Skimmers! Need help. soft photos?

[fiveFPS]

Canon 1d mark ii n
Drive mode: 8.5fps
AI SERVO
iso 1600 ( light was getting very low)
lens: canon 400mm 5.6
AV: 5.6
TV: 1/640 approx

here are a series of shots that I took in about 15min time frame. They seem very soft or out of focus. I believe the lens is sharp because shooting still objects it's fine.

Any suggestions on what I am doing wrong? As far as trying to pan, I kept the center AF point on only and the bird as much as on the center at all times.

Photos are not cropped or anything. No PP. Just resized to 600x400. last photo is 100% crop

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/7939/sk9g7021q.jpg

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8380/sk9g7020.jpg

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8580/sk9g7018.jpg

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/3205/crop.jpg

[Tom Reichner]

Is the last one cropped, or were you really that close?

[fiveFPS]

the last one is cropped 100%

so it's really blurred or soft and I was doing my best to pan and follow the bird in center AF point so it'll keep it locked in focus

[BradM]

The primary reason that there is no real detail is two fold.

First the images are underexposed and that results in increased noise which takes the level of detail available down. This noise is particular visible in the crop looking under the wing.

The underexposure is also clear in the crop looking to the head and the back of the wings, no eye is visible, no feather seperation at all except where the light is coming through portions of the wing tips.

The 2nd issue is distance, while this bird isn't really very far off, if the original are just downsized originals, with abetter exposure one could expect to crop about 40% of the shot away and be able to pull up the image and have some feather definition.

[fiveFPS]

Thanks Brad.. I'm going to have to try this again and do it in the middle of the day so I don't have to bump up ISO that results in noise.

[fiveFPS]

???? is that spam?

[HYBEagle]

???? is that spam?
Spam tested positive.

[fiveFPS]

thanks mods for removing it.

so does anyone else think my photo #4 100% crop is a little not sharp?

[maxblack]

How fast do you think that bird is moving?
Maybe 1/640 is not fast enough.
Your panning would have to be spot on.
That's a pretty tough shot at 1/640.
I think you did pretty well.
Have you shot these guys before with better or worse results?
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[fiveFPS]

How fast do you think that bird is moving?
Maybe 1/640 is not fast enough.
Your panning would have to be spot on.
That's a pretty tough shot at 1/640.
I think you did pretty well.
Have you shot these guys before with better or worse results?
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Thanks Max! They were moving maybe 10-15mph I would say.. I was panning them but maybe I wasn't spot on like you said. But I just baffled about the results I got compared to what others have posted.. so I assumed it was completely my sole error. Thanks for the compliment. I'm just going to go back out and try again.. It was my first time see the skimmers in action =)

[maxblack]

Thanks Max! They were moving maybe 10-15mph I would say.. I was panning them but maybe I wasn't spot on like you said. But I just baffled about the results I got compared to what others have posted.. so I assumed it was completely my sole error. Thanks for the compliment. I'm just going to go back out and try again.. It was my first time see the skimmers in action =)

I have this same lens and have had many images that I thought should be sharper on shots of Great White Herons about 30 ft. away, stationary and using a tripod. Then I have others that are razor sharp.
I attribute this to my own user error in not using a faster shutter speed.
At least I know "that" lens can do it.
Again, you subject was not an easy one but you did pretty well.
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