Jan you are at the top of your game, not only as a photographer, but as an educator. Many of us that have been shooting birds for a long time probably know all of what you covered but to have it laid out so clearly is really helpful. For instance, I live in Pennsylvania. We have more cloudy days than sunny so I usually shoot wide open. Maybe on overcast days with small birds in forest, that is my best option. But when I have that sunny morning I should stop down for better image quality but I forget too. Thanks again for another great video. Cheers
One thing I learned some time ago: shoot birds, especially active birds, with manual shutter speed and aperture but auto ISO. For wildlife, I find ISO the least important exposure element and the easiest to fix in post if necessary. If the shutter speed or aperture is wrong, there's no recovery. Today's sensors (especially full-frame mirrorless bodies) are way more tolerant of high ISO than crop bodies or older FF DSLRs. You're so right, a sharp, well-exposed image with some noise is way better than an underexposed or blurry image with no noise.
Jan, I really enjoy your videos. I have been shooting for over 15 years and I still learn from your tutorials. I like that you don't say "you must", as we all know there are few hard and fast rules to photography. We all have different gear, different experience levels and different shooting scenarios... and sometimes breaking the rules even make for artistic images. Thank you so much for giving back to the community with your content!
Glad you re enjoying my videos. You are totally right, I much prefer to give people some basic guides rather than forcing a one size fits all kinda approach. Cause in the end it's up to you what you want to do :)
This video is pure gold. As an experienced photographer I was aware of everything you brought up BUT I think we still need to remind ourselves and sometimes we forget simple things. Starting with talking about light was really crucial, I too love overcast light and feel you can do what you want with the image in post so much easier. Quite often I'm asked by other photographers what gear I'm using because my images are so sharp and it's really not so much the gear as all of the things you mentioned. Good light, perfect focus, being close enough, proper background and tasteful editing. A bird blind did more for my photography than any piece of gear and something as mortal as the 200-600 can produce amazing results with proper technique. Everyone that does bird and wildlife photography should watch this well done to the point video.
Great video Jan. Hit all the points.Thank you for being so willing to share and explaining in such a clear (pun intended) way. Just had a frustrating afternoon trying to capture Bee Eaters in 37c heat haze. Knew that going in... so it was an opportunity to figure out how to make the best of a bad situation. All the same - there was a keeper rate and I got to watch some majestic birds hunting down bugs at close range. All in all a great day. Thank you for helping fast track my understanding over the past few years. Don't think there would have been a keeper rate without you today. Huge respect and massive thanks.
Awesome to hear I could help you getting some shots at least :) On these hot days, very late or early is probably the best bet, but the bee-eaters won't be as active potentially
Jan - I would rate this being one of the best episode on your channel. It resonates so well with challenges that we face in the field. Thank you so much for taking time out and sharing your knowledge and tips with us. Appreciate it so much.
The amount of knowledge in just this one video is actually mind boggling. So many great tips that might seems obvious to everyone who has been doing this for some time (even for them there might be tips: drop the UV filter haha) but for beginners seeing all Jan's video and getting his masterclass is simply A MUST! Keep on going Jan.
Thanks for answering my question about using lesser high-priced quality gear I'm using the 77 D and canon 55 to 250 and the 70 to 300mm nano. I am also 78 now 😂 fix income but the photo's were good enough to sell at the craft show and the folks spoke about how sharp they were also I use PhotoWorks to edit , easyer to use for a old man. Keep up the great videos. You are helping a lot of people
Higher ISO, removing UV filter, close to the subject, eye contact, subject filling the frame through Zoom lens these are the best advice you gave. It will be in my mind together as guidance. I knew them but you made them together for me.
Good one Jan, the key point to learn, as you say is a noisy sharp image is always better than a clean blurry image! In the past I would start to shake if I was shooting ISO 1600 on a DSLR, now 3200, 6400 ISO (or above) can record great images with the right software... which is quite freeing when it comes to getting those higher shutter speeds. Thanks again Jan.
Funnily enough when I look bad at older images, I could've used higher ISO and would've been better off. In fairness, though. The noise reduction software has become so much better these days, so that's what's really enabling us.
Thank you for the important and valuable instructions you so generously share with us! Wishing you all the best, and stay safe and healthy! Best Regards from Sweden!
Hello Jan, I've been binge watching your videos over the last couple of days and guess what: Yesterday I went out with my new Tamron 150-600mm G2 and shot my first bird pictures ever out in the field! You inspired me to do that and it felt great! At first I thought it would be really hard to find some birds right away but in actuality they are everywhere and it's not that hard. Of course in germany they are nowwhere near as exotic as in AUS but still. Schönen Gruß!
Great video. I’m brand new to bird photography and just recently got a 7D mark ii with a Tamron 16-300mm lens. While I’m certainly looking forward to upgrading my glass, videos like this have already been helping me to get some decent shots! Thanks!!!
Thanks for a great video. Hearing your comments on the value of great gear is refreshing, I find it's possible to reach the upper limit of what any particular camera can do, but better gear expands the possibilities. That said it's still possible to take good photos with relatively cheap gear and poor ones with the most expensive.
Lots of useful tips and suggestions in this video! About the gear - totally agree that for bird and wildlife images the gear matter. If the guy next to you have a fast super tele then your IQ with a consumer zoom simply cant match what he'll get - provided you both know what you're doing. The one thing you can do is to make sure that there aren't any guy next to you by being out there more and/or going to less accessible places.
