Advice on using flash for forest birds

I think investing a flash bracket on EF100-400mm len a bit over killed, the flash bracker cost a bomb. if not wrong I help Seah to bring back from US cost RM950.

Mr No Good wrote:Your flash unit shall not be align with your lens have to be side way, this is why you are getting funny color on the eye. Using the build-in unit is not recommended.

Try using TTL -2.3EV (fill flash), this will ensure over expose is minimised.

I have not been using flash for the pass 2 years because of the un-neutral color. Try to play around with the "+" or "-" ev, you will get good result even without flash.

Cheers,

Ng

Thanks Ng

I do have a bracket and wire to enable me to fix the flash away from the lens, but I find that it misfires too often to be worth the effort of carrying the extra weight. This is a problem even when I do use a tripod and hide. I suppose I need to give the contacts a good clean with a wire brush?

I notice that the best bird photographers (including you Ng) tend to use flash less and less these days. I guess the really top cameras have such low noise at high ISO that it is not so necessary.

Thanks.

Dave

Dave, the problem lies in you I think. you said you prefers hand holding which requires higher shutter speed to eliminate camera shakes even though you had IS. in other hand, you had no choice except bumping the iso which resulting noise also.

get a sturdy tripod and work with slower shutter speed and lower iso, so that you may get good exposures even with lowlight condition..

so far, this method works for me (and the rest of the gang I think)

digdeep1962 wrote:

Thanks Ng

I do have a bracket and wire to enable me to fix the flash away from the lens, but I find that it misfires too often to be worth the effort of carrying the extra weight. This is a problem even when I do use a tripod and hide. I suppose I need to give the contacts a good clean with a wire brush?

I notice that the best bird photographers (including you Ng) tend to use flash less and less these days. I guess the really top cameras have such low noise at high ISO that it is not so necessary.

Thanks.

Dave

Actually if the image expsoure are correctly tuned. you won't see much noise even with ISO3200. I would be more concern of color grain. So far there are a lot of 7D birders. I think most of them have no problem using higher ISO. Just one thing you need to be aware is if the BG are in darker color. that will have chances of noise (more like color dots).


anyway are your cable cord extension original? is your flash shoe mount shaky?


I do notice after mounted the flash while carrying along the way, it causes the flash shoe mounting screws to be loosen. it will causes the flash loose contact because the contact pins off aligned than it will missed fire but it can be rectify. another possibility is while using extended flash cord with high speed synchronizing. you MUST TURN ON the high speed synchronizing mode on your flash.

Too many reason for image not so sharp.... but 100-400mm when reach to 400mm it look bit soft...

Beside above mention..... another important part is when inside the forest or when shooting in low light conditions, .. flash should be set to 2nd curtain ( slow sync)

digdeep1962 wrote:

Mr No Good wrote:Your flash unit shall not be align with your lens have to be side way, this is why you are getting funny color on the eye. Using the build-in unit is not recommended.

Try using TTL -2.3EV (fill flash), this will ensure over expose is minimised.

I have not been using flash for the pass 2 years because of the un-neutral color. Try to play around with the "+" or "-" ev, you will get good result even without flash.

Cheers,

Ng

Thanks Ng

I do have a bracket and wire to enable me to fix the flash away from the lens, but I find that it misfires too often to be worth the effort of carrying the extra weight. This is a problem even when I do use a tripod and hide. I suppose I need to give the contacts a good clean with a wire brush?

I notice that the best bird photographers (including you Ng) tend to use flash less and less these days. I guess the really top cameras have such low noise at high ISO that it is not so necessary.

Thanks.

Dave

Dave,

Gears do plays an important role in photography, especially for birds. As what you have mentioned, there are limitations. I'm using D300s still far away from high end cam, can't do much in low light condition as I will not push ISO more then 400. I need a sturdy tripod and shutter release cable, but that's only for slow moving species.

I have stopped using 2 accessories, the flash and the tele-converter.

Cheers,

Ng

Fair point by wahoo, but many of my problems continue even when I do use the tripod, remote shutter release, etc. I think it's because I haven't yet learned to used the flash properly.

Lots of good advice here. Thanks very much to everyone. I will give it a try next time and let you see the results.

Thanks

Dave