Help with settings on Canon SX50 for birds: We have some plants that are beginning to attract hummingbirds in our back yard. I would also like to try my hand at birds in general. I am...

patrick43 Loc: Los Lunas,NM

We have some plants that are beginning to attract hummingbirds in our back yard. I would also like to try my hand at birds in general.
I am wondering what the difference, if any, there is between the burst mode in settings and the sport mode. In reading the manual it
explains how to set up for both modes but doesn't really say which is preferable for certain situations. For sports mode in small print at
the bottom of the page it says pictures may look grainy because ISO is increased, and for burst mode the bottom of the page says focus,
image brightness, and color are determined by the first shot. I'm curious if one mode is preferable to the other or if it depends on the
circumstance. Logic tells me sports mode because it has its own setting on the dial. I'm sure there are some members familiar with this
camera that can help me out. Any other tips, hints, would also be appreciated. Thanks.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I used burst mode exclusively for four years of photographing a long-distant eagle nest. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I'm thinking that sport mode doesn't automatically shoot continuously. With burst mode (which sets the highest possible shutter speed for the conditions), as long as you hold down the shutter, you will continue to get images - up to about 10, as I recall. Ideally, don't do more than four or five at a time due to the time that's needed to write the images to the card (which will seem interminable if you're missing more action, lol).

I'll find some links to shots and add here shortly.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

What was most effective for me was focusing on the nest itself. If you have a hummingbird feeder or other places they like to hang out, try aiming just there rather than attempting to follow the birds around. As with any subject, the sx50 does best in good light and contrast (for focus as well as keeping ISO lower). Here are some examples shot in burst mode:

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-395844-1.html

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-317919-1.html

-

df61743 Loc: Corpus Christi, TX

I suggest setting your ISO at 400, maybe even 800, then use aperture priority at the lowest F-stop your lens will handle. That would be as wide open as you can get. This will give you the fastest shutter speed, but possibly a shallow depth of field.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

df61743 wrote:

I suggest setting your ISO at 400, maybe even 800, then use aperture priority at the lowest F-stop your lens will handle. That would be as wide open as you can get. This will give you the fastest shutter speed, but possibly a shallow depth of field.

I have had poor results using the SX50 in aperture mode and fixed iso in that it can run out of range for the shutter speed. Much as I hate to say this, my best results with this camera are 'P' mode. I don't do this with my other cameras. But the SX50 has limited ranges and I often end up with severly under or over exposed images when using it like I would with a big boy camera.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

df61743 wrote:

I suggest setting your ISO at 400, maybe even 800, then use aperture priority at the lowest F-stop your lens will handle. That would be as wide open as you can get. This will give you the fastest shutter speed, but possibly a shallow depth of field.

The sx50 is a bridge camera with a fixed lens; aperture values (and depth of field) are not equivalent to a dslr. If speed is the primary requirement (hummingbirds), why use aperture priority at all, regardless of camera? Doesn't shutter priority make more sense?

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

JimH123 wrote:

I have had poor results using the SX50 in aperture mode and fixed iso in that it can run out of range for the shutter speed. Much as I hate to say this, my best results with this camera are 'P' mode. I don't do this with my other cameras. But the SX50 has limited ranges and I often end up with severly under or over exposed images when using it like I would with a big boy camera.

Yes, the camera requires a special understanding

I abandoned both aperture priority and shutter priority very quickly. HQ burst mode for moving critters and birds when I didn't care about raw, P mode when I did - such as for an occasional landscape (I usually had a dslr with me too). In Program mode, exposure compensation is available.

LarryFB Loc: Depends where our RV is parked

Linda From Maine wrote:

The sx50 is a bridge camera with a fixed lens; aperture values (and results) are not equal to a dslr. If speed is the primary requirement (hummingbirds), why use aperture priority at all, regardless of camera? Doesn't shutter priority make more sense?

Although I never use my bridge camera any more, only my DSLR. I agree with your recommendation. I have shot literally thousands of pictures of birds in flight and discovered, for me, the best setting is shutter priority (at least 1/1000 second and maybe faster), in good daylight (I was at the Salton Sea in California), auto ISO, and burst mode.

I even have a series of photos of a White Pelican landing. It's like a fighter jet landing on an Aircraft Carrier!

patrick43 Loc: Los Lunas,NM

Linda From Maine wrote:

What was most effective for me was focusing on the nest itself. If you have a hummingbird feeder or other places they like to hang out, try aiming just there rather than attempting to follow the birds around. As with any subject, the sx50 does best in good light and contrast (for focus as well as keeping ISO lower). Here are some examples shot in burst mode:

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-395844-1.html

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-317919-1.html

-

Thanks so much Linda. Thank you for the sample photos also. Makes me think there is hope for me yet. Just have to say how impressed I've always been with your
willingness to help others. Thanks again.

patrick43 Loc: Los Lunas,NM

JimH123 wrote:

I have had poor results using the SX50 in aperture mode and fixed iso in that it can run out of range for the shutter speed. Much as I hate to say this, my best results with this camera are 'P' mode. I don't do this with my other cameras. But the SX50 has limited ranges and I often end up with severly under or over exposed images when using it like I would with a big boy camera.

Thanks Jim, I use P mode pretty much all the time. If it isn't too sunny with some tree cover I've had some luck using a shutter priority of around 1/30
to slow water a little. Any experience with sports mode or burst mode for moving things?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

patrick43 wrote:

We have some plants that are beginning to attract ... (show quote)

Search on UHH for Tony Britton - he posted a lot of SX-50 photos, esp birds in 2015 & 2016.
Also look here, his essay on using the SX-50: http://tonybritton.smugmug.com/Other/Canon-SX50-HS-Hints-Tips/
And for someone else's hints look here:
http://stokesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/canon-sx-50-hs-for-bird-photography-i.html

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

LarryFB wrote:

the best setting is shutter priority (at least 1/1000 second and maybe faster)... and burst mode.

Just to clarify, "HQ Burst Mode" is a separate automatic setting, though I'm thinking it allows exposure compensation also (can't believe I've forgotten all this stuff in just 15 months!), and not the same as continuous shooting (burst).

LarryFB wrote:

I even have a series of photos of a White Pelican landing. It's like a fighter jet landing on an Aircraft Carrier!

patrick43 wrote:

Thanks so much Linda...

You're very welcome!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

robertjerl wrote:

Search on UHH for Tony Britton...

I forgot about ol' Tony! One thread is here:
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-326103-1.html

It appeared he was paid to promote the camera because for awhile he was also on UHH with a Nikon P610

patrick43 Loc: Los Lunas,NM

robertjerl wrote:

Search on UHH for Tony Britton - he posted a lot of SX-50 photos, esp birds in 2015 & 2016.
Also look here, his essay on using the SX-50: http://tonybritton.smugmug.com/Other/Canon-SX50-HS-Hints-Tips/
And for someone else's hints look here:
http://stokesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/canon-sx-50-hs-for-bird-photography-i.html

Thanks for the links Robert. I looked at both and can see where they might help after I read them more thoroughly.
Every little bit helps, right?

patrick43 Loc: Los Lunas,NM

LarryFB wrote:

Although I never use my bridge camera any more, only my DSLR. I agree with your recommendation. I have shot literally thousands of pictures of birds in flight and discovered, for me, the best setting is shutter priority (at least 1/1000 second and maybe faster), in good daylight (I was at the Salton Sea in California), auto ISO, and burst mode.

I even have a series of photos of a White Pelican landing. It's like a fighter jet landing on an Aircraft Carrier!

Thanks for the tip Larry. Looks like it is burst mode rather than sports setting.