Getting MORE from your photos !

[Cuppa]

Hi Mudnut. I reckon your photos are not bad , but could definitely be improved with practice. It might help if when asking you posted the camera settings associated with each shot. The focus seems just a bit off as in not crisp, which is a shame as they are nice shots composition wise, particularly the honey eaters.

As far as Sigma goes, I only have one Sigma Lens. It's a bit of a monster, weighing in at close to 2kg, a 150mm to 600mm zoom, but when I manage to have it on the right settings at the right time it gives what I think are some pretty good results. The following pic for example, of a Spotted Whistling Duck, which I'd guess was about 40 metres away from me was taken at the full 600mm on 1/500th sec, F8 & ISO 1600. I think I cropped it a bit too. I'm in no way suggesting the pic is anything special, I'm certain more experienced photographers could find many things to improve it, Certainly better light would have improved it, but I reckon it must take years of practice & dedication to achieve what professional bird photographers do. However in regard to Sigma quality I have no complaints. I'm pretty sure I would have been resting the lens on something as it's weight & length are too unwieldy for me to have captured that clarity handheld at 1/500th sec at that distance.

DSC08736.png

[Cremulator]

I also want to know if the Sigma brand lenses are worth getting?

Buy the best glass (lenses) you can afford. The lenses are what you hang on to, it's the camera body that is what you will upgrade from time to time.
The mounts for SLR lenses haven't changed since the early 60's so you can still use those lenses from the same manufacturer on today's cameras.

[mudnut]

Thanks for your all of your replies. That is a very impressive picture, @Cuppa. The problem with focus is due to my very poor eyesight. I took a heap of pics with just auto focus and factory settings and edited the best ones. I think it will take a very long time to learn the jargon of this hobby.

Is it commonplace to buy refurbished lenses or is that a not a good option?

[Cuppa]

Thanks for your all of your replies. That is a very impressive picture, @Cuppa. The problem with focus is due to my very poor eyesight. I took a heap of pics with just auto focus and factory settings and edited the best ones. I think it will take a very long time to learn the jargon of this hobby.

Is it commonplace to buy refurbished lenses or is that a not a good option?

@mudnut My eyesight is pretty crap too, although since having cataracts done on both eyes I only wear glasses for reading/computer etc. In case you haven't found it on your camera, many cameras have an adjustment for the viewfinder to make it suit your eye. I always use the viewfinder. If I had to rely on the screen I'd need to put glasses on every time which would be a real pain.
If you are already using an adjusted viewfinder it may be worth looking at what auto focussing option you are using. Play around with the different options, taking the same photo with each to see if the results improve.
If your camera just has a screen & no viewfinder, or has a viewfinder which cannot be adjusted you might need to consider either glasses specifically for looking at the screen, or a different camera which has viewfinder adjustment.
In my experience a good viewfinder beats a screen any day. I'm not sure if it is only digital viewfinders which have adjustment. Mine is digital & whilst the level of detail is less than what the camera itself captures it is easy enough to see when it is in focus.

[Cuppa]

Hi again @mudnut. just had a quick look at the manual for your camera.

It does have viewfinder adjustment although the comment in blue at the bottom is suggests it may not be that great.

screenshot_286.png

Another thing to try is getting a greater depth of field, that way if the focus on the subject is a bit off, there is a better chance of still getting the pic you want as the greater depth of field means more distance both in front of & behind the the subject will be in focus.

To get greater depth of field you need to use a higher F setting (ie a smaller Aperture).

Always a balancing act though as using a higher F setting means less light gets in, so the camera will automatically change to a slower shutter speed and a higher ISO setting to compensate. Slower shutter speed may make camera shake an issue, & the higher the ISO setting the increased possibility of a grainy looking photo.

All this means is basically it is more difficult to achieve a higher depth of field in low light conditions. It can be done using a tripod & fully manual settings, but that is more 'advanced'. Best to first master the basics & in so doing learn the limits of your particular camera, before trying to find ways around the 'auto' limitations.

Enjoy playing!

ps. I didn't look to see if your camera has the following, it probably does but may call it something different. Mine has a focus setting called DMF. This enables auto focus, but also allows manual focus of the image once it has auto focussed. if yours has similar it might be a good way of learning to judge whether your auto focus has indeed focussed upon the subject or a nearby blade of grass or similar. Just a thought.

[mudnut]

Thanks, Cuppa. I mucked around with the fiddly little dioptric dial for ages, before taking those pics. I think my eyes were tired, so gave up.

I plan to obtain a tripod and hide, so I get closer to the subjects. This should allow me to play with the settings without scaring off the prey.

The only focus switch I have found is the AF/MF switch on the Lens.

[jack]

screenshot_286.png

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Well I’ll be, I’ve got this on both of my cameras. Thanks Cuppa, learnt something new again today.
Now I wonder what I’ve forgotten ........

[Cuppa]

Thanks, Cuppa. I mucked around with the fiddly little dioptric dial for ages, before taking those pics. I think my eyes were tired, so gave up.

I plan to obtain a tripod and hide, so I get closer to the subjects. This should allow me to play with the settings without scaring off the prey.

The only focus switch I have found is the AF/MF switch on the Lens.

I would imagine there will be more focus settings in the menu. Onve you find the settings you like & use most you will most probably be able to assign them to different buttons to make them quicker to access.

[Cuppa]

Whilst I'm here I wonder if anyone is using Back Button Focussing (BBF). I only recently discovered it & whilst I am still getting used to it, it seems to have the potential to revolutionise the way I can take pics of birds.

https://www.naturettl.com/back-button-focus/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PN9R0D3pF0

[Bovril]

I have always used back button focussing on my DSLR. Far better control over af.
In reply to an earlier question, the Sigma lenses span the quality range. Some aren't very good, some are exceptionally good.
Until recently I had a Sigma 150-600 Sport which was used primarily for aviation photography. It was a heavy beast but I was happy with the results.
All the attached were taken with that lens.