400mm f5.6

Hi i have got a new 400mm 5.6 , i have tried to photograph this buzzard, i am using f5.6 and 1/60 on a tripod with remote release. still getting blurred shots any ideas anyone??

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Crank up the ISO so you can get a faster shutter speed. 1/60 at 400mm is too slow of a shutter speed.

Dan

That shutter speed seems to be low, even on a tripod. Birds move around and wind can effect stability.

as mentioned, tripod or not, at a low shutter speed if the bird moves, theres going to be blur. so definitly crank up the ISO to get more acceptable shutter speed.

BTW, I would personally think that a monopod would be much more suited for birding, when you consider that birds are moving and you'll be tracking them and moving too, a tripod seems like a pain.

JaGWiRE wrote in post #2180111
BTW, I would personally think that a monopod would be much more suited for birding, when you consider that birds are moving and you'll be tracking them and moving too, a tripod seems like a pain.

yes but at that slow of shutter speeds with poor light you need a tripod to get shots. every pro birder out there uses a sturdy CF tripod and a gimbal type ballhead on their big primes.

I use my 400 f/5.6 a bunch for birding. I also add a 1.4X to it sometimes. I use it handheld but with a minimum speed of 1/1000.

jerrythesnake wrote in post #2179021
Hi i have got a new 400mm 5.6 , i have tried to photograph this buzzard, i am using f5.6 and 1/60 on a tripod with remote release. still getting blurred shots any ideas anyone??

On a windless day and with a still bird, 1/60 sec is fast enough on a tripod with RS (I've shot 800 mm and 0.8 sec at birds).

Otherwise, in less than ideal conditions (with wind and subject motion), I agree with others that you need a faster shutter speed.

Romy

Billginthekeys wrote in post #2180119
yes but at that slow of shutter speeds with poor light you need a tripod to get shots. every pro birder out there uses a sturdy CF tripod and a gimbal type ballhead on their big primes.

Well, I supose if a bird is being very still you could do with a slower shutter speed, or if it's moving very slow. But for in flight shots I'de be surprised if you could get anywhere with slow shutter speeds.

JaGWiRE wrote in post #2180169
Well, I supose if a bird is being very still you could do with a slower shutter speed, or if it's moving very slow. But for in flight shots I'de be surprised if you could get anywhere with slow shutter speeds.

no, you pretty much cant. but the tripods offer better support for prolonged use on big primes. of course for the 400 5.6 typically its meant to be handheld.

Billginthekeys wrote in post #2180258
no, you pretty much cant. but the tripods offer better support for prolonged use on big primes. of course for the 400 5.6 typically its meant to be handheld.

Ah, for sure. I think it'de be pretty painful to use the 500 or 600 on a monopod for more then a short period of time.

There is a rule of thumb for hand held shots that says your shutter speed should be at least equal to your focal length or in your case it would be 1/500th of a second for a 400mm lens. If you are using a crop body you are essentially shooting a 640mm lens so your shutter speed should be more like 1/1000. I know you are shooting with a tripod and remote release but even a slight wind can shake the tripod enough to create a problem. As previously mentioned in other posts there could also be a problem with bird movement or feather movement caused by a breeze. This is a very busy scene in your photo and to my eye it looks like the camera might have focused more on the post to the right of the bird then the bird itself. Watch where your auto-focus points are going when you focus and if need be adjust the focus manually. Depth of field at f 5.6 is just inches so you have to be right on for a sharp photo. This is one of Canons sharpest telephotos. Try running some tests on a stationary object. If you still have problems send it back to Canon for re-calibration.

Damn small but that looks like a hawk and not a buzzard.

You don't say what tripod you are using, but at 1/60 and 400 mm outdoors it better be a pretty decent tripod.

liquidstone wrote in post #2180134
On a windless day and with a still bird, 1/60 sec is fast enough on a tripod with RS (I've shot 800 mm and 0.8 sec at birds).

Otherwise, in less than ideal conditions (with wind and subject motion), I agree with others that you need a faster shutter speed.

Romy

Kids, do not try that at home unless the bird is very still, like "stiff"

jerry, either way, you were way too far from the bird for a good shot. With 400 f/5.6 you gotta be much closer, otherwise too much of an enlargement crop will not please you regardless of the motion blur or lack of it.

Let me try to illustrate with a comparable shot of mine. The other day I shot a GBH about 150' distant which probably was not as far as your hawk, but close. I was handholding the 400 f/5.6 as I always do. The shutter speed was 1/250 sec which was actually much too low, although my hold is generally pretty steady. What you see is a 100% crop. Not very good.....not so much because the bird was moving (slowly), or there was some camera shake, but the bird was simply too distant.

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