My new birding setup

Nice! and that answered my next question! ie: how does it do with moving subjects?

I'm sure I got more misses than hits but the camera/adapter does focus very fast even when using the Canon lens. Now if only Sony would come out with a native 70-400 for the FE mount like they have for A mount.

Let me say, for all those "naysayers" who look down on these cameras, you have presented a very strong argument for them. Very impressive.

Thanks for putting this post up.

Being somewhat critical only because I'd like to learn more about this camera. Detail is only fair-any specific reasons for the slow ss and low iso? The 5000iso in the earlier shots seems to give you a lot of range here. As said, interested.
Thank you!

ardeekay wrote in post #18122636
Being somewhat critical only because I'd like to learn more about this camera. Detail is only fair-any specific reasons for the slow ss and low iso? The 5000iso in the earlier shots seems to give you a lot of range here. As said, interested.
Thank you!

No specific reason. I saw the hummingbird at the feeder through my patio's sliding door so I grabbed my camera that just happened to have the 100-400 lens still on it from earlier in the day. I had the camera set up for AV mode and auto iso with a minimum shutter speed of 1/125 and that works fine for static shots. My feeder is in the shade so I also had an exposure compensation of +0.3 dialed in.

I was shooting the hummingbird at the feeder and happened to catch him just after he took off. Here's a shot of him taken just 4 seconds before the one above. 11:12:22 vs 11:12:26. I didn't have time to make further adjustments to the camera and only took a few images. In fact, for some reason, the f-stop for these shots was f7.1 and should have been wide open at f5.6. I must have bumped the wheel somehow.

Thanks, Gene. I'm often caught with the wrong settings because I didn't have time or didn't think to change. Also interesting they are as curious about us as we them. Have been nose-to-nose with a hummer on several occasions.

Thank you for the information!

How well does the rig work if you turn IS off on the lens? I have a Canon 400 5.6 lens than I'd like to use with a light lens with IS in the body. I've been dealing with Sciatica from a herniated disk. So at times I've been using my SL1 with the 400 5.6 which I find much more comfortable than my 7D II and 100-400 mark II.

If I can get IS in the working in a camera, I'll make the change.

Jack

jack_dorsey wrote in post #18123134
Thank you for the information!

How well does the rig work if you turn IS off on the lens? I have a Canon 400 5.6 lens than I'd like to use with a light lens with IS in the body. I've been dealing with Sciatica from a herniated disk. So at times I've been using my SL1 with the 400 5.6 which I find much more comfortable than my 7D II and 100-400 mark II.

If I can get IS in the working in a camera, I'll make the change.

Jack

Before I try to answer your question, it's important to understand that what makes all this possible is the adapter used to connect the Canon lenses to the Sony body. I use the Metabones Smart Adapter IV. There are now other 'smart' adapters out there that are cheaper but I still think Metabones works the best. Here's what photography blogger Brian Smith has to say about these adapters.

http://briansmith.com …ers-sony-e-mount-cameras/

The Sony a6300 does not have IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization) but for Canon lenses that have it, IS will work just fine through the Metabones adapter. The Sony a7rII has 5 axis IBIS and that can work with any lens, whether the lens has any built in IS at all. If the lens does have it's own IS, the camera detects that and shuts off IBIS so the two systems don't conflict with each other.

I hope that answers your question. If I wasn't clear or you have more questions, I'll try to answer them as best as I can. Please keep in mind that I'm far from being a pro and just shoot for fun.

I guess this could be considered to be part of my birding setup.

This is a DYI bird bath I'm making for the hummingbirds. I still need to hide the tubing and wire better, do some more decorating and probably raise the bamboo 'bridge' a bit more somehow to get some splash going. The "flagstone" rock is at a slight angle and keeps the water shallow.

The pump I'm using is solar powered and because it gets so hot where I live, I wanted the bath to be on my patio under shade. This pump has the solar panel separated by a long wire that allows me to have it both ways. If this experiment works out, I may try to find another solar powered pump but next time, one with a backup battery.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/LXqt​pR

Very ingenious, Gene. Love the look of it, too.

ardeekay wrote in post #18123657
Very ingenious, Gene. Love the look of it, too.

Thanks. Hopefully, I'll be able to post a pic of a hummer splashing around in it and having fun soon.

Thank you! Your info along with the Brian Smith blog provides me a good start toward making decision. I've got a lot to check out before making a decision. I'll wait a bit to see if the latest medical approach helps reduce my sciatica.

Before the pain I was happy with 7d mark II and 100-400 II, but I'm impressed by your results.

Jack