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Canon 5d mk3 settings for best use 100-400 l


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Again Good morning ...

 

I went ahead & bought Canon 100-400 L with UV filter.

 

After reading the relevant sections from Canon MK3 handbook ….being more perplexed after reading it... I would seek advice for field tested,, best settings eg focus field...for use with 100-400 L lens.

 

I'm already trying and enjoying lens but what of  those with far better experience than I amongst Alamy photographers.

 

I appear to be settling down for good dose of flu...my family says man flu...so plenty of time to read.

 

PS I am not intending it for sports...but Nature, maritime, travel work.

 

Thanks to all

 

Best regards

 

Sparks!

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No experience with Canon, but when I had the Nikon 80-400, it was too heavy for me to hand-hold steady. I did manage a few hand-held but with a high shutter speed only. I usually shot it on a monopod. If you ever shoot from your car, make a homemade bean bag that you can place on the rolled down window. Great for steadying. My 100-400 Fuji lens and X-T2 combo is enough lighter that I can hand-hold it, but if I’m quietly sitting at the ready With the camera close to my face while waiting for something to show up, hand-holding is tiresome.

 

You want a minimum of 250 shutter speed for birds on a branch. At that shutter speed, you can get decent shots, maybe 50% or more keepers from a quiet bird. The more active they are, the higher shutter speed required. Always go for the highest shutter speed you can. But realize if you want to separate a bird or animal from the background, slower is better.
I always know that when I shoot birds, to take many shots because of the low % of keepers.  Birds do tend to turn their heads just as you depress the shutter, or suddenly fly, giving you a good blurry shot of their tail feathers or the branch where they were. 
I love shooting birds.

Betty

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Betty

 

thank you very much for your advice....I agree with your comments ref birds as I try lens out shooting back garden from kitchen door....the sooner I am outside the better....but already very happy with lens performance...

 

Best regards

 

Sparks!

 

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When I shot birds a lot, like your tries, mine wasn’t from the back door but I did set up on the back patio. I actually prefer the slower shutter speeds for birds because of the separation. I liked those soft, blurry green backgrounds. But you can shoot 100 times and you’re lucky to get a handful of usable images. But those often can be very very nice.

If you have very good opportunity, like attracting a lot of varied birds to your yard through feeders, you can try slow shutter speeds. But if you’re only going to get an occasional shot from rare opportunities, use the higher speeds. I had a couple of bird feeders near a tree I planted just for birds to land in before diving to the feeders. I took very few feeder shots, preferring them in trees.

It comes down to what you like to do.  I was willing to shoot a lot for the few good ones. Yet it can be demoralizing when you see a bird doing something special, and the resulting image is blurry. I had a few failures because I couldn’t stand to toss some of those.

I’ve since learned my lesson. Be brutal.

The long lens is nice in the countryside, too. You can sometimes fill most of the frame with a farmhouse or barn from the road. I’ve used it for landscapes, because it compresses mid ground and distance beautifully. You’ll want to stop down some for those, f8 or so.  I’ve even taken flower and plant pictures with mine. Wide open the best.

I hope you recover from the flu, Sparks. I just got my flu shot a few days ago.

Edited by Betty LaRue
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I've no experience with the 100 - 400, but I do have a 70 - 200 which I sometimes use with a Canon Doubler, which extends it out to 400. Something I have found very useful is a monopod,  which does provide  extra stability and gives you more keepers, than with a hand held  rig,  Takes most of the weight off you too! 

Edited by John Gaffen
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No experience with the Canon either, but a heavy Sigma telephoto lens.

I agree with all the above, if you do happen to think about buying a tripod, I would recommend getting one that can double up as a monopod. 

Off these you can disassemble one leg and use that one as monopod, in case you do not need the entire tripod. 

 

I generally switch off the Image Stabilizer (IS/OS) when on tripod, as the stabilizer adds a slight blur when the lens is not handheld. 

 

As Betty I also use for flowers and also portraits to separate from background: 

this one had enough light for  f3.2, 1/800s, 100ISO

Red Papaver Orientale (oriental poppy) Stock Photo

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