Had a chance to go outside today...shot some more birds. While it is definitely harder to get in focus (i.e. needing better technique), the D50 offers more pixels to crop a shot.

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I shot these with a combination of S Mode, Action, and manual in NEF. Post processed with Nikon Capture Editor. Imported into iPhoto and touched up a bit in PS (mainly noise reduction and levels).

How do you guys like these pics?

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All I ever really needed to know, I learned from watching Star Trek.

That's a fantastic shot! (the first one....didn't click the others yet)

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[www.zeemaps.com]

UnDoug,

Thanks for the kind comment. To me, they look a little soft. I wonder if it has to do with the D50's slower AF and shutter speeds. I had to massage the shots to get them to look okay. The other problem is that I couldn't get any of the birds while they were coming at me...the D50 couldn't lock onto a fast object coming directly at it...

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All I ever really needed to know, I learned from watching Star Trek.

I agree that they look a little soft, but they are still very nice.

And we are talking about feathers!

You might try some still stuff and try to determine if it's the lens or maybe the sensor.

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I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Wowzer! Nice shots. Very nice indeed.

Wowzer, your composition is fine and your technique of being able to capture the birds is also fine, but I would do two things: put some more context into the frame. It's hard to reference scale and where these birds are w/o it. But, if you are intent on keeping the birds as most of the framed shot, you may want to get even closer and/or use a more interesting angle. Overall, you are a much better wildlife photog than me, I'm just giving a critique, as requested.

I would also say that the other shots you posted of the zoo were of better quality in terms of the lens. This lens lacks contrast and color, IMO. That has almost always been the problem with "aftermarket" lenses compared to the big camera names. Plus, they are probably sacrificing quality to get that outrageous zoom length. Just my $.02

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Hurts like a bastid...