Butterflies and Hummers with 40D

[Shasoc]

I just got a new 40D at the local photo store. So this weekend I was able to try it. In general I'm very pleased with the camera, but I haven't try all its new features. I just got it and start shooting. The most significant improvement is the AF, faster and more precise.
These pics were taken in my backyard mostly with the 500+1.4TC, except for the butterfly taken with the 300mm f/4.


http://socrateg.smugmug.com/photos/194544485-O.jpg



http://socrateg.smugmug.com/photos/194544434-O.jpg


http://socrateg.smugmug.com/photos/194543873-O.jpg


http://socrateg.smugmug.com/photos/194544085-O.jpg


http://socrateg.smugmug.com/photos/194543948-O.jpg



http://socrateg.smugmug.com/photos/194544016-O.jpg

[Bud1880]

WOW!!! What else can you say? I think it's a keeper. :thumb

[PrescottPhotog]

I just got a new 40D at the local photo store.

Socrate, Well it looks like you bought a winner. For just taking it out of the box the photos look great. Great detail too !!:clap :clap

[Maestro]

Spectacular! Great detail in all of those shots! Amazing!

[BigAl]

Super, super shots! :thumb Excellent detail.

I'm seriously considering getting a 40D too - what was your previous camera?

[dbaker1221]

congrats!! outstanding captures...crisp:ivar :barb

[jonh68]

Very sharp.

[gluwater]

I was hoping to hear that about the AF. Have you had a chance to use it in low light yet? I'm more interested in how the AF tracks in low light then worried about noise. Congrats on the new purchase, your putting it to great use.

[Harv]

Great stuff. Congrats on the new toy.

[Debboggy]

I love your butterfly shots! What lens did you use for these? They all look great. :clap

[BBiggs]

Dang you for posting this! You should have omited the 40D part :D You are making me want to get one even more! The pictures are outstanding! Everyone is beautiful, the clarity, and detial, along with the coloration is simply amazing. Excellent work! :thumb :clap

[Jody Melanson]

Wowsers! These are great!

[scottV]

awesome hummer shots.
40d *drool*

[JLGould]

I'm green with envy and I adore that cardinal shot. :)

[Shasoc]

WOW!!! What else can you say? I think it's a keeper. :thumb

Thanks. Yea, I think I'm going to keep it. :D

[Shasoc]

Socrate, Well it looks like you bought a winner. For just taking it out of the box the photos look great. Great detail too !!:clap :clap

Thank you, Chris. :D

[Shasoc]

Spectacular! Great detail in all of those shots! Amazing!

Thanks for the comments, Stephen.

[Shasoc]

Super, super shots! :thumb Excellent detail.

I'm seriously considering getting a 40D too - what was your previous camera?


Thanks, Al. Sorry for the late reply. I have a 30D.

[Shasoc]

congrats!! outstanding captures...crisp:ivar :barb

Thank you, Dave.

[Shasoc]

Very sharp.

Hi, Jonh. Thanks for the comments.

[Shasoc]

I was hoping to hear that about the AF. Have you had a chance to use it in low light yet? I'm more interested in how the AF tracks in low light then worried about noise. Congrats on the new purchase, your putting it to great use.

Thanks, Nick. I haven't used in low light, but for what I heard there shouldn't be any difference with the 30D.

[Shasoc]

I love your butterfly shots! What lens did you use for these? They all look great. :clap

Hi Debbie. Thanks for your comments. I used a 500mm + 1.4 TC with the hummers, and a 300mm with the butterflies.

[Shasoc]

Great stuff. Congrats on the new toy.


Thanks, Harv.

[Shasoc]

Dang you for posting this! You should have omited the 40D part :D You are making me want to get one even more! The pictures are outstanding! Everyone is beautiful, the clarity, and detial, along with the coloration is simply amazing. Excellent work! :thumb :clap

Thanks for your comments. :D

[Shasoc]

awesome hummer shots.
40d *drool*

Thank you. :D

[Shasoc]

I'm green with envy and I adore that cardinal shot. :)

Thanks for the comments. :D

[Fabs]

Beautiful stuff, congrats!!!:clap

[Ric Grupe]

That 300 f/4 is a butterfly lens...perfectly suited in my experience.

Great shots, Socrate.:bow

[riddim_maker]

Stunning images, all of them.:clap :clap :clap
Congratulations on your new 40D, you seem to have already mastered it right out of the box :thumb

[Thusie]

These shots ROCK:thumb:thumb:thumb:clap:clap:clap

[raptorcaptor]

Excellent! Love the detail in all of them! :clap

[Shasoc]

Beautiful stuff, congrats!!!:clap

Thank you Fabs.

[Shasoc]

That 300 f/4 is a butterfly lens...perfectly suited in my experience.

Great shots, Socrate.:bow

Thank you Ric. I agree 100% with you about the 300mm. I don't think I've ever used another lens with butterflies.

[Shasoc]

Stunning images, all of them.:clap :clap :clap
Congratulations on your new 40D, you seem to have already mastered it right out of the box :thumb



Thanks for the comments.

[Shasoc]

These shots ROCK:thumb:thumb:thumb:clap:clap:clap



Thank you, Thuie.

[Shasoc]

Excellent! Love the detail in all of them! :clap


Hi, Glenn. Thanks for your comments.

