Anyone tried the D7D on lens longer the 400mm?

[CYRN]

Hi,

As above, anyone here tried the D7D on long lens for birding? Birds in flight actually... Is it sensitive enough to compansate for such long lens movement?

Thinking if it is possible to save on the IS/VR lens by using AS?

Also, what's the "settling" time for the AS to stabilised?

Pls share your pics or links.

thanks

 

[Drudkh]

Hi CYRN,

Most of us here owns either 200mm or 300mm with TC but so far I've not seen anyone posting photos of birds in flight. Deslim27 owns the 50-500, neither have I seen him posting birds in flight shots as well.

I just did a little search in the more popular forum in DPReview and found this. These are big birds though and shot with the 80-200 f/2.8 G. There are more here.

Some more here, here and here.

 

[CYRN]

thanks.. yep.. did my search in dpreview too.. didn't see long lens users, that's why I ask here.

 

[tokrot]

Hi,

As above, anyone here tried the D7D on long lens for birding? Birds in flight actually... Is it sensitive enough to compansate for such long lens movement?

Thinking if it is possible to save on the IS/VR lens by using AS?

Also, what's the "settling" time for the AS to stabilised?

Pls share your pics or links.

thanks

Matt Chan in dpreview forum. He using 500mm to 1000mm probably coupled with some TCs. I saw some eagle shots but though not in flight.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1035&message=12728653

 

[deslim27]

Deslim27 owns the 50-500, neither have I seen him posting birds in flight shots as well.

Don, the 50-500 definitely can work.. Just 2 problem.. 1) My skill, 2) Must have birds flying around to shoot .. ;p :bsmilie:

 

[tbteng]

Don, the 50-500 definitely can work.. Just 2 problem.. 1) My skill, 2) Must have birds flying around to shoot .. ;p :bsmilie:

Hi deslim27, How much did you pay for the 50-500 Sigma? Since Minolta mount is hard to find in Singapore, did you order them from Sigma direct?? ;p

 

[deslim27]

Hi deslim27, How much did you pay for the 50-500 Sigma? Since Minolta mount is hard to find in Singapore, did you order them from Sigma direct?? ;p

I bought from John 3:16. Interested? I'm selling now.. check BS forum for my ID :bsmilie:

 

[tbteng]

I bought from John 3:16. Interested? I'm selling now.. check BS forum for my ID :bsmilie:

Hi Deslim27,

I'm a Minolta supporter but I did not plunge into a D7D. And hence I won't be able to use this lense. I'm still using my A1 though (Bought when it was first launched). I take nature shots but always feel that 200mm is not close enough. Eventually will but have not upgrade to a DSLR yet.

As Minolta has limited lense offereings, I am still evaluating the options and possibility of moving to a 20D or D7D. ;p

 

[TME]

Hi Deslim27,

I'm a Minolta supporter but I did not plunge into a D7D. And hence I won't be able to use this lense. I'm still using my A1 though (Bought when it was first launched). I take nature shots but always feel that 200mm is not close enough. Eventually will but have not upgrade to a DSLR yet.

As Minolta has limited lense offereings, I am still evaluating the options and possibility of moving to a 20D or D7D. ;p

??? Limited? Well u've got 11mm to >500mm now... I think that pretty much covers the entire 35mm focal range already... and there are lots of specialty lenses out there... u seem to like macro work, I think you should check with some of the macro people here like Magnus, Sulhan, Drudkh... I don't think they feel that the lens selection for the 7D is limited... I certainly don't feel so... I only feel rather sian that I can't buy more and the better lens from Minolta cos they are so expensive although very decent 3rd party alternatives are readily available... ;p

 

[Flare]

Hi,
Also, what's the "settling" time for the AS to stabilised?

Well, think I can answer this. Unlike other image stabalisers, AS works on a CCD shift system. And it does not engage until you trip shutter, and the gyroscopes and smooth-impact motors will do the adjustment in 'realtime'. Thus in a sense, it does not has a settling time like optical stabaliser, where you need to wait for the shifting element to slow down and settle.

But the con is that you don't get a stabalised viewfinder. But gauging of the amount of shake and efficiency of the stabalisation can be made by a viewing the camera shake bar in the viewfinder which informs you how much the camera is shaking, instead of viewing how stable the image in the viewfinder is as on optically stabalised systems.

 

[CYRN]

Don, the 50-500 definitely can work.. Just 2 problem.. 1) My skill, 2) Must have birds flying around to shoot .. ;p :bsmilie:

Hi deslim27, do you have any panning pics using the 500 end... I'm interested in it... better still if it's 500mm + 1.4x TC ;p

 

[CYRN]

Well, think I can answer this. Unlike other image stabalisers, AS works on a CCD shift system. And it does not engage until you trip shutter, and the gyroscopes and smooth-impact motors will do the adjustment in 'realtime'. Thus in a sense, it does not has a settling time like optical stabaliser, where you need to wait for the shifting element to slow down and settle.

