Shooting Birds

[stefeb]

I was going to post this in the Birds section, but I think it's for photos only..Mods, please feel free to move post..

What are some basic rules for shooting birds?

From some of the coments I've read, feeders are not to be included in photos.

Any other basic things I need to know, exposure, etc.

Thanks.

[poloman]

I am a beginner but have gotten my feet wet.
Shoot at 1/1500 or faster if you can. Get as close as you can. Though I have so far been stalking and shooting, I really think a blind would net more really good shots. I have been shooting only wild birds without the benefit of feeders (we have cats). Try to avoid backlit situations. If shooting against a bright overcast you might need EC as high as +2. I think AM sunshine is the best, shooting birds on the east side of foliage.
Looking at your gear list you may want some bigger glass. I was always at the end of my 75-300 and now am always at the end of my 100-400L. Some of the people out there are using 400 or 500 and a 1.4x or 2x extender. Choose your moment as birds make a lot of quick small movements. Take more shots than you think you need to.
Hope this helps....birds are a lot of fun! :)

[stefeb]

I am a beginner but have gotten my feet wet.
Shoot at 1/1500 or faster if you can. Get as close as you can. Though I have so far been stalking and shooting, I really think a blind would net more really good shots. I have been shooting only wild birds without the benefit of feeders (we have cats). Try to avoid backlit situations. If shooting against a bright overcast you might need EC as high as +2. I think AM sunshine is the best, shooting birds on the east side of foliage.
Looking at your gear list you may want some bigger glass. I was always at the end of my 75-300 and now am always at the end of my 100-400L. Some of the people out there are using 400 or 500 and a 1.4x or 2x extender. Choose your moment as birds make a lot of quick small movements. Take more shots than you think you need to.
Hope this helps....birds are a lot of fun! :)

Thank you great advice. The 100-400 is on my list. I'd go bigger, but have to stay within the constraints of my budget:(.

I was also considering the 400 prime, but I think the IS feature on the 100-400 is nice to have.

[fishyone]

You may also want to consider Sigma's 50-500mm. Do a search and you'll find many great shots with it. Some would say it's as good as the 100-400 and as fast. Often even 500mm is not enough. This lens will take the Kenko extender's. I just got the 1.4x for mine and am enjoying the extra reach. Although you have to manually focus with the TC on.

[PacAce]

Use Av mode and use the widest aperture available (to blur out background). Adjust ISO so that your shutter speed is at least 1/250 (with IS) or 1/500 (no IS) is not using a tripod. You can go lower with shutter speed if you want to blur the flapping wings of birds in flight. Even if using a tripod, you should keep the shutter speed up to prevent subject motion blur.

Use a sturdy tripod. Shooting birds takes a lot of patience but you also need to be ready to shoot without warning. With the tripod, the camera can be pointed at the bird all the time without you having to hold the camera up to your eye level yourself.

If you are going to be shooting birds in flight using a tripod, use a gimbal-type head. A ballhead by itself is next to impossible to work with when trying to track birds unless you set the base of the head to the side (at 90 degrees) and using a lens collar to mount the camera to the tripod (NOTE: since the all the weight of the camera and lens is off to the side of the tripod, this may not be a good idea if using a heavy lens).

[vjack]

Don't worry about the feeder thing. Some people will scold you for taking shots with feeders or anything else artificial in them. Just ignore this. Feeders will let you get so much closer and get shots that would otherwise be extremely difficult. If nothing else, this will be a good way to learn so that you can eventually try your hand in more natural settings.

[stefeb]

You may also want to consider Sigma's 50-500mm. Do a search and you'll find many great shots with it. Some would say it's as good as the 100-400 and as fast. Often even 500mm is not enough. This lens will take the Kenko extender's. I just got the 1.4x for mine and am enjoying the extra reach. Although you have to manually focus with the TC on.

Thank you for the suggestion. I'm going to see if my local camera shop carries the Sigma. I'd really like to try one first hand, rather than purchase online.

[stefeb]

Use Av mode and use the widest aperture available (to blur out background). Adjust ISO so that your shutter speed is at least 1/250 (with IS) or 1/500 (no IS) is not using a tripod. You can go lower with shutter speed if you want to blur the flapping wings of birds in flight. Even if using a tripod, you should keep the shutter speed up to prevent subject motion blur.

Use a sturdy tripod. Shooting birds takes a lot of patience but you also need to be ready to shoot without warning. With the tripod, the camera can be pointed at the bird all the time without you having to hold the camera up to your eye level yourself.

