panning

[alexharrison101]

any tips? i was trying to get some pictures of some (slow-flying) birds the other evening, and failed miserably. i wasn't in focus, i couldn't keep a bird on the screen...they were only pigeons, too!

i've got a canon 1100D, and was using a tamron 70-300 lens, shooting in Tv with a shutter speed of 1/1250 (i think), continuous shooting mode. erm...don't remember if i changed my AF to AI servo, so that probably wasn't helping a lot. i was aiming for one of those 'bird frozen in flight' type things...

in fairness, i am a COMPLETE beginner, and this might have been aiming far too high for my capabilities. i'm better with stationary things(!). i'm guessing it's a case of practice, practice, practice, but any tips or hints are gratefully received!

[littlebro]

You should be shooting in Av and dont go to 300mm or your pictures might be soft, shutter speed need not be high if you keep a firm footing and track the birds round through the viewfinder not the screen.

[alexharrison101]

ok thanks - if i'm in Av, what aperture would you think for an average sunny day? sorry if that's too vague a question, but as i say i'm a complete beginner

[cosmicma]

sorry but i have to disagree with AV
the problem with using AV for birds in flight is the camera will usually expose for the sky leaving the intended target ( the bird in flight ) under exposed you would be better off setting the camera to manual and setting the aperture to F8 and shutter speed as high as you can get away with if you want to freeze the bird in flight
i usually point my camera at something neutral ( a tree for example ) to see what the exposure is at F8 to see what shutter speed i need for correct exposure if it's too low i will adjust the ISO to suite

the most accurate focusing point on your camera is the centre and obviously Ai servo for tracking
it takes a little time to get used to it but you'l get there in the end
seagulls make good practice as they tend to glide against the wind making there flight quite slow

i agree with not having your lens at full zoom and trying more towards 200mm to keep the images sharp

my favourite settings for anything in flight is 1/800th F8 and the lowest ISO i can get away with to keep those settings

good luck...

[alexharrison101]

oh, i meant to say that i'm looking through the viewfinder, not liveview. heck, i can't even switch liveview on (can't figure out which button it is lol).

maybe i'll just stick to static objects for a while

thanks for the tips, i will give it another go once i have the time to get out again. seagulls would be great - i live in landlocked derby unfortunately, although there are a ridiculous number of seagulls on the school yard at lunchtime where i work...they can't resist the stuff the kids chuck on the floor(!).

[Jediboy]

If you're out practising taking photos of birds in flight, it may be worth having a play with exposure compensation.
This may help explain better than I can;

http://mikeatkinson.net/Tutorial-9-P...-in-Flight.htm

[littlebro]

Originally Posted by alexharrison101

oh, i meant to say that i'm looking through the viewfinder, not liveview. heck, i can't even switch liveview on (can't figure out which button it is lol).

Methinks you should have a good read of your manual going by that. lol.

[OldBoy]

Originally Posted by alexharrison101

oh, i meant to say that i'm looking through the viewfinder, not liveview. heck, i can't even switch liveview on (can't figure out which button it is lol).

maybe i'll just stick to static objects for a while

thanks for the tips, i will give it another go once i have the time to get out again. seagulls would be great - i live in landlocked derby unfortunately, although there are a ridiculous number of seagulls on the school yard at lunchtime where i work...they can't resist the stuff the kids chuck on the floor(!).

The lens you are using is slow and F5.6 at the 300mm end, so will affect the time it takes to focus on the subject. If you half press the shutter button it will focus the lens on the bird as it flies past. Keep doing this without taking the shot until you are sure you can keep the focus spot on the bird. After a time it will become second nature then you can press the shutter button to take the shot, but remember to keep panning after you have taken the shot. Here are some images I've taken of Swifts and House Martins in flight. http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/fo...ead.php?t=8974

[jet_kit]

Originally Posted by alexharrison101

maybe i'll just stick to static objects for a while

No, don't do that. Get out and keep shooting. It doesn't matter how many times you mess up, each one will be another step on the learning curve. You will eventually reach that point where you can quickly judge a situation and crack off a winning shot by instinct.

[OldBoy]

Originally Posted by jet_kit

You will eventually reach that point where you can quickly judge a situation and crack off a winning shot by instinct.

You need sunlight to get a winning shot, which has been in short supply over the last five years!