Brian Swale wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> A couple of days ago I looked at an exhibition in the information Centre,
> Christchurch city, where I live.
>
> It was all about bird photography, and the works of about 8 photographers
> were on show. Don't think it is on-line.
>
> One aspect that caught my eye was that with the exception of maybe one
> person, they were using Canyon digital cameras fitted with a 300 mm Canyon
> lens.
>
> The images, all displayed at about A3 size or larger, were pretty sharp.
>
Virtually all great bird shots where the bird fills most of the original
frame are taken in captivity, at feeding stations and/or using blinds.
Shot of an eagle with fish in its talons that's beautifully sharp and
clear and taken from level with or above the bird? 99.9% likelihood it
was taken from a blind.
A wildlife photog tracked eagles to their nests, noted the regular
route of return with food, located a cliff or tree, if cover was
insufficient, added a blind, then spent several hours a day sitting
quietly - waiting. In such work, lens is chosen based on distance and
bird size, and may well not be a particularly long lens.
If you just want opportunity shots, are willing to crop lots and are
willing to carry around a heavy lens, you can get some pretty nice
shots, but not the great ones.
Even with a modest lens, some DSLRs with good high ISO performance can
win a few.
This is a sheer luck shot. I was shooting something else on a coastal
bluff, happened to look up as the vulture flew right over my head from
behind me, raised the camera and pushed the button. Taken with a cheap,
small sensor Canon, the 300D, so the effective focal length was 1.6 x
300 = 480 mm. Same shot on the 5D would show a lot more blue sky, but be
slightly clearer at the pixel level.
<http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/FilmvsDigi/FvD03.htm>
This was shot using the same Tamron 28-300 mm zoom, hand held at quite a
distance from the bird. I only got in two shots before the sparrow flew
away, but one got it.
<http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/MPhotos/Calif/PtLobos/LobosSparrow.htm>
So yes, if a slow, third party zoom can get the goods, the Canon 300 IS
certainly can. But - it takes either careful set-up or lots of luck.
Moose
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|