My first raptor captures!

Maestro

And this will also help CookieS since all of these shots were taken with my new EF 100mm-400mm 4.5-5.6L lens that Santa dropped off today a few days early.

To set the stage, let me explain that I am an avid bike rider and on my route I always pass this hawk. She has pretty much set up home in a some huge oak trees. She stands watch on one and her nest is about 100 yards away in another huge oak. Well, I have tried to capture her before with my EF 70mm-200mm, but I never had enough reach. She is very skittish and she doesn't like people encroaching on her territory. With that in mind, I armed myself with my new lens and took off today. Here are the results.

I found her in the same tree looking our for prey in the many fields around her.


I suppose the above shot was from about 150 yards.

As I continued to snap shots of her in the tree, I crept ever closer until I had come too close, as usual, and she took off. However, with IS enabled in mode 2 and my lens at maximum reach I began to shoot.

She took off making a sharp turn.


I thought she was gone for good, but she actually landed on a telephone line just about 50 yards from the tree where she previously was. I started to shoot again, creeping closer.



So far I am pretty bummed with the pictures. She doesn't seem to want to cooperate and the light was bad. But then, the sun popped out nice and bright and she took off headed right for me.



Eyes still right on me.


Turning away but she'll be back for another pass.




















She finally had enough of checking me out and bugged out. But I am sure she will be back and so will I!



Enjoy!

CookieS

Thanks , that is what i thought, very similar to the 80-400 VR, use it with good light or flash. otherwise leave on the 70-200 2.8 thanks for the help. would love to see more when you get them

mushy

nice shots, stick with it. its a good lens it just takes lots of patients and sooner or later the birds do co-operate with you
Also if you have photoshop try slight 'shadow highlight' and you'll find it can bring out some detail in a backlite bird in flight.

Ric Grupe

Looks like a show off to me.:D

Patience has it's rewards.

Swartzy

Congrats on the new lens!
You're going to love it. It may take a little more post work but that lens will produce very beautiful images. I like some of the later shots (close ups) and eventually you'll nail them with practice. AI Servo, center spot AF and high shutter speeds/f/5.6 to f/9 you'll find that right combination. A little trick that I've found is sky shots lower your EV - 1/3 to 2/3rds in RAW so the whites don't blow out. These shots didn't have that problem but trust me.....it will happen.... Birding is a blast! Way to go! From another very avid biker (Specialized Robaix & Honda Valkyrie)

Maestro

Swartzy wrote:

You're going to love it. It may take a little more post work but that lens will produce very beautiful images. I like some of the later shots (close ups) and eventually you'll nail them with practice. AI Servo, center spot AF and high shutter speeds/f/5.6 to f/9 you'll find that right combination. A little trick that I've found is sky shots lower your EV - 1/3 to 2/3rds in RAW so the whites don't blow out. These shots didn't have that problem but trust me.....it will happen.... Birding is a blast! Way to go! From another very avid biker (Specialized Robaix & Honda Valkyrie)

Okay, wait, the Specialized bike I understand but the Honda Valkyrie. I don't think that one is pushed along by leg power. Anyhow, thanks for the advice. I actually did shoot in raw with the exposure in mind, but I was so afraid of losing the shot when she took off that I switched to AF instead of MF and then everything was shot in JPEG. I didn't realize that you had to be in manual to use RAW. I will check my AI settings and the AF. I think I have it in center spot but I am not sure.

Thanks again for the advice.

Maestro

Ric Grupe wrote:

Looks like a show off to me.:D

Patience has it's rewards.

Thanks Ric. I am just waiting to be able to capture some smaller birds like you seem to always do. I am envious.

Swartzy

Maestro...

Maestro wrote:

I didn't realize that you had to be in manual to use RAW. I will check my AI settings and the AF. I think I have it in center spot but I am not sure.

Thanks again for the advice.

No no....Auto focus is auto focus...you can shoot Jpeg or RAW, makes no difference. Leave auto focus (AF) on. I was simply suggesting using the 3rd option for auto focus which is AI Servo (the first option is One Shot, the 2nd is one shot + AI Servo..say you focus on a gazelle standing still...then he starts running...the AI Servo focus will track the subject). The 3rd option is AI Servo (Artificial Intelegence software)..it's this mode that using with practice will track your moving subjects keeping them in focus. So, whether you use Raw or Jpeg that's up to you and auto focusing modes can be used with either.