@2:57 ... regarding very low sunlight. Jan, very low sunlight is universally considered to be the very best light of all. It is the fabled "golden hour". That super soft, yet direct light, with it's glowing warmth, is very special and gives images a magical quality. That warm color cast is not a bad thing that needs to be processed out. Unless, of course, you want all of your images to look kinda the same, with "accurate" colors instead of artistic, creative, ethereal colors. I'll go for the surreal looking magic over boring accuracy every time! But I completely and wholeheartedly agree with everything else you discussed. One tip to get good images when there is heat haze is to get much closer, so that there is very little air between your camera and your subject. When you can get just 5 or 10 meters from your subject, heat haze isn't a factor that affects image quality.
If you like the light you can leave it of course, but it's part of the reason many images don't look quite right cause they're overly warm, much warmer than the actual light
6:33 wow that bird was quick, im guessing its a scrub wren. Reminds me of when I waited 5hrs 1 day (after 2 other days of failed attempts) for a bird to land on my perch and it was that quick, I was really hard on myself for not being quick enough, but really even if your ready you couldn't even photograph that.
Yes, White-browed Scrubwren, it's very fast, I got a few shots though with the R5, something my 5D Mark IV could've never done! Usually if you don't expect it to come you will almost always miss it
As always, great stuff, some of which I found out by trial and error. Lovely to see more of your superb images. Maybe ‘move to Australia’ would be a sensible step 😜
Great tips, thanks! I'm shooting a Canon R5 with a couple of different 300mm zoom lenses for handheld wildlife and action photography. I recently discovered that turning off image stabilization when shooting higher shutter speeds (let's say 1/500 or faster) caused my hit rate for sharp images to skyrocket. I probably went from a 40-50% hit rate to 90%+... I also agree with removing unnecessary filters. Also, modern day software is amazing at removing noise so shooting at higher ISOs is not a problem.
Great tips like always👍 these are 3 reasons ill use slower shutter spd for lower iso (in poor lighting)↓↓ 1: when the bird lands too close and composition isn't good and I know all I can do is a tight portrait shot ill go slow shutter to get lower noise for a tight crop 2: when the subject isn't moving, like a kookaburra or owl, ill start off with a fast shutter then as I'm taking shots ill keep decreasing shutter spd 3: when im just messing around at a local park with common birds and its not the end of the world if all the shots are blury
very clear advise on noise v shutter speed &light.I think most armature photographer like me don’t focus on 2 important issues for quality file :background&depth of field
Hallo Jan! Thank you for this inspiring, but also down to earth video. My biggest pitfall remains being too far from the bird, cropping too much, and being disappointed afterwards. After spending a day in a bird observatory with birds just 5 feet away, and getting great photo’s, I fully appreciate the difference 😉
Excellent Video Jan as always , You have mentioned some most important points to keep in mind while shooting, I have had a very similar incident with low shutter speed and missed on, which I thought would be my best shots :) . Since than it has always been higher ISO in low light and also yes a very good point about UV filter , I have had a bad experience in the past , So I prefer not to use any filter.
One of the very best videos I've seen on photography. Simple explanations backed by paired examples. I've been doing photography since age 8, including my own negatives and prints in colour. Just love that its all now digital. I may not agree with everything said, but it would be hard for someone to go wrong following the advice given. Would love to see something comparing the latest jpegs straight from the camera vs editing a raw image eg on Canon R range.
Thanks. Yes, there will always be points people will disagree on, but that's what makes photography interesting as well. I think for most tasks the Jpegs will be pretty good.
@@jan_wegener Canon has made some interesting moves, especially with the R series. After a lot of research, I bough the RP + 24-2740mm zoom at a large discount. (Prev I was using APS-C with Tamron 18-270.). Unless you use the lens correction settings (either via in camera jpeg or selecting the lens in your RAW editing software) the results can be disappointing. It's clear that Canon have decided to use editing (in camera and/or via separate editing) to keep the lens cost down but provide great images. Elsewhere I've seen criticism of the lens for things that don't appear in jpegs and/or are deliberately & easily solved by editing software. Just another factor to consider. BTW I borrowed an RP and the zoom and did some comparison shots with that and my APS-C setup before buying. In some cases, the APS-C and Tamron produce the better results. Overall the RP provides much richer colours. Meantime I've seen some great photos taken on phone cameras and in some cases the old Box Brownie would suffice! As you say, there are things you can do, no matter what.
Hi Jan, I love your videos! I had an idea which could possibly be helpful: since you might have many videos touching on some common points, it might be a good idea to number your videos in the title or description and so when you refer to a specific video you dont have to describe it in a lengthy way that differentiates it from others. You can just refer to the number
Excellent video as I have come to expect. I would include Back Button focus under sharpening, especially useful for those who handhold. Also allows you to set a different metering pattern to your lightmeter pattern in the front button. I recently assisted a photographer who was complaining of poor image quality, after setting his camera to back button focus and metering focus to spot metering rather than evaluative I calibrated the lens and body to get perfectly sharp images even handheld. Also he tended to shoot wide open and not as you recommend at f8 or f9 ( it was a 150mm- 600mm lens).
Yes, BBF can definitely help. It just confuses people a lot. So some might be better off not using it, even though it's much better Stopping down on these lenses helps for sure
Who are the 8 idiots that actually gave a "thumbs down" to this video?! This is a great tutorial plain and simple, if you don't think so, you need to turn in your camera. Great job Jan!
Very comprehensive! About uv or protection filters, I partly disagree, because it depends on the quality of the filter. I occasionally take some test shots with and without the filter and for all protection filters that I have, I can’t tell the difference in image quality. But recently I got a new polarizer which really reduced the contrast and added flares. Obviously it had a poor coating. That reminded me that there a bad filters that really can impact quality.
Danke Jan, wieder mal ein ausgezeignetes video !! And I can testify, I was one of those who took off the filter after your earlier video .. and I haven't been tempted to screw one back on ever since ! Hmm, maybe someday I may try an ND for a waterfall .. as long as there's no bird in sight ;-) The most educational part of the video was how 'bird Jan' illustrated the effects of eye contact. simply superb ! The next question is of course how to convince the bird to make such amazing eye-contact ?? Or would the hidden logic be: as soon as the bird makes eye-contact, it actually tells you: "don't come any closer or I'll fly away" ?
ND filters are different, cause you get an actual benefit. One could argue an UV filter really has no purpose? I sometimes make a little sound to get the bird to look at me.
@@jan_wegener Genau ! In the past making a little sound was not needed with the machine gun dslrs :-P But when you're using electronic shutter the birds could otherwise forget to pose for you ..
Awesome video with lots to take out to the field. What do you think about using a circular polarizer with bird photography? This is assuming an overcast day.
Hello Jan great video as always, I have new question for you. I own a Canon 300L 2.8 IS and the filter is in the litlle cage near the camera can I take out this filter? Thank you very much.
Great video, one to save and revisit to constantly remind yourself. A request for a video on first instinct when you see a bird. Given the type of bird you might get lucky and get one opportunity. Do you shoot a video or take a pic with the "spray and pray" approach. Would like to know your thought process in the situation. Keep the great videos coming 👍.thnx 🙏
Well, I always somehow try to get both. Typically photo first. But lately I have also been taking two cameras and lenses to try and film the whole time while I shoot to not miss out on either. Cause switching between the two can cause you losing the best moments
Hi Jan! Just came across your channel and by having a look at the comments below portraits an amazing professional and also an educator. I'm a sports photographer and my latest challenge was at a surf championship as the beach faces west where the Sun sets. Massive Sun glare to a point that I thought to myself - "this has become impossible!" to photograph. I compare (hopefully right) Bird photography very much with sports, as in some occasions action goes fast and instant decisions have to be made! Wondering if 'Sun glare' and water refection could be a topic? In regard to surf photography and in my case, I just can't go elsewhere (moving right or left is the max that I can do) and all beaches (90%), in my country, face west! Thank You ahead and what a great content! Subscribed with pleasure! Cheers
Yes, there are a lot of similarities. Su glare is one of those things that are extremely challenging. I faced it sometimes when photographing houses facing the ocean. It literally burns a hole into your image. I never found a great solution for it. At least not with non-static subjects
@@jan_wegener thank You for your input. Definitely a challenge and some how relieved to be a common problem! I guess that we just can’t go against it. At least in those conditions! Cheers
As usual a very informative and inspiring video. I would, however, like to know what software is necessary to be able to use your masterclasses? And those nifty packages? Bcs I guess Photoshop 8 won't cut it? It's what I have (and I can barely use a fraction of its capacity), on cd's to install on every new pc I buy... One day it won't be compatible, and then where would I be? The new stuff is only rentable/month, right? Being on a retirées budget doesn't really give room for expenses like that... (Theatrical sigh) Also: what software do you use making videos?
For videos use can use Davinci Resolve, which is amazing and free. A lot of my Masterclass would still be doable in Photoshop 8 as well, but I am not entirely sure how much. Camera RAW was certainly different then. Yes all Adobe products are a subscription model now.
Thanks, your video was helpful. I have been underexposing my shots exactly for the reason you mentioned. Thanks for all the tips. My question is about the reach of RF 100-500 mounted on Canon R5. I find the reach lesser than my previous gear which was 7D II + 100-400 IS II. What are your thoughts? I primarily shoot birds and am sceptical about using TC 1.4x as I think I will lose flying shots and will have to compromise with IQ too.
Great! Yes the 7D had 640mm equivalent reach. Compared to 500 on the R5 I think the 1.4x TC can be a decent option on the 100-500. Not all the time, but when you need extra reach
Hi Jan agai a superb video - have bought your post processing tutorials and the new prosets and is really a big help for me. Have a question, not sure if you know, today I'm using 2 combinations being Canon 1DX2 and EF 500 mark I lens and also have a Canon Mark III and 100-400 mark II lens. Question now if I buy a Canon EOSR5 and use it with combination old EF 500mm lens does it all still works (autofocus, crop factor etc....) - many thanks rgds Pascal
Thanks you, that great to hear! Version I lenses will be limited when it comes to the frames per second and like AF and IS will not be as good compared to RF lenses or version II glass.
Awesome video Jan as always! A lot of great content lately. I just have one question for you. You talk a lot about stopping down on these zoom lenses, from like F6.3 to F8.0. But what is your decision making regarding this? Let’s say you are shooting at F6.3 at 1600 ISO, would you in this case stop down to F8.0 and deal with the higher ISO? At what point is the extra ISO destroying the increased sharpness from stopping down? What is more beneficial, lower ISO at a less sharp F6.3 or stop down to F8.0 with higher ISO but the lens is sharper. What is the sweet spot? Thanks a lot Jan! This would also be awesome discussion in a future video.
I think stopping down a zoom lens like that will increase sharpness irregardless of how high the ISO is. SO there's almost always a benefit. With the right programs, these days lower ISO is never really the best choice imo
Thanks Jan, again a very instructive episode. I'd be happy, in a future episode, to understand better how you handle ETTR in practice, in the field: are you using Auto ISO, and in order to move the histogram to the right you use a longer shutter speed? If I use exposure compensation, it simply increases the ISO value, and of course noise. I don't think there is a benefit at the end.
