Not enough magnification for bird photos...

I would really like to take pictures of my local backyard birds...
I have a Rebel XT and a 70-200mm L Canon lens with a 1.4 TC....even with this I am not close enough.
I took a couple this morning on a tripod and with them greatly cropped down I get something...but not enough...
Can I add something else like tubes I think they are called, without spending mega bucks to get me more?
I would really appreciate your opinions and assistance.
Thank you in advance, Margie

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

nothing beats getting closer to the birds. I would suggest, if possible, positioning yourself in the yard where they can't see you or a bird feeder.
You certainly have a great lens, although I'm a little surprised of the quality in the ones you posted. With this lens, you should get great pics even heavily cropped.
I see you missed the focus in the one, try using (if you are not) only the center focus.
I love my tripod, but with moving subjects in low light, it really becomes more of a support device.

Tubes: Wouldn't help in this situation, only teleconverters or a new lens. You could consider the 2X teleconverter for this lens. I've heard it works well, but its about 300 bucks and I don't think you'll get enough magnification over the 1.4 to really improve the situation.

You could use a 2X tcon, but you'll loose some more light and the ability to AF with your 70-200 f/4L. Your least expensive choice while getting good image quality would be to go sith a Sigma 50-500mm:

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …SA&addedTroughT​ype=search

The Canon 100-400 is really nice, but is more expensive than the Sigma:

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …SA&addedTroughT​ype=search

For about the same price as the Sigma you can get a Canon 400mm "prime":

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …SA&addedTroughT​ype=search


Then, if you want to spend "megabucks" you can get one of these:

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …SA&addedTroughT​ype=search

or one of these:

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …SA&addedTroughT​ype=search

Crypto wrote in post #2252439
nothing beats getting closer to the birds. I would suggest, if possible, positioning yourself in the yard where they can't see you or a bird feeder.
You certainly have a great lens, although I'm a little surprised of the quality in the ones you posted. With this lens, you should get great pics even heavily cropped.
I see you missed the focus in the one, try using (if you are not) only the center focus.
I love my tripod, but with moving subjects in low light, it really becomes more of a support device.

Tubes: Wouldn't help in this situation, only teleconverters or a new lens. You could consider the 2X teleconverter for this lens. I've heard it works well, but its about 300 bucks and I don't think you'll get enough magnification over the 1.4 to really improve the situation.

The pictures I get with the 70-200 I am not finding to be especially sharp. I purchased the lens about 9 months ago. I believe it has a one year warranty from canon on it. Do you think I should send it back to them for adjustment or something?
Margie

Margie, feed those birds and spend a lot of time out there with them. Within a week, you should be able to have them eating out of your hand.

Make sure to give them what they like best. Chopped fruit, seeds, nuts, especially peanuts. And water. Nobody thinks of water, but they will come from quite a ways to use your water, especially a bird bath that is kept clean at all times.

Margie wrote in post #2252480
The pictures I get with the 70-200 I am not finding to be especially sharp. I purchased the lens about 9 months ago. I believe it has a one year warranty from canon on it. Do you think I should send it back to them for adjustment or something?
Margie

This is a tough question to answer. I would suggest you test it with a stationary object, tripod and good light. This is one of the sharpest lenses canon makes.
Maybe you can post a test shot in a new thread to get some opinions and help. If you have your camera properly adjusted, I would think you would be nothing but amazed by this lens

If this is an IS lens, send it back and don't wait. I bought a used 100-400L and same thing, unsharp images. I finally sent mine in, no warranty, and Canon replaced the whole IS unit, and cleaned and calibrated it for another $193. Now it's a very sharp lens.

I saw someone on here selling a nice 50-500 sigma for about $900 just yesterday....

My 70-200 F 4, is not an IS...but I have been wondering before this if mine was not adjusted properly as I have never really been Wow'd by this lens like I have heard others have been. And by the photos I have seen from others posts.
I went to the canon web-site and initiated a repair. Seems there is a repair addressed in CA. less than 400 miles away. I am going to package it up and send it in and see what they can do for me.
This lens has had plenty of chance in the last 9 months to show me what it can do and it hasn't. I think I just needed this push to get me going on it.
Thank you! I will let you know how it is when it comes back!
Margie

Well, you got time now to train those birds in proper posing techniques. When it gets back, in about a week, it'll be ready for them.

And I'm curious if they do it on warranty or not.

canonloader wrote in post #2252810
Well, you got time now to train those birds in proper posing techniques. When it gets back, in about a week, it'll be ready for them.

And I'm curious if they do it on warranty or not.

I will get the feeder out...and clean out the bird bath daily !!!

So far it looks like they will do it under the warranty...it said no charge on the repair request...I will have to see what they say after they recieve it. I will let you know. I plan to get it out by UPS tomorrow.

Margie

Ah, if they said free, then it will be free. They couldn't give me an estimate cause mine was way out of warranty. Show some pics when you get it back.

Margie wrote in post #2252780
My 70-200 F 4, is not an IS...but I have been wondering before this if mine was not adjusted properly as I have never really been Wow'd by this lens like I have heard others have been. And by the photos I have seen from others posts.
I went to the canon web-site and initiated a repair. Seems there is a repair addressed in CA. less than 400 miles away. I am going to package it up and send it in and see what they can do for me.
This lens has had plenty of chance in the last 9 months to show me what it can do and it hasn't. I think I just needed this push to get me going on it.
Thank you! I will let you know how it is when it comes back!
Margie

The second image was shot at way too low a shutterspeed (only 1/30s). If you're hand-holding the 70-200 with a 1.4X at 280mm you need a shutterspeed of around 1/300s just to avoid blur from camera shake. Also, since birds can have sudden movements I would think your shutterspeed should be similar to stop blur from their movement.

Also, what focus point are you using? Are you using only the center AF point then doing a focus lock and recompose?

Edit: Even the first image is at too low a shutterspeed. You will get better results if you crank up your iso so that you get a fast enough shutterspeed to capture a sharp image.

Bob_A wrote in post #2252968
The second image was shot at way too low a shutterspeed (only 1/30s). If you're hand-holding the 70-200 with a 1.4X at 280mm you need a shutterspeed of around 1/300s just to avoid blur from camera shake. Also, since birds can have sudden movements I would think your shutterspeed should be similar to stop blur from their movement.

Also, what focus point are you using? Are you using only the center AF point then doing a focus lock and recompose?

Edit: Even the first image is at too low a shutterspeed. You will get better results if you crank up your iso so that you get a fast enough shutterspeed to capture a sharp image.

Bob, I was using a tripod and manually focusing and kind of pre-focused the area before the birds got there. I was afraid any higher ISO than 400 be give me too grainy a picture.
It seems like I have a lot to learn with bird photos! I am not used to my subjects moving so fast!
Thank you for your suggestions. I really appreciate it. Margie

Here is one at a higher shutter speed from this morning too...This one is the full size, with no PP...only reduced in size for up-loading. Hand held...

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.