a good tripod is essential (I am 61 and to me the lens weighs a ton so handheld isn't an option). A tripod is an essential in my opinion for all photography, where practical and failing that a beanbag - both money well spent. Also invaluable (but expensive if you still have a young family dependant on you) is a gimbal/swivel type head like the Whimberley and as previously suggested a cable release. For me the Bigma is a lens for laying in wait in a hide though from your photographs you would appear to be hand holding the lens very well indeed! Also each photo submitted seems to be an improvement on the previous. It is interesting to see we are both on the same learning curve as are others who have responded to your post. The general consensus of those who have been there and got the t shirt Guy would seem to be PERSEVERE. At least, unlike 35mm, a hundred shots to get a couple of reasonable takers won't cost us a fortune

[GuyF]

Thanks for the reply Seajay,
I found that when it was a sunny day and I could change the shutter speed to 1/2000 I had a much better success rate and even though I was probably moving the lens about quite a lot I was still getting quite crisp shots. I know what you mean about the weight! I do use it hand held but my wrist was hurting after last weekend when I'd actually been using it out and about. I will just keep trying and testing out different settings until I find whats best for me (I should hopefully soon get a tripod attachment as well to make it a bit easier)
Thanks again,
Guy