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So I just got started in shooting birds; picked up a Sigma 150-600 C f/5.6-6.3. It's way harder than I was expecting it to be, and I'm finally starting to see why people hate the 6D's autofocus system now that I'm trying to get it to focus on moving things. But I did have a lot of fun with it, and at the wildlife refuge over the weekend got a few shots in focus at least. Heron of some sort?  Same guy, flying around  Some kind of hawk I think  And a robin for good measure 
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May 22, 2018 15:10
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| # ? Jun 5, 2024 05:51 |
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Kaninrail posted:So I just got started in shooting birds; picked up a Sigma 150-600 C f/5.6-6.3. It's way harder than I was expecting it to be, and I'm finally starting to see why people hate the 6D's autofocus system now that I'm trying to get it to focus on moving things. But I did have a lot of fun with it, and at the wildlife refuge over the weekend got a few shots in focus at least. Great Egret and Osprey there- nice! With the 6D I 100% kept it in center point focus and used back button focus to recompose. It took me 4 years to upgrade so I guess it wasn't horrible but yeah the AF on the 7Dii is super nice. My back hates me but I usually bring the 6D out with me too and use it for whatever other stuff I see besides wildlife. awesome DJExile posted:
I love these
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May 22, 2018 16:42
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Kaninrail posted:So I just got started in shooting birds; picked up a Sigma 150-600 C f/5.6-6.3. It's way harder than I was expecting it to be, and I'm finally starting to see why people hate the 6D's autofocus system now that I'm trying to get it to focus on moving things. But I did have a lot of fun with it, and at the wildlife refuge over the weekend got a few shots in focus at least. I had one hell of a time getting clear shots with that lens at first, as I’d never used anything even approaching that focal length before. With practice things started improving though. How do you like yours so far?
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May 22, 2018 17:24
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BetterLekNextTime posted:I love these thanks! 
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May 22, 2018 18:13
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President Beep posted:I had one hell of a time getting clear shots with that lens at first, as I’d never used anything even approaching that focal length before. With practice things started improving though. How do you like yours so far? I like it a lot, with some caveats. It's wayyyy heavier than anything else I've ever used (my other lenses are a 24-105 f/4L, 50 f/1.4, and a janky sigma 70-300 macro that I used exactly once before deciding it was utter garbage.) So getting used to just holding it steady is a challenge, and the super long focal length means even the smallest jitters send targets out of the viewfinder. But the shots I do get, the image quality seems pretty great. So mostly I think it's a great piece of glass (and only cost $980), that I am not quite skilled enough yet to get full use out of. BetterLekNextTime posted:With the 6D I 100% kept it in center point focus and used back button focus to recompose. It took me 4 years to upgrade so I guess it wasn't horrible but yeah the AF on the 7Dii is super nice. My back hates me but I usually bring the 6D out with me too and use it for whatever other stuff I see besides wildlife. Yeah, I use rear-button focus as well. My main issue is the target zipping past too quickly to keep the center point on it, forcing me to either: A) Switch to using all the points in AI Servo mode and miss shots when the background steals focus priority. B) Switch to using only the center point in AI Servo mode, and miss shots when I move the center point off the target as AI Servo finds a new focus point. C) Switch to center / AI Focus mode, and miss shots if the target is moving out of the focal plane before I hit the shutter. Also, my eyesight is bad enough that I can't use the viewfinder without glasses, which I think makes it harder to tell when things are in focus (things look focused to me, and come off the camera with the focus being ahead or behind by a few feet). With still shots / landscape / portraits this is generally not a big deal since they're not gonna move after the center dot flashes, but birds don't like cooperating with me as much. I think A is probably the least-bad option, but I'll probably have to experiment a lot over the next few months and see if I figure out a better method.
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May 22, 2018 19:29
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Kaninrail posted:I like it a lot, with some caveats. It's wayyyy heavier than anything else I've ever used (my other lenses are a 24-105 f/4L, 50 f/1.4, and a janky sigma 70-300 macro that I used exactly once before deciding it was utter garbage.) So getting used to just holding it steady is a challenge, and the super long focal length means even the smallest jitters send targets out of the viewfinder. But the shots I do get, the image quality seems pretty great. So mostly I think it's a great piece of glass (and only cost $980), that I am not quite skilled enough yet to get full use out of. I'm completely serious. (also, it worked)
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May 22, 2018 19:39
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Kaninrail posted:I like it a lot, with some caveats. It's wayyyy heavier than anything else I've ever used (my other lenses are a 24-105 f/4L, 50 f/1.4, and a janky sigma 70-300 macro that I used exactly once before deciding it was utter garbage.) So getting used to just holding it steady is a challenge, and the super long focal length means even the smallest jitters send targets out of the viewfinder. But the shots I do get, the image quality seems pretty great. So mostly I think it's a great piece of glass (and only cost $980), that I am not quite skilled enough yet to get full use out of. If your experience ends up like mine, then eventually you'll get kind of a feel for it. That being said, the stuff you've posted ITT looks very nice to me, especially for someone using a new lens.
