New Lens

Just got a Canon 400mm f5.6L today. Even the rain could not stop me from going out to try it.

Very nice and congrats on the new lens. Almost went for this lens but ended up splurging and opted for the DO.

I want one.........

Congrats! Fab photos!

Nice pice of glass Colin. I love the ring-necked duck image the best.

Nice shots, so are Herons rare up there then ?

Can I suggest that you back off on the NR a lot, Colin?

The Moorhen (for example) has lost a ton of detail, and - honestly- the 7D doesn't need that much NR at 1600 ISO.

You're losing one of the 7D's biggest benefits - the extra resolution - by being too heavy handed with NR.

(The linked image was taken with the 7D and 100-400mm: see the feather detail? Admittedly I had better light, but the 7D will easily give you that much detail at 1600 ISO and above. And in fact you had enough light for 1/250 at 400 ISO, and you wouldn't have needed flash either).

It might be worth you getting off Spot metering too - Evaluative would give a much better balance between subject and BG in these shots.

No offence meant...

I want one 2,,lens like that...Love the water drops off the bill of the swan....Ron