Thank you for not speaking at 1000mph dictated by a YT algorithm, great you didn't put any distracting and unnecessary animations in your video, good on you for not crow-baring in some pointless comedy skit or using over exaggerated excitable language and thank you for restoring my lost faith in content makers as you have proven that sharing your knowledge and experience can be performed without a massive ego by simply being authentic :D
Oh yes! And you're _outside_ - not in some dull boring inside room. And _Oh_ - the so-called 'expert' who showed us all her photos _from the screen on her camera!_
Mate this is knowledge that comes with hours and hours of photography and reflecting on mistakes. It’s great to see you roll it all into a straightforward 20-minute video and share it so generously. Many thanks 🙏
I’m a Nikon shooter but your video is great. Getting my D850 Friday. Can’t wait to use it with my 500mm f/4 shooting Bald Eagles at Conowingo Dam in Darlington, Maryland.
Excellent video! It's nice to know that most everybody has the same struggles, you're just the only one admitting it. Thank you for being honest on your "keeper rate" so the rest of us don't feel so inadequate. LOL. Keep up the great work!
hi from the US. i just came across this .. thank you for normalizing soft shots. i was getting so frustrated wondering if it was just me. i loved your tips! i'll be out in the field trying them and keeping my chin up knowing that it happens to all of us.
Your clips remind me of that quote from Einstein, if you can’t explain it to a six year old you don’t truely understand it (or words to that effect) You clearly understand your craft - thank you from all us ‘six year olds’!
As I understand it, heat haze is the result of the density differences in the air--hotter equals less dense. A hot object heats the air near it, but the air is always moving so you get colder and warmer mixing and moving. Light refracts differently through media of different densities, so that mixing and moving of differently dense air equals inconsistent focus. A similar phenomena gave us that "floating" ship in Britain recently. Astronomers talk about "the seeing" as a way of referring to the maximum sharpness you can get on a given night due to fluctuations in atmospheric density (in that case, due to high level winds causing turbulence).
Thanks Bill, very interesting, so in theory you will get the best quality when the air is single density. I wonder how often low levels of heat haze impact our images. Cheers, Duade 👍
Easily the best video I haveever viewed on this subject! Rates a 10 out of 10! Not only is the subject covered in great deal from every possible angle the comments are totally honest anddevoid of the usual BS designed to encourage the purchase of more expensive gear. We all get soft shots on a regular basis for the reasons covered. But in my experience one of the most common causes is that today's photo gear is so complex that many photogrphers have all the wrong settings set. You MUST read the camera manuals if you ever hope to use your gear to its maximum capacity!
Thanks for the kind words and feedback, I am glad you enjoyed the video. Yes I am happy to share that we all get soft shots and it is normal. Practice, practice and more practice and understanding your gear and settings will help. Cheers, Duade
I know it's a journey, but man... Duade's 'soft' shots are way better than any of my keepers Great explanation btw Duade. After watching your video, I am going to try to rely less on my camera's AF (Canon M50 / EF-S 55-250mm) and go more with single point AF. Also, for me, I get excited when I see a bird I want to photograph, so I often forget everything but the basics. I like the idea of a formula based on your subject: Perch birds 1/500, Water birds 1/1000, birds in flight 1/2000 (double the shutter speed each time)
I do a lot of hand-holding - so my soft shots are user error - taking bursts helps me get some keepers even when hand-holding - thanks for another great video
When you're going through your shots before edit to pick out the good ones to work on, you'll notice the second or third are particularly sharp vs the first in a burst sometimes, so pay attention when you're culling. Short bursts over long burst for best results. :)
btw, i have gotten more soft shots than i wld like to admit! auto focus is my bane of life, you nailed it, to many camera settings, thanks for summarising
In addition to having to crop too much when taking pictures at too great a distance, I think it's easy to have unrealistic expectations of even the best autofocus systems when trying to focus on a subject that is very small in the frame. I am guilty of this over and over. I think it will be reassuring to new photographers that experienced and skilled photographers like you still get soft shots. Thanks for another great video, Duade.
Woody, thanks for your comment and I totally agree with you, it can be a real challenge seeing shots on social media and then wondering why your own shots don't look the same. Hopefully my videos will help people understand what is required to get those types of shots. Cheers, Duade
I'm a beginner, and though I have some decent equipment, I'm realizing the fault isn't the equipment, the fault is me. And yet you are so encouraging, reminding us that "We all get soft shots." You obviously have forgotten more about photography than I'll ever know, so I subscribed to your channel, and just thank you for your humility, easy-going way of communicating, and thanks for taking the time to produce this. Soooooo helpful!
I recently started bird photography. I owned a Nikon D5000 with 55-200mm and „cheap upgraded“ to a Sony a6000 with a 55-210mm. Mirrorless caught me immediately. And currently I am learning and absorbing all information. Your channel ist just so valuable! No BS, no „they sent me this do I recommend it to you“! You possess great teaching skills and great knowledge. Thank you 🙏
Finally someone who is honest, and says what we all, birding photographers meet every day on the field!!!! As you said, there are limitation of our equipment, So, what do you do when the birds are perched on trees, and as soon as they hear or smell any human they fly away... one other example is when you find a bird in the field and in private spaces, so there is not other option than to get your photos from far away... how can you deal with that ? Thank you for your excellent video. Best from Uruguay!
Daniela, yes it can be very difficult getting close and I have these issues also. I spend a bit of time trying to find locations where I know the birds are used to humans or where I can setup or get closer. Sometimes I just enjoy nature and realise I am never going to get a nice shot. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade hahahah, you got me smiling! Souls of a kind we are :) When I can't find the suitable photos or even birds, cause we have those days where nothing is seen, I concentrate on nature. Breath in deeply and enjoy it. That's why I started with my macro 80mm and the fuji xt 4 an awsome combination, so, when there are no birds? No worries, I find plants, or insects or landscapes ;) I loved your content , it's so honest, pls never change!
Just to add to your heat haze section. There are times I shoot from the car and this week with some very cold mornings I've had the car heater on high with the vent by the steering wheel/door pointing towards the window to keep it from misting. I was wondering why some images were coming out soft, especially if the lens was resting on the door with the window open (engine off) but not poking out too far (ie only the hood or so was poking out). Then I saw, because of how cold it was outside (-5 or something) how much heat distortion was being created near the window. Lightbulb moment :-) Great vid, thanks for creating/sharing.
As a longtime photography who's rather new to birding photography, I now see the errorS of my ways. While a mirrorless body would solve a lot of my issues, I think it is better (and much cheaper) to improve my technique using my 5D Mark IV. Going to start with faster shutter speed, higher f-stop and, most importantly, use the damn tripod/gimbal as God intended. Great video. Thanks, Duade.
Tarik, thanks for your comment and I wish you all the best with your 5d4, try the focus defocus technique as the 5d does at times miss focus for some mysterious reason. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
I’m a Nikon shooter and just purchased a second hand 600mm f/4e fl lens. I have a 500pf and get several real sharp photos with it.Some of the shots I’ve gotten with the 600mm have not really impressed me but some have. You’re video has given me confidence and something I needed to see! Greatly appreciated!
G'day Malcolm, camera shake is the biggest issue with big heavy primes, it can be hard to keep them steady and the IS is not as good as newer lenses. Just try and keep that shutter speed up and the lens as stable as possible. Cheers, Duade 👍
Another consideration is ISO and sensor size. With BIF shots we're crunched by the exposure triangle: we need fast speeds and stopped-down lenses for a bit of wiggle room via greater DOF. So ISO climbs. But the experts say that every stop more of ISO means a stop less of dynamic range, and that means there's less detail we can recover in post. It helps to have a low-res full frame sensor here, although sensor signal to noise ratios have been improving over the years. By using APS-C or M43s we get more lens reach but we lose out on light-gathering ability and can't run ISOs as high as we do with FF.
