Testing out the new lens

[Discus-n00b]

Not cropped or maybe composed the best. This was more like test shots putting the lens through it's trial run. Bit of a wet gloomy day so lighting and conditions were not the best, and there wasn't to many birds out and about. It's the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II. Lemme know what you think!
https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/562/31711767350_2612d065c2_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Qjg6Bu)100-400 II test (https://flic.kr/p/Qjg6Bu) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr
https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/324/31711762630_9cafcd0f01_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Qjg5d7)100-400 II test (https://flic.kr/p/Qjg5d7) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr
https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/487/31969304561_2eb8132548_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QH23se)100-400 II test (https://flic.kr/p/QH23se) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr
https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/383/31276719613_50a1292268_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PDPn5r)100-400 II test (https://flic.kr/p/PDPn5r) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr

[Second Hand Pat]

Looks nice and sharp Matt. Are you happy with it? I am taking the 200-500 out tomorrow for the second time. I am so excited about it. :)
Pat

[Discus-n00b]

Thanks, very much so Pat. The extra reach is something I am not used to, and to be that sharp at close to 400 is great. And that is on my old body too, can't wait to pair it with a new body that can utilize it better. I plan to get a 1.4x tele extender which would effectively give me around 560mm.

Really want to shoot on a sunny day, might not see one of those until next week.

[brewmaster15]

Hey Matt,
Looks like it does a really nice job at the 400 mm end. Those shots are all at f5.6. Iso
320? I wonder how bumping up the iso a bit would work. That was tough lighting but the colors look good.

How does it do at the 100-300mm ???
I like the wood thrush (first pic) alot.If thats what it is , They arent easy birds. Secretive usually.
Al

[brewmaster15]

Looking at these again, Neat seeing a Junco there. They spend winters all through the The USA but it odd when I think you have them. Here in CT they are our snow birds... coming in with the snows. They spend their summers way up north...boreal forests and woodlands...though some do stay year round in some high elevations.

[Discus-n00b]

Al you would know better than me on the birds, seeing no yellow eye that what I have always called "Brown Thrush" (really Thrasher I guess) typically have I'd say you are probably right. To my inexperienced eye they both resemble each other from afar. And it seems that may very well be a Junco. Always see them around "winter" here if you can call it that (but hey they are calling for some snow this weekend! Doubt that happens). I can't wait until hummingbird season to try the lens out.

To be honest I didn't have much time to go through all the focal lengths or dive much into changing ISOs and such, started getting dark outside. Will have to do that in the next few days. I mainly wanted to see what kind of reach I could get as a first test. If the clouds clear a bit tonight I might see what I can do with the moon.

[SMB2]

Matt, they look nice and sharp. What camera body? Did you shoot in RAW and add anything in post, or are these JPEGS from the camera with some in camera processing?

[Discus-n00b]

This is with my 5D MK II, about to get a new body though. I shot in RAW, added a slight unsharpen mask and adjusted white balance as usual, and barely touched the vibrance/saturation on the squirrel photos to make them a bit more natural. If I was PPing them further I'd take out that old electric fence wire for sure.

[Discus-n00b]

Few more. Another gloomy wet day, waiting on the snow.

Carolina Chickadee (I think) with a 100% crop
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/381/32000201792_07c8e679ed_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QKKp87)Chickadee (https://flic.kr/p/QKKp87) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr
https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/388/32000192292_fdd0002ca8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QKKmij)Chickadee crop (https://flic.kr/p/QKKmij) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr

Squirrel friend loves to pose
https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/490/31773870780_ea00325361_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QpKoNh)Squirrel (https://flic.kr/p/QpKoNh) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr

Is this to much of an artsy crop of a nuthatch? To much black on the left? Also a 100% crop.
https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/547/31338609243_de40b8964b_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/PKhyH2)nuthatch (https://flic.kr/p/PKhyH2) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr
https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/553/32030391701_07849bfd60_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QNq8wM)nuthatch crop (https://flic.kr/p/QNq8wM) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr

[RobbieRobV]

Not too much black in that... I think the crop is perfect. The black draws your eyes to the subject perfectly. I like the contrast you have in that photo. Very good job!

[pastry]

Holy smokes. I can never get that close to bird without them flyin off! :p

Really awesome Matt. You should bring some prints down to the wildlife expo next month.

