There are several "solutions" that can help:

1. Shoot in servo mode combined with high speed burst.
2. Increase the ISO as much as your noise level will allow so you can increase your shutter speed
3. Stabilize the plant with a Plamp or other similar clamping device that won't injure the plant.
4. Bring a windscreen
5. Use diffused flash as your primary source of light. Off camera flash gives you more flexibility than on camera.
6. Cultivate the patience to wait for and seize that momentary instant of calm when the wind dies. Using a tripod makes waiting easier on the arms.
7. Spray and pray.

I don't know your storage needs or the size of your collection. When I started digitally hard drives were small and as I enjoyed focus stacking, I accumulated many hard drives quickly . After growing pains and several false starts, the solution I arrived at was to use a Drobo (a type of raid system) which I backed up to to two other Drobos. PreCovid, I kept one of the Drobos at my old office and one of the backup Drobos would remain attached to the computer and synchronized on a nightly basis. The other Drobo was kept off-site. About once a month, I would swap out the backup Drobos. I use Carbon Copy Cloner (a Mac program) to synchronize my Drobos, which keeps the backup Drobos up to date.

I don't know if Drobo is still in business but similar devices are made by Synology and others. I had thought of using just 2 Drobos and having the third copy in cloud storage. But the transmission rate for my uploads was too slow given the size of my library, 32TB.

The Drobo is viewed as a single drive by my Mac. This allows me to have all my images at my fingertips without hunting for the right drive. Lightroom keeps track of where each image lies. Hope this helps.

Irwin

It may not use flourite elements, but six elements are 'UD' (ultra low dispersion) while one is 'Super UD'. It is an amazing lens that has rendered many fine shots for me.

Irwin

In your other post, I replied with an actual comparison shot between my 500 L prime and the 