If you are going to be shooting birds in flight using a tripod, use a gimbal-type head. A ballhead by itself is next to impossible to work with when trying to track birds unless you set the base of the head to the side (at 90 degrees) and using a lens collar to mount the camera to the tripod (NOTE: since the all the weight of the camera and lens is off to the side of the tripod, this may not be a good idea if using a heavy lens).

Thank you for your in depth advice. Noted and saved.:D

If shooting at faster shutter speeds, might not the 400 f/5.6 be another choice for a birding lens, and would a TC work better with a prime?

Thanks.

[stefeb]

Don't worry about the feeder thing. Some people will scold you for taking shots with feeders or anything else artificial in them. Just ignore this. Feeders will let you get so much closer and get shots that would otherwise be extremely difficult. If nothing else, this will be a good way to learn so that you can eventually try your hand in more natural settings.

Thanks. You're right, I've got to start somewhere, and any bird shot is better than none at all.

[PacAce]

Thank you for your in depth advice. Noted and saved.:D

If shooting at faster shutter speeds, might not the 400 f/5.6 be another choice for a birding lens, and would a TC work better with a prime?

Thanks.
Yes, the 400 f/5.6, I hear, is an excellent lens, too. I myself do not have this lens but it's supposedly a little sharper than the 100-400 IS at the 400mm end. It's one drawback compared to the 100-400 might be the lack of IS if you are shooting handheld. But with a high enough shutter speed, it may not matter.

Unfortunately, the non-1D series cameras are limited to a minimum aperture of f/5.6 in order for AF to work. Since the 400 f/5.6 is already at that limit, attaching a Canon TC to it would disable your AF function. You could try using a non-Canon TC but then, focusing would probably be erratic and inaccurate.

[according to jim]

Great Thread .....Thanks.

[Lyssi]

PacAce,

This thread was really informative for me to prepare to try for some bird shots. I just purchased the 100-400L and haven't used it as yet.

I have a couple of further questions:

1. As a rule, would you recommend spot metering on the bird vs matrix
metering?

2. Do you make use of Al Servo AF and/or Al Focus AF for birds, especially in
flight?

Thanks so much...

[PacAce]

PacAce,

This thread was really informative for me to prepare to try for some bird shots. I just purchased the 100-400L and haven't used it as yet.

I have a couple of further questions:

1. As a rule, would you recommend spot metering on the bird vs matrix
metering?

2. Do you make use of Al Servo AF and/or Al Focus AF for birds, especially in
flight?

Thanks so much...
1. There are a few guys I shoot with that use spot metering but most of the time, I do not. I, instead, like to shoot in Evaluative mode. The reason I don't shoot spot is because there are some birds (usually birds of prey) that are dark-colored on top and light-colored on the bottom and when shooting them in flight, you will have to be constantly adjusting the EC, the direction of which depends on what part of the body (dark side or light side) the spot meter is over.

For evenly colored birds, this won't be a problem, though, and spot metering with EC will get you a better exposure.

2. I always use AI Servo with the "*" button for focusing for shooting birds. This works better for me than AI Focus on my 30D. Besides that, my 1DII doesn't have AI Focus.

[Lyssi]

Thanks for such a quick response Leo,

I wouldn't even have thought about the colour of the birds and I don't want to be changing EC anymore than I have to, at first anyway.

Thanks so much, it's such a relief to have a place to start... now I have to find me a bird!

[20droger]

Look! Up in the sky!... (Ignore planes and Superman.)

Shooting birds (what we do most) is fun and hard at the same time. The thing we find hardest is getting the little suckers to stay still long enough. I've thought of putting contact cement on the branches... (of course, that won't work for road runners, ask the coyote.)

After you play a while and learn a little, you'll discover many tricks of your own. The biggest trick is to have fun!

[Lyssi]

20droger - I'm glad you said that - it's so easy to forget to have fun!

[poloman]

Regarding AF... I use AI Servo much of the time when shooting birds. I will use One shot if the bird is amid a lot of branchs. In this case using AI Servo causes the camera to "hunt" too much.

[sam walker]

Approach a bird like you were there to get so you can eat it. The process is a hunt the same as if you had a spear.Some individuals are remarkably calm at close approach. Others are gone when your at 100 yards. Don't risk it. Birds that are eating can be the calmest.
Sam

[PacAce]

Regarding AF... I use AI Servo much of the time when shooting birds. I will use One shot if the bird is amid a lot of branchs. In this case using AI Servo causes the camera to "hunt" too much.

If you are using the "*" button for focusing, you can just as easily leave the AF in AIServo mode and just focus manually (with your thumb off the "*" button). That's one of the advantages of using the "*" button in these cases. Press the "*" button and you have continuous AIServo focus. Tap the "*" button and you have OneShot focusing or you can just focus manually without touching the "*" button. :)