bas_van_den_boogaard

Hi Erik,

You've emailed me before in regard to using the 10D+500mm lens. In regard to stacking the extenders, have a look a http://www.dutchbirding.nl/pics/pictures.php?page=4&id=941. That's a Blue Rock Thrush, a new birdspecies for the netherlands taken this fall. Anyway, the bird was pretty shy and I decided to give it a go and stacked my converters. On a 10x15cm print the picture looks really nice, it hardly shows I used two converters. So, with good light, enough contrast and a bird that sits still for bit, it can be done.

cheers,

Bas vd Boogaard

Hello,

I just got my first stock of prints back, made with my Canon 10D (+500mm/f4 IS lens). The files were printed by a "ordinary" photoprocessing shop (what I mean: not a professional lab). They use light sensitive photo-paper, exposing the file on the paper with a laser.

Up till 3 months ago, I had my Fuji Sensia slide film being scanned and printed. I must say though, that the quality I just got with my Canon 10D files really surprised me (in a positive way!). The shop uses Fuji paper and a Fuji machine for exposer of the paper.

Anyway, if I compare the results with what I used to get from scanned slides and then printed on film, I don't see a reason to use slide anymore.

Colors, saturation, crispness, detail etc are all of very high quality. I don't have experience with wedding photography (i'm a birdphotographer), but I would not be concerned about getting real good prints for your friends wedding! Of course a bit of "after-care" is needed in Photoshop, but that's live with digital photography. Together with a wider latitude and ease of use (no more dust etc), I would definitly switch!

cheers,

Bas van den Boogaard

netherlands

Hi all again,

Guess I didn't completely read the presented article; most of the "biological" arguments I came up in my former email were already dealt with........Anyway, they still stand though.

cheers,

Bas van den Boogaard

Dear all,

Very interesting topic indeed. Without repeating technical issues again and without stressing once more the picture is fake, there's one thing I've missed so far: anyone who's a bit familiar with this species behavior (Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis) will imediatly see this picture is pretty much impossible for the follwing reasons.

Common kingfisher is a bird that primarily feeds on small fish in flowing streams. Only in winter they use other (stationary) waterbodies as well. When feeding, they dive in an almost vertical line straight down into the water, primarily from a post such as a overhanging branch. So, hunting for an insect above the watersurface is as far as I know not known in Common Kingfisher (look at the bill, doesn't look like an insecteater!). It's an absolute foodspecialist. Second, when feeding, they plunge down in the water, they certainly don't do any horizontal cases over the watersurface! (as is suggested in the picture).

cheers,

Bas van den Boogaard

the Netherlands

He,

What do you guys think about Nature Photographers Network (NPN)? Has loads of pics every day. And very good ones......See www.naturephotograhers.net

cheers,

Hi Sergey,

Get your point on the 1v camera, fps are surely important when it comes to critical actionshots. Before, I had a manual 500mm/f4, and even with that camera I managed to get quite a few good (tac sharp)flightshots, and that's in hand, not from a tripod! Practice does a lot! However, I am looking forward to AF " assistance", even from the 10D, so I guess at least for awhile the AF on the 10D will do. In a few years or so, an upgrade to the upcoming digital EOS 3 will be expected.....

I do know about the balancing possibilities on the Whimberly, and that's a great feature. The G2380 videohead of Gitzo does not have that. The plates that come with it do have safety points, so your lens+camera never slides out (to release, you have to push in a small plastic slide). On the G2380 videohead, the setup will be not in balance, so there is some tighting to do on a knob.....Anyway, it works suburb for me.

Good to hear that the central focus point is your ball game as well. It's still the most accurate AF point, right?

cheers,

Hi all,

I just got a 10D, together with batterygrip. I was wondering if

people have experience in using Power2000 BP-511 batteries for this

body? Canon provides 1100 mAh bateries, but the Power2000 batteries

are 1500 mAh. I can definatly use that extra power, but I want to

make sure they fit in the batterygrip and that this extra power does

not harm the camera.

thanks for the response

Question for John Lund:

I have read the user-manual (from the internet) already, and you're right, there's quite some options on how to operate this "machinery". But what do you exactly mean by "splitting the AF motor from the shutter release"? To trigger AF, I would still have to half-press the shutter release, right?

Thanks for the reply,

Bas vd Boogaard

Hi there,

Thanks for the reponse so far. It seems that from what I've read so far is that the AF is not that bad, luckily. I do hope though, that the central AF will do it's job with flying birds....But that primarily means keeping up with the subject accurately. By the way: would it be wise to just use the central AF point for this sort of work ("static" and moving)? I've read some reports that using all AF points at once, might give more "off-focus" pictures (hence the much debated 10D's af problems)

Fortunatly, I do have a heavy Gitzo tripod, and a fluid videohead (G2380) as well. I noticed that photographers in the states are wild of the Whimberely (i don't debate it isn't good), but I haven't seen much reports on the Gitzo videoheads (they're NOT ballheads) so far: they're rock solid, very smooth panning and real easy to operate, plus that they're bulky enough to carry heavy lenses. Up till now, I used it with a 500mm/f4 Nikon lens, it just works fantastic. Enough on that matter though.....

For Sergey: have you tried the 10D on flightshots? It doesn't sound as if the results were good enough for you. Or is it that the AF is just not fast enough for that work (plus only 3fps)

Cheers,

Bas van den Boogaard

Hi all,

Recently, I became the happy owner of a canon 500mm/f4 IS lens plus a

D10 digital body. I shoot primarily birdpics. The equipment will be

picked up in three weeks, so I'll have a bit of a wait before I can

excually use it.

Anyway, my question is quite simple: knowing that the AF on the 10D

is not of a very high quality (speed and accuracy compared to EOS 3

and EOS 1 serie), I wonder if there's people with experience on how

easy it is to overrule the AF. Supposedly, you can instantly take

over AF focussing by simpely turning the focus-ring on the lens. But

is that really without first having to push a button (either on the

body or on the lens)?

I would love if I can have my main focussing done by the (central) AF

sensor, however, there's numerous situations where manual adjustments

will be required. And that adjustment has to be done instantly,

preferably......

Anyone experienced with this, specifically 10D plus a canon AF/IS

tele?

Thanks for the response,

Bas vd Boogaard