FLIGHT SHOTS - what am I doing wrong?

[DOXHOPE]

oops, soz

[pressld2]

No problem, and no harm done.

Dave P.

[momji1971]

Great advice. Just wanted to add this. Adding a tele converter to any lens will slow the AF performance. Not what you need for acrobatic BIF shots. Can't be 100% sure about the figure but I read info from canon that a 1.4x slows the lens AF by 30%. Thats fine for herons etc but anything more athletic and that 30% is gonna hurt.

Also, having a bird very small inthe frame does not help the AF. Getting closer to begin with is great advice.

regards.
Stu.

[Pipit]

Originally Posted by pressld2

Good point Graham. Obviously I'm using continuous AF but I tend to stick with the single point rather than the dynamic or auto settings. Dynamic is the one recommended for moving subjects but whenever I try it, it seems to lock focus on the background all the time. Not so much when the bird is against a clear sky but when flying in front of vegetation or over the sea, the only chance I have of focussing on the bird rather than the background is with single point AF.

Dave P.

I find single point focus has made an improvement to most of my shots of birds, especially the smaller ones. I have to use auto focus due to my poor eyesight. But have gotten some good shots. Not brilliant but good for amateur status
Using sigma lenses is a no no for me. I stick to Nikons own lenses. Can't afford the 500mm but maybe one day.

I do auto ISO and then auto fix in photoshop from RAW image. Still learning and a lot to pick up. I have found extentions to be more a hinderence than a help. Only good if you are really close to subject even then I got soft focus mostly. Nikon tends to be too bright at normal settings on a bright day so drop to -3 or -7. Depending on brightness of the day.

That's ok for someone who just wants a reasonably good capture but a pro will have different ideas on what to do or a very experienced photographer.
Overall, I have found single point focus has been pretty useful.