But the con is that you don't get a stabalised viewfinder. But gauging of the amount of shake and efficiency of the stabalisation can be made by a viewing the camera shake bar in the viewfinder which informs you how much the camera is shaking, instead of viewing how stable the image in the viewfinder is as on optically stabalised systems.

hi flare,

As with all such "gyro" stabilised system there is a (response) settling time... a few decades ago, it takes hours for a gyro to stabilise... today, depending of it's accuracy, it takes millisecs to minutes.

I'm asking this question because, in birding, unexpected opportunities may appear. And for that instant, you'll barely have time to bring the cam to your eyes, much less getting a focus lock and let the stabiliser settle.

A "killer" test is to try to take a handheld panning shot with long lens >=200mm without prefocusing or "half-press". I'm not sure if the grip sensor on KM cam activates the stabiliser, if so, this function have to be disabled too.... basically, while panning halfway, just press the the shutter all the way at 1 go.

 

[Flare]

Ah... yes you got a point, okay, actually you don't need the killer test, although it may be more accurate. I just look at the shake meter, I believe it works on the same gyroscope as the one providing feedback to the AS motors. It takes about 2 seconds for the meter to stabilise 2 seconds after I stop moving.

Anyway, hee, i don't see why you don't halfpress when doing the ultimate test. Half pressing doesn't activates the AS (you can feel the AS).

 

[TME]

hi flare,

As with all such "gyro" stabilised system there is a (response) settling time... a few decades ago, it takes hours for a gyro to stabilise... today, depending of it's accuracy, it takes millisecs to minutes.

I'm asking this question because, in birding, unexpected opportunities may appear. And for that instant, you'll barely have time to bring the cam to your eyes, much less getting a focus lock and let the stabiliser settle.

A "killer" test is to try to take a handheld panning shot with long lens >=200mm without prefocusing or "half-press". I'm not sure if the grip sensor on KM cam activates the stabiliser, if so, this function have to be disabled too.... basically, while panning halfway, just press the the shutter all the way at 1 go.

The AS system is meant to be an aid, not a direct replacement for good ambush technique.... so it is meant to kick when you have already pre-focussed and are tracking... if you refer to sudden whipping up of camera to focus on a fast moving bird, then I dun think there's any system on the comsumer market that can do that kind of tracking.... perhaps short of missle tracking system...

 

[CYRN]

The AS system is meant to be an aid, not a direct replacement for good ambush technique.... so it is meant to kick when you have already pre-focussed and are tracking... if you refer to sudden whipping up of camera to focus on a fast moving bird, then I dun think there's any system on the comsumer market that can do that kind of tracking.... perhaps short of missle tracking system...

yeah, I know... my bad. cuz I everything also want to shoot.

I'm checking on the response time of the AS is because, when I go briding... I normally face with this situation:

A perched bird suddenly takes off... if you use a long lens to follow the bird from stationary to it's flight, a slow response stabilisation system WILL give you blur pics similar to handshake.. cus it has yet to compansate for the sudden movement... I'm not sure about current technology... but if I remember my theories correctly, such stabilisation system have a feedback control loop which will oscillate minutely before stabilising and since the oscillation are quite fast... you might need much more than 1/focal length to get an acceptable sharp pic.

D7D users might not notice it... but you might like to try those satbilised lens to see the effects of such sudden movement... in particular for myself is my 28-135 IS as comapred to 70-200 IS... it's a world of difference in the stabilisation reaction.

 

[sulhan]

At least from my experience....

This shot taken with 200mm + 2x telelconverter still usable....
TV: 1/160 sec
Av: f9

rgds,
sulhan

 

[Magnus Wedberg]

At least from my experience....

This shot taken with 200mm + 2x telelconverter still usable....
TV: 1/160 sec
Av: f9

That's a great shot. Wish I'd taken it. :thumbsup:

 

[Drudkh]

At least from my experience....

This shot taken with 200mm + 2x telelconverter still usable....
TV: 1/160 sec
Av: f9

rgds,
sulhan

Cool! Nice to see you shooting in action again! :thumbsup:

 

[CYRN]

At least from my experience....

This shot taken with 200mm + 2x telelconverter still usable....
TV: 1/160 sec
Av: f9

rgds,
sulhan

Hi,

Thanks for the pic... it's beautiful :heart: .

Was it taken handheld? Is it possible for you to post a crop of the center deer's face... not nessary 100% crop... I'm only looking at prints up to S8R.... think that's about 50% to 60% crop.

 

[deslim27]

Good shot! :thumbsup: