A Few From Todays Outing

Dave

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Here's a few from a trip to the lake today. I tried to get loads of birds in flight but the af on my A100 just couldn't keep up.

Challenging conditions because though the light was great the sun was very low making some horrible shadows.

Anyway, enough excuses. Click for flickr and as always C&C welcome.

1. The ever willing Robin.


2. Incoming goose.


3. Pair of gulls.


4. Flapping swan.


5. Flying mallard.


6. Goose take off.


7. No idea what this is, anyone know?
 
Hey,

Nice shots. Number 3's probably my fave of the bunch - love the symmetry of the two birds.

What were you shooting with btw? A beercan?
 
Thanks.

Yep, Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan.
 
All nice #7 is a Moorhen and the Geese are Canadian and the ''gulls'' are I think Common Terns:D

Ah, cheers for that. If it looks like a gull, flys like a gull and walks like a gull then surely it's a........common tern.:rotfl:
 
Hi Dave,

they all look nice and sharp with great colours, I'd be well pleased with these shots, not easy to do birds in flight and you've done well here.

Mike.
 
Hi Dave,

they all look nice and sharp with great colours, I'd be well pleased with these shots, not easy to do birds in flight and you've done well here.

Mike.

Thanks a lot.

I must have took literally hundreds of shots of birds flying but a mixture of slow AF, slow cards and my gammy hands meant very few came out sharp or in focus.

It's a work in progress and to be fair it's the most keepers I've ever had on an outing so I must be doing something right.
 
Hi,

getting it right with the birds is a big learning curve ;):D

Mike.
You would know and all:rotfl:
Holo is another one "in the Know";)

Dave nice collection:smashin:
I especially like Nos 1 and 3 .. Very well captured (I am hopeless with birds myself .. All sorts ..:rolleyes: )
 
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Hello there


Some very nice shots here Dave, and you caught the action well.

Not on the best screen here.

Hope you don't mind just a couple off tips.

2. Incoming goose. is a great action shot and well caught. Just watch them highlights, they have started to blow out a bit in the under belly of the goose.


3. Pair of gulls. Very well caught, not easy to catch two birds like this.

When faced with this type of shot and 4. Flapping swan. I tend to underexpose by using the exposure bias and take it down a stop or a stop and half.

I think the gulls are black headed gulls, but may be wrong.


5. Flying mallard.:thumbsup: is a top capture.


The last one is a Moorhen.

Looking forward to seeing more from you.


Cheers Holo:smashin::smashin:
 
You would know and all:rotfl:
Holo is another on "in the Know";)

Dave nice collection:smashin:
I especially like Nos 1 and 3 .. Very well captured (I am hopeless with birds myself .. All sorts ..:rolleyes: )

Cheers, as for Holo I'll never take his spot as the bird man but I'll settle for bird man of the midlands one day.:D

Edit:- Cheers Holo and as always, some good tips from the master. I'm slowly improving and getting to know my quarry better. I kept walking away from them after chucking a few pieces of bread then moving round the lake and chucking some more. This ensured a consistent supply of flapping beak owners. Unfortunately my camera skills and auto focus aren't quite up to the level of my cunning.:rotfl:
 
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Lovely shots Dave - especially like the pair of Black headed gulls. Not long purchased my Sony A300 and have been wondering about the beercan. It certainly produces some lovely images. Can I be cheeky and ask if it's particularly heavy (thinking here of hand holding with Rheumatoid Arthritis!), and (being a newbie to photography), how much would you expect to pay for one second-hand?
Many thanks
Marcia
 
Lovely shots Dave - especially like the pair of Black headed gulls. Not long purchased my Sony A300 and have been wondering about the beercan. It certainly produces some lovely images. Can I be cheeky and ask if it's particularly heavy (thinking here of hand holding with Rheumatoid Arthritis!), and (being a newbie to photography), how much would you expect to pay for one second-hand?
Many thanks
Marcia

Thanks Marcia, the beercan is indeed a superb lens.

I wouldn't say it's heavy, The camera and lens feels nicely balanced when shooting with it.

It's all metal construction so is obviously a lot heavier than the kit lens but I very much doubt you'd struggle with it.

As for prices a mint copy could be up to £150 but most tend to sell for around £110 to £130. The best thing to do is trawl ebay as much as possible. Sometimes one will come up on buy it now or as part of an old minolta camera bundle. The old body you can use as a paperweight or throw some film in it and take some snaps then stick the lenses on your Alpha.
 
Thanks Marcia, the beercan is indeed a superb lens.

I wouldn't say it's heavy, The camera and lens feels nicely balanced when shooting with it.

It's all metal construction so is obviously a lot heavier than the kit lens but I very much doubt you'd struggle with it.

As for prices a mint copy could be up to £150 but most tend to sell for around £110 to £130. The best thing to do is trawl ebay as much as possible. Sometimes one will come up on buy it now or as part of an old minolta camera bundle. The old body you can use as a paperweight or throw some film in it and take some snaps then stick the lenses on your Alpha.

Thank you for the quick reply Dave - much appreciated! I will start checking out ebay! :)
Marcia
 
Thank you for the quick reply Dave - much appreciated! I will start checking out ebay! :)
Marcia

One thing to watch for too with ebay is that you are getting the F4 beercan. A lot of people label any old crap as a beercan.

A beercan should look like this.
 
Just noticed a beercan for sale in the classifieds here.

Doesn't look in bad nick either but you'll need the hood with this lens so make sure it's included.
 
Just noticed a beercan for sale in the classifieds here.

Doesn't look in bad nick either but you'll need the hood with this lens so make sure it's included.

Thank you for the heads up Dave! But I will have to pass on this one at the moment. But with images like yours the 70 - 210 f4 beercan will definitely be going on my birthday present list!! Thank you for all the advice
Marcia
 

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