Christmas present

Trying out my new Tokina SZX 400/8, 1/500th @ISO800, Canon EOS M5:

 

 

100% crop:

 

 

A lens that is definitely going to push me to work on my technique and drag a tripod along more often, but lot's of fun so far!

I got out for this much of a photo of the Great Conjunction, that was a sort of gift to myself.:)

Wished I'd bothered to use a tripod:(

Trying out my new Tokina SZX 400/8, 1/500th @ISO800, Canon EOS M5:

 

[ATTACH=full]1370185[/ATTACH]

 

100% crop:

 

[ATTACH=full]1370186[/ATTACH]

 

A lens that is definitely going to push me to work on my technique and drag a tripod along more often, but lot's of fun so far!

 

 

Happy New Year, Joe.

 

Nice image. I am glad to see I am not the only one to get a new long lens for a Holiday present; I got myself an Tamron 150-600 f/5-6.3 as a Hanukkah present. You are right, the long lens requires good technique on my D750.

 

And I get one other "benefit". The lens weighs over four pounds; it gives me a good upper body workout. :-)

Second outing with the new lens. Hand held at 1/800:

 

If I am not mistaken, then the Canon EOS M5 does not have IBIS (in-body-image-stabilization); the lens/camera combo is also quite light - which means it is hard to hold steady. I suggest you use shutter speeds in excess of 1/1000s and better even 1/2000s when hand-holding. I would expect much better sharpness in the heron image and can't really comment on the one of the chickadee. As usual, the oof-rendering of a catadioptric lens takes some getting used to. I would definitely remove that big oof twig in the second image.

If I am not mistaken, then the Canon EOS M5 does not have IBIS (in-body-image-stabilization); the lens/camera combo is also quite light - which means it is hard to hold steady. I suggest you use shutter speeds in excess of 1/1000s and better even 1/2000s when hand-holding. I would expect much better sharpness in the heron image and can't really comment on the one of the chickadee. As usual, the oof-rendering of a catadioptric lens takes some getting used to. I would definitely remove that big oof twig in the second image.

 

It's a challenging combination:

- no stabilization, lens or body

- 1.6 crop sensor

- fixed f/8 aperture

- manual focus

- sensor is only good to ISO 1600ish

 

But, I'm having fun, and I'll get better :) Definitely faster shutter speeds when I can, but I've only got the light I've got.

It's a challenging combination:

- no stabilization, lens or body

- 1.6 crop sensor

- fixed f/8 aperture

- manual focus

- sensor is only good to ISO 1600ish

 

But, I'm having fun, and I'll get better :) Definitely faster shutter speeds when I can, but I've only got the light I've got.

 

One hand, may two behind your back. You need to get shutter speed up to like 1/1000-sec., which means ISO 1600. Manual focus for wildlife is so 1960s. It was tough back then and still is.

 

Shoot RAW and plan on the best noise reduction program you can find. Right now, I think that DxO's DeepPRIME, included in their PhotoLab 4.1 is tops, with Topaz a close second. Anytime you're not in bright sunlight, you'll need to get the ISO up over 800.

 

I've got image stabilization, in-body and in-lens and incredible AF, but I still need to really pump up ISO before sunrise and after sunset. Here's ISO 25600, processed from RAW with DxO PhotoLab 4's DeepPRIME noise reductions:

 

There's Something In The Air (Explored) by David Stephens, on Flickr

 

Oh, almost forgot, DON'T UNDEREXPOSE just because you're tempted to keep the ISO down. Put it where it needs to be. Once you've gotten above base ISOs, pulling EV up just adds noise. It should look like the image above in the EVF, even brighter, if you've got room.

I'll probably move to an IBIS body later this year, assuming I have the money. Meanwhile, here's one from my outing this past weekend, same lens/body combo:

 

 

1/800, ISO 1600

I'll probably move to an IBIS body later this year, assuming I have the money. Meanwhile, here's one from my outing this past weekend, same lens/body combo:

 

[ATTACH=full]1371838[/ATTACH]

 

1/800, ISO 1600

Pretty impressed with the quality of the images. And I just love the build quality of those lenses

Speaking of Christmas presents, our Christmas Cactus continues to shower us with "presents".