Hey, I always shoot full manual. So when I change one value, no other value changes with it, that makes it very easy to control exposure. I made a video about exposure a long time ago, where I talk about this a bit more: ruclips.net/video/dicPTGRL45E/видео.html
@@attiksystem No, I control Shutter Speed, ISO and aperture. So to get the image brighter I can manipulate whichever one I need of the three to make the image brighter. Usually ISO
ETTR is meant to give more exposure to the sensor without clipping the highlight and in return maximize the amount of information your sensor can process. Therefore ETTR only makes sense if you change aperture/shutter speed combo. Changing ISO alone won’t change the amount of photon hit your sensor and your sense cannot create extra information out of void.
Another superb video. Always look forward to your videos every week. My question is to do with ETTR that you talk about. I have been doing this more and more recently. What is your approach to a white bird, particularly in bright light. Do you find the whites get blown out using ETTR?
May have missed it but would like to hear your take on high vs lower pixel cameras. Increased pixel density vs better shadow and high iso performance. All these videos are very helpful and useful. Thanks.
The ISO performance difference is only evident when you crop. In high mpx cameras, because the pixels are smaller, the size of the noise "grain" is smaller and hence harder to see if you're looking at the full Image. Every thing scales this way. So if you've got the lenses and technique to be able to fill the frame with your subject there's no reason not to use a high megapixel camera. Quite the opposite.As far as shadow recovery goes, the high rez Sony sensors currently are the market leaders. There are lots of sensors that have lower megapixels but who's dynamic range, and hence shadow recovery performance are Inferior to the high mpx Sony sensors. Canons these days are nearly as good, (the new models that produce files labelled CR3). The Sony sensors seem to do a bit better with highlight recovery.
Some great tips. Just one remark though. The problem with the histogram display on all cameras is that it's a jpeg histogram, not a Raw one. So your camera isn't actually showing the full dynamic range. Also one issue with high ISO is that the Dynamic range gets much worse as the ISO value goes up. This can also lead to clipping highlights.
Your videos are very informative and detailed Jan, thanks. What do you say to my combo Canon 90D and Canon 100-400 II, plus I also have Sigma 150-600 Contemporary?
Jan you are at the top of your game, not only as a photographer, but as an educator. Many of us that have been shooting birds for a long time probably know all of what you covered but to have it laid out so clearly is really helpful. For instance, I live in Pennsylvania. We have more cloudy days than sunny so I usually shoot wide open. Maybe on overcast days with small birds in forest, that is my best option. But when I have that sunny morning I should stop down for better image quality but I forget too. Thanks again for another great video. Cheers
Thanks a lot Dave!
One thing I learned some time ago: shoot birds, especially active birds, with manual shutter speed and aperture but auto ISO. For wildlife, I find ISO the least important exposure element and the easiest to fix in post if necessary. If the shutter speed or aperture is wrong, there's no recovery. Today's sensors (especially full-frame mirrorless bodies) are way more tolerant of high ISO than crop bodies or older FF DSLRs. You're so right, a sharp, well-exposed image with some noise is way better than an underexposed or blurry image with no noise.
Auto ISO is a great tool, if you don't ant to change exposure yourself all the time.
Jan, I really enjoy your videos. I have been shooting for over 15 years and I still learn from your tutorials. I like that you don't say "you must", as we all know there are few hard and fast rules to photography. We all have different gear, different experience levels and different shooting scenarios... and sometimes breaking the rules even make for artistic images.
Thank you so much for giving back to the community with your content!
Glad you re enjoying my videos. You are totally right, I much prefer to give people some basic guides rather than forcing a one size fits all kinda approach. Cause in the end it's up to you what you want to do :)
This video is pure gold. As an experienced photographer I was aware of everything you brought up BUT I think we still need to remind ourselves and sometimes we forget simple things. Starting with talking about light was really crucial, I too love overcast light and feel you can do what you want with the image in post so much easier. Quite often I'm asked by other photographers what gear I'm using because my images are so sharp and it's really not so much the gear as all of the things you mentioned. Good light, perfect focus, being close enough, proper background and tasteful editing. A bird blind did more for my photography than any piece of gear and something as mortal as the 200-600 can produce amazing results with proper technique. Everyone that does bird and wildlife photography should watch this well done to the point video.
Thanks for your kind words! A blind can be a great helper at times!
Great video Jan. Hit all the points.Thank you for being so willing to share and explaining in such a clear (pun intended) way. Just had a frustrating afternoon trying to capture Bee Eaters in 37c heat haze. Knew that going in... so it was an opportunity to figure out how to make the best of a bad situation. All the same - there was a keeper rate and I got to watch some majestic birds hunting down bugs at close range. All in all a great day. Thank you for helping fast track my understanding over the past few years. Don't think there would have been a keeper rate without you today. Huge respect and massive thanks.
Awesome to hear I could help you getting some shots at least :) On these hot days, very late or early is probably the best bet, but the bee-eaters won't be as active potentially
God bless you Jan for all the valuable information you bring us 🕊️🙏🏻
Jan - I would rate this being one of the best episode on your channel. It resonates so well with challenges that we face in the field. Thank you so much for taking time out and sharing your knowledge and tips with us. Appreciate it so much.
Glad you liked the video :)
Great video Jan , Really enjoyed . Some great tips there too . Thank you . Keep them coming mate .
Glad you enjoyed it
The amount of knowledge in just this one video is actually mind boggling. So many great tips that might seems obvious to everyone who has been doing this for some time (even for them there might be tips: drop the UV filter haha) but for beginners seeing all Jan's video and getting his masterclass is simply A MUST! Keep on going Jan.
Thanks Jacob! :)
Thanks for a great video! Caught my attention from the start to the end. Very useful tips and examples. Nice work there!
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks for answering my question about using lesser high-priced quality gear I'm using the 77 D and canon 55 to 250 and the 70 to 300mm nano. I am also 78 now 😂 fix income but the photo's were good enough to sell at the craft show and the folks spoke about how sharp they were also I use
PhotoWorks to edit , easyer to use for a old man. Keep up the great videos. You are helping a lot of people
Great video. You really summarized everything so nicely. Thanks for being so honest and straight forward.
Higher ISO, removing UV filter, close to the subject, eye contact, subject filling the frame through Zoom lens these are the best advice you gave. It will be in my mind together as guidance. I knew them but you made them together for me.
Awesome :)
Good one Jan, the key point to learn, as you say is a noisy sharp image is always better than a clean blurry image! In the past I would start to shake if I was shooting ISO 1600 on a DSLR, now 3200, 6400 ISO (or above) can record great images with the right software... which is quite freeing when it comes to getting those higher shutter speeds. Thanks again Jan.
Funnily enough when I look bad at older images, I could've used higher ISO and would've been better off. In fairness, though. The noise reduction software has become so much better these days, so that's what's really enabling us.
thanks Jan, you have prepared a very useful video inside again.
Glad you think so :)
Very good introduction! Would love to take your full workshop some time... Thanks again!
Awesome, thank you!
Thank you for the important and valuable instructions you so generously share with us! Wishing you all the best, and stay safe and healthy! Best Regards from Sweden!
Thank you :)
Always so sound and to the point, and we get to see some of your brilliant images too!
Thanks :)
Fantastic and informative video‼️many thanks Jan‼️🙏🏻
Glad it was helpful!
Another great video Jan.Thankyou.
Glad you enjoyed it
The best video on bird photography hands down, you have given me hope again. Cheers Jan, and great images of yours. 🙏🏻👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed it
Always I'm learning something new from you Jan! Excellent!!
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks Jan. Always, brilliant teaching.
My pleasure!
Brilliant video! Thanks for your insights
Glad it was helpful!
Great video again Jan, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great tips Jan! Thx! 👍
Thank you!
Hello Jan, I've been binge watching your videos over the last couple of days and guess what: Yesterday I went out with my new Tamron 150-600mm G2 and shot my first bird pictures ever out in the field! You inspired me to do that and it felt great! At first I thought it would be really hard to find some birds right away but in actuality they are everywhere and it's not that hard. Of course in germany they are nowwhere near as exotic as in AUS but still. Schönen Gruß!
Awesome! That's great to hear. Auch in Deutschland gibts paar bunte Voegel :D
thank you for another masterclass, Master Jan!!
My pleasure!
Good stuff as always Jan!
Thanks Brian!
Jan, your videos are just fantastic, thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us!
Glad you like them!
Great video. I’m brand new to bird photography and just recently got a 7D mark ii with a Tamron 16-300mm lens. While I’m certainly looking forward to upgrading my glass, videos like this have already been helping me to get some decent shots! Thanks!!!
Awesome, thank you!
Your explanations are very detailed, practical and organized. I enjoy following you!
Thank you very much!
Thanks for a great video. Hearing your comments on the value of great gear is refreshing, I find it's possible to reach the upper limit of what any particular camera can do, but better gear expands the possibilities. That said it's still possible to take good photos with relatively cheap gear and poor ones with the most expensive.
Well said!
Great advice and shots as ever, even throwing in a few show off landscape shots at the end too 😉 Superb video
haha! Gotta do something with them :D Thanks :)
Excellent tips which I hope to remember, and apply!! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Sound advice, thanks so much for your time and effort
My pleasure!
Excellent training session Jan this was very helpful!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent content as always Jan!
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video Jan, thanks a lot
Glad you liked it!
Great video as always Jan.
Thank you! Cheers!
Awesome video Jan!
Thank you very much!
Lots of useful tips and suggestions in this video! About the gear - totally agree that for bird and wildlife images the gear matter. If the guy next to you have a fast super tele then your IQ with a consumer zoom simply cant match what he'll get - provided you both know what you're doing. The one thing you can do is to make sure that there aren't any guy next to you by being out there more and/or going to less accessible places.
Yes, finding your own unique spots will allows you to take amazing images that only you have, unlike visit spots where hundreds of people go to
Great video Jan, really it helps me a lot , thank you!!
You are so welcome!
spot on advice buddy, really enjoyed this vid great stuff and subject as always 😎😉👌
Thanks 👍
@2:57 ... regarding very low sunlight. Jan, very low sunlight is universally considered to be the very best light of all. It is the fabled "golden hour". That super soft, yet direct light, with it's glowing warmth, is very special and gives images a magical quality. That warm color cast is not a bad thing that needs to be processed out. Unless, of course, you want all of your images to look kinda the same, with "accurate" colors instead of artistic, creative, ethereal colors. I'll go for the surreal looking magic over boring accuracy every time! But I completely and wholeheartedly agree with everything else you discussed. One tip to get good images when there is heat haze is to get much closer, so that there is very little air between your camera and your subject. When you can get just 5 or 10 meters from your subject, heat haze isn't a factor that affects image quality.
If you like the light you can leave it of course, but it's part of the reason many images don't look quite right cause they're overly warm, much warmer than the actual light
As usual very informative 👍
Glad you think so!
Good tips to keep in mind in the field and in post processing
Glad it was helpful!
