Some Wetland Birds

[TJMcG125 8]

I was at a local nature area wetland the other day, and used pre-release capture to get some songbird pictures. Unfortunately, I don't have one of those $6000 Sonys, and I was limited to JPEGs by my Nikon. I never really realized how much I dislike trying to edit JPEGS, having shot raw files for so long...

 

[24megapixseal74]

Looks great to me!

 

[TJMcG125 8]

Looks great to me!

Thanks, I appreciate that, but I just can't get the control over tones that I get from raw files.

 

[cgw129 154]

Redwings haven't booked flights to S. Ontario yet.

 

[DanOstergren]

Thanks, I appreciate that, but I just can't get the control over tones that I get from raw files.

Why aren't you able to shoot in raw format? I thought the Z8 was capable of that.

What is that last bird called? I've seen a very similar looking one at my window feeder before, but only once.

 

[Jeff1560 60]

Some very nice shots ....

 

[smoke665]

@TJMcG I'd call these pretty darn good. Always wanted 600mm but couldn't justify it no more than I'd use it. What is it you think you're missing on tones?

 

[TJMcG125 8]

Why aren't you able to shoot in raw format? I thought the Z8 was capable of that.

What is that last bird called? I've seen a very similar looking one at my window feeder before, but only once.

I was using Pre-release Capture, and at this time, Nikon has no camera that can shoot those in raw. Sony and Canon do, I guess, and the rumor is that there is an upcoming Z9 Mk II that will have the capability. In the future, I will have to be more careful with my exposures using that feature.

The last bird is a Red Shafted Northern Flicker. It's a very common woodpecker in North America. They have some very colorful yellow feathers that you don't see until they fly.

 

[TJMcG125 8]

@TJMcG I'd call these pretty darn good. Always wanted 600mm but couldn't justify it no more than I'd use it. What is it you think you're missing on tones?

The Z 180-600 is a great lens for a good price point. It was in very short supply when first introduced, and everyone was clamoring to get one. I had one on order with a camera store in Tempe when someone on Reddit posted that he had gotten one, and cancelled his order from a store in Cali. after being notified that they had two. I called and bought one. The same day, the Tempe store called and said they had some and I was next on the list.

I had forgotten that these were JPEG. When you set the Pre-release capture, the camera defaults to JPEG, and when I took one to edit I noticed immediately that when I try to bring up shadows, the image started to break down almost immediately. Highlights blow out much too easily when trying to brighten midtones. There is just not enough latitude there to get the adjustments that I like to make.

 

[smoke665]

had forgotten that these were JPEG. When you set the Pre-release capture, the camera defaults to JPEG, and when I took one to edit I noticed immediately that when I try to bring up shadows, the image started to break down almost immediately. Highlights blow out much too easily when trying to brighten midtones. There is just not enough latitude there to get the adjustments that I like to make.

I'll admit I'm not a bird shooter (unless it's upland game ) but that last one is great. After having used the pre-release, do you think the 1 second buffer outweighs the disadvantage of being limited to JPEG? Also, with Pre-release JPEGs, can you use in camera DR enhancements like highlight/shadow control to overcome some of the issues you encountered?

 

[TJMcG125 8]

I'll admit I'm not a bird shooter (unless it's upland game ) but that last one is great. After having used the pre-release, do you think the 1 second buffer outweighs the disadvantage of being limited to JPEG?

I don't know. First of all, 1 second is way too long, I think I have it set to 1/3 sec, but the problem is being forced to 8-bit. I have to experiment with picture controls and exposure to get the most out of the JPEGS. If I understand it correctly, setting the camera to RAW+JPEG defaults to JPEG for the pre-release, then reverts to raw for the remainder of the burst, so it's kind of a mixed bag. I usually set the camera on RAW-only these days, but for birds, I will have to change my approach.

Also, with Pre-release JPEGs, can you use in camera DR enhancements like highlight/shadow control to overcome some of the issues you encountered?

There are some options, and I have to explore them. I don't see myself spending more money on an extravagantly expensive new camera, so I will have to find a compromise.