Thanks Ern, that is interesting re the dynamic range and I have noticed that at higher ISO. Yes, BIF is a real challenge at times that is for sure, I don't usually have too many issues with ISO as I only really do BIF in nice light as an overcast sky makes it almost impossible to get nice shots. Cheers, Duade
So many great ideas. Definitely going to try the focus defocus idea. I use a Canon 80d with a Sigma 120-400. I was certain there was a problem with the lens focus. I determined it was more likely my skill or lack thereof, since one day last fall I shot a moose and the image was unbelievably sharp. It was very sunny, moose was not moving, no need to crop..essentially the best conditions. So I realized then that it was user error causing my soft shots. One other fix I did recently was buy a Canon 300mm f4 so that if light was low or I was in darker settings my odds of getting a sharp image might increase. Anyway love your channel and your photography is stunning. Wish we had some of those beautiful bird species here in Eastern Ontario (Canada)!!
Peter, thanks for sharing your experience, good luck with the 300 f4. I am jealous of the ducks and warblers you get over there, hopefully one day I will visit. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade If you do consider coming to Canada (turtle island) you have a guide and I will be happy to take you to some locations in my traditional territory (the lands and waters of the Kichi Sipi) the Ottawa and Gatineau valleys...Moose, Bear, White tailed deer, ducks...ok maybe not as cute as kangaroos and koala bears but we can make it fun for you anyway!!
@@PeterLariviere1 Thanks for the warm offer Peter, sounds like a nice place to visit and great to hear you have a strong connection to the land. Good luck with your photography. Cheers, Duade
Enormously helpful. I've been trying to get into bird photography for 8 months now, and it's like i still treat my camera like it's a Kodak disposable. I'm feeling a lot more confident with these tips
Your videos are like archives, every video has lot of information came from your experience. I am glad i found your channel. Thanks for sharing your valuable knowledge.
Duade, what an outstanding video! I have been an profession portrait and wedding photographer for al long time, now retired due to a motorcycle accident, I now do birds and landscape photography. Well I never realized that shooting birds with long lens to be such a challenge. I started last year, and I watch’s several video to learn a lot. This week I what some of your video, I have to say over the year I have been dealing and learning most of the points you covered in this video. If I had watch this video last year I would have understand and learn all the tips, because sometimes I just wanted to take my lens and through it away due to frustrations that most images not shard, ( because looking at people with the same lens and camera all there images were super sharp). I find out the calibration fine tuning that was my problem and I corrected it, and corrected other tips like you mention too. By watching your video that confirm all my mistakes I made, and to understand that is was not the lens or the camera. This is a great video to introduce you to bird photography to helps you for all situations that will happen. Love your video workflow. I still love to make some photography after all theses years, a video like yours just encourage us to go outside and shoot more. I have two questions. 1) When using a long lens like 600mm f 4 with the gimbal, should you have the Vibration Reduction “on” or “off” for the bird flying and the bird stationary? 2) Should we have the minimum speed to equal the length of the lens example: 200mm should be not much less than 200s, or the 600mm not less that 600s. ? Without the VR on.... Thanks for you great hard work and great instructional video. Cheers
Michel, thank you for your detailed comment, great to hear your passion for photography is still strong, it really is a cathartic process. In regard to IS I leave mine on as I am too forgetful to switch it on and off and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if leaving IS on has any negative impacts. With SS I do try to keep it above the focal length however this is not always possible and with IBIS/IS you can get sharp shots at slower SS. If I look at the shots I have taken this year my most used SS was 1/640 with the majority between 1/400 and 1/1600. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
Really enjoyed the video. It is hard work trying to remember it all and not getting so excited seeing a new bird that I forget to get the camera settings right
Thank you for that, very helpful. And thanks for making me feel better about my shots. Really need to get a bigger lens. I'm I guess an intermediate and I as yet I have been doing a bit of landscape, horse events, community events, steam trains, birds, wildlife and I even have a wedding booked. Every now and again something will grab my interest so I run with that for a bit, learn what I can. I'm guessing I haven't settled on a niche yet but maybe I will just be an allrounder. Really enjoying what I'm learning from you, thank you once again.
Lisa, sounds like a great way to learn and keep things interesting. My wife is often at me to start shooting other things than birds :-) Good luck with the wedding. Cheers, Duade
Haha I’ve been looking at myself wondering why my shots are so blurry. I do definitely get a little baffled when I can’t get a sharp shot. Thanks for the video! Absolutely helpful.
Thank you - I would have liked to have given this video multiple likes! Like many others, I struggle to find the right camera settings or to understand why so many of my images are not as sharp as I would like when all those other UA-camrs seem to take perfect shots all the time. Here in the UK the light is really too poor for 6 months of the year to allow very fast shutter speeds without bumping up the ISO so far that IQ is degraded by noise. Noise contributing to soft images is possibly the one issue not covered by your video. Thank you for showing us your blurred images - at least I know it's not all down to my poor photography skills and happens to the best as well.
My first time in this channel and I'm overwhelmed (in the positive sense, of course) The subject is so important and the video is so informative and comprehensive. Thanks.
I live in the Midlands in the UK and bought a Fujifilm 70-300mm lens in October. On the first or second time of trying it out I photographed a robin late in the afternoon using the fully automatic exposure. Superficially the robin booked good, but on pixel peeping the front of the fence that the robin was sat on was in focus and the robin was slightly out of focus. The shutter speed was a bit low, the lens was wide open at f/5.6 and the ISO was low. I changed my approach to put the lens on f/8 to improve the depth of field, raised the shutter speed to 1/1000 to counteract movement and used auto ISO. The camera was put in burst mode, although I prefer a slower burst speed to allow it to maintain the burst for longer. I am happy with these settings and they work well. When I was in the woods I saw a squirrel and tried photographing it. The view is the viewfinder was dark because the the ISO limit of 6400 was reached. I took some photographs like this. The squirrel froze and I was able to continually take a burst, lower the shutter speed. In the end I got down to 1/30 s. On looking at the images on a laptop, there were a few excellent images at 1/30s. In the winter, I only go out to photograph wildlife on sunny days. The Fujifilm X-E3 gives great images out of the camera, all that I do is reduce the quality of the JPGs in GIMP in order to reduce the reduce the image size and then I email them to friends. I normally shoot RAW + JPG. It was very disappointing to hear that Lightroom automatically sharpened images, it shouldn't do that because it gives a false impression of your image and it introduces noise.
The best technical analysis of soft images. This level of articulation comes from understanding the fundamentals thoroughly and enormous amount of practice. No wonder this amount of knowledge manifests in the humility of Duade which many people here have observed. Awesome, continue your service Sir.
Hi Duade, the heat haze is due to the temperature difference between the hot source (ground, rock, metal, motor...) and the air that it is much cooler. As the source heats the air, that changes the density of the air, and this change on density implies that the air refracts the light differently, creating that wavy effect.
I was very frustrated with some soft shots for years ! finally took the lens to the shop. The lens image stabiliser needed to be replaced !! cost a bundle to fix !! Expecting to be fixed by the end of this week !! .... looking forward to not be as frustrated !! ;-) thanks for your ideas ! will try some to them !!
Duade I have watched several of your videos, I’m continually impressed on the information that you share and how valuable it is. Keep up the good work it’s appreciated.
I'm new to bird photography and have struggled a lot when it comes to getting the perfect shot. This video is very helpful! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Very informative video. I am guilty of getting many out of focus shots. I have a Lumix S5 and my most used lens is the Sigma 150-600 DG DN, and l have seriously thought about sending it all back for calibration. Good to know it's just me lol.
Thank you Duade, it is comfort to know that you get soft shots, I am plagued with soft shot!! I have changed to mirrorless now hope to apply your techniques and see how images go and practice taking better pictures. I learnt a lot from your video. cheers.
You are such a great teacher! When I used the Sigma 150-600mm with the Canon 80D, I was not getting sharp shots. But I switched the camera and now use the Sony a6100 with the same Sigma lens and I get lot better shots. I shot f8 on both cameras. I think it is the calibration issue. I also think I should try f9 to see if I get even better shots. Thank you for putting together this video!
perhaps the Sony is a better camera :-) But yes calibration is often an issue on DSLR and I believe was likely the cause of issues for many people. Cheers, Duade
Thank you I almost got rid of my 7d mark II before switching to back button focus and using the burst method, turned out to be 100 percent user error and not understanding how shallow depth of field can be!
