My Osprey 100% Crops from last weekend - C&C - WHat am I doing wrong?

Here are a few of the photos that I have taken of some of the Osprey in my parents' backyard. I've cropped them at 100% so please regard shape and size of the images, I am more concerned about how to get more detail. As you can see, they are nowhere near as sharp as everyone elses' Osprey shots (at least I don't think they are). Can anyone give me some tips on what I might be doing wrong? Thanks in advance!

Wings Outstretched (ISO 400, F/5.6, 1/1600, 400mm):

First, I would lower ISO to 200, even 100. You don't need to shoot at 1/2000sec to get sharp images. And shoot in RAW so you have more control over the light and color.

Aside from that, they may just be too far away. All lenses have a break point. If the bird is too far, it's just going to get blurred from camera shake, even on a solid tripod. Just the shutter opening and closing will add some small shake and blur to an image.

I think IS mode 2 is best for panning, as it only provides stabilization in one direction. Although a couple of these may apply. As noted above, I too would suggest lower ISO. I have had mixed results at 400mm and ISO 400. It seems to depend on the distance of your subject and the lighting.

Are you on the ground or in a boat?

IS2 and A1 Servo settings work well for in-flights. If these are 100% cropped, I think you did well it's just that the more crop the more you loose detail. You might wanna get closer next time.

I personally think they should be sharper, but that's only my opinion.

I hope you don't mind me posting an image, but here is a 100% crop of one I took last weekend. I do get images that aren't aren't as sharp, but images like this are what I'm really after.

I was in a boat, handheld.

IS 1
ISO 200
aper. f9
shutter 800

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Crypto wrote in post #3587606
I personally think they should be sharper, but that's only my opinion.

I hope you don't mind me posting an image, but here is a 100% crop of one I took last weekend. I do get images that aren't aren't as sharp, but images like this are what I'm really after.

I was in a boat, handheld.

IS 1
ISO 200
aper. f9
shutter 800

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I hope you don't mind, but would you please post the ff shot. Pardon my ignorance but I never really paid attention to the percentages. Thanks.

I always handhold my 300mm lens, and almost always shoot at iso 400 just so I dont have to adjust it up when a cloud covers the sun etc. I agree with Mitch, I can get good sharp, clear images even at 100% crop, but I have to get into the effective range for my lens.

Crypto wrote in post #3587458
Are you on the ground or in a boat?

The first overhead shot was taken from a pier, the rest were from a boat.

Crypto - Your shot is exactly what I would expect and what I was hoping for when I was out shooting. Unfortunately, I have yet to get a photo that sharp.

I'll post the ff shots for reference - it may take awhile since I am back visiting my parents and using their dialup connection. Getting close to these guys has been a challenge, so maybe I am too far away?

I'll try stepping down the ISO tomorrow and see what happens. I've otherwise found that up to ISO 800 has been very usable. I just hope that I didn't get a soft copy of the 100-400L.

Lone Wolf 75 wrote in post #3588332
I'll try stepping down the ISO tomorrow and see what happens. I've otherwise found that up to ISO 800 has been very usable. I just hope that I didn't get a soft copy of the 100-400L.

If you're in doubt of your copy, try the "beer can" test at 30 feet. You can either use Manual or Av or Tv metering modes and test each f stop and also bracket your shots on each f stop by -1/3, 0, +1/3. You can use ISO range from 100-400. Don't drink the content before the test though.

Reyno wrote in post #3587683
I hope you don't mind, but would you please post the ff shot. Pardon my ignorance but I never really paid attention to the percentages. Thanks.

sure, but I'm not sure what you mean by ff shot? Full Frame?

oops, I may have mislead you guys. The one I posted is at 210. Let me find one at 400mm. sorry

Crypto wrote in post #3588447
sure, but I'm not sure what you mean by ff shot? Full Frame?

Yes, Full Frame, please.

Reyno wrote in post #3588435
If you're in doubt of your copy, try the "beer can" test at 30 feet. You can either use Manual or Av or Tv metering modes and test each f stop and also bracket your shots on each f stop by -1/3, 0, +1/3. You can use ISO range from 100-400. Don't drink the content before the test though.

I can see how drinking the contents would invalidate the results. My Mom may just have proven why a mother's wisdom is often the best, as she just said, "You know, it was rather hot, humid, and hazy last weekend when you took those photos. That's probably part of the reason that they are not as sharp as the other photos." Could that be it?!? Something that simple? It was a rather typical high-90's percent humidity Maryland summer day. It's supposed to be somewhat cooler and clearer here this weekend. I think I am still going to try the beer can test tomorrow.

Still waiting for the pictures to upload. Dial up is painful.

Here are the full-frame images for reference:

Wings Outstretched (ISO 400, F/5.6, 1/1600, 400mm):

Paul, certainly go ahead with the beer can test to reassure yourself you've got a good copy.

There are a host of potential issues here, any one of which could compromise IQ.

1. You're just not close enough to get good IQ on these. In some, the bird is underexposed, which opens it up to digital noise that becomes easy to see when cropped tightly. In all but No. 2, the bird takes up too small a portion of the frame for crops as tight as you originally posted. (More about No. 2 later.) Simple answer is: Get closer.

2. I also recommend leaving your iso up at 400 until you've become experienced at BIF shots. Until you've really gotten the hang of it, the more shutter speed the better. Also, most copies of the 100-400L IS (I've shot four of them) are sharper stopped down to f8 than they are wide open. Stopping down and overexposing (overexposure using exposure compensationis a good idea for birds darker than the sky) will cost you two stops, another reason to bump iso to 400.

3. I extracted your exif data on shot No. 2, the most underexposed shot, and it said you used manual metering. I really don't recommend using manual until you're experienced at this type of photography. The image is at least a full stop underexposed (more likely two stops). That underexposure introduces very grainy looking digital noise, which hurts IQ. Against a pale blue sky, simply selecting evaluative metering would have produced an osprey properly exposed. The whites would have been good, and the darks perhaps just a tad underexposed but not too badly.

4. I may have missed it, but which focus mode did you use? If you used one shot, it's quite possible the bird moved out of the focus plane between focus lock and tripping the shutter. And if it was al servo, it's possible, especially since most of these birds are so far away, that you were having trouble keeping the focus point on the bird. When shooting BIF, I generally select al servo and use the center focus point.

While high humidity can have an impact on IQ with supertelephoto focal lengths, these images don't look like that's the problem.

Here are my default settings when I'm shooting BIF (been using these settings with the 100-400L IS for about four years): Av mode, iso400, f8, al servo, center focus point selected, evaluative metering, IS mode 1 (switch to mode 2 as needed). I have my rear camera dial activated on my 30D so I'm ready to use exposure compensation at a moment's notice. Dark bird against blue sky, I dial in +1 EC right off the bat and go from there. White gull against dark clouds, I dial in -1 EC right away and go from there.

I also can't recommend highly enough that you or any other beginning/intermediate avian photographer go to www.birdsasart.com and pick up Art Morris' "The Art of Bird Photography II" on CD. Morris is one of the best, and this CD is a must look for anyone entering the avian photography game.

Good luck!

wow, some of those are far away. Are you sure you thats only a 100% crop? As suggested, You may be pushing the limits of the lens. One other thing, this lens seems to have a sweetspot around f.8. My tests showed a really big difference from 5.6 to f .8 .

here is an example I found at 400mm

1

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