argggg, so what do you think i am doing wrong updated with dumb question too!

[jann1033]

this is my latest attempt at birds...so far i have...

tried all my lens...this is the only one that goes to 300mm and the rest are to short. the major problem with this one( other than it not being the greatest sharpness wise ) is it only f5-6.3 and the best shutter i can get with that is 1600( a few would take at 2000)

tried a flash...i don't have an external and the internal bleaches 1/2 the photo out

moved the feeder ( well husband moved the feeder )

don't have a table top tripod which i need to take out the window( window open andt there is a screen( have to unscrew it while standing on a ladder and husband isn't crazy about that idea today due to the following)...it's below 21 f without the windchill and snowing so a little chilly to mess around to much outside) so if that is the problem i could stack books which is my next trial if someone thinks that's what is happening

the feeders are on metal poles and do move somewhat..anyone think they would move enough to blur like this from the bird's weight? (ground isn't frozen but not thinking much of a chance of fixing that this yr with a 4x4 instead)

on the picture, i sharpened a little( 20/60) but the double vision effect was already there. lightened some shadows and color cast( set my custom wb for snow but it is still coming up greenish tinged so maybe will have to do that again)

so any more ideas??????
thanks
editied cause
when i saw the picture here is looks less blurry than the actual print size btw

this one might show what i mean better...different bird naturally but same problem. this is cropped but looks like what the actual size looks like in terms of sharpness etc. see the shadowy thing around his head? the camera light was on like it was focused etc. does any one know if it could have anything to do with the high contrast with so much snow and then most of the birds are dark? or is it lens blur or motion blur or what. i am considering a 70-300 IS lens since i think it will be enough zoom( this is 300) and the IS would help if it's camera movement but not if it's bird movement unless the shutter can be faster( not sure what the f is on that lens)

 

[Furgus]

My monitor at work is really bad, but the photo looks slightly out of focus. What did you focus on? I don't take many bird pictures, as I don't have a feeder near my house yet, but I have read a lot about focusing on the eyes.
I think the shot is composed very well, but seems a little soft. Like I said not really experienced in this subject, but just making some observations.

 

[jann1033]

yes that is the problem, it isn't sharp ..the lens is soft but i am thinking more along the lines of the second picture i just posted since that shows it beter than the first...i was focusing on the eye/head area( as well as i could with them hopping around like crazy ) but in general mainly the moving areas ( ie not the feet so much) are blurry and i am wondering why.

 

[extreme8]

Did I read your post correctly that you're shooting through a window screen?

 

[jann1033]

Did I read your post correctly that you're shooting through a window screen?

yeah i can't get it out easily altough that might be in the offing tomorrow if the weather cooperates( ancient house and some windows as old as the house ie before they washed the windows evidently) but it seems like it is focusing ok( ie past the screen) when i put it right up to the screen( mainly i say that cause it focuses on the screen if i don't so i figured maybe it is like the bars at the zoo, close enough and they go away)

 

[extreme8]

You might want to brave the elements and take a shot from outside without the screen between you and the little winged ones.
I might not solve your problem entirely, but I'm guessing you'll see an improvement.

 

[ukcatfan]

It looks like snow is the background and it is overpowering the exposure. I thought that you mentioned snow before, but could be wrong If so, getting closer to ground level might also help. That way you can get some trees or something with more color in the background.

Kevin

 

[JR6ooo4]

Try to remove the screen and se how much that helps. Then add an outdoor light to help boost shutter speeds.
Move the feeder closer to the window and cover the window with something solid like cardboard. Cut a hole the size of the lens and leave the camera there. That way you can get real close without them seeing you.
If you need 300mm to get close enough, like if the feeder is 50 feet away, you should have enough DOF to not worry about where to focus. Focusing anywhere on the bird will make the whole subject in the DOF area. check the focus points with canons zoombrowser.