I thought that soft shots were normal, just blaze away with 10 frames a second and fix them in Topaz AI Sharpen. . .works for me anyway . . .hehe Another great video on trying to explain the unexplainable. Well done again Duade.
New to photography only about 7 months in and have already figured when and when not to use my 100-400 here in the uk . Especially hand held much better to take better shots on smaller lens and be happy than average shots on long lens and be annoyed with myself . Loved the video gave me loads more to think about and very well explained too and good to know even the pros don’t get it right every time .
Nailed it again solid advise, I have spent a small fortune on lenses and cameras only to realise I'd have been better off perfecting my technique oh well don't make the same mistake!
oh man thanks for all tips. you know my soft shots are results of several things: low shutterspeed, shake hands (handheld ef 100-400 version I) and poor light... but i'll try out all you said, by sure. big hugs from central america.
Hi Duade, it looks like you watched my Canon R5-400mm field test video and saw exactly what I was doing wrong. Thanks for such a comprehensive guide. It is much appreciated.
Andrew, I am just as guilty as the next photographer, I think the key is trying to understand what is causing it and work on reducing how often it happens. Good luck with your channel and photography. Cheers, Duade
Really happy I stumbled across this video! I have a Canon 600 F4 II and a EOS R and I was so confused as to why I am not getting sharp shots even with shorebirds right in front of me with good light. Thanks to your video, I realised that I completely overlooked stopping down the lens from F4. Really enjoyed the video, seriously one of the best out there on this topic!
Ray, I am happy to hear it helped, shorebirds can be tricky to photograph when they are moving, a high shutter speed and say f7.1-f8 should give you the best shots. Cheers, Duade
Thank you again for a great lesson. You are a superb teacher and photographer. I like it best when you look straight into the camera rather than the two-view setup in this video. Your smiling face is easy to look at. Thank you again,
Great video! I’m so green with the terms and controls or photography, yet familiar with birds and other animal watching for fifty years, add to that the cameras today do so much automatic work for us…. it’s maddening for me to learn. You used the terms and basics in ways that gives me hope, so thank you. Others ramble with every feature known to professionals, yet their titles imply “how to” as if a beginner was to watch. I have trouble mostly understanding what I can actually do with the modes, and decision-making for small birds moving often in trees. I’d love to take award winning shots LOL, but I mostly use my 70D for identification. For example, on “auto” setting, the shutter is usually nice and fast for sunny shots but the focal points are everywhere, picking up branches and stuff, letting the bird be blurry. In “program” or “P”, I can use the center focal point, but the shutter speed os much slower. I need to study but it’s tedious and confusing. I’ve found that unfortunately a high percentage of photographers are usually terrible teachers, never asking how familiar I am with anything and plowing through with as much data as they can cram into our conversation possible, I suppose to impress themselves.
Thanks for the feedback, try TV mode, you can set the shutter speed nice and high such as 1/800 and have the spot focus point to focus on the bird. The camera should set the aperture and ISO for you. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
Really helpful video! Stopping down on my sigma 150-600 made a huge difference to the sharpness, I always shoot it around f8 now and get much better results... looking forward to the next video!
I am going to this too! I have been getting so frustrated and originally all I was finding was don’t use a filter, and might need to calibrate the lens. Duade you are So helpful!
Heat haze is a big problem at long focal lengths if you're shooting outdoors in the cold and your camera is warm (e.g., your gear was in a warm car, or you walked outside from a warm house). In this situation, you should try shooting without the lens hood as it tends to trap heat. Once your gear matches the ambient temperature, then you can use the hood again. Also, if you try shooting through an open window where it's warmer inside than outside, you'll have soft images.
Very useful video. I’m an Olympus user, which in some respects is very different, but I’ve had many of the same challenges and frustrations and it’s actually a relief to understand that much of that is actually due to user error, as opposed to some hard-to-track-down defect in the equipment. A couple of weeks ago I was shooting birds from my car at a local wildlife preserve, getting wavery images, and was convinced that something had to be wrong with the camera or lens. I realized only later that it was the heat waves from the car’s engine, magnified by the long lens, that was creating the distortion. Once I shut the engine off, everything was fine.
I do get soft shots quite frequently! Usually because of my focus and my lens. I use an old 70-300mm lens, and even if it doesn't produce very sharp images, with the right lighting, the right position and with the help of your tips, I manage to get very sharp photos from time to time. Thanks for sharing!
Due to the lockdowns, I accidentally took up bird photography in my town. My means are meager, cropped sensor camera, a simple 70-300 lens and handheld. Very quickly I understood and appreciated this genre of photography. It is totally different to the still landscapes that don’t go anywhere and my long exposures. Of course not knowing much I tried to develop a basic technique and I occasionally get some acceptable shots. I can certainly say that my soft shots are because of me and what I do and there is nothing wrong with my camera. Thank you for the video, it was very informative and comforting to know that even pros with years of experience get soft pictures. 😃
Great video I was beginning to think I was the king of soft shots, until I began to to use most of the techniques in your video, and also found that f/8 was the sweet spot on my lens which helped immensely.
I often find myself getting blurring images from too much wind or when the light is marginal, say on a over cast winters day. When it is days like this it is best to change tactics from roaming to static with a tripod, but some times the wind is too much and I pack up and have a cup of tea inside!
ALWAYS appreciate your excellent no-nonsense, no-hype videos. All of the elements you describe are things I have to consider when shooting wildlife. I find that good technique helps a lot. I often see people getting into long lens photography, coming from cell phones, who want to hold the camera away from themselves, using the back LCD panel and depending on monumental levels of camera and lens IS to keep their images steady - with fairly predictable results. In one case, some years ago, I was in Canada in an open reserve and taking images of a pack of wolves. Beside me were two people with the Canon PowerShot super zoom bridge cameras: the SX60HS, with an equivalent FL of 21-1365mm! At those reaches, even allowing for some IS, one has to be on the game as regards technique. These two were using the LCDs at the back and bemoaning the fact that none of their images were sharp. I was shooting with the 7DII, Sigma 150-600, so my EFL range was up to 960mm. They asked me how my images were turning out and were even more disheartened to see mine were pin sharp. As tactfully as I could, I asked if they had considered using the EVF on their cameras - and they didn't even know that they had one or what it did as they had moved from cell phones! This comes down to not reading the manual or at least getting a walk through video. I explained the correct technique of body position and one got it and used it right away. The other was reluctant and stayed with her original techniques - the results were predictable.
Great video as always. Sitting on my screened porch with a cigar, I keep a camera handy. Shots where screen is 90 degrees to light path look fine to me, but any shots at an angle through the screen, the screen makes some sort of diffraction grid and ghosting is horrible. Don't do that anymore. Screens are roughly 1/6 or 1/4 distance from camera to bird (closer to camera).
Duade, Well done. Seems that in the world of Bird Photography we all travel the same road. Sharp images are the jewel in a bucket of rocks. With my 7dii and Sigma 120-400 try to live at f8 with prefered shetter speeds of 500+. ISO moves accordingly. Almost always on max burst mode. In the summer I do most of my shooting from a small boat on a bay or ocean so I'm always moving and so are my subjects. So from the boat I want all the shutter speed I can find at 1/2000 I get comfortable. Thanks for the vids Bill
Bill, I love "Sharp images are the jewel in a bucket of rocks." made me laugh, thanks for sharing your experience. I have been on a number of pelagics so I can vouch for how hard it is. Throw in the smell of burley and diesel fumes to the experience and it's a wonder I get any shots at all. :-)
Great vudeo, i get soft shots a lot..i have the 400f5.6 and i always had it at 5.6 until i saw a few of your tips on shooting a few dtops down..now i shoot at f8 and usually get sharp shots..thanks Duade.