[ChadinStPete]

very impressive detail and exposure, your making the 40d look prettty good. Are you sure you dont work for Canon?:D

[raptorcaptor]

Hi, Glenn. Thanks for your comments.

Do you use an extension tube with your 300 F4 when shooting butterflies?

[The Curious Camel]

Absolutely stunning shots.

[kdog]

Darn it!!! My finger's been hovering over the BUY button on the 40D all day, but have so far been resisting the urge. And now I have to see THIS??? :yikes

:rofl

Fabulous images, Socrate. :D

Cheers,
-joel

[Shasoc]

very impressive detail and exposure, your making the 40d look prettty good. Are you sure you dont work for Canon?:D

Hi, ChadinStPete.:D Thanks for your comments. Non I don't work for Canon. I wish I was, I'll be probably saving a lot of money. :D :D

[Shasoc]

Do you use an extension tube with your 300 F4 when shooting butterflies?

Hi, Glenn. No, I never use any extention tube with the butterflies. Sometimes I have to step back to get to the minimun focusing distance. These are also a bit cropped.

[Shasoc]

Absolutely stunning shots.

Thank you very much. :D

[Shasoc]

Darn it!!! My finger's been hovering over the BUY button on the 40D all day, but have so far been resisting the urge. And now I have to see THIS??? :yikes

:rofl

Fabulous images, Socrate. :D

Cheers,
-joel

Thanks for your comments, Joel. So, did you ever press that button? :D

[WildWally]

Very good sharpness/detail on the shots .

[Aussieroo]

I agree with all the comments made here so far, simply brilliant. I have a few questions,
were these shot in RAW?
How much post editing was involved especially sharpening as I have found that the 30D seems to be a tad on the soft side over all and if the 40D is this much sharper than, yeah watch out for an upgrade. I would have picked the butterflies to have been shot on a macro lens like the Canon 180MM

[Harryb]

Excellent set and congrats on your new camera.

[Shasoc]

Very good sharpness/detail on the shots .

Thanks for you comments, Walt.

[Shasoc]

I agree with all the comments made here so far, simply brilliant. I have a few questions,
were these shot in RAW?
How much post editing was involved especially sharpening as I have found that the 30D seems to be a tad on the soft side over all and if the 40D is this much sharper than, yeah watch out for an upgrade. I would have picked the butterflies to have been shot on a macro lens like the Canon 180MM


Thanks for your comments, Aussieroo. These shots were taken in Jpeg, I have CS2 and Adobe hasn't update it for the 40D, and I'm afraid it won't do it at all. That means I'll have to upgrate to CS3. I can still use Canon DPP or convert the RAW files to DNG, but I haven't try Raw yet. The 40D, compared to the 30D, has a better AF system, which means better detail, and more keepers, so I guess you can say the 40D is sharper than the 30D. As far as editing is concerned I adjusted shadows/highlights, Levels, run through a noise reduction program, and did some sharpening. After resizing for the web I did some more sharpening.
I always use the 300mm for my butterfly shots.:D

[Shasoc]

Excellent set and congrats on your new camera.


Thanks Harry. I appreciate it.

[Aussieroo]

Thanks for your comments, Aussieroo. These shots were taken in Jpeg, I have CS2 and Adobe hasn't update it for the 40D, and I'm afraid it won't do it at all. That means I'll have to upgrate to CS3. I can still use Canon DPP or convert the RAW files to DNG, but I haven't try Raw yet. The 40D, compared to the 30D, has a better AF system, which means better detail, and more keepers, so I guess you can say the 40D is sharper than the 30D. As far as editing is concerned I adjusted shadows/highlights, Levels, run through a noise reduction program, and did some sharpening. After resizing for the web I did some more sharpening.
I always use the 300mm for my butterfly shots.:D

Great, thanks for the reply Shasoc. I have a member of our camera club locally here who just bought the 40D last week. I downloaded the ACR plug in to suit the 40D for her. She only runs Adobe Elements 5 and it works fine in that program. I did notice however it won't work in anything earlier than CS3. Seems strange as APSE5 is a fairly cheap program compared to CS2. I have the plug in here, I must have a go trying it on CS2, have to find a computer using 2 to see what happens. I have to say the ACR4.2 in CS3 is so much better in lots of ways than the version in CS2, so maybe you shuld have a look at it if you get the chance.

[Shasoc]

Great, thanks for the reply Shasoc. I have a member of our camera club locally here who just bought the 40D last week. I downloaded the ACR plug in to suit the 40D for her. She only runs Adobe Elements 5 and it works fine in that program. I did notice however it won't work in anything earlier than CS3. Seems strange as APSE5 is a fairly cheap program compared to CS2. I have the plug in here, I must have a go trying it on CS2, have to find a computer using 2 to see what happens. I have to say the ACR4.2 in CS3 is so much better in lots of ways than the version in CS2, so maybe you shuld have a look at it if you get the chance.

Ralph, as you said 4.x ACR is not compatible with PSCS2, and Adobe has not added cameras to previous versions of ACR in the past.
I tried on CS2 but it doesn't work. Imagebrowser opened the .CR2 file, but wouldn't allow me to do anything to it.
Cheers!

[Aaron Jors]

Great Shots.

[Shasoc]

Great Shots.


Hi Aaron. Thank you. :D