Can you not light up the area you are going to photograph the birds??

Sorry it was Dawn and I think she only meant one of the shots, will try on automatic and set the shutter to 1000, the Lens is not that fast f4 - 6.3 so I would guess at 500mm it would be 6.3. LOL, yes, it is on a tripod I need 2 hands to lift the lens alone there is no way I could manage it hand held.

Sorry I got the wrong person and thank you for your help.

Jack have no photographic lights do have a security lamp in the yard that I may be able to redirect that would do the trick, will see if OH can organise that for me. Thanks

I should of referred more to the cropping when mentioning the ISO. When you crop an image, if the ISO is high, you will see the "noise" more, thats what I think you can see in your images.

Sometimes a higher ISO _is_ too high

But that is usually to do with how well your camera handles high ISO, for eg the Nikon D3 and D700's are legend when it comes to high ISO, but others are not so great - so you could find that too high an iso for your camera, isn't recommended as you get too much noise.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wireless-Remot...1%7C240%3A1318

Get yourself one of these, it is for your pentax camera model. Set the camera virtually as close to the feeders as you like ( set mine about 5 ft away). OK you have to set the camera viewing on one spot on the feeder and wait for a bird to get within frame. A little guesswork that the bird is in frame and continuous shutter setting works for me. you will suprise yourself at the pictures you can get.

Mine is slightly different but does the same job, I can sit in the warm in my office 30 ft away, have a coffee and just press the button, brilliant, best bit of kit you can buy
Bazza

Thanks Bazza, I do already have one of those , wireless remote, do you have to set the focus on the one place, do you have it set so the dof is wide or does the camera focus before it realises the shutter if you half release the remote button?

Also do you worry about the weather too much, I know the camera will take the damp but I worry about the lens. Talking of lens I bought this one about a month ago and the price has gone up by £359 - not sure if I should be using it to try and shot birds or sell it

Talking of cameras I was using my old body to take the above may be the noise will be better with my new one, I will try as I don't think 800 is that high.

Azz we know you love your Nikon but there is no way I can or want to go down that route as I have said I was using an old body so perhaps if I use the new one or try in better light I will get better results.

Daft really to want to do this but it has had a spin off, I now know and appreciate the garden birds far more and we have 100s visit the dog yard now we have the feeder (thanks to Baz) and dogs who's droppings now contain loads of seed but you probably did not need to know that.

Dawn, thanks, I know what you mean, I could do with getting in closer and will try that once we have better and more stable weather.

im no bird shooter but i think you did really well and perhap get a more natural looking feeder that blend in with the trees and branches . you're doing well

Snapper

the way I do it is by thinking how much I want of the area in frame and the distance most comfortable not to disturb the birds, and lens you want to use. I have it down now to about 5 ft away, but the birds are used to feeding without disturbance. As for setting up the camera It just the same as hand held, have it set on autofocus but really set on a particular point to stop the lens hunting , you don't get much time with birds feeding - aperture priority- etc the remote is like an extended hand.
I don't use it in wet weather as the Nikon D200 is not sealed enough but maybe worth thinking about putting a small cover over the top, thank god cows don't fly.

I would try the 50mm f1.4 as a starter lens, Why because it is a fast lens and allows more light in so you can shoot at a lower ISO.

Try it set up in position and take a couple of trial shots first to get the settings correct then when the Ostrich comes onto the feeder you will be ready.



Yes the hole above the Marsh Tit is its nest so I set up the remote knowing the bird would appear
Bazza