I feel silly adding comments to old videos but I'm going to continue doing it anyway cuz these videos are great. One tip for beginners who are trying to shoot feeders in their backyard, is to never ever shoot through your window. Shooting through your window is equivalent to taking a three-star Michelin meal dropping it on the floor of a movie theater and then wondering why it tastes funny. 🤪
I do get some soft shots with my 7Dmk2 e/w EF 100-40mm mk 1, but not as many as I was getting with my original 7D (traded in). Still use my EOS 40D with EF 100-400mm on occasion. The 40d actually had much better focus then the original 7D. Most of my out of focus issues today are more operator problems not the camera or lens. I need to keep my shutter speed above 1/400 sec and aperture at f8 or f11 push the ISO to 800 maybe higher. Must do better!! Thanks for the tips.
Fred, thanks for sharing, its funny you mention the 40D as I too do get pretty consistent focus from that camera. Good luck with your photography. Cheers, Duade
So much great information! I sent my 200-600mm back because so many images were soft, but I'll bet it was a combination of shooting too wide open and a bit of heat haze. SMH
I think many of us who, when we capture what we think is a really cool photo, then excitedly take it to Lightroom and gasp in discouragement when we see that it's totally unusable often say to ourselves, "What's wrong with me! I'll never make it as a photographer!!" LOL It's refreshing and reassuring to know that YOU often have taken LOTS of unusable photos of one bird. Thanks so much for this. I will keep on trying with all of your suggestions in mind. :)
Finally, I believe I found a video that covers it all and it was so easy to follow! I've been having some soft images of birds so surely one or two of these will fix my problem. Thanks, great video. You have a new subscriber.
Hi there, seems like no one has explained heat haze as of now? I don't think one would need an explanation for it anyways. But you're pretty much right, it has to do with the temperature difference of/in the air. Note that it's the _difference_ that matters and not absolute temperature. Temperature changes the density of materials, especially liquids and especially gases like air. This affects how much the air can refract light. In turbulent air, this can be seen very easily. Unfortunately, lakes, rocks, trees, uneven land, basically everything that warms up the air at different speeds inevitably creates such an environment (warm air does rise, after all). For an even more obvious display of heat haze, take a look at pictures taken of jet engine exhausts. Here, the temperature difference is several hundred °C and the haze is made even worse by having lots of water vapor in the air!
Blimey Duade a good topic here even with the Sony A1 I still get soft shots ! In fact its my main concern now even though the shot is in focus ! Motion blur and camera shake are my main areas but it is when you are pushing the limits of your equipment ! Low light ! Sun direction also is tricky ! Anyway keep shooting short bursts ! This is the main reason why I don't shoot one second 30 fps bursts ! Great video Duade ! 👍😍
Thanks mate, great to hear I'm not the only one getting soft shots. I do think birding is one of the most challenging forms of photography on gear and it is a real challenge at times. I guess that's what makes it fun. Cheers, Duade 👍
Great walk through of possible sources. One thing I don't think was covered directly, is I always tried to get good tight shallow depth of field with the minimal aperture. You did mention stopping down to improve best lens performance, but I found I ended up getting too shallow depth of field for what I was photographing too in some cases. Just one more reason to make sure you are running f/8.0 or higher in some cases if you have a very close subject and lot of projection into/out of the focal plane. I would get the eye, but the bill or tail feathers would be soft. It looked bad and I improved my focal plane forgiveness for a sharp eye too, just but stopping down aperture one stop...
Thank you for not speaking at 1000mph dictated by a YT algorithm, great you didn't put any distracting and unnecessary animations in your video, good on you for not crow-baring in some pointless comedy skit or using over exaggerated excitable language and thank you for restoring my lost faith in content makers as you have proven that sharing your knowledge and experience can be performed without a massive ego by simply being authentic :D
Simon, thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it, I just try to think I am talking to a mate about photography which helps make me relax. Cheers, Duade
Oh yes! And you're _outside_ - not in some dull boring inside room. And _Oh_ - the so-called 'expert' who showed us all her photos _from the screen on her camera!_
Mate this is knowledge that comes with hours and hours of photography and reflecting on mistakes. It’s great to see you roll it all into a straightforward 20-minute video and share it so generously. Many thanks 🙏
Mansour, my pleasure, yes, I have neem making these mistakes for more hours than I could count, I'm glad they are helpful. Cheers, Duade
this has to be the most down to earth photographer out there. Thank you for sharing so much knowledge.
Daniel, thank you for you kind comment, Cheers, Duade
I agree.
I’m a Nikon shooter but your video is great. Getting my D850 Friday. Can’t wait to use it with my 500mm f/4 shooting Bald Eagles at Conowingo Dam in Darlington, Maryland.
Freddy, congratulations, the D850 is so good and I have been jealous of that camera for a long time. Cheers, Duade
Excellent video! It's nice to know that most everybody has the same struggles, you're just the only one admitting it. Thank you for being honest on your "keeper rate" so the rest of us don't feel so inadequate. LOL. Keep up the great work!
Glad it was helpful!
hi from the US. i just came across this .. thank you for normalizing soft shots. i was getting so frustrated wondering if it was just me. i loved your tips! i'll be out in the field trying them and keeping my chin up knowing that it happens to all of us.
Thanks Deb, great to hear, good luck with your photography. Cheers, Duade
Your clips remind me of that quote from Einstein, if you can’t explain it to a six year old you don’t truely understand it (or words to that effect) You clearly understand your craft - thank you from all us ‘six year olds’!
Thanks Heather, I am glad it is making sense, I am not sure I fully grasp some of it but try to explain how I understand it. Cheers, Duade
As I understand it, heat haze is the result of the density differences in the air--hotter equals less dense. A hot object heats the air near it, but the air is always moving so you get colder and warmer mixing and moving. Light refracts differently through media of different densities, so that mixing and moving of differently dense air equals inconsistent focus. A similar phenomena gave us that "floating" ship in Britain recently. Astronomers talk about "the seeing" as a way of referring to the maximum sharpness you can get on a given night due to fluctuations in atmospheric density (in that case, due to high level winds causing turbulence).
Thanks Bill, very interesting, so in theory you will get the best quality when the air is single density. I wonder how often low levels of heat haze impact our images. Cheers, Duade 👍
Easily the best video I haveever viewed on this subject! Rates a 10 out of 10! Not only is the subject covered in great deal from every possible angle the comments are totally honest anddevoid of the usual BS designed to encourage the purchase of more expensive gear. We all get soft shots on a regular basis for the reasons covered. But in my experience one of the most common causes is that today's photo gear is so complex that many photogrphers have all the wrong settings set. You MUST read the camera manuals if you ever hope to use your gear to its maximum capacity!
Thanks for the kind words and feedback, I am glad you enjoyed the video. Yes I am happy to share that we all get soft shots and it is normal. Practice, practice and more practice and understanding your gear and settings will help. Cheers, Duade
I often wonder why some shots are soft. Thanks for the detailed description. Very helpful.
my pleasure, Cheers, Duade
I know it's a journey, but man... Duade's 'soft' shots are way better than any of my keepers
Great explanation btw Duade. After watching your video, I am going to try to rely less on my camera's AF (Canon M50 / EF-S 55-250mm) and go more with single point AF.
Also, for me, I get excited when I see a bird I want to photograph, so I often forget everything but the basics. I like the idea of a formula based on your subject: Perch birds 1/500, Water birds 1/1000, birds in flight 1/2000 (double the shutter speed each time)
Thank you, it is a challenge but with time and experience it gets easier. Good luck, Cheers, Duade 👍
so helpful, such a good communicator (for an "expert") and so modest - "a low keeper rate" and "it's a lucky dip" - I'm a fan!
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. Cheers, Duade
Stopping down is a great tip and something I keep forgetting to do. Noted for my next outing!
Good luck Mike, it does help if you have the light, in saying that modern lenses are pretty good wide open. Cheers, Duade
What you said about the Sigma telephoto is correct. I shoot at F8-F11 whenever possible, and the difference is noticeable.
