K20D set-up for birding

I have recently purchased a Tokina AT-X 80-400mm, mainly with the ambition of learning to take shots of wildlife. My first project has been to try and capture a group of Grey Herons living near the Trondheimsfjord. Yesterday I again had the opportunity to capture the Herons both on the ground and in flight. I tried to use the TAv setting with auto ISO 100-800, and the continuous shooting mode with AF-C. Even though I took many hundred shots, none of them were successful in terms of image quality. Is it the camera or me?

My dilemma is that I know that one has to have a high shutter speed for birding (1/2000 or higher some say), at the same time the Tokina needs maybe f8 at 400mm. And then it is difficult to have less than ISO 800.

Could somebody please give me advice on the best way to set up the K20D for birding?

Here are some examples of my photos from yesterday (All at 400mm):

1. 100% crop, 1/250, f5.6, ISO 400
[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/HERON_A.jpg[/IMG]

2. 100% crop, 1/250, f8, ISO 800
[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/HERON_B.jpg[/IMG]

3. 100% crop, 1/350, f8, ISO 560
[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/HERON_C.jpg[/IMG]

4. 100% crop, 1/350, f8, ISO 800
[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/HERON_D.jpg[/IMG]

Best regards
Bjørn

Handheld or tripod? tripod for ultimate sharpness.

Thank you for your very helpful answer pentaxanne! I will try to keep all this in mind the next time I take my Tokina 80-400mm out to encounter the Heron

My shots above are handheld. I have always imagined that it would be problematic shooting birds in flight with a tripod:

I bought my K20d and sigma 150-500mm for birds and wildlife. The below is spot on.

Further to this for birds in flight 1/500th or 1/600th is probably the minimum, and 1/1000th at least often necessary to stop motion blur.

I have shots taken at 330mm on my sigma 150-500mm at 1/80th that have come out sharp.


lapwing by Neil Phillips, on Flickr

The key is to have a solid base to rest the lens on (in this case a stationary car door) on a bean bag (or jumper in this case!) and to hold the top of the lens to keep it steady. And for the subject to not move!

good point about bif from neil, and also a good thing to remember keep your panning smooth, and as said if you can use a bean bag to steady you go for it, also a monopod does come in handy,
me and my husband had a go at swifts recently and thats one fast bird i believe the fastest in level flight,

Hawks swoop down at approx. 140mph according to our local birds of prey person.

Everything has been said above, but I always had difficulties focusing with non pentax lenses on my K20D. Have you tested it on a tripod with landscape to ensure that it is not ff or bf, or AF issues.

I know the disaapointment when you have got your kit all worked out, cost a lot of money, and just cant get the quality of picture you expect.

Really depressing.

Cheers,

Andrew

The Tokina 80-400mm lens I used for the shots above seems to be quite accurate regarding AF, I don´t believe the lens is the problem.

When using a beanbag or monopod, must the SR be turned off?

Thank you all for your response

Best regards
Bjørn

I'd leave the SR turned on for everything but a tripod.

With that lens you need at least f/8 at the 400mm end.
I set my apertures in 1/3 stops so I usually try to sneak
f/8 + 2/3rd stop. I normally set the exposure manually
looking at the histogram. 1/250th is usually OK for anything
other than BIF.

Personally I wouldn't bother with BIF with that lens until
I got more used to using it on birds in trees.

I would give birds in flight a wide berth until you've mastered taking them asleep first

Seriously though, I've still not mastered birds in flight and I've been at it for years, you need to know your gear and its capabilities like the back of your hand.

Looking at your images I can only say that you need to get out when the light is really good and then show us the pics, all of these look like they were shot on overcast miserable days, meaning you have to open up the aperture and reduce the DoF which means even more critical focusing, your also dropping your shutter speed and risking camera shake or movement blur (from the subject) in addition your raising the ISO which is going to further degrade the image, add to that the lens may not work at its best at full zoom in poor light, resulting in even poorer contrast than normal.

Basically the problem with these shots is you've pushed your gear far beyond its capabilities under the circumstances, I know because I've done it

a peregrine falcon is the fastes animal on the planet recorded by nat geo in stoop doing 250mph, but in level flight they can only manage 40mph, compared to swifts at 70mph.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/expert/previous/fastest.aspx
in 2007 a peregrine was clocked at 242mph but since then one has been clocked at 250mph but cant find it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3mTPEuFcWk

Thank you all for taking time to give me such great photo-technical advice! It is very helpful for me in the learning process

Algi: I will remember your suggestions about exposure and the Tokina. And yes, I guess I primarily need to get to know the lens. I know that doing capture of BIF must be one of the most difficult endeavors.

Alan: You have pointed out the most problematic aspect of my Heron captures on Sunday, that it was a overcast day late in the afternoon. The next time I will make sure that the light is really good. I also hope I can find a Grey Heron sleeping in a tree

Regards
Bjørn

If the local farmer has been doing any work in his fields, Herons
very often hang around the field looking for mice etc. at this
time of year.