When snowy owls are hunting, sometimes they strike their prey from the lowest possible angle. It's amazing to see. They glide a couple of inches above the snow before striking. The only way to take several in-focus frames of this is to use AI servo (Canon) or predictive focus tracking (Nikon). It was much easier to obtain sharp pictures with female snowys because they have more black markings in their feathers than the almost totally white males. This contrast helps the AF lock onto the subject faster and more accurately. This is uncropped, and my focal length here was 400mm.
4 Comments
Feb 19, 2016, 2:53:19 PM
Jim - Hi Bob,
Thanks for the compliment. Yes, everyone got similarly striking images. We have many, many opportunities, and even though this photography can only be called extreme (white on white, fast motion, cold conditions, etc.) each of the participants were thrilled with their pictures.
Feb 19, 2016, 2:50:17 PM
Bob Turner - All your Snowy images posted are great. I especially like this one close to the ground. Have your workshop clients been able to capture these images.
Feb 19, 2016, 8:19:57 AM
Jim - Thank you, Bob. Yes, the thumb should stay depressed on the back button as the bird is flying. That tells the camera to continually track it. I haven't used the new 100-400mm with a 1.4 yet because I'm using it on a cropped sensor -- the 7D Mark II. This gives me a 1.6x magnification and for the snowys I didn't need more. There is a huge difference between the old 100-400mm and the new one. I strongly recommend getting the new one. It's one the best lenses Canon has ever made in my opinion.
Feb 19, 2016, 12:17:50 AM
Bob Vestal - Another great shot, Jim. Such magnificent birds! Am I correct that thumb should stay pressed on the back button focus button even though AI servo (or Nikon equivalent) is running? Also, any experience with using the 1.4x converter with the 100-400 mm lens? If so, what do you think about speed of autofocus and image quality? I am thinking about replacing the earlier version of that lens.
Bob