6:33 wow that bird was quick, im guessing its a scrub wren. Reminds me of when I waited 5hrs 1 day (after 2 other days of failed attempts) for a bird to land on my perch and it was that quick, I was really hard on myself for not being quick enough, but really even if your ready you couldn't even photograph that.
Yes, White-browed Scrubwren, it's very fast, I got a few shots though with the R5, something my 5D Mark IV could've never done!
Usually if you don't expect it to come you will almost always miss it
As always, great stuff, some of which I found out by trial and error. Lovely to see more of your superb images. Maybe ‘move to Australia’ would be a sensible step 😜
It's pretty good for birds! :)
Highly knowledgeable information; thank you
My pleasure
You're a wide open book, Jan. Thanks for your vids!
My pleasure!
Great Video, thanx!
👍
Glad you liked it!
Fantastic tips mate, I wish there were these videos when I was starting out, Cheers, Duade
Thanks mate
Great tips, thanks! I'm shooting a Canon R5 with a couple of different 300mm zoom lenses for handheld wildlife and action photography. I recently discovered that turning off image stabilization when shooting higher shutter speeds (let's say 1/500 or faster) caused my hit rate for sharp images to skyrocket. I probably went from a 40-50% hit rate to 90%+... I also agree with removing unnecessary filters. Also, modern day software is amazing at removing noise so shooting at higher ISOs is not a problem.
Interesting, there's different philosophies on that. Might actually depend on the lens and camera combo what's better
Hello Jan, Very great points! Thanks for sharing and I learnt a lot from your very constructive video, God bless you!
Thank you! You too!
Great advice.
Thanks!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
Excellent video. A condensed version should be laminated and kept in most camera bags as a constant self-improvement reminder.
Great idea!
Pragmatic and to the point. The quality of your results adds so much weight to your advice. Great video
Glad you think so!
You sum up some of most important things here. Great! Light conditions is always a struggle during the winter here in Sweden
Yes, pretty dark in Sweden in winter!
@@jan_wegener Well, in Stockholm where I live, you can find a couple of hours with good and sometimes really great light. December worst.
@@abe3802 yes. Sweden is awesome, but certainly dark in winter!
Amazing video i really love your content😍😍😍
Thank you!!
Great tips like always👍 these are 3 reasons ill use slower shutter spd for lower iso (in poor lighting)↓↓
1: when the bird lands too close and composition isn't good and I know all I can do is a tight portrait shot ill go slow shutter to get lower noise for a tight crop
2: when the subject isn't moving, like a kookaburra or owl, ill start off with a fast shutter then as I'm taking shots ill keep decreasing shutter spd
3: when im just messing around at a local park with common birds and its not the end of the world if all the shots are blury
Makes sense! I am just always afraid that the bird starts calling or does something else crazy, just when I lowered my SS :D
. Thanks for sharing, advice to all we are all blessed just enjoy your Photography no matter what equipment you are using. Great Photo’s.
Thanks for watching!
very clear advise on noise v shutter speed &light.I think most armature photographer like me don’t focus on 2 important issues for quality file :background&depth of field
Yes, in the end what makes a great photo is when all aspects comes together
Hallo Jan! Thank you for this inspiring, but also down to earth video. My biggest pitfall remains being too far from the bird, cropping too much, and being disappointed afterwards. After spending a day in a bird observatory with birds just 5 feet away, and getting great photo’s, I fully appreciate the difference 😉
Yes, distance is a huge factor
Excellent Video Jan as always , You have mentioned some most important points to keep in mind while shooting, I have had a very similar incident with low shutter speed and missed on, which I thought would be my best shots :) . Since than it has always been higher ISO in low light and also yes a very good point about UV filter , I have had a bad experience in the past , So I prefer not to use any filter.
Thanks for sharing
One of the very best videos I've seen on photography. Simple explanations backed by paired examples. I've been doing photography since age 8, including my own negatives and prints in colour. Just love that its all now digital. I may not agree with everything said, but it would be hard for someone to go wrong following the advice given. Would love to see something comparing the latest jpegs straight from the camera vs editing a raw image eg on Canon R range.
Thanks. Yes, there will always be points people will disagree on, but that's what makes photography interesting as well. I think for most tasks the Jpegs will be pretty good.
@@jan_wegener Canon has made some interesting moves, especially with the R series. After a lot of research, I bough the RP + 24-2740mm zoom at a large discount. (Prev I was using APS-C with Tamron 18-270.). Unless you use the lens correction settings (either via in camera jpeg or selecting the lens in your RAW editing software) the results can be disappointing. It's clear that Canon have decided to use editing (in camera and/or via separate editing) to keep the lens cost down but provide great images. Elsewhere I've seen criticism of the lens for things that don't appear in jpegs and/or are deliberately & easily solved by editing software. Just another factor to consider. BTW I borrowed an RP and the zoom and did some comparison shots with that and my APS-C setup before buying. In some cases, the APS-C and Tamron produce the better results. Overall the RP provides much richer colours. Meantime I've seen some great photos taken on phone cameras and in some cases the old Box Brownie would suffice! As you say, there are things you can do, no matter what.
Amen…all has been said…simply the best…Jan rules😀👍👍
Thank you :)
Hi Jan, I love your videos! I had an idea which could possibly be helpful: since you might have many videos touching on some common points, it might be a good idea to number your videos in the title or description and so when you refer to a specific video you dont have to describe it in a lengthy way that differentiates it from others. You can just refer to the number
Thanks for the tip!
Great informative video, Jan. Have you done a comparison between the stock drop-in filters (with and without) in the supertelephoto prime lenses yet?