Mikeeee

 

[jann1033]

ok now i am wondering( showing my total stupidity...)

i was wondering about the snow overexposing since it's basically a giant white glaring area which made me wonder why i couldn't get the shutter speed past 1600? it would seem more light via glaring white area = ability to get faster shutter but i tried different isos and that didn't see to help. the best were on iso 400( huh? not usually exactly bright light at that speed) at 100 iso i couldn't get past 800 shutter speed ( evidently i didn't understand part of my "understanding exposure" book )

i'll tell hubby you all said to take the screen out since i have been asking for 2 days

the cardboard is a good idea not only to hide but to save myself from freezing via open window. right now it is probably not much farther than 20 ft away if that far. only the cardinals and woodpeckers care i am there, the others ignore me totally

i still am wondering though what would be causing the haloish effect?

 

[extreme8]

At that magnification the "halo" you're seeing could be banding due to jpeg compression.
I haven't inspected a chickadee in a while - are the colors on that area of their heads different shades of brown (dark on the sides, lighter on top)?

You could try shooting a couple in RAW and see if the problem persists.

 

[Furgus]

I have a question...why do you want your shutter speed so fast? Kind of a rule of thumb I have heard is you want your shutter to be as fast as the lens lens you are shooting at to get get clear pictures. So if you was at 300mm, 250-320 should be plenty fast enough to stop motion of a bird.

Also what you could do it meter off of the blue sky, that will help get your correct exposure outside in the snow. Get the reading, set it to manual, and you should be ok. Snow is hard to expose right but if you use the sky, it is a constant light source, it should turn out ok.

Good luck, and post some updated pics

 

[jann1033]

I have a question...why do you want your shutter speed so fast? Kind of a rule of thumb I have heard is you want your shutter to be as fast as the lens lens you are shooting at to get get clear pictures. So if you was at 300mm, 250-320 should be plenty fast enough to stop motion of a bird.

Also what you could do it meter off of the blue sky, that will help get your correct exposure outside in the snow. Get the reading, set it to manual, and you should be ok. Snow is hard to expose right but if you use the sky, it is a constant light source, it should turn out ok.

Good luck, and post some updated pics

you'd think so but this one is 1/500 and while it stopped it.....

husband took the screen off though and i'll have to see how they turn out

thanks for all the help though, I appreciate it

 

[boBQuincy]

Yep, take the screen out. The small openings act like a very small aperture and introduce lots of diffraction problems, pretty much ruining the sharpness.

Shutter speed on a SLR is funny, anything above about 1/250 is no longer a "faster" shutter speed, but a smaller opening moving at 1/250 across the sensor. Canon shutters move top to bottom (as I recall) so a subject that is moving sideways could still have some blur even at the fastest shutter speed. Focal plane distortions are probably rare with today's cameras but with a fast enough subject they could still be noticeable.

Better than taking the screen out, go outside. Sure, it's cold, but sometimes we must suffer for our art!


boB, sitting inside a warm office.

 

[Groucho]

I know you said that your other lenses don't reach as long, but try taking a few photos with different lenses, but everything else set identically.

Also, with the long lens, try taking a few shots of the bird feeder (don't worry so much about the birds - let's simplify the variables) with different apertures and ISO levels and see if that makes a different.

You might be in a situation where the long lens just can't do what you want, or may require a higher F-stop to work like you want.

You can also try taking a photo inside using the same settings as you used for the bird photo and see how that turns out.

I do agree that the "double vision" (I think it might even be triple?) thing is pretty strange.

 

[jann1033]

Better than taking the screen out, go outside. Sure, it's cold, but sometimes we must suffer for our art!


boB, sitting inside a warm office.

yeah a warm office in NC i believe??? it was 4 degrees with the windchill here today,,,so i sat in my kitchen with the window openand blinds down in my coat hat and gloves and took pictures of the great outdoors

( we heat with wood so i wasn't wasting $2+ a gallon heating oil)

 

[extreme8]

Don't leave us hanging - I'm curious.
Did removing the window screen solve your problem, or was there something else going on?