Tree Shark! (aka Testing 30D / 100-400 / 1.4x TC)

[nitsch]

Well I got a new bit of kit so obviously I have to post the obligatory duck or squirrel shot! ;) :lol:

I'm stuck at home feeling ill so didn't venture further than the back garden so the subject is of course the venerable Tree Shark indulging in his favourite afternoon pastime of stealing nuts! :D

Basically I wanted to see how my 100-400 performed on the 30D and just for fun I tried it with the Kenko Pro 300 1.4x TC too (with taped contacts of course to retain AF!).

I'm more than happy with the results. All shot handheld, IS on, wide open f5.6 (effective f8 with the TC), ISO 200 without the TC and ISO 400 with the TC to keep a similar shutterspeed. I noticed no degredation in AF speed or hunting with the TC, however it was nice and bright.

All shot in one of the new fangled JPEG modes whilst I await Rawshooter to be upgraded to accept 30D RAW files...

400mm

http://www.nitsch.co.uk/scrapbook/1_30D_100400_400mm.jpg

560mm (From further away to get a similar framing of the subject).

http://www.nitsch.co.uk/scrapbook/2_30D_100400_with_TC_560mm.jpg

And just to keep all you 100% crop fans happy here's a 560mm fullframe and crop, not bad for a handheld effective 896mm FOV shot IMHO! :D

http://www.nitsch.co.uk/scrapbook/3_30D_100400_with_TC_560mm_fullframe.jpg

http://www.nitsch.co.uk/scrapbook/3_30D_100400_with_TC_560mm_100crop.jpg

[mrclark321]

Congrats, great shots. Very sharp
The 30D is a great camera, I am enjoying mine :)

Dan

[Ferco]

wow, these are amazing shots!!! well done thanks for sharring!!!

[condyk]

Nice Nick, especially for a Tcon'd shot taken under the influence of Lemsip. The fouth shot scares me :cry: :cry:

How does it really compare with your 300D and ex Sigma APO tho' ;)

[nitsch]

Thanks Dan and Richard! :D

Nice Nick, especially for a Tcon'd shot taken under the influence of Lemsip. The fouth shot scares me :cry: :cry:

How does it really compare with your 300D and ex Sigma APO tho' ;)

Hehe! In fact the Lemsip is probably helping to steady my hands, normally I'm dosed up on caffeine which is why I love IS so much! :lol:

Honestly? Not much! For this sort of shot I could have quite easily got closer to the little blighter and used the Sigma at 200mm where it performed really well and the 300D at ISO's 400 and below would be indistinguishable in picture quality. So it's true to say that in these situations £2k's worth of kit doesn't perform any better than Canon's most basic DSLR and a £100 zoom, but I'd like to think that in more challenging circumstances the results would justify the expense! Performance issues aside though I'm really enjoying using the 30D - I love that control wheel on the back! It's so cool!! :o :lol:

[condyk]

So it's true to say that in these situations £2k's worth of kit doesn't perform any better than Canon's most basic DSLR and a £100 zoom, but I'd like to think that in more challenging circumstances the results would justify the expense! Performance issues aside though I'm really enjoying using the 30D - I love that control wheel on the back! It's so cool!! :o :lol:

Nick, spot on. I suspect the handling is what will set the 30D as the sensible standard for POTN 'everyman'. Who wants the megabucks machine gun stuff that needs a wheelbarrow to walkaround with? Great features for a true photo nut and great handling in a portable size. Pricing pitched just right too, at least for we bargain hunters ;-)

[Curtis N]

All shot in one of the new fangled JPEG modes whilst I await Rawshooter to be upgraded to accept 30D RAW files...Have you tried Canon's DPP? Surely it should fill the RAW converter void for the time-being.

Great squirrel shots!

[reewik]

Great Job!

[Blue Deuce]

Last one is a impressive macro shark shot. Petkal will be plotting to upstage you.

[EOSAddict]

Now that's just showing off Nick ;) Great shots though. The lack of RSE/RSP support bothers me a bit but hey, if you can produce JPEGs like that I guess I can live with it for a few days until pixmantec sort it out.

Need to go find my local duck pond for Tue .......

[Gary Fairhead]

Nice shots here Nick with your new 30D. I picked up the same camera last week and although Photoshop CS wont open the 30D's RAW files ( until Adobe supply the plugin), I am using the supplied Canon Digitai Photo Professional ( DPP) to first manipulate ( exposure and a few other minimal tasks) and then converting to TIFF format where when Photoshop can then do its job. So far I am satisfied with that process.

[superdiver]

Just now learning DPP and trying to figure ut how to convert more then one photo at a time....

any hints in DPP would be appreciated....(ie read...throw me a bone...LOL)

[busbyea]

Just now learning DPP and trying to figure ut how to convert more then one photo at a time....

any hints in DPP would be appreciated....(ie read...throw me a bone...LOL)

DPP has the ability to "BATCH" process. Find the icon last on the right of the menu bar.

[Dimitri_V]

Stunning stuff Nick,enjoy the new toy.:D

[cntry]

WOW is right!
________
PISSING AMATEUR (http://www.****tube.com/categories/816/amateur/videos/1)

[nitsch]

Curtis/Gary - No, I haven't tried the Canon software yet. I've used Rawshooter for the last year and like the results, I may have a dabble with the Canon software in the meantime though.

Thanks Blue - LOL, Petkal "Master of the Treesharks" would laugh at my feeble efforts! ;-)

Al - Look forward to seeing those ducks mate! Enjoy the new cam! :D

Thanks everyone else for the kind comments. :)

[stevefossimages]

[QUOTE=nitschBasically I wanted to see how my 100-400 performed on the 30D and just for fun I tried it with the Kenko Pro 300 1.4x TC too (with taped contacts of course to retain AF!). [/QUOTE]

Huh, what's this? I eventually sold my Canon 1.4 because it wouldn't autofocus on the 100-400L IS with the 20D (I'm told 1 series cameras will autofocus with the TCs to f8, but not the 20D).

How do you tape the contacts, and will it work on Canon TCs the way it does on the Kenko? Is there a downside?

[nitsch]

Huh, what's this? I eventually sold my Canon 1.4 because it wouldn't autofocus on the 100-400L IS with the 20D (I'm told 1 series cameras will autofocus with the TCs to f8, but not the 20D).

How do you tape the contacts, and will it work on Canon TCs the way it does on the Kenko? Is there a downside?

Hi Steve, yep this little trick works with any TC which reports it's presence to the camera. If you stick a tiny piece of tape over the first 3 contacts then as far as the camera is concerned the TC isn't there so you keep AF and the max aperture stays at f5.6 rather than being forced down to f8.

The downsides are obviously you lose that stop of light, AF can hunt more and as you know the 100-400 can hunt at the best of times and the images are a little softer than with the naked lens. Used in good light though as I did today it performs well.

[Meaty0]

Wow, great shots. I love squirrel shots. The only ones we get here in Australia are on the Rocky and Bulwinkle show:D Well done.

(We do get possums in our trees at night...hmm might try a shot of them..A telephoto shot with a flash: bit of a challenge.)

[Photodawg1]

Wowza on the last one! enjoy new toys! love the 100-400!

[dancinec]

Great shots, now I have "30D" envy.