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May 22, 2018 20:49
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Went out before sunrise today hoping to find some owls (I didn't). Instead I found a very active group of bald eagles around a tree with a huge nest in it. There were occaisions when the nest didn't have an adult in it so I suppose it's not occupied yet but I really don't know much about these things. Some eagles were breaking off branches from the tree to add to the nest which was really interesting to watch. Unfortunately had to shoot a lot of these at ISO 3200 because the sun was just coming up. There were probably around 8-10 mature and juvenile eagles around... and also a very brave little bird - can you spot it in one of these pics?  Eagle Nest (1 of 4) by Trevor Zuliani, on Flickr Eagle Nest (2 of 4) by Trevor Zuliani, on Flickr Eagle Nest (3 of 4) by Trevor Zuliani, on Flickr Eagle Nest (4 of 4) by Trevor Zuliani, on FlickrAnyone know if those marks on the bark of the tree by the nest is from them sharpening their beaks or somesuch?
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May 26, 2018 17:54
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hah, that house sparrow in picture 3. Not brave; smart. Far too small for an eagle to catch or even notice, but hanging around an eagle nest like that means there's nothing to worry about from falcons, hawks, shrikes, and such. A study a few years back found that Anna's hummingbird nests out in the wild tend to be nearish hawk and eagle nests.
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May 26, 2018 18:11
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 American White Pelicans by Tyler Huestis, on Flickr American White Pelicans by Tyler Huestis, on FlickrGoslings are so cute before they turn into menacing rear end in a top hat birds  Canada Gooses by Tyler Huestis, on Flickr
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May 27, 2018 21:48
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neckbeard posted:
Hey, that’s nice.
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May 27, 2018 22:09
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THOSE LIL FUZZ NUGGETS 
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May 27, 2018 23:05
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 DSC_5013.jpg by Steven Sarginson, on Flickr DSC_5053.jpg by Steven Sarginson, on Flickr
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May 28, 2018 06:19
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A few from this morning at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge  
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May 29, 2018 07:55
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 Tulsa Prothonotary-7915 on Flickr Tulsa YC Night-Heron-8094 on Flickr
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May 30, 2018 02:18
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 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher-8338 on Flickr Prothonotary Warbler-8169 on Flickr
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Jun 1, 2018 04:33
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 Whoa. That's cool.
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Jun 1, 2018 13:09
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Great shot! These are my favorite birds to see when I’m back in Texas visiting family during the summer.
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Jun 1, 2018 13:34
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Thanks! Yeah these birds are magnificent. Hopefully going out again this evening– I'd love to get one in flight. Here's my favorite so far from today  Nighthawk-8610 on Flickr
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Jun 1, 2018 22:33
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Looks like you get some really good use out of that 400mm. You gonna stick with it?
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Jun 1, 2018 23:01
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President Beep posted:Looks like you get some really good use out of that 400mm. You gonna stick with it? I don't know! Unfortunately the money I got for that camera and lens I just sold went to replace my binoculars that I broke  ... The 400 is working well for now when I can keep the shutter speed up, but it's been a little frustrating on this trip. Oxley Park where I got the heron, bunting, prothonotary warbler, etc was walk around, and it was great there, but the last 2 days have been almost entirely shooting from a car. When I'm twisting sideways and straining so as not to get a side-mirror in the shot, IS would be pretty handy.Right now my ideal plan would be to replace the 400L with the 100-400L as my lighter hiking lens, and also get either a 150-600 or if I really say gently caress it to financial responsibility, an old 500/4 for a little longer reach.
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Jun 2, 2018 03:32
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 e: Huh, didn’t realize Sigma made one of those. Sport version too... President Beep fucked around with this message at 03:53 on Jun 2, 2018 |
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Jun 2, 2018 03:49
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Lek why not buy a single good lens instead of 3 average ones that all do the same thing? Get the 500/f4 and take your binocs hiking instead of a camera.
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Jun 2, 2018 03:53
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Fantastic! I've only seen a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher once, and only managed the somewhat-blurry photo below (from Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, in Austin, TX). They're wonderful birds, and I'd like to see some more. 
