May 19, 9:00 PM Photography
When we returned home from our birding outing and I began reviewing the photos I quickly realized that there was a problem with most of the photos I took of the two Cooper's Hawks. Most of the images showed the bird to be out of focus as the camera was focusing in on branches that were in the foreground. I thought I had the camera set to focus on just the center point rather than the whole picture.
A review of the camera manual this evening revealed that although I had the focus set properly I also needed to change the exposure setting to "P" (for program setting). I have never done this! I'm surprised I have as many good photos as I have.
I tested this indoors by aiming the center point at some books about 8 feet away while most of the image consisted of stuff on my desk that was only 2 feet away. When I looked at the image on my computer screen, the books were in focus and the nearby stuff was blurry. I am now eager to see what happens when I am next in the field.
May 8, 10:30 am Photography
I then drove over to the camera shop and purchased the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 USM telephoto lens. I then added a separate monopod mount (so I would be able to simply clip the lens on and off the monopod) and a UV filter (to protect the lens). I also added an extra 2-year maintenance warranty. This is the first expensive lens that I have bought and I want to feel confident at the outset that I am covered if anything goes wrong.
Now to find some birds.
May 7, 4:00 PM Photography
I visited the camera store and tested both the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM telephoto lens as well as the Canon EF 2X II Telephoto Extender. I was very impressed with the lens but not with the use of the extender. The extender prevents the autofocus from working and the increased power makes holding it without shaking very difficult. Plus the price is a bit steep.
I think the lens will permit me to have better photos of birds in flight as the telephoto is stronger than my 70 - 300 mm lens. It will also be better for small birds (e.g. warblers) as it will enlarge the image. The increased power should give me a better image of waterfowl, which are often too far away for a good image. And the increased power should give me some good close-up head-shots when the bird is close.
I will return to the store tomorrow morning and make the purchase.