help please

[jenoo4]

i will start by saying what iam useing, its a nikon d50, with a quantaray af 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 ld lense, which i really liked the color with, but just couldnt get as close as i wanted to with birds, so i got a teleconverter quantaray 2x dg, which has gotten me a lot closer, but now i cant use auto focus with it,so iam learning to do it myself, one thing i have noticed is, only the camra view finder the color is still great and most look in focus, but when i print them or put them on here they are not as focus and the colors not great, so i set it to raw, and i turned up the iso, which i havent got to try yet, i should say its set on fine and big for pic size, iam not for sure if i just need glasses for the focus,or if i need to set something i havent yet, and not for sure what to do about the color, i would love any feed back,

[Steve Foss]

jenoo, I don't think you've got any settings wrong.

Adding the teleconverter will really degrade picture quality on that lens. The pictures will look fuzzier and the color won't be as nice. Even the best lenses made by Nikon and Canon lose some image quality with a 2x teleconverter, and your quantaray setup will lose a lot.

The solution, if sharper longer lenses are out of the question, is to work hard and be patient and try to get in closer with the 70-300. I know it's not a perfect solution, but it's the only inexpensive one.

[jenoo4]

thank you, i new it would go down some they showed me pic in the store, one taken with out the converter and one with, now on mine it went down a lot compared to theres, which they said was with the same lenes and stuff, i would like to get new everything, i just would like to get better first, i was told the d50 was like the d80 but with the 50 the camra does most of the setting and the d80 you have to set more things your self, so i thought this would be a good start up camra

[Steve Foss]

jenoo, it's an excellent start-up camera and is capable of excellent photographs. What they showed you in the store as far as image quality you could expect with that lens and TC was, how shall I put it, perhaps not entirely true to real life.

If you bought it at one of the chain photo stores, it's likely Quantaray is the in-house brand or the brand the store has the highest profit margin on, so the salespeople push that brand pretty hard.

You'll get good image quality in most situations with your current lens if you avoid using the TC and work to get closer to your subjects. It's not easy, but the lessons you learn in woodscraft will continue to pay off even after you've upgraded to better and longer lenses.

If you are a bowhunter or hunt game that requires stalking, you are already ahead of the curve. If not, camo or drab/earth tone clothing, a cap to cover your head, slow movements when the bird/animal is not paying attention and standing perfectly still when it's looking at you can go a long way, as will patience. I agree that it's better to concentrate on perfecting your steadying technique and getting used to the camera than it is to plop down scads of money right away for expensive lenses before you see just how much you enjoy it and want to eventually put into it.

Marinermagnum just posted a great set of shots a week or so ago of a green heron eating a frog, and he was using a lens with a max focal length of 200mm. It can be done.

Good luck! Have fun! And don't be afraid to share your work with us. This is a good place for sharing. Full of supportive people. If you get to the point where you want us to comment on things you might be able to change to get better pics, just say so. Lots of folks here with expertise, and such advice is gently given.

[mmeyer]

Jenoo,

The D50 is an excellent start up camera, I had one myself until a month ago. If they told you that with the D80 you had to set up more things yourself compared to the D50, they were wrong. They both setup the same as fas as aperture and shutter speed etc. The problem you are having does not have anything to do with your camera body so you don't need to upgrade that. Lenses are the first thing to upgrade.

Good luck

[jenoo4]

one of these days i sit down and learn how to post pic on here, but i do come check here and the bird watching every day to see whats been posted and talked about, all you guys do great work and i listen when you guys help other people out, i have learned alot from you guys, i sat in the grass one day for an hour taken pic of a bird looking for things in the grass, i also went with this lense because it seemed a little lighter, dont want to ge to heavey so when iam walking i get out of breath faster, other wise they will hear me before i see them,

[mmeyer]

Jenoo,

I think you have a real good lens there, but it like every other lens has it's limitations. I think you've found that. But I think everyone will agree. No matter how long the lens is, it won't be long enough sometimes. You just plain need to get close. I was reading something the other night that said, "when you think you're close enough, take a couple more steps."

Good luck. I can't wait to see some pics.

[Steve Foss]

jenoo, you said it yourself when you talked about sitting there for an hour. A lot of folks think wildlife photographers have to be in great shape.

But the fact is we tend to find places with great backgrounds and beautiful light and spend hours sitting in those places waiting for something to come close. In the right setting, no matter WHAT comes in close to you will make a wonderful photograph.

Or we have a backyard blind and perch set up next to our bird feeders so we can control the background, the lighting and the perch.