Sorry for the confusion. Have a Merry Christmas

Maestro

Swartzy wrote:

No no....Auto focus is auto focus...you can shoot Jpeg or RAW, makes no difference. Leave auto focus (AF) on. I was simply suggesting using the 3rd option for auto focus which is AI Servo (the first option is One Shot, the 2nd is one shot + AI Servo..say you focus on a gazelle standing still...then he starts running...the AI Servo focus will track the subject). The 3rd option is AI Servo (Artificial Intelegence software)..it's this mode that using with practice will track your moving subjects keeping them in focus. So, whether you use Raw or Jpeg that's up to you and auto focusing modes can be used with either.

Sorry for the confusion. Have a Merry Christmas

I think I am the one who is writing confusingly. You were crystal clear. However, I did set my Digital Rebel to only RAW, no jpeg + RAW, only RAW, but when I switched to auto focus when the bird starting flying, it looks like my camera switched to high resolution jpeg mode instead. On my memory card, the first couple of shots with the hawk sitting still are in RAW, the rest of her flying came out in jpeg. This is after I had switched to Auto Focus. Is this a quirk with the Digital Rebels or did I switch something without realizing?

Allen

Maestro wrote:

I think I am the one who is writing confusingly. You were crystal clear. However, I did set my Digital Rebel to only RAW, no jpeg + RAW, only RAW, but when I switched to auto focus when the bird starting flying, it looks like my camera switched to high resolution jpeg mode instead. On my memory card, the first couple of shots with the hawk sitting still are in RAW, the rest of her flying came out in jpeg. This is after I had switched to Auto Focus. Is this a quirk with the Digital Rebels or did I switch something without realizing?

If it's like my 20D only jpg will work in auto mode. For raw you need to be in P,
Tv, Av or M. So when you switched to auto focus I think you actually turned
the knob on top to auto. I did this a month ago and was stumped why some of
my pics were jpg when I knew I was set to raw.
Al

Maestro

Allen wrote:

If it's like my 20D only jpg will work in auto mode. For raw you need to be in P,
Tv, Av or M. So when you switched to auto focus I think you actually turned
the knob on top to auto. I did this a month ago and was stumped why some of
my pics were jpg when I knew I was set to raw.
Al

Yep. That is what I did. I went and looked at the exif data and I had switched all the way to "action" mode instead of just P. I was just too nervous and anxious and try to manually focus and possibly lose the shot. Thanks.

Harryb

Congrats on your new lens the latter shots are very good. I would have exposed a bit more for the bird and let the sky blow out.

evil eggplant

I shot with this lens
I shoot with this lens. You may want to try doing these things

• Put the camera in "A" mode
• Select an aperture of f/7.1
• Adjust the ISO until you have a shutter speed of at least 1/750
• Turn off the IS
• The camera will expose for the sky. This will darken the bird. Increase exposure by a full stop unless the sun is behind you.
• Shoot a burst of at least 6 images. Some will be sharper than others. Select the sharpest image with the most pleasing profile
• Focus on the head of the bird.

My 100-400L is sharp at 400mm f/5.6, but it is tack sharp when stopped down just a tad, to say f/6.3. Best not to shoot the lens wide open if you have a choice.

Nice shots, but a bit underexposed.

Cheers!

Maestro

Harryb wrote:

Congrats on your new lens the latter shots are very good. I would have exposed a bit more for the bird and let the sky blow out.

Thanks Harry. I'm learning.

Maestro

evil eggplant wrote:

I shoot with this lens. You may want to try doing these things

• Put the camera in "A" mode
• Select an aperture of f/7.1
• Adjust the ISO until you have a shutter speed of at least 1/750
• Turn off the IS
• The camera will expose for the sky. This will darken the bird. Increase exposure by a full stop unless the sun is behind you.
• Shoot a burst of at least 6 images. Some will be sharper than others. Select the sharpest image with the most pleasing profile
• Focus on the head of the bird.

My 100-400L is sharp at 400mm f/5.6, but it is tack sharp when stopped down just a tad, to say f/6.3. Best not to shoot the lens wide open if you have a choice.

Nice shots, but a bit underexposed.

Cheers!

Great advice. Thanks. I'm writing this all down, actually I am printing it out.

dbaker1221

very nice series

Maestro

Thanks. I actually went back to see if I could get a few more and I noticed that there is actually, what I assume, is a mating pair there. They did not cooperate with me this time and quickly made a bee-line out of the area.