I am just not catching on.

[Derrel]

1/2000 second is a VERY fast shutter speed for any bird that's not a raptor in a dive...especially at any distance... 1/2000 is KILLING you,man!!!

Do you have a cheapish UV or clear protective filter on the front of the lens? If so, take it OFF and leave it at home. In a drawer.

You really need to get the ISO lower. Try speeds like 1/640 to 1/800, and let the ISO come down a bit! 2,000 ISO is really NOT the best way to get a quality image.

 

[Tony S]

Skip the long lens and go with a better quality and faster 70-200 2.8 lens, and carry a 1.4TC with you for a little more reach. In Costa Rica you will have plenty of opportunity to get close to birds and wildlife. The only time there that I wished I had the long lens was with parrots flying above the tree tops.

Just don't spend all your time looking in the trees, something might sneak up on you...

 

[ronlane]

1/2000 second is a VERY fast shutter speed for any bird that's not a raptor in a dive...especially at any distance... 1/2000 is KILLING you,man!!!

Do you have a cheapish UV or clear protective filter on the front of the lens? If so, take it OFF and leave it at home. In a drawer.

You really need to get the ISO lower. Try speeds like 1/640 to 1/800, and let the ISO come down a bit! 2,000 ISO is really NOT the best way to get a quality image.

Agree with this. I would also add a suggestion of putting it in Shutter priority and setting it at those settings and letting the camera set the exposure.

 

[Jetmugg]

My limited experience - if you shoot in manual, but leave ISO in auto, you will cause yourself more headaches than you will relieve. The problem in that situation is that as you make a shutter or aperture adjustment, the camera will adjust ISO settings to "out-think" the adjustments you are trying to make.

Steve.

 

[Braineack]

My limited experience - if you shoot in manual, but leave ISO in auto, you will cause yourself more headaches than you will relieve. The problem in that situation is that as you make a shutter or aperture adjustment, the camera will adjust ISO settings to "out-think" the adjustments you are trying to make.

Steve.

I prefer this instead of the camera setting your s&a based on the iso you pick.

 

[Jetmugg]

How about fixing the ISO, then manually adjusting aperture & shutter speed (leaving ISO as a constant)?

 

[Braineack]

How about fixing the ISO, then manually adjusting aperture & shutter speed (leaving ISO as a constant)?

nah.

 

[Tyguy35]

Thanks guys I re adjusted my settings and believe I may almost have it with a bit of practice my shots are little dark but the meter is a perfect mountain. I will post a photo I took today

 

[kathyt]

View attachment 66355I may have worded it I get it I am just not getting results. I only ever shoot on single autofocus point. I am going to go to the conservation area tomorrow morning and trying using auto ISO with Manuel if I can't get that I think I will try it with shutter then aperture mode. If I can't figure it out by then I'm a lost cause haha. Here is one of my best photos this one is shopped a tad on a cheaper internet program I don't have the original on my phone it's on my girlfriends computer two hours away.

this photo is probably the only photo my exposure came out perfect. 2000 speed and 2000iso f5.6

Yeah, I am not quite sure why with the amount of light here that you would need an ISO of 2000? I set my own ISO. I do not allow my camera to choose for me. That is just my way of doing things. Also, you might try different metering modes depending on what you are up against lighting wise. You might be able to get away with a lower ISO, and faster shutter speed that way.

 

[Tyguy35]

View attachment 66355I may have worded it I get it I am just not getting results. I only ever shoot on single autofocus point. I am going to go to the conservation area tomorrow morning and trying using auto ISO with Manuel if I can't get that I think I will try it with shutter then aperture mode. If I can't figure it out by then I'm a lost cause haha. Here is one of my best photos this one is shopped a tad on a cheaper internet program I don't have the original on my phone it's on my girlfriends computer two hours away.

this photo is probably the only photo my exposure came out perfect. 2000 speed and 2000iso f5.6

Yeah, I am not quite sure why with the amount of light here that you would need an ISO of 2000? I set my own ISO. I do not allow my camera to choose for me. That is just my way of doing things. Also, you might try different metering modes depending on what you are up against lighting wise. You might be able to get away with a lower ISO, and faster shutter speed that way.

It may look like alot of light but It was extremely cloud covered from a storm that was coming.

 

[Tyguy35]

Skip the long lens and go with a better quality and faster 70-200 2.8 lens, and carry a 1.4TC with you for a little more reach. In Costa Rica you will have plenty of opportunity to get close to birds and wildlife. The only time there that I wished I had the long lens was with parrots flying above the tree tops.

Just don't spend all your time looking in the trees, something might sneak up on you...

I really hope I see that, I love that picture

 

[sk66]

I may have worded it I get it I am just not getting results. I only ever shoot on single autofocus point.

Single point/single servo for birds in flight? That won't work well. I use AF-S dynamic 9 or 21 point most of the time.

I also use A priority with minimum SS set and auto ISO (max ISO limit set). Set this way the camera will first reduce the SS until it reaches my set limit, and then it will increase the ISO above it's base setting until it reaches my set limit, and then it will reduce SS below my minimum setting (unless I change something). I typically use spot metering, but if things are a bit more difficult I'll switch to CW metering. I don't use matrix metering because the birds are often pretty small in the frame.

 

[Coasty]

Skip the long lens and go with a better quality and faster 70-200 2.8 lens, and carry a 1.4TC with you for a little more reach. In Costa Rica you will have plenty of opportunity to get close to birds and wildlife. The only time there that I wished I had the long lens was with parrots flying above the tree tops.

Just don't spend all your time looking in the trees, something might sneak up on you...

Crocagators are scary, but there are a lot more of these out there.

 

[grafxman]

After trying a variety of methods I now use manual, set the aperture and shutter based on the lens and shooting conditions then let let the camera select the ISO. It's almost like having a fully automatic camera. I don't have to drive myself crazy trying to keep a needle centered by twisting various controls about while looking through the eyepiece. Since I often take a large number of photos that procedure works great for me. It allows me to focus my attention on the picture and not get distracted by camera settings.

 

[Gavjenks]

Yeah, I am not quite sure why with the amount of light here that you would need an ISO of 2000?

The exposure looked good, and added up to 3 stops darker than sunny 16, suggesting actually a very dim environment. Like "oh crap it's about to start pouring down rain" dim.