Grey Heron and some reflections on OMD E-M1 + Pana 100-300

BirdPhotographers.net

Help Support BirdPhotographers.net:

Stan Bax

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2015
Messages
20
Location
Warsaw, Poland
2015_05_15_KK-3.jpg

Hello !

This post is rather verbose, as it's my first one here. Will cut down in later posts :w3

As I mentioned in my introduction, I've decided to to try BIF photography with the micro4/3 OMD E–M1 (firmware 3.0) and a Panasonic 100-300 f/4-5.6 lens.
The beginning is not very encouraging, but honestly I didn't really expect this combo to be equal to my (sold) 5DIII and say a 500 mm lens ;)
So far: Out of ca. 700 images I have around 4 keepers, this being the best one (my rating 3/5).

So far I've come to the following conclusions:
- the user has little experience with BIF.
- the lens is soft @ 300 up to f/7.1, even when focusing on stationary objects.
- focusing is a huge challenge, IMHO even this image is OOF although the bird filled a large part of the camera, I use back-button focus.
- the best mode is S-AF with manual; absolutely no keepers with C-AF (C-AF is equivalent of AI servo on Canon)

Thanks for all and any critique, as this is my first ever public BIF, so I know I have a lot to learn !

Stan

=================
Image data as per instructions for this forum:

Thought Process
- Were you creating a Portrait?: No, just trying to shoot some BIFs flying around a river...
- An Environmental Image etc.: Not especially, no.
- What obstacles did you face in creating your image?: Sudden start of bird from bush approx 100 ft. away
- Location: River bank
- If an animal, what species? Was your subject captive? Did you attract your subject or subjects into photographic range with food, water, audio, or any other means?: Grey Heron, not captive, not attracted.
- Was your image significantly altered by adding or removing elements of the composition post shutter?: No, just cropping.
- Time of day, weather conditions etc: Taken at 8 a.m. - I was actually on my way back home, sun from back right


Capture
- Camera Type and Model: OMD E-M1, crop equiv. 2x
- Lens Focal Length and Model: Panasonic 100-300 f/4-5.6 @ 300mm
- ISO, Metering Mode, Exposure Mode: 800, Manual
- Exposure Compensation (if used): 0.0
- Shutter Speed, Aperture: 1/1000, f/4.97
- Focus Mode: S-AF w/manual
- Tripod, Tripod Head: No
- Flash, Flash Settings: No

Post Processing
- Crop: Yes, 1/3 of image in front of bird removed
- USM:
- Levels/Curves: See below
- Noise Reduction: See below, could possibly sharpen bird itself and blur background (mask), otherwise it lookes like the BG noise has been sharpened - what do you think ?
- Cloning or other modification: No

==== For those interested in all deatails - I process in LR 5.7

Detailed PP:
- Treatment: Colour
- WB mode: As shot
- Temp: 6050
- Tint: +15
- Exposure: 0
- Contrast: -7

- Highlights: 0
- Shadows: 0
- Whites: 0
- Blacks: 0

Clarity: -10
Vibrance: +2
Saturation: 0

Tone Curve
Highlights: 0
Lights: 0
Darks: -29
Shadows: 0
Point curve: Linear

HSL
Hue: No change from 0
Saturation: No change from 0
Luminance: No change from 0

Split toning
- Highlights
- - Hue: 0
- - Saturation: 0
- - Balance: Middle
- Shadows
- - Hue: 0
- - Saturation: 0

Detail
Sharpening
- Amount: 24
- Radius: 1
- Detail: 41
- masking: 0

Noise reduction
- Luminance: 15
- Detail: 50
- Contrast: 37
- Colour: 25
- Detail: 50
- Smoothness: 50

Lens corrections
- Basic
- - enable profile corrections: On , but no profile for this lens
- - remove CA: On

Effects
- Post crop vignetting: No change
- Grain: No change

Camera calibration
- Process: 2012 (current)
- Profile: Adobe standard
 
This about sums up my experience with the 100-300 (on my E-M5 or GX7): a decent lens but not brilliant at the full 300. I have experimented a bit with reducing to between 220 and 250m and cropping and it seems slightly better.
The other issue is, of course, the AF tracking and although the E-M1 is supposed to be better than most of the micro-fourthirds bodies I am guessing the internal weight of the 100-300 is an issue here as well.

I am finding out if there is a way to trial the 40-150 f2.8 because that seems to be essential for any hope for decent focus tracking. Until the 300mm f4 comes along, that is...
 
I was considering the 40-150 + 1.4x extender myself, but I'm worried that I'll invest a lot of money to small effect, and get 420 FOV equivalent at best.
The tracking for slow moving @ 200 is ok, but even gulls are a huge challenge, yesterday had a gull filling 50% of the viewfinder - tracked it in VF for approx 10-12seconds - no focus :(

Maybe just better to go back to Canon and get a 7DII (or used 1DIV) + 400 f/5,6 for starters ?

Oh well...
 
Hi Stan,

Good to see you here, and nice to see a detailed post.

This image is so soft as to be a delete on the first round, unfortunately. No processing can fix a soft image.

I'm reading in haste here, about ready to run out on a trip, but this equipment is not up to the task of BIF, as you have demonstrated. I was shooting with a friend the other day who recently got the same rig and I think she had about the same results as you did.

The 7D2 and the 100-400 II, + a 1.4X, if in your budget, is a decent rig for large birds or those you can get close enough to. The 1D4 would possibly be an alternative -- I have no experience to compare it to the 7D2 but others here do.

Even better would be a 500 or 600, if budget isn't a consideration. And of course the 1DX is in a class of its own.
 
Last edited:
Just raced thru your settings -- why negative Clarity? I would never use that except for an "artistic" effect, and I don't like it even for that. There are better ways in PS to soften an image.
 
The clarity: it's :e3 most likely carelessness on my part...

..frankly being tired at that time & seeing the image was so bad I skimped on the PP, and just left it alone (didn't even bother to sharpen the bird, and smooth the BG).
 
Hello Stan and welcome to the forum. My experience into birding was exactly the same as your own, EM1 and 100-300, and my results about the same. I very quickly realised that if I were to succeed with BIF then I had to change my whole outfit. I had hopes that the long promised Olympus 300 + 1.4x extender would solve the problem but I still have doubts about the tracking ability of the Mu 4/3 bodies. Diane has given you some good advice on equipment. I am now using the Canon 7D Mk 2 and Canon 100-400 Mk 2 with a 1.4x extender Mk 2 and am very pleased with the results I am getting. It is a very steep learning curve but you will get some great advice on this forum. Good luck in your future endeavors.

David
 

Latest posts

Back
Top