Thanks Theo, I suspected as much, thanks for confirming it. Cheers, Duade
I do a lot of hand-holding - so my soft shots are user error - taking bursts helps me get some keepers even when hand-holding - thanks for another great video
When you're going through your shots before edit to pick out the good ones to work on, you'll notice the second or third are particularly sharp vs the first in a burst sometimes, so pay attention when you're culling. Short bursts over long burst for best results. :)
Great to hear John, higher SS and bursts will help for sure. Cheers, Duade
Thanks for the tip, Cheers, Duade
btw, i have gotten more soft shots than i wld like to admit! auto focus is my bane of life, you nailed it, to many camera settings, thanks for summarising
In addition to having to crop too much when taking pictures at too great a distance, I think it's easy to have unrealistic expectations of even the best autofocus systems when trying to focus on a subject that is very small in the frame. I am guilty of this over and over.
I think it will be reassuring to new photographers that experienced and skilled photographers like you still get soft shots.
Thanks for another great video, Duade.
Woody, thanks for your comment and I totally agree with you, it can be a real challenge seeing shots on social media and then wondering why your own shots don't look the same. Hopefully my videos will help people understand what is required to get those types of shots. Cheers, Duade
Mate, I just discovered you yesterday - thanks, UA-cam! OMG… Your content is second to none! Thanks for helping me to be better at what I shoot!
Scott, glad to hear UA-cam suggested the channel, welcome and I hope you enjoy the content. Cheers, Duade
I'm a beginner, and though I have some decent equipment, I'm realizing the fault isn't the equipment, the fault is me. And yet you are so encouraging, reminding us that "We all get soft shots." You obviously have forgotten more about photography than I'll ever know, so I subscribed to your channel, and just thank you for your humility, easy-going way of communicating, and thanks for taking the time to produce this. Soooooo helpful!
Hugh, thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it, great to hear you have an interest in photography and good luck. Cheers, Duade
I recently started bird photography. I owned a Nikon D5000 with 55-200mm and „cheap upgraded“ to a Sony a6000 with a 55-210mm. Mirrorless caught me immediately. And currently I am learning and absorbing all information. Your channel ist just so valuable! No BS, no „they sent me this do I recommend it to you“! You possess great teaching skills and great knowledge. Thank you 🙏
Thanks Pascal, great to hear you are getting into wildlife photography, good luck, Cheers, Duade
@@Duade thank you :3
Good no nonsense, no gimmicky, down to earth content. Thanks
Thanks again for the comment. Cheers, Duade
The best video on this topic that I´ve watched on YOutube
Thank you, you are too kind, I'm glad it was helpful, Cheers, Duade
I’ve watched this so many times. Great teacher and photographer. Thank you
Richard, great to hear that it is helping, Cheers, Duade
I think I enjoy the outtakes as much as the videos themselves.
Thanks Jim, yes, they a worth a laugh as it's a wonder I get through a video at all. Cheers, Duade
A really helpful video to highlight why I sometimes, quite often, get soft shots. Thanks for sharing this.
It is my pleasure, Cheers, Duade
Finally someone who is honest, and says what we all, birding photographers meet every day on the field!!!! As you said, there are limitation of our equipment, So, what do you do when the birds are perched on trees, and as soon as they hear or smell any human they fly away... one other example is when you find a bird in the field and in private spaces, so there is not other option than to get your photos from far away... how can you deal with that ? Thank you for your excellent video. Best from Uruguay!
Daniela, yes it can be very difficult getting close and I have these issues also. I spend a bit of time trying to find locations where I know the birds are used to humans or where I can setup or get closer. Sometimes I just enjoy nature and realise I am never going to get a nice shot. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade hahahah, you got me smiling! Souls of a kind we are :) When I can't find the suitable photos or even birds, cause we have those days where nothing is seen, I concentrate on nature. Breath in deeply and enjoy it. That's why I started with my macro 80mm and the fuji xt 4 an awsome combination, so, when there are no birds? No worries, I find plants, or insects or landscapes ;) I loved your content , it's so honest, pls never change!
Just to add to your heat haze section. There are times I shoot from the car and this week with some very cold mornings I've had the car heater on high with the vent by the steering wheel/door pointing towards the window to keep it from misting. I was wondering why some images were coming out soft, especially if the lens was resting on the door with the window open (engine off) but not poking out too far (ie only the hood or so was poking out). Then I saw, because of how cold it was outside (-5 or something) how much heat distortion was being created near the window. Lightbulb moment :-) Great vid, thanks for creating/sharing.
John, thanks for sharing, I am sure others have experienced the same thing, Cheers, Duade
As a longtime photography who's rather new to birding photography, I now see the errorS of my ways. While a mirrorless body would solve a lot of my issues, I think it is better (and much cheaper) to improve my technique using my 5D Mark IV. Going to start with faster shutter speed, higher f-stop and, most importantly, use the damn tripod/gimbal as God intended. Great video. Thanks, Duade.
Tarik, thanks for your comment and I wish you all the best with your 5d4, try the focus defocus technique as the 5d does at times miss focus for some mysterious reason. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
I’m a Nikon shooter and just purchased a second hand 600mm f/4e fl lens. I have a 500pf and get several real sharp photos with it.Some of the shots I’ve gotten with the 600mm have not really impressed me but some have. You’re video has given me confidence and something I needed to see! Greatly appreciated!
G'day Malcolm, camera shake is the biggest issue with big heavy primes, it can be hard to keep them steady and the IS is not as good as newer lenses. Just try and keep that shutter speed up and the lens as stable as possible. Cheers, Duade 👍
Another consideration is ISO and sensor size.
With BIF shots we're crunched by the exposure triangle: we need fast speeds and stopped-down lenses for a bit of wiggle room via greater DOF. So ISO climbs. But the experts say that every stop more of ISO means a stop less of dynamic range, and that means there's less detail we can recover in post.
It helps to have a low-res full frame sensor here, although sensor signal to noise ratios have been improving over the years. By using APS-C or M43s we get more lens reach but we lose out on light-gathering ability and can't run ISOs as high as we do with FF.
Thanks Ern, that is interesting re the dynamic range and I have noticed that at higher ISO. Yes, BIF is a real challenge at times that is for sure, I don't usually have too many issues with ISO as I only really do BIF in nice light as an overcast sky makes it almost impossible to get nice shots. Cheers, Duade
So many great ideas. Definitely going to try the focus defocus idea.
I use a Canon 80d with a Sigma 120-400. I was certain there was a problem with the lens focus. I determined it was more likely my skill or lack thereof, since one day last fall I shot a moose and the image was unbelievably sharp. It was very sunny, moose was not moving, no need to crop..essentially the best conditions. So I realized then that it was user error causing my soft shots.
One other fix I did recently was buy a Canon 300mm f4 so that if light was low or I was in darker settings my odds of getting a sharp image might increase.
Anyway love your channel and your photography is stunning. Wish we had some of those beautiful bird species here in Eastern Ontario (Canada)!!
Peter, thanks for sharing your experience, good luck with the 300 f4. I am jealous of the ducks and warblers you get over there, hopefully one day I will visit. Cheers, Duade
@@Duade If you do consider coming to Canada (turtle island) you have a guide and I will be happy to take you to some locations in my traditional territory (the lands and waters of the Kichi Sipi) the Ottawa and Gatineau valleys...Moose, Bear, White tailed deer, ducks...ok maybe not as cute as kangaroos and koala bears but we can make it fun for you anyway!!
@@PeterLariviere1 Thanks for the warm offer Peter, sounds like a nice place to visit and great to hear you have a strong connection to the land. Good luck with your photography. Cheers, Duade
Enormously helpful. I've been trying to get into bird photography for 8 months now, and it's like i still treat my camera like it's a Kodak disposable. I'm feeling a lot more confident with these tips
Mick, that is great to hear, good luck with your photography, Cheers, Duade
Nice suggestions
Thanks Partha, Cheers, Duade
Your videos are like archives, every video has lot of information came from your experience. I am glad i found your channel. Thanks for sharing your valuable knowledge.