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Jun 2, 2018 23:28
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^^^ Thanks! I could have spent a lot more time with them. What a classy bird.VelociBacon posted:Lek why not buy a single good lens instead of 3 average ones that all do the same thing? Get the 500/f4 and take your binocs hiking instead of a camera. I think the 150-600 would be on the way to the 500. I see your point, but for me it's two pretty different use cases- hiking up hills with a lighter lens versus bring a tripod and going to see a specific bird or two within a half-mile of the parking lot. Upgrading the 400L is lower priority because it's more or less been working. Getting something with more reach is more of a priority, but the cost of the 500/4mk1 is quite a bit more than the 150-600.
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Jun 3, 2018 17:55
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BetterLekNextTime posted:^^^ Thanks! I could have spent a lot more time with them. What a classy bird. Why not the 100-400II and 1.4x? That makes for a nice combo and the 100-400 is something that makes sense to keep when you get the 500.
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Jun 3, 2018 19:10
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Clayton Bigsby posted:Why not the 100-400II and 1.4x? That makes for a nice combo and the 100-400 is something that makes sense to keep when you get the 500. I haven't read up on that combo, but I'll look into it. I was typically shooting at f8 with my old 150-600 so I guess it wouldn't be too different.
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Jun 4, 2018 18:36
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BetterLekNextTime posted:I haven't read up on that combo, but I'll look into it. I was typically shooting at f8 with my old 150-600 so I guess it wouldn't be too different. I dig it at least. AF works great with the 5D IV even in crap light.
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Jun 4, 2018 22:27
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BetterLekNextTime posted:I haven't read up on that combo, but I'll look into it. I was typically shooting at f8 with my old 150-600 so I guess it wouldn't be too different. The thing is even though you're shooting at f/8 you're still focusing with it at max aperture, when you use a teleconverter you just limited your max aperture some more and it might not focus nearly as well. Or did you know that and you meant something else I'm not sure. I shoot my 150-600 exclusively at f/8 as well.
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Jun 5, 2018 04:00
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VelociBacon posted:The thing is even though you're shooting at f/8 you're still focusing with it at max aperture, when you use a teleconverter you just limited your max aperture some more and it might not focus nearly as well. Or did you know that and you meant something else I'm not sure. I shoot my 150-600 exclusively at f/8 as well. I usually keep mine wide open because I'm a pixel-peeping shithead and high ISO noise scares me. I should really try shooting at f/8 to see if I get sharper results.
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Jun 5, 2018 13:27
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VelociBacon posted:The thing is even though you're shooting at f/8 you're still focusing with it at max aperture, when you use a teleconverter you just limited your max aperture some more and it might not focus nearly as well. Or did you know that and you meant something else I'm not sure. I shoot my 150-600 exclusively at f/8 as well. Good point- I was thinking IQ not AF. Looks like the 7Dii has some AF for f/8 max aperture, but not all points.
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Jun 5, 2018 19:27
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A few with 5D4, 100-400, 1.4x  
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Jun 5, 2018 20:56
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This is absolutely print-worthy.
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Jun 5, 2018 23:24
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This is so friggin good.
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Jun 5, 2018 23:32
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President Beep posted:This is absolutely print-worthy. Agreed! This is great.
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Jun 5, 2018 23:43
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It looks like stars in the sky, it's just lovely
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Jun 6, 2018 00:41
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Good lord, man. That's awesome.  Armadillo's back on the menu..
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Jun 6, 2018 04:46
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Thanks for the kind words, guys. I too liked the "flying through space" look which is actually sunlight bouncing off mosquitoes. Leaving for the US in a couple weeks so will get to visit my herons and egrets. Plan to take lots of shots with the 5DIV+1.4+100-400II combo. Really makes for a manageable size package with excellent AF and sharpness. F/8 isn't fast but the 5DIV handles high ISO with ease.
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Jun 7, 2018 19:38
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I'm finally going through some photos from last month. Red-winged Blackbird (female).  A Plumbeous Vireo (?).  Some sort of puffy bird ball. (A kind of sparrow?)  Lots of Red-winged Blackbirds were trying to advertise for themselves.  I love the colors on the Red-winged Blackbirds.
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Jun 8, 2018 06:52
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DorianGravy posted:
Check Vesper Sparrow. That would be my half-educated guess quote:
These are cool. Clayton Bigsby- can't wait to see what you get on your trip. As everyone else said, those are great, particularly the b&w shot of the ducks. I love seeing such a unique birb photo Here's another from Oklahoma.  tallgrass prairie jumping dickcissel-8985 on Flickr
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Jun 8, 2018 17:38
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