Record/play: 1 you can select which card to start recording images first. WB Shift/Bkt. The AF-ON button can be used in conjunction with the Custom Functions (see below) for back-button AF that you can use for the focusing and recomposing. ducks taking off from a pond). Press this button once and you can use the rotary dial on the back of the camera to toggle between different white balance presets, such as AWB (Auto White Balance), Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, Custom and Color Temp in Kelvin. So what's the difference between Auto Mode and my Custom Settings? For BIF, Ive set Photo Shooting Bank B with f8 & 1/3200 as a starting point. Here's your first bird photography setting, and it is absolutely fundamental: Always shoot in RAW. The finished card will be 2x3.5 inches, which is the same size as a business cardgreat for storing inside a wallet, purse or small camera bag. You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook. I sent you a message so you could send me some examples, and Ill look at them. For rarer birds, I always start with a safe value, and if I have time, I will start taking risks. shutter spd. Selectable AF point: 65 points you want to be able to switch between all 65 focus points. This is an attempt at a very tight closeup around the bird's head while being in flight. : Shows battery level and life. Best regards from Germany Wolfgang. Orientation linked AF point: Separate AF pts: Pt only I love this feature, as it will remember what focus point I set when shooting vertical vs horizontal images. Thank you all, and sorry I saw all these messages so late, BTW I checked the sites given, one is under maintenance (as stated), and the other one is in Italian (English version?). A RAW file holds all the data that your camera sensor captures. For C3 (people), I keep Auto ISO on, Exposure mode set to Aperture Priority (Av), Drive set to Silent Single Shooting, AF mode set to AI Focus, AF point selection set to Spot AF. Highlight tone priority: OFF unlike Auto Lighting Optimizer (ALO), Highlight tone priority does affect RAW data, since it actually underexposes an image to recover highlights. For the trip, I rented a Canon 7D Mark II, 300mm f/2.8 II, and 2X TC . The mirror will lock up and you can proceed to cleaning the sensor. For Action Photography (Sports, Wildlife, Birds etc) 5. //]]>. Most of EOS R5 Features with Lower Resolution (Imaging Sensor and EVF) and Price, Oustanding AF System, Up-To-40 FPS. If you have any questions about these or other camera settings for bird photography, feel free to ask in the comments below. However, this comes with the caveat that your scene will slowly get brighter if you are shooting in the early morning, and you may gradually end up with overexposed images. 1. Once the AF system is locked on the subject you may maintain excellent tracking throughout the flight. I understand this is an old thread, but want to reply anyway, http://www.deepgreenphotography.com/2009/12/setting-up-your-new-canon-7d/. Canon budget lens choices for serious birds in flight photography: This is a topic I frequently discuss during my frequent Birds in Flight Photography training and workshops in Milnerton / Woodbridge Island, Cape Town. pattern: Stops at AF area edges I do not like when AF points automatically move over to the other side when I am close to the edge. The Canon 7D Mark II sports a high-end, complex autofocus system that can be fine-tuned for practically any situation. Min. Query: Doesnt focal length come into play when deciding the shutter speed? (High-speed continuous shooting can fill up your memory card quickly). On your iPhone or iPad: Open up the email with the download link. Shutter speed: 1/4000s. Up to now, my only Canon's have been FF, first a 5D classic, and for the last year, a 6D. I recommend a starting value of 1/800 for slow-moving birds. TOP 10 NEW AND EXCITING FEATURES FOR NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS. VF grid display: Enable I use the grid for framing and alignment. INFO button display options: All checked good for looking at important camera settings and the level works pretty well for shooting on a tripod. Once you get to know the camera better, I would recommend to explore the C1 C3 settings (more on this below under Setup Menu), because they could save you time when switching between different shooting environments (say when switching between photographing sports / wildlife and landscapes). On your Amazon Fire: I recommend first downloading the free Adobe Reader app. The 400/5.6 is super sharp wide open so no need to stop down - when you use auto ISO in Tv mode on the 7D the Camera will always return a aperture of f5.6 (very occasionally f6.3) which is ideal for bird photography. It is best that you explore your camera and learn about each setting as much as you can in order to take advantage of all the available features and customizations! All it does is slow everything and clog your hard drive, unless you're printing 10 feet wide. In cases like that, I do not want to activate autofocus by pressing the shutter button. Press the shutter button to take short, continuous bursts instead of long ones. Mirror lockup: OFF unless you want to reduce vibrations from the camera when the mirror is raised (when shooting at very low shutter speeds on a tripod), leave this turned off. You can also make the PV button activate AF as well If you dont use the back button you can also make that use group. 2. Camera settings alone wont guarantee a good bird photo, and you still need to capture a good subject with an interesting composition and skilled post-processing. In most modern cameras, it makes little difference to the end result if you underexpose your images by a stop (or even multiple stops) and correct the exposure in post, compared to using a higher ISO in the first place. Many DSLRs are normally limited to 30 second exposures anything longer requires a remote camera shutter release accessory that has the capability to hold exposure for longer than 30 seconds. : EOS iTR AF: ON leave this one ON. As explained eariler, I use the M-Fn button to hold exposure. ISO (Auto-ISO 640 - 1250) Focal length 400mm. It is a neat feature that I wish all other cameras had! The Canon 7d Mark II shoots at up to 10 frames per second. Canon 80D and EF 400 f4 DO IS ii with EF 1.4 extender. This works fine except that the autofocus area mode remains the same although Im successfully toggling between the banks. With this enabled, I can quickly choose between different AF areas by pushing the lever down. The method goes like this: set the shutter to the slowest that works for controlling blur, e.g. The right shutter speed for a stationary hawk perched on a branch at sunset may be something like 1/200 second, but if it takes off, youll need closer to 1/2000 to avoid blur. Long exp. AF area select lever: Direct AF area selection with the multi-controller allowing to select focus points, it makes perfect sense to use the AF area lever to toggle between different AF areas. Bracketing sequence: -, 0, + I prefer bracketing in this order. This way, if I change a setting, it is only a temporary change. This photograph was created with an overcast weather during one of my Florida Spoonbill tours. However, if you have shaky hands, then the default Auto setting might not do justice to keep you away from camera shake. Its a heavy lens and if youre handholding then it might be harder to keep it steady if the lens is hard to hold. Custom White Balance unless you want to set custom white balance with a gray card, skip this setting. If any of the three variables above shutter speed, aperture, and ISO are set automatically by the camera, you will be relying heavily on the cameras metering system to determine the proper exposure. It doesnt happen often, and I it could be due to a variety of factors. AF area selection method: M-Fn button the M-Fn button that I previously programmed to AE Lock can be used in combination with the focus AF Area Mode button to toggle between different AF area modes. Magnificatn (apx): Actual size this allows me to see 100% crop when I press the magnification button when playing back images. If you get stuck, you can email me anytime at support@cameratips.com. It has a constant f/4 max aperture and built-in 1.4x extender, allowing you to increase the focal length up to 560mm. This might be annoying to use in certain situations though, particularly when the subject is very erratic and the camera struggles with autofocus acquisition. I recommend starting out with these safe values, but also experimenting, especially with common species of birds that you see all the time. Learn how to setup your Canon EOS 7D for portraits, sports, landscapes, nature, animals and more. Thanks for sharing! As nobody that I know of can pan at the exact speed of a fast flying subject, it is good to have the focus somewhat locked on the head. When viewed on a mobile device, the Cheat Card fits to the dimensions of your phone or tablet. Hi Jason, I have a question regarding shutter shock and long focal length. AF point display during focus: All (constant) I prefer seeing all focus points, not just the selected one in the viewfinder. Not only will you get to keep the set you originally purchased, but I'm happy to offer continued support with any questions you might have regarding your camera or taking pictures in a certain situation. Canon EOS 7D Mark II Auto Focus Guide - Basics of Bird in Flight Photography Canon USA Support 30.1K subscribers Subscribe 2.4K Share 167K views 5 years ago Gain a basic understanding of. Are you using the Sony A7RIII or A7RIV? You should have the option to open the file using the Adobe Reader app, which will also save it for future reference. Setup and Tips For Canon EOS / EOS R Birds in Flight Photography, Yellow-Billed Duck in Flight - Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens, Mastering Canon Birds in Flight Photography, Quick Setup used for Birds in Flight Photography with Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens, Little Egret in Flight - Canon EOS 7D Mark II / 400mm Prime Lens, Red-Knobbed Coot - Woodbridge Island Milnerton, Cape Town, Grey Heron in Flight - Canon EOS 7D Mark II / 400mm Prime Lens, More Birds in Flight Photography Information, Birds in Flight Photography Cape Town : Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Greater Flamingos Woodbridge Island - Canon EOS 7D Mark II / 400mm Prime Lens, Canon Photography Training Woodbridge Island | Kirstenbosch | Intaka Island Cape Town, Understanding the Canon Autofocus (AF) Systems, Effect of Low Light in Birds in Flight Photography, Birds in Flight Photography Cape Town Support, Continuous Shooting Mode up to 10fps (depending on EOS body), No IS (lens used does not use IS, but not an issue at 1/3200s), Lexar Professional 32GB 800x / 120MB/s CF Card, SanDisk Extreme PRO 32GB 95MB/s SD memory Card, SanDisk Extreme PLUS 32GB 80MB/s SD memory Card. 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