[brewmaster15]

Matt, the chickadee shows what that lens can do. Impressive. I think you got yourself the extra reach you wanted. Pick up a good quality teleconverter and you should be able to have some real fun. Enjoy it. Next up you need Petersons Field guide to eastern birds and National Geographics Birds of North America. Taking pics of birds is fun, but you need to know what they are called to label them or maybe sell them!:devil:

Al

[Discus-n00b]

I must of missed these replies, didn't see the notification I guess. Thanks all. Al, a 1.4x teleconverter is on the list and will be one of the next things I pickup. They are actually fairly cheap for the extra reach you gain. Will get me out to about 560mm, with a new body it will be with auto focus too which is great. These older bodies can't use auto focus through the teleconverter most times. LOL I'm not the best with names. A lot of times, even sometimes here, I'll know a bird as one thing that i've heard all my life and then I read here or elsewhere and it changes the ID completely. One of those, but grandma always called it this type of moments.

We had a bit of snow the other day (now it's back in the 70s), was hoping for a Cardinal in the snow but none showed. Really really excited this summer to go after Hummingbirds and Eastern Bluebirds. We have the Blues year round and I saw multiple the other day but I tend to really see them out in the summer time.

[brewmaster15]

Matt,
Do you have a place to set up a bluebird house? They have special needs as far as house type and need to be protected off the ground on a post with a good open flyway but theres no better way to get them hanging around. Nows a good time to set it up. We have a couple here that get used each year.

Also if they make one for canon...tamron makes some good quality teleconverters. I have a couple of the pentax ones and a tamron and I think the tamron is dang pretty good.
106028

106029


I definitely think teleconverters have a good use in wildlife photography.... you lose some light and a little resolution but sometimes photography is a trade off between what you wish you had and what you actually have!

[Discus-n00b]

Yeah Al, we have houses set up at the family farm property. Had them ever since I can remember, I remember being lifted up to peak in the houses when I was young to see the eggs/babies after the parents went on a food run. They tend to like the houses near the open fields. Good visibility of their surroundings.

[Jack L]

how far away were you from bird on the feeder?

[Discus-n00b]

About 3-5ft if I remember correctly. Really close, that little guy does not seem to care.

[two utes]

Matt. I think your photos are fantastic. I really like your subject matter, and l think that once you get some snow fall the white from it will add another dimension. Can't wait to see what else you shoot with your new lens

[Discus-n00b]

Thanks! If we get snow, it hit 70F here today....late Jan. This is the time we usually see snow if it comes so I'm not holding my breath lol.

Here is another bird. Since it's been so warm the Robin's think it's spring and mating season so they have been going nuts lately. Wish the water wiggler wasn't in the bath, bright white is a bit distracting. But it is what it is! Might try cloning it later on.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/380/32371944082_bbe1a7e14c_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RjAF9W)Robin2 (https://flic.kr/p/RjAF9W) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr

I was out trying this last night. It was a fail. Was trying to shoot the Orion Nebula again with my longer lens but got nothing useable. I need a new tracking mount, I think my rig may be to heavy for this one especially with new lens. Anyway, I was just cringing and waiting for any number of the joints to fail in this setup. Might be a bit hard to see but it's tripod legs, ballhead, astro tracking mount, ballhead, Canon 5D II with battery grip, and a 100-400mm. Will attempt again.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/clemmatt/4E71CE4B-F6DA-4B0A-B80D-8057A4A4B917_zps37ir6n8j.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c172/clemmatt/31A872F9-9268-4DD0-A44D-40A2A4D0A003_zpsf09pkz9i.jpg

These are not with the new lens but what I was trying to re-create. Took these in 2015 about the same time in Jan. Some of my most accomplished images IMO with the gear I had.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8674/15698408363_f3e85196c7_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pVdrTa)Orionnebula2 (https://flic.kr/p/pVdrTa) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr
https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7471/16318291265_4e65a38d84_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qRZvtp)Orionnebula1 (https://flic.kr/p/qRZvtp) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr

[SMB2]

That's pretty cool.

[Discus-n00b]

Here you go Al, he wouldn't let me get a good broadside shot on him. He took off as I went out the door to try. This was shot through a window about 5 or 6 feet from him. I should of stopped down to get his entire body into focus.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/486/32537352296_26a0dc045e_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RzdrfG)Squirrel (https://flic.kr/p/RzdrfG) by Matt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/scmatt/), on Flickr

[brewmaster15]

Nice head details there Matt! Through the Glass ? well its safe to say your glass is pretty clean.. I need to open my windows to shoot! Guess I better clean those this spring!:) I like this len and camera combo you used for its color rendition, it just looks very natural to me.

al

[Discus-n00b]

Thanks Al, the camera actually spits them out quite blue for my tastes, so I always correct in post. Shoot on AWB and correct afterwards. I try to get it as natural as I can. Canon does have good colors tones though, one of the things it's known for I'd say.