Chichadee with a Bigma

[constablebob]

These birds are plentiful up here in northern Wisconsin. They're not too afraid of people; I've had them eat out of my hand. They're also very neat....taking one seed at a time from the feeder and fly back up to a tree somewhere to eat it. I shot this with my 5d and a rented Sigma 50-500 Bigma at ISO 100, F6.3, 1/160, AV mode, 500mm, PP in PSE 7. I would like to do more "birding", but the quality super-telephotos are costly. Thanks for looking.

[canonloader]

I owned a Bigma for awhile, but since I live in La Crosse, and under a constant cloud cover, the f/6.3 aperture was just too much. I could never get a decent shutter speed and had to finally get rid of it favor of a 300/4 with 1.4x TC. It doesn't have the reach, but most of my bird shooting is under 25 feet anyway. :)

[constablebob]

Thanks for your comments....I take it that the 1.4x TC is no real problem as far as photo quality is concerned. I never used a TC.

[canonloader]

A good one does not lower the image quality too much. I use the Sigma and it seems fine to me. But my 300 lens is a f/4, so it goes to f/5.6 with the teleconverter on it and will still keep autofocus.

[alohabob]

Gotta have the hi class lens to stay sharp with a TC. They are nice though, weight and moneywise.

[Sn33zy]

Wouldn't mind visiting Wisconsin to shoot these birds :)
Unfortunately I am on the other side of the ocean, but we have lovely birds here too...

Lovely shot, wouldn't mind seeing the bird in a bit of sunshine..

[skygod44]

...They're not too afraid of people; I've had them eat out of my hand....

Really? Now that would make for an amzing shot! Could you set it up, with, (obviously!) a much shorter FL lens stuck on your camera?

[alohabob]

Check Mitch's posts. I think you may find one.