How can I get better clarity with my 400D

[photorefresh]

I took this shot a few weeks ago and had fun with trying to get the best possible image quality.

I used a Canon EOS 400D
100 to 400mm. f 5.6 L series canon lens.

Focal length was 400mm = 640mm
1/2000 @ F5.6
ISO 400

I tried a few shots with slower shutter speeds and they looked like they had movement.

hmmmmmmmmmm

Any thoughts?

[mudkips]

You definitely want to stop down with the 100-400 @ 400mm, it's quite soft wide open.

[AginKajun]

Great capture for me. Definitely stop down to F/8 and run your ISO up to 800 to get your shutter speed back up. Did you have the IS turned off or on. I get better moving shots on birds/flying objects with it turned off.

Also if you had a "economical" UV filter on the lens I would dump it. My 100-400 did some terrible things with a tiffen filter on it. If you're in the "put a filter on camp" spring for a good one like the B&W 010.

Still I love the shot

[photorefresh]

Thanks for the pointers, I should know better guess I am a little rusty.

I am not keen on uping the ISO, I should be able to slow the shutter speed down.

Did you say you had problems with the Image Stablisation, I think you may be right.

I praticed on a C-17 the other day, so I was using a slower shutter speed and it was still soft looking.

Will try a few other things. F no is a given, what the hell was I thinking.

Cheers

Cindy

[Hellashot]

I took this shot a few weeks ago and had fun with trying to get the best possible image quality.

Focal length was 400mm = 640mm
1/2000 @ F5.6
ISO 400


First thing, focal length is focal length, cropping is cropping. Your shot is 400mm cropped (by the sensor).

Your shot is at least 1 stop underexposed, and probably more. This is why you may think it lacks "clarity". Shoot RAW and fix expsosure during conversion, if necessary but try to get a proper exposure at the point of capture. If you are shooting JPG, default sharpening settings are conservative (low) usually 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. To view it sharper adjust the sharpening slider to 7 in DPP.

[MALI]

What the heck is it anyway?:rolleyes:

[Mgw189]

What the heck is it anyway?:rolleyes:
Looks like a plane to me :lol:

[photorefresh]

Hellashot,

Thanks for the information, maybe next time I will get it right.

I realize the aircraft is under exposed, I was trying to get some detail in the dump and burn.

Any thoughts on the best way I can bring the brightness ratio between the jet and the D&B closer?

Anyone??

Cheers

Cin

[ghosh]

Nice timing. I like the kind of dirty look.

[StewartR]

Any thoughts on the best way I can bring the brightness ratio between the jet and the D&B closer?Not until you tell us what the hell that thing is! :D

Seriously though, I'd have thought the curves/levels tools would be all you'd need for this.

[bacchanal]

Not until you tell us what the hell that thing is! :D

Seriously though, I'd have thought the curves/levels tools would be all you'd need for this.


Looks like an F-111

[T Kubik]

Looks like an F-111

Indeed, an F-111 jetisoning fuel into the exhaust stream

[GyRob]

Simple one to fix lasso tool the jet then curve's :) love the shot btw.
Rob.

[MALI]

Looks like a plane to me :lol:

Nice.;)

I never saw a real plane with so much flames coming out of the exhaust before. So I thought it was on fire or something. As a matter fact, I thought it was a model plane because it did not look real. Anyways...

[slappy sam]

As a kid who just finished his first year of aeronautical engineering, this is a pretty cool image.

[AginKajun]

Thanks for the pointers, I should know better guess I am a little rusty.

I am not keen on uping the ISO, I should be able to slow the shutter speed down.

Did you say you had problems with the Image Stablisation, I think you may be right.

I praticed on a C-17 the other day, so I was using a slower shutter speed and it was still soft looking.

Will try a few other things. F no is a given, what the hell was I thinking.

Cheers

Cindy


I'm not afraid to shoot at ISO 800 if it will get me where I need to be, right esporsure/freeze motion if I need the shutter speed. Any of the PS systems work well if you get a little noise expecially in areas like pure sky that you can isolate.

If I understand the way IS works it's trying to stop the motion caused my your movements whether those motions are intentional or not. IS mode 1 it is both horizontal & verticle and mode 2 just in the horizontal direction. If you are trying to pan the subject especially in both directions it is starting and stopping your panning and making movement eratic instead of a smooth motion. That's why I turn mine off on these types of shots.

My brother in law used to fly those things during the Vietmam conflict. I wished I'd had my camera then.:cry:

[Robert_Lay]

Hellashot,

Thanks for the information, maybe next time I will get it right.

I realize the aircraft is under exposed, I was trying to get some detail in the dump and burn.

Any thoughts on the best way I can bring the brightness ratio between the jet and the D&B closer?

Anyone??

Cheers

Cin

In my opinion, the burning fuel will be so much brighter than the rest of the image that it is going to be blown out completely while trying to lighten the plane.

If you shoot in RAW, it will help by providing ways of creating two separate files from the single frame - each of which can have a significant exposure difference. From those two images you could to an HDR merge and get some more detail in the burning fuel without darkening the plane so much. Nonetheless, you will still be severely limited because of the tremendous range of brightnesses between the two parts of the image.

[photorefresh]

Bob,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I agree with you on the RAW files, but the problem I have with my 400D is I can only shoot off a limited number of shots before it wants to write to the flash card. That put me off using it the last time I shot the F-111 because I was missing shots when it was writing.

Do you know that feeling, when you are seeing great shots but you can't do a thing about it. Ahhhhhh

I was hoping there may be away of bringing the ratio down in the camera before resorting the Photoshop.

Hmmmmmmmmmm

Cin

[StewartR]

Do you know that feeling, when you are seeing great shots but you can't do a thing about it. AhhhhhhThere is something you can do about it... get a 1D Mk III... :D

[Robert_Lay]

Bob,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I agree with you on the RAW files, but the problem I have with my 400D is I can only shoot off a limited number of shots before it wants to write to the flash card. That put me off using it the last time I shot the F-111 because I was missing shots when it was writing.

Do you know that feeling, when you are seeing great shots but you can't do a thing about it. Ahhhhhh

I was hoping there may be away of bringing the ratio down in the camera before resorting the Photoshop.

Hmmmmmmmmmm

Cin
I am out of my depth here, but is it not true that some of the CF memory cards are of much higher speed than others? I would expect to find a significant advantage in some cards over others.

[photorefresh]

1D mark III, yummy.

How much are they these days?

Cin