Learnt my lesson

[DaiTheDragon]

Id’e like to tell how thinking you know it all can ruin a shoot. Normally I go for a walk and come home with 30-60 shots. Well Saturday I met with 3 other members of WAB at Grigin Red Kite centre and took well over 400 shots. The weather was very overcast but I thought ISO 200 would give me a fast enough shutter speed. Normally under these conditions I would use 400 or even 800 so I don’t know why I chose 200.
Mistake number 1.
I can’t be bothered to use my reading glasses to review the images.
Mistake number 2.
I used the same settings for birds against the sky and birds against a tree or grass background.
Mistake number 3.
Didn’t use enough exposure compensation for the birds against the sky.
Mistake number 4.
Didn’t check the shutter speed before I took the shot.
So I ended up with about 10% that were good enough to keep where normally my keeper rate would be more like 80%.
Well I learnt my lesson today, the good news is that I will have to go back and do a better job.

Dai

[Wild-Woman]

Never mind Dai. Bet the ones you've got are stunning,(as usual!). We all, as you say, learn from mistakes and lets face it you've set yourself up a good excuse for going back again.
Hope you had a good time.
Julie

[matt_xyz]

hard luck Dai, although you've now got a success rate more like the rest of us! As Julie says, I bet you've still got some great shots. I look forward to seeing them, and those of the other WABbers.

Matt

[Ollie]

Mistakes that I bet we have all made Dai at one time or another even if we don't admit it.
look forward to seeing some of your photos
Roger

[nightshade]

Bad luck Dai,I set my camera to 400 and a +/- either side then take 3 shots so far the camera setting has been correct so i delete the other two

[glsammy]

Your certainly not on your own Dai, we all do it. I'm constantly on the wrong ISO setting, forgetting to change back to 400 from 800, I did it only yesterday. I hope you got some shots that made the day worth while.

[Boddie]

I kept at 200 and alot of mine were too dark but I did get a few that I was more than happy with for my first attempt.

Hope you enjoyed yourself anyway Dai.

On of many meets to come, I hope

[speckled wood]

My "keeper" rate is probably only 10% anyway, but truthfully its what I see and hear that matters not the photos. How can you catch the magic of hearing a Buzzards's mewing at a particular moment or seeing a new butterfly for the first time? It's memories wot matter and with seeing the Kites I bet you will always remember your Girgrin trip.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Boddie

I kept at 200 and alot of mine were too dark but I did get a few that I was more than happy with for my first attempt.

being too dark is nothing to do with the iso - what has happened here is the brightness of the sky has fooled the meter into under exposing the bird - you needed more +ve EV - setting meetering mode to centre weighted or spot might also improve things.

setting a higher iso would enable you to keep the speed up in poor light which was more important for me with my non IS lens hence me being on 400

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by eeyore

being too dark is nothing to do with the iso - what has happened here is the brightness of the sky has fooled the meter into under exposing the bird - you needed more +ve EV - setting meetering mode to centre weighted or spot might also improve things.

setting a higher iso would enable you to keep the speed up in poor light which was more important for me with my non IS lens hence me being on 400

I can't remember the last time I set mine to 200, I find 400 is just fine, there's little if any noise. Of course if I was bathed in brilliant light (some chance!) that would be a different matter.
I also have mine set permanently on centre weighted and of course servo mode.