No, since Canon is happy for these to be in there, I am not overly concerned about those. Since they're actual parts of the lens design
Excellent video as I have come to expect. I would include Back Button focus under sharpening, especially useful for those who handhold. Also allows you to set a different metering pattern to your lightmeter pattern in the front button. I recently assisted a photographer who was complaining of poor image quality, after setting his camera to back button focus and metering focus to spot metering rather than evaluative I calibrated the lens and body to get perfectly sharp images even handheld. Also he tended to shoot wide open and not as you recommend at f8 or f9 ( it was a 150mm- 600mm lens).
Yes, BBF can definitely help. It just confuses people a lot. So some might be better off not using it, even though it's much better
Stopping down on these lenses helps for sure
Thanks!
Thank you!
Nice video...Regards from the UK
Thank you very much!
Valuable information
Glad you think so!
very good video very smart thank you man
You're welcome!
Who are the 8 idiots that actually gave a "thumbs down" to this video?!
This is a great tutorial plain and simple, if you don't think so, you need to turn in your camera.
Great job Jan!
What would the internet be without haters? :D
Thanks mate :)
Very very good ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you! Cheers!
Very comprehensive! About uv or protection filters, I partly disagree, because it depends on the quality of the filter. I occasionally take some test shots with and without the filter and for all protection filters that I have, I can’t tell the difference in image quality. But recently I got a new polarizer which really reduced the contrast and added flares. Obviously it had a poor coating. That reminded me that there a bad filters that really can impact quality.
Yes, I should've probably said bad filters, although the only way to determine whether a filter is good or bad is trying it out
Danke Jan, wieder mal ein ausgezeignetes video !! And I can testify, I was one of those who took off the filter after your earlier video .. and I haven't been tempted to screw one back on ever since ! Hmm, maybe someday I may try an ND for a waterfall .. as long as there's no bird in sight ;-)
The most educational part of the video was how 'bird Jan' illustrated the effects of eye contact. simply superb ! The next question is of course how to convince the bird to make such amazing eye-contact ?? Or would the hidden logic be: as soon as the bird makes eye-contact, it actually tells you: "don't come any closer or I'll fly away" ?
ND filters are different, cause you get an actual benefit. One could argue an UV filter really has no purpose?
I sometimes make a little sound to get the bird to look at me.
@@jan_wegener Genau !
In the past making a little sound was not needed with the machine gun dslrs :-P But when you're using electronic shutter the birds could otherwise forget to pose for you ..
@@WernerBirdNature true!
wow I dont bother listening just watching these great photographs! ;D
check out my insta and website then, too :)
Awesome video with lots to take out to the field. What do you think about using a circular polarizer with bird photography?
This is assuming an overcast day.
I have hardly ever used one. It takes about one stop of light which isn't great. And it would only work in certain situations
Very very good.
Thank you! Cheers!
I'm guilty of all the mistakes. 😅😅
Thanks for the video. Will go out and try to improve. 😊
hehe, glad I could give you some pointers
Hello Jan great video as always, I have new question for you. I own a Canon 300L 2.8 IS and the filter is in the litlle cage near the camera can I take out this filter? Thank you very much.
No, that's just a place holder from Canon that's part of the lens design. It doesn't affect performance
First! Haven’t finished the video yet but it’s really good so far.
Thanks! & Enjoy :)
I love your videos!! is there anyway you can increase your volume??
Thanks! You can't turn yours up more?
Thanks,
You're welcome!
Great video, one to save and revisit to constantly remind yourself. A request for a video on first instinct when you see a bird. Given the type of bird you might get lucky and get one opportunity. Do you shoot a video or take a pic with the "spray and pray" approach. Would like to know your thought process in the situation. Keep the great videos coming 👍.thnx 🙏
Well, I always somehow try to get both. Typically photo first. But lately I have also been taking two cameras and lenses to try and film the whole time while I shoot to not miss out on either. Cause switching between the two can cause you losing the best moments
Hi Jan! Just came across your channel and by having a look at the comments below portraits an amazing professional and also an educator.
I'm a sports photographer and my latest challenge was at a surf championship as the beach faces west where the Sun sets. Massive Sun glare to a point that I thought to myself - "this has become impossible!" to photograph.
I compare (hopefully right) Bird photography very much with sports, as in some occasions action goes fast and instant decisions have to be made!
Wondering if 'Sun glare' and water refection could be a topic? In regard to surf photography and in my case, I just can't go elsewhere (moving right or left is the max that I can do) and all beaches (90%), in my country, face west!
Thank You ahead and what a great content! Subscribed with pleasure! Cheers
Yes, there are a lot of similarities. Su glare is one of those things that are extremely challenging. I faced it sometimes when photographing houses facing the ocean. It literally burns a hole into your image. I never found a great solution for it. At least not with non-static subjects
@@jan_wegener thank You for your input. Definitely a challenge and some how relieved to be a common problem! I guess that we just can’t go against it. At least in those conditions! Cheers
As usual a very informative and inspiring video. I would, however, like to know what software is necessary to be able to use your masterclasses? And those nifty packages? Bcs I guess Photoshop 8 won't cut it? It's what I have (and I can barely use a fraction of its capacity), on cd's to install on every new pc I buy... One day it won't be compatible, and then where would I be? The new stuff is only rentable/month, right? Being on a retirées budget doesn't really give room for expenses like that... (Theatrical sigh)
Also: what software do you use making videos?
For videos use can use Davinci Resolve, which is amazing and free.
A lot of my Masterclass would still be doable in Photoshop 8 as well, but I am not entirely sure how much. Camera RAW was certainly different then.
