Shot a few days ago in the Sweetwater Wetlands area of Paynes Prairie, outside Gainesville, Florida. Cropped to square, but not as drastic a crop as some of my other bird images had to be.

X1D
HC 300/f4.5 lens (XH adapter)
1/400 sec @ f7.1
ISO 100



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Beautiful photograph. Not the forte of the X1D, but clearly within its capabilities.

Although this is not a very demanding bird, as it moves slowly and carefully, what focus settings were you using? With a range of other birds, how have you managed with the whole X1D experience?

... MomentsForZen

MomentForZen - When using any camera in any situation, you need to know its limitations and advantages. I shot only what the X1D would allow me to shoot, and as such, chose my subject matter accordingly.

With the XH adapter and an older HC lens, you are limited to manual focus, which is what I used. I also used Focus Peaking, which was quick and accurate, allowing me to tweak focusing with my thumb or finger while on the tripod. The X1D is definitely NOT a wildlife camera, nor for any action shooting. However, with the longer lens, it still allows me limited opportunity.

The friend I was with while shooting had a Nikon rig, shooting 10 frames per second, AF that would follow the bird, plus up to a 600mm lens. He could shoot & follow a bird across the sky. Obviously I could not keep up with this. The X1D would fire @ 2 frames per second, but unfortunately, would black out after pressing the shutter, so it was of no use. I could only shoot single shots, with careful manual focusing, so, as I said, I chose my shots accordingly. If I were serious about birding, I would buy appropriate DSLR equipment, but for the occasional times when I shoot with my bird friend, the X1D/300 lens does just fine. Plus...I can crop to my heart's content when needed.

Hi Michael, very sharp and nice color. Did you do any post processing upon the raw file in phocus?

No Phocus. Mostly in LR5, with a final Curves adjustment in CS6.

I agree thoroughly with your philosophy. Accept the limitations and keep expectations in check. Good luck with the wildlife.

... MomentsForZen (Richard)