Trying but not getting very far

Last night I was browsing YouTube and came across an american video by a professional bird photographer. I have a K5ii and a 50-500 Bigma and have found the best way to get some half decent shots is to use AV f13 at around 420mm which because of mobilty issues I use 95% of the time ( iether in my wheelchair or from my van) Whilst watching the video I paid what I thought was great attention to the part about exposure. The first part mentioned getting as far to the right of the histogram as possible without touching the end to stop getting " blinkies ".the next part was about using manual mode,use no higher ISO than 800 and if you got " blinkies " then use the shutter speed or the aperture to get rid of them. Well today I went out in my van and tried all of the above with no success whatsoever and reluctantly changed back to my normal but not necessarily best settings. One thing that I did notice from this video was the gear he had was upwards of £20,000 to £30,000 plus of cameras and f2.8 to f4 lenses, and just about all of his amazing photo`s were of large birds ie storks,herons ,white eagles etc and not many small little ones that don`t stay still for more than 1 second. Could someone point me in the direction of some literature that explains things in more laymans terms which I could understand or am I wasting my time because my equipment is not complex enough to try those settings.

Graham

You mention you use F13 ..... What shutter speed are you getting with that ? My own feeling is that unless you go to rather high ISO then this will end up giving you too slow a shutter speed for sharp shots of birds.

Are you familiar with the ' exposure triangle' and basic camera settings? I ask only because it can guide people on the best way to present advice.

It is possible to get good shots of small birds with a non professional-grade telephoto zoom (eg with a maximum aperture of F5.6), but certainly the more expensive f4 or F2.8 lenses can make it easier and open up more options, especially in lower light.

I wouldn't worry too much for now about the 'expose to the right ' technique ... I'd concentrate on getting a good sharp shot with a fast enough shutter speed for the focal length .... The rule of thumb is to use near to the same number speed as for the focal length (eg for 420mm use around 1/400th sec. In practice, with Pentax Shake Reduction, we should get away with a bit less (eg 1/250th) if we're careful.

Hi Graham
I have a Sigma 150-500, although it doesn't get much use now. I haven't found any need to use f13. I'd say f8 is the sweet spot. I always try and shoot for a correctly exposed image, whether that's using TAV or more usually manual exposure.

First thing to do is decide the shutter speed you require. After that you usually have a choice. Either use it wide open (f 6.3) and have a lower ISO, alternatively stop down, f 7.1 or f 8, and put up with a higher ISO.

For shutter speed, if you are after a perched bird, then maybe you can use a really slow shutter speed. I've got kingfishers at maybe 1/60 Blue and Great Tits at maybe 1/100. All so, I can keep a lower ISO in poor light.

For owls in flight I've tried as slow as 1/350 with only limited success. Much better when I have managed to shoot at 1/1000 and f 8. But only done this when the light has allowed me to keep the ISO at 1600 or less.

Here's some photos, which all have exif data https://www.flickr.com/groups/sigma150-500/pool/54050400@N05

Thanks for the replies. I think I should get back to basics and stop worrying about the more complicated stuff, It's probably frustration because I can't get as close as others and stuck to either hides or the van which is why I I tend to use 420mm so much and found the long distance shots to be sharper but keep forgetting to change f stop for closer in. Do you suggest AV or TAV as the best mode?.

Thanks again
Graham

The modes are a means to an end .... They are all different ways to achieve the same optimum settings for each situation. So long as the photographer has a clear idea of what those optimum settings are, then the mode is a personal preference thing.

I mentioned the 'exposure triangle' before because each specific choice of setting. (eg aperture) has a knock on effect, and changes the other settings needed to give a good exposure.

Personally, I would use Av ... That's because I would base things around the best aperture my lens could offer for the situation. Generally for long range stuff like birds that's going to be near to wide open. I set a fixed ISO for best quality in the light available .... Maybe ISO 200 in good light, maybe 800 if not ... (that's based on my camera, K7 .... Yours could easily go to 3200 with little concerns).

Then finally I'd look at the shutter speed chosen by the camera. If its too slow based on the rule of thumb thing, then I'd try a higher ISO.

Others might suggest the TAv mode, which offers two 'priorities', and this would involve slightly different mental approaches.

Although as Nigel says AV is a good starting point, and I use it a lot myself. I also find if you have the camera on "P" Hyper prog. then set your ISO you can dial in your aperture with the wheel. The camera will set the speed. If it's not fast enough then you can change/raise the ISO. With Pentax the "P" Hyper mode is very useful and something I don't think other makes have.
How is that with you Nigel??????????
CHEERS Vic.

Ah, well, of course Vic, I can understand you checking with me first, being as I am the birding EXPERT around here !?!

I have no hesitation in concurring with your suggestion, and of course I agree that Hyper-P is an excellent choice

Now, enough of all this settings talk, I must go out and photograph some more birds .... Might be able to get my total up to at least double figures so far !

One thing I would add... don't be afraid to take loads and loads of images and throw most of them away. I've been taking snaps of birds in my garden using a 40 year M42 manual 400mm lens. One or two have been pretty nice and I'm pleased with them... most go straight in the [virtual] bin. The BIG advantage with digital is that it costs nothing to keep trying. I'd cry if I had to throw four packets of 6x4 prints into the [real] bin.

For exposure, there are lots of different ways of doing it but how I'd do it is...

Shoot raw, or raw + jpg. The raw files give you lots of room to edit exposure after the fact.
Use Av mode.
Set the aperture to what you want (f/8 or f/11).
See what shutter speed that gives you. If it is too slow, up the ISO, if it is fast, reduce ISO to improve image quality.
Take a snap of the general area your birds will be in. Check the histogram and use a little exposure compensation if it looks as though it is too bright (the blinkies) or too dark (histogram all the way to the left).
Now, forget the exposure unless the light changes dramatically. Concentrate on the photo, getting the bird in focus, keeping the camera steady (be that tripod, bean bag or whatever). Don't be afraid to use the "motordrive" and take several pictures quickly. DON'T CHIMP every shot. Just now and again to make sure things aren't completely awry. As much as possible keep your eye to the viewfinder.

That would be my technique. Everyone has a different route to the same end.

Cheers, Kris.

When I had the Sigma 150-500 I used to use TAV with the ISO set to 1600 max and around f8 and the fastest shutter speed i could get away with and raw+. The thing you need most is good light If the light was poor I went to the pub.That probably explains why I did not get a lot of bird images.

A PS to mine. Don't forget if you are using a bean bag or tripod to turn off SR.
CHEERS Vic.

also i have read the big Sigma lenses do like a fair bit of light to get the best from them

Wow brilliant advice everyone thanks very much.I have a hide clamp attached to my powerchair seat and a monopod with a manfroto 393 head and a bit of a heath robinson set up which attaches it to the chair seat back, to try and eliminate as much movement as possible. I have always had the SR switched on so will try it with it switched off. You are right about the Bigma needing good light cos it does hunt a lot if its gloomy. Unfortunately the weather today and the forecast for the next few days isn`t that good on the north east coast but when it picks up I will definitely be back out using all the info you have given me.

Thanks again and much appreciated
Graham

If you can, it might be worth trying to take some shots in the garden if possible, you could try out different settings on a static subject and see if you are getting the results you would like, then when you do get to a place with some wildlife you might have a better idea of what settings to use.
Keep us updated with how you get on and post some sample shots as that will probably help identify if it's a focusing issue or shutter speed or camera movement problem.
Happy shooting
Derek.

Also, if this is your first time doing BiF, maybe you're expecting a little bit too much of your own ability. A lot of photography is practice, and a professional bird photographer will have many hours under his belt which an inexperienced amateur cannot realistically expect to equal straight away. Sure, eq also makes a difference, but so does skill.

I think I know the bird photographer you mean - a combination of top end equipment, great knowledge and technique. With the Sigma lens do you switch the IS on the lens and off on the camera? I generally use around f8 in TAV mode and balance the exposure and ISO. I have at times got some really good sharp images which will take cropping so I know the results are down to me holding the camera steady and getting focus spot on (spot mode on the eye).