Yes all Adobe products are a subscription model now.
Thanks, your video was helpful. I have been underexposing my shots exactly for the reason you mentioned. Thanks for all the tips.
My question is about the reach of RF 100-500 mounted on Canon R5. I find the reach lesser than my previous gear which was 7D II + 100-400 IS II. What are your thoughts? I primarily shoot birds and am sceptical about using TC 1.4x as I think I will lose flying shots and will have to compromise with IQ too.
Great!
Yes the 7D had 640mm equivalent reach. Compared to 500 on the R5
I think the 1.4x TC can be a decent option on the 100-500. Not all the time, but when you need extra reach
Hi Jan agai a superb video - have bought your post processing tutorials and the new prosets and is really a big help for me. Have a question, not sure if you know, today I'm using 2 combinations being Canon 1DX2 and EF 500 mark I lens and also have a Canon Mark III and 100-400 mark II lens. Question now if I buy a Canon EOSR5 and use it with combination old EF 500mm lens does it all still works (autofocus, crop factor etc....) - many thanks rgds Pascal
Thanks you, that great to hear!
Version I lenses will be limited when it comes to the frames per second and like AF and IS will not be as good compared to RF lenses or version II glass.
Awesome video Jan as always! A lot of great content lately.
I just have one question for you. You talk a lot about stopping down on these zoom lenses, from like F6.3 to F8.0. But what is your decision making regarding this? Let’s say you are shooting at F6.3 at 1600 ISO, would you in this case stop down to F8.0 and deal with the higher ISO? At what point is the extra ISO destroying the increased sharpness from stopping down? What is more beneficial, lower ISO at a less sharp F6.3 or stop down to F8.0 with higher ISO but the lens is sharper. What is the sweet spot?
Thanks a lot Jan! This would also be awesome discussion in a future video.
From my experience, you can get better pictures with higher ISO and a sharper picture. Especially with software to Clean the noise like Topaz.
I think stopping down a zoom lens like that will increase sharpness irregardless of how high the ISO is. SO there's almost always a benefit. With the right programs, these days lower ISO is never really the best choice imo
Thanks Jan, again a very instructive episode. I'd be happy, in a future episode, to understand better how you handle ETTR in practice, in the field: are you using Auto ISO, and in order to move the histogram to the right you use a longer shutter speed? If I use exposure compensation, it simply increases the ISO value, and of course noise. I don't think there is a benefit at the end.
Hey,
I always shoot full manual. So when I change one value, no other value changes with it, that makes it very easy to control exposure.
I made a video about exposure a long time ago, where I talk about this a bit more:
ruclips.net/video/dicPTGRL45E/видео.html
@@jan_wegener Ok! Then you are using exposure compensation to move the histogram to the left?
@@attiksystem No, I control Shutter Speed, ISO and aperture. So to get the image brighter I can manipulate whichever one I need of the three to make the image brighter. Usually ISO
@@jan_wegener Thanks!
ETTR is meant to give more exposure to the sensor without clipping the highlight and in return maximize the amount of information your sensor can process. Therefore ETTR only makes sense if you change aperture/shutter speed combo. Changing ISO alone won’t change the amount of photon hit your sensor and your sense cannot create extra information out of void.
Great video! One point, ISO is not an abbreviation 🙂
Learned something new today. I was afraid of going too high in ISO, but a blurry picture because of a slow shutter speed is worse.
Awesome! It sure is
Another superb video. Always look forward to your videos every week. My question is to do with ETTR that you talk about. I have been doing this more and more recently. What is your approach to a white bird, particularly in bright light. Do you find the whites get blown out using ETTR?
If the histogram isn't clipped, then the bird should have detail, too :)
@@jan_wegener thank you 👍
@@jan_wegener Hi! Can you make a video about ETTR, please...
@@yatukipsinne I have, it's called mastering exposure
May have missed it but would like to hear your take on high vs lower pixel cameras. Increased pixel density vs better shadow and high iso performance. All these videos are very helpful and useful. Thanks.
The ISO performance difference is only evident when you crop. In high mpx cameras, because the pixels are smaller, the size of the noise "grain" is smaller and hence harder to see if you're looking at the full Image. Every thing scales this way. So if you've got the lenses and technique to be able to fill the frame with your subject there's no reason not to use a high megapixel camera. Quite the opposite.As far as shadow recovery goes, the high rez Sony sensors currently are the market leaders. There are lots of sensors that have lower megapixels but who's dynamic range, and hence shadow recovery performance are Inferior to the high mpx Sony sensors. Canons these days are nearly as good, (the new models that produce files labelled CR3). The Sony sensors seem to do a bit better with highlight recovery.
Hey,
I don't see much of a difference these days. When looking at R5 and R6 for instance, I think they look nearly identical
@@jan_wegener Yep . Absolutely
Some great tips. Just one remark though. The problem with the histogram display on all cameras is that it's a jpeg histogram, not a Raw one. So your camera isn't actually showing the full dynamic range. Also one issue with high ISO is that the Dynamic range gets much worse as the ISO value goes up. This can also lead to clipping highlights.
True, but at least a few clipped highlights here and there are relatively easy to fix. The EVF helps a lot now as well with the exposure simulation.
Your videos are very informative and detailed Jan, thanks. What do you say to my combo Canon 90D and Canon 100-400 II, plus I also have Sigma 150-600 Contemporary?
Thank you! That's a good set up
@@jan_wegener I really enjoy your content, in future, I hope to see you doing a video, with my combo.
@@RAJMAN181 my friend Duade Paton just did a few videos with that combo