Thanks Durga, it is my pleasure, Cheers, Duade
GREAT TUTORIAL...I find most of my shots are soft because I didn't have fast enough shutter speed in available light: keep up the great work!
Hurley, yes that is often the case, good luck with your photography. Cheers, Duade
Duade, what an outstanding video! I have been an profession portrait and wedding photographer for al long time, now retired due to a motorcycle accident, I now do birds and landscape photography. Well I never realized that shooting birds with long lens to be such a challenge. I started last year, and I watch’s several video to learn a lot. This week I what some of your video, I have to say over the year I have been dealing and learning most of the points you covered in this video. If I had watch this video last year I would have understand and learn all the tips, because sometimes I just wanted to take my lens and through it away due to frustrations that most images not shard, ( because looking at people with the same lens and camera all there images were super sharp). I find out the calibration fine tuning that was my problem and I corrected it, and corrected other tips like you mention too. By watching your video that confirm all my mistakes I made, and to understand that is was not the lens or the camera. This is a great video to introduce you to bird photography to helps you for all situations that will happen. Love your video workflow. I still love to make some photography after all theses years, a video like yours just encourage us to go outside and shoot more. I have two questions. 1) When using a long lens like 600mm f 4 with the gimbal, should you have the Vibration Reduction “on” or “off” for the bird flying and the bird stationary? 2) Should we have the minimum speed to equal the length of the lens example: 200mm should be not much less than 200s, or the 600mm not less that 600s. ? Without the VR on....
Thanks for you great hard work and great instructional video. Cheers
Michel, thank you for your detailed comment, great to hear your passion for photography is still strong, it really is a cathartic process. In regard to IS I leave mine on as I am too forgetful to switch it on and off and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if leaving IS on has any negative impacts. With SS I do try to keep it above the focal length however this is not always possible and with IBIS/IS you can get sharp shots at slower SS. If I look at the shots I have taken this year my most used SS was 1/640 with the majority between 1/400 and 1/1600. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
Thank you for sharing your very insightful comment, very useful to read
Really enjoyed the video. It is hard work trying to remember it all and not getting so excited seeing a new bird that I forget to get the camera settings right
G'day Paul, don't worry I get excited too and often stuff up the settings, it's all part of the fun😀🤔 Cheers, Duade 👍
Thank you for that, very helpful. And thanks for making me feel better about my shots. Really need to get a bigger lens. I'm I guess an intermediate and I as yet I have been doing a bit of landscape, horse events, community events, steam trains, birds, wildlife and I even have a wedding booked. Every now and again something will grab my interest so I run with that for a bit, learn what I can. I'm guessing I haven't settled on a niche yet but maybe I will just be an allrounder. Really enjoying what I'm learning from you, thank you once again.
Lisa, sounds like a great way to learn and keep things interesting. My wife is often at me to start shooting other things than birds :-) Good luck with the wedding. Cheers, Duade
Haha I’ve been looking at myself wondering why my shots are so blurry. I do definitely get a little baffled when I can’t get a sharp shot. Thanks for the video! Absolutely helpful.
Morse, glad it was helpful, Cheers, Duade
Thank you - I would have liked to have given this video multiple likes! Like many others, I struggle to find the right camera settings or to understand why so many of my images are not as sharp as I would like when all those other UA-camrs seem to take perfect shots all the time. Here in the UK the light is really too poor for 6 months of the year to allow very fast shutter speeds without bumping up the ISO so far that IQ is degraded by noise. Noise contributing to soft images is possibly the one issue not covered by your video. Thank you for showing us your blurred images - at least I know it's not all down to my poor photography skills and happens to the best as well.
Keith, thanks for your detailed comment, yes, you are right about the noise and I should have mentioned that. Take care, Duade
My first time in this channel and I'm overwhelmed (in the positive sense, of course) The subject is so important and the video is so informative and comprehensive. Thanks.
and welcome to the channel, thank you for the feedback and I am happy you found it useful. Cheers, Duade
I live in the Midlands in the UK and bought a Fujifilm 70-300mm lens in October. On the first or second time of trying it out I photographed a robin late in the afternoon using the fully automatic exposure. Superficially the robin booked good, but on pixel peeping the front of the fence that the robin was sat on was in focus and the robin was slightly out of focus. The shutter speed was a bit low, the lens was wide open at f/5.6 and the ISO was low. I changed my approach to put the lens on f/8 to improve the depth of field, raised the shutter speed to 1/1000 to counteract movement and used auto ISO. The camera was put in burst mode, although I prefer a slower burst speed to allow it to maintain the burst for longer.
I am happy with these settings and they work well.
When I was in the woods I saw a squirrel and tried photographing it. The view is the viewfinder was dark because the the ISO limit of 6400 was reached. I took some photographs like this. The squirrel froze and I was able to continually take a burst, lower the shutter speed. In the end I got down to 1/30 s. On looking at the images on a laptop, there were a few excellent images at 1/30s.
In the winter, I only go out to photograph wildlife on sunny days.
The Fujifilm X-E3 gives great images out of the camera, all that I do is reduce the quality of the JPGs in GIMP in order to reduce the reduce the image size and then I email them to friends. I normally shoot RAW + JPG.
It was very disappointing to hear that Lightroom automatically sharpened images, it shouldn't do that because it gives a false impression of your image and it introduces noise.
This was helpful. The outtakes were funny.
Thanks Deb, I'm glad it helped, Cheers, Duade
The best technical analysis of soft images. This level of articulation comes from understanding the fundamentals thoroughly and enormous amount of practice. No wonder this amount of knowledge manifests in the humility of Duade which many people here have observed. Awesome, continue your service Sir.
Thank you, you are too kind, Cheers, Duade
You are doing great favour to many photographers all over the world, thank you for all the knowledge you are sharing!!👍
Hi Duade, the heat haze is due to the temperature difference between the hot source (ground, rock, metal, motor...) and the air that it is much cooler. As the source heats the air, that changes the density of the air, and this change on density implies that the air refracts the light differently, creating that wavy effect.
Thank you very much for the explanation, this makes sense. Cheers, Duade
I was very frustrated with some soft shots for years ! finally took the lens to the shop. The lens image stabiliser needed to be replaced !! cost a bundle to fix !! Expecting to be fixed by the end of this week !! .... looking forward to not be as frustrated !! ;-) thanks for your ideas ! will try some to them !!
Glad to hear they found out what the problem was, good luck when you get the lens back. Cheers, Duade
Duade I have watched several of your videos, I’m continually impressed on the information that you share and how valuable it is. Keep up the good work it’s appreciated.
It is my pleasure, I am glad to hear it was helpful, Cheers, Duade
I'm new to bird photography and have struggled a lot when it comes to getting the perfect shot. This video is very helpful! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Great to hear you are getting into Bird Photography, it is such a wonderful hobby. I'm glad to hear the video helped. Cheers, Duade
Very informative video. I am guilty of getting many out of focus shots. I have a Lumix S5 and my most used lens is the Sigma 150-600 DG DN, and l have seriously thought about sending it all back for calibration. Good to know it's just me lol.
Kelvin, I think all photographers get many soft shots, we just don't see them as we delete them first :-) Good luck with your lens, Cheers, Duade
Great video for a wide spectrum of photographers.
Thanks Kerry, I appreciate it, Cheers, Duade
"It's a real lucky dip"...another classic Australian idiom I never hear in the US. Great content as always, Duade. Thank you!
Trav, made me laugh, it never occurred to me others may never have experienced a lucky dip :-)
Thank you Duade, it is comfort to know that you get soft shots, I am plagued with soft shot!! I have changed to mirrorless now hope to apply your techniques and see how images go and practice taking better pictures. I learnt a lot from your video. cheers.
Varna, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the video, good luck with the mirrorless body. Cheers, Duade
You are such a great teacher! When I used the Sigma 150-600mm with the Canon 80D, I was not getting sharp shots. But I switched the camera and now use the Sony a6100 with the same Sigma lens and I get lot better shots. I shot f8 on both cameras. I think it is the calibration issue. I also think I should try f9 to see if I get even better shots. Thank you for putting together this video!
perhaps the Sony is a better camera :-) But yes calibration is often an issue on DSLR and I believe was likely the cause of issues for many people. Cheers, Duade
Great tutorial video that honestly pointed out the truth of possible mistakes we made during in the field time. Many thanks Duade.
it is my pleasure, glad it was helpful. Cheers, Duade
Thank you I almost got rid of my 7d mark II before switching to back button focus and using the burst method, turned out to be 100 percent user error and not understanding how shallow depth of field can be!
Nickolas, great to hear you have overcome your issues, it can be a real challenge that is for sure. Cheers, Duade
I thought that soft shots were normal, just blaze away with 10 frames a second and fix them in Topaz AI Sharpen. . .works for me anyway . . .hehe Another great video on trying to explain the unexplainable.
Well done again Duade.
Thanks Bruce, sounds like good technique to me :-) Loving that Gang-gang emoji :-)
New to photography only about 7 months in and have already figured when and when not to use my 100-400 here in the uk . Especially hand held much better to take better shots on smaller lens and be happy than average shots on long lens and be annoyed with myself . Loved the video gave me loads more to think about and very well explained too and good to know even the pros don’t get it right every time .
Mark, great to hear you are enjoying photography and you have found the videos helpful. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
One of the best summaries I’ve seen on this topic. Thank you.
Sandra, thank you for your kind words, Cheers, Duade
Nailed it again solid advise, I have spent a small fortune on lenses and cameras only to realise I'd have been better off perfecting my technique oh well don't make the same mistake!
yes, I think many of us have done the same thing, good gear is great, but it helps to know how to use it. Cheers, Duade
Thanks for a very clear picture of whats involved and understanding that even the experts have to work hard to get those perfect shots!
excellent video. half the tips i found out the long hard way, the other half i found out just now by watching this video. thanks for the advice.
Bob, my pleasure, I'm glad the video was helpful. Cheers, Duade
oh man thanks for all tips. you know my soft shots are results of several things: low shutterspeed, shake hands (handheld ef 100-400 version I) and poor light... but i'll try out all you said, by sure. big hugs from central america.
Thanks Bienve, good luck out in the field, Cheers, Duade
Hi Duade, it looks like you watched my Canon R5-400mm field test video and saw exactly what I was doing wrong. Thanks for such a comprehensive guide. It is much appreciated.
Andrew, I am just as guilty as the next photographer, I think the key is trying to understand what is causing it and work on reducing how often it happens. Good luck with your channel and photography. Cheers, Duade
Really happy I stumbled across this video! I have a Canon 600 F4 II and a EOS R and I was so confused as to why I am not getting sharp shots even with shorebirds right in front of me with good light. Thanks to your video, I realised that I completely overlooked stopping down the lens from F4. Really enjoyed the video, seriously one of the best out there on this topic!
Ray, I am happy to hear it helped, shorebirds can be tricky to photograph when they are moving, a high shutter speed and say f7.1-f8 should give you the best shots. Cheers, Duade
Thank you again for a great lesson. You are a superb teacher and photographer. I like it best when you look straight into the camera rather than the two-view setup in this video. Your smiling face is easy to look at. Thank you again,
Great video! I’m so green with the terms and controls or photography, yet familiar with birds and other animal watching for fifty years, add to that the cameras today do so much automatic work for us…. it’s maddening for me to learn.
You used the terms and basics in ways that gives me hope, so thank you. Others ramble with every feature known to professionals, yet their titles imply “how to” as if a beginner was to watch.
I have trouble mostly understanding what I can actually do with the modes, and decision-making for small birds moving often in trees. I’d love to take award winning shots LOL, but I mostly use my 70D for identification.
For example, on “auto” setting, the shutter is usually nice and fast for sunny shots but the focal points are everywhere, picking up branches and stuff, letting the bird be blurry. In “program” or “P”, I can use the center focal point, but the shutter speed os much slower. I need to study but it’s tedious and confusing.
I’ve found that unfortunately a high percentage of photographers are usually terrible teachers, never asking how familiar I am with anything and plowing through with as much data as they can cram into our conversation possible, I suppose to impress themselves.
Thanks for the feedback, try TV mode, you can set the shutter speed nice and high such as 1/800 and have the spot focus point to focus on the bird. The camera should set the aperture and ISO for you. Good luck, Cheers, Duade
Really helpful video! Stopping down on my sigma 150-600 made a huge difference to the sharpness, I always shoot it around f8 now and get much better results... looking forward to the next video!
Great to hear Phil, stopping down does seem to help. Cheers, Duade
I am going to this too! I have been getting so frustrated and originally all I was finding was don’t use a filter, and might need to calibrate the lens. Duade you are So helpful!
Heat haze is a big problem at long focal lengths if you're shooting outdoors in the cold and your camera is warm (e.g., your gear was in a warm car, or you walked outside from a warm house). In this situation, you should try shooting without the lens hood as it tends to trap heat. Once your gear matches the ambient temperature, then you can use the hood again. Also, if you try shooting through an open window where it's warmer inside than outside, you'll have soft images.
Steve, great advice and I completely agree with you, I have encountered haze a few times and it is very frustrating. Cheers, Duade
Shutter speed and aperture are soooooo important!
Fantastic topic. Thanks for sharing your techniques.
Taylor, my pleasure, Cheers, Duade
Very useful video. I’m an Olympus user, which in some respects is very different, but I’ve had many of the same challenges and frustrations and it’s actually a relief to understand that much of that is actually due to user error, as opposed to some hard-to-track-down defect in the equipment.
A couple of weeks ago I was shooting birds from my car at a local wildlife preserve, getting wavery images, and was convinced that something had to be wrong with the camera or lens. I realized only later that it was the heat waves from the car’s engine, magnified by the long lens, that was creating the distortion. Once I shut the engine off, everything was fine.
Thanks for sharing Michael, I am sure many other people have had the same issue, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers, Duade
Excellent video and i agree with all of it. For me you have to be close and you have to have good light. [for small birds]
Yes, light and distance are very important, Cheers, Duade
I do get soft shots quite frequently! Usually because of my focus and my lens. I use an old 70-300mm lens, and even if it doesn't produce very sharp images, with the right lighting, the right position and with the help of your tips, I manage to get very sharp photos from time to time. Thanks for sharing!
Great to hear, I am happy to hear the video has helped, Cheers, Duade
Due to the lockdowns, I accidentally took up bird photography in my town. My means are meager, cropped sensor camera, a simple 70-300 lens and handheld. Very quickly I understood and appreciated this genre of photography. It is totally different to the still landscapes that don’t go anywhere and my long exposures. Of course not knowing much I tried to develop a basic technique and I occasionally get some acceptable shots. I can certainly say that my soft shots are because of me and what I do and there is nothing wrong with my camera. Thank you for the video, it was very informative and comforting to know that even pros with years of experience get soft pictures. 😃
Marieta, thank you for sharing your experience and great to hear you are enjoying birding. Cheers, Duade
Great video I was beginning to think I was the king of soft shots, until I began to to use most of the techniques in your video, and also found that f/8 was the sweet spot on my lens which helped immensely.
Great to hear John, I think we all suffer from soft shots from time to time. Cheers, Duade
Nothing but love and respect for what you do. Thank you!
Thanks Ruuben, I appreciate all my lovely subscribers :-) Cheers, Duade
I often find myself getting blurring images from too much wind or when the light is marginal, say on a over cast winters day. When it is days like this it is best to change tactics from roaming to static with a tripod, but some times the wind is too much and I pack up and have a cup of tea inside!
Angus, yes the wind and a lack of light can make it very difficult, I agree knowing when to pack up is a skill in itself. Cheers, Duade
ALWAYS appreciate your excellent no-nonsense, no-hype videos. All of the elements you describe are things I have to consider when shooting wildlife. I find that good technique helps a lot. I often see people getting into long lens photography, coming from cell phones, who want to hold the camera away from themselves, using the back LCD panel and depending on monumental levels of camera and lens IS to keep their images steady - with fairly predictable results.
In one case, some years ago, I was in Canada in an open reserve and taking images of a pack of wolves. Beside me were two people with the Canon PowerShot super zoom bridge cameras: the SX60HS, with an equivalent FL of 21-1365mm! At those reaches, even allowing for some IS, one has to be on the game as regards technique. These two were using the LCDs at the back and bemoaning the fact that none of their images were sharp. I was shooting with the 7DII, Sigma 150-600, so my EFL range was up to 960mm. They asked me how my images were turning out and were even more disheartened to see mine were pin sharp.
As tactfully as I could, I asked if they had considered using the EVF on their cameras - and they didn't even know that they had one or what it did as they had moved from cell phones! This comes down to not reading the manual or at least getting a walk through video. I explained the correct technique of body position and one got it and used it right away. The other was reluctant and stayed with her original techniques - the results were predictable.
Trevor, thanks for sharing your experience and I agree, it can be very difficult to hold things steady when using the monitor or lcd. Cheers, Duade
Great video as always. Sitting on my screened porch with a cigar, I keep a camera handy. Shots where screen is 90 degrees to light path look fine to me, but any shots at an angle through the screen, the screen makes some sort of diffraction grid and ghosting is horrible. Don't do that anymore. Screens are roughly 1/6 or 1/4 distance from camera to bird (closer to camera).
Thanks for the feedback, I am glad you enjoy them, Cheers, Duade
This video is gonna help me to step forward in my new interest of bird photography. Thank you very much !
That is great to hear, good luck, with your photography, Cheers, Duade
Duade,
Well done. Seems that in the world of Bird Photography we all travel the same road.
Sharp images are the jewel in a bucket of rocks.
With my 7dii and Sigma 120-400 try to live at f8 with prefered shetter speeds of 500+. ISO moves accordingly. Almost always on max burst mode.
In the summer I do most of my shooting from a small boat on a bay or ocean so I'm always moving and so are my subjects. So from the boat I want all the shutter speed I can find at 1/2000 I get comfortable.
Thanks for the vids
Bill
Bill, I love "Sharp images are the jewel in a bucket of rocks." made me laugh, thanks for sharing your experience. I have been on a number of pelagics so I can vouch for how hard it is. Throw in the smell of burley and diesel fumes to the experience and it's a wonder I get any shots at all. :-)
Great vudeo, i get soft shots a lot..i have the 400f5.6 and i always had it at 5.6 until i saw a few of your tips on shooting a few dtops down..now i shoot at f8 and usually get sharp shots..thanks Duade.
Darren, that is great to hear, glad its helping, Cheers, Duade
Really good and honest presentation of basic photographic technique that I am sure will help people and yes i get plenty of soft shots as well...!
Thanks Alec, great to hear I am not the only one. Cheers, Duade
Love your presentation method and the simple way you explain!
Thanks Tyler, I am glad it is helpful, Cheers, Duade
I feel silly adding comments to old videos but I'm going to continue doing it anyway cuz these videos are great. One tip for beginners who are trying to shoot feeders in their backyard, is to never ever shoot through your window. Shooting through your window is equivalent to taking a three-star Michelin meal dropping it on the floor of a movie theater and then wondering why it tastes funny. 🤪
nice tips, I changed the way I photograph and the results are better. Thanks mate!
Pieter, that is great to hear, Cheers, Duade
I do get some soft shots with my 7Dmk2 e/w EF 100-40mm mk 1, but not as many as I was getting with my original 7D (traded in). Still use my EOS 40D with EF 100-400mm on occasion. The 40d actually had much better focus then the original 7D. Most of my out of focus issues today are more operator problems not the camera or lens. I need to keep my shutter speed above 1/400 sec and aperture at f8 or f11 push the ISO to 800 maybe higher. Must do better!! Thanks for the tips.
Fred, thanks for sharing, its funny you mention the 40D as I too do get pretty consistent focus from that camera. Good luck with your photography. Cheers, Duade
Excellent Duane! Thank you for your thorough preparation and educational videos! 🙏
Danny, it is my pleasure, Cheers, Duade
Thanks for sharing... Great video/comments...As a hobbyist I am always willing to learn... Cheers..
Thanks Robert, I am always willing to learn also, great way to improve, Cheers, Duade
Good and honest information without pretensions.
Thanks Jacques, I am glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers, Duade
im always inspired in all your work you do in taking photos of birds ,keep up the good work
Thanks for the feedback David, I appreciate it, Cheers, Duade
So much great information! I sent my 200-600mm back because so many images were soft, but I'll bet it was a combination of shooting too wide open and a bit of heat haze. SMH
Andy, yes there are many factors that impact the IQ and sharpness. I hope whatever lens you are using now is working well for you. Cheers, Duade
I think many of us who, when we capture what we think is a really cool photo, then excitedly take it to Lightroom and gasp in discouragement when we see that it's totally unusable often say to ourselves, "What's wrong with me! I'll never make it as a photographer!!" LOL It's refreshing and reassuring to know that YOU often have taken LOTS of unusable photos of one bird. Thanks so much for this. I will keep on trying with all of your suggestions in mind. :)
Leslie, it is important others know everyone fails, it is these failures that help us improve. Good luck with your photography. Cheers, Duade
Finally, I believe I found a video that covers it all and it was so easy to follow! I've been having some soft images of birds so surely one or two of these will fix my problem. Thanks, great video. You have a new subscriber.
Dennis, that is great to hear, welcome, I'm glad the video helped, Cheers, Duade
Hi there,
seems like no one has explained heat haze as of now? I don't think one would need an explanation for it anyways. But you're pretty much right, it has to do with the temperature difference of/in the air. Note that it's the _difference_ that matters and not absolute temperature.
Temperature changes the density of materials, especially liquids and especially gases like air. This affects how much the air can refract light. In turbulent air, this can be seen very easily. Unfortunately, lakes, rocks, trees, uneven land, basically everything that warms up the air at different speeds inevitably creates such an environment (warm air does rise, after all).
For an even more obvious display of heat haze, take a look at pictures taken of jet engine exhausts. Here, the temperature difference is several hundred °C and the haze is made even worse by having lots of water vapor in the air!
Thanks for sharing the explanation, it probably impacts us more than we know and may explain many soft shots that people experience. Cheers, Duade
Blimey Duade a good topic here even with the Sony A1 I still get soft shots ! In fact its my main concern now even though the shot is in focus ! Motion blur and camera shake are my main areas but it is when you are pushing the limits of your equipment ! Low light ! Sun direction also is tricky ! Anyway keep shooting short bursts ! This is the main reason why I don't shoot one second 30 fps bursts ! Great video Duade ! 👍😍
Thanks mate, great to hear I'm not the only one getting soft shots. I do think birding is one of the most challenging forms of photography on gear and it is a real challenge at times. I guess that's what makes it fun. Cheers, Duade 👍
,As usual Duade another crystal clear tutorial always look forward to viewing - keep them coming ! 👍
Thanks Glenn, I appreciate the feedback, Cheers, Duade
Great walk through of possible sources. One thing I don't think was covered directly, is I always tried to get good tight shallow depth of field with the minimal aperture. You did mention stopping down to improve best lens performance, but I found I ended up getting too shallow depth of field for what I was photographing too in some cases. Just one more reason to make sure you are running f/8.0 or higher in some cases if you have a very close subject and lot of projection into/out of the focal plane. I would get the eye, but the bill or tail feathers would be soft. It looked bad and I improved my focal plane forgiveness for a sharp eye too, just but stopping down aperture one stop...
Thanks Jeff, and a very good point that with long focal length the DOF is often too narrow and causes the tail, feet etc to drop away. Cheers, Duade
Your tutorials are so easy to follow and you
explain experiences in the way we can all relate! Thank you for that 😃
Andy, my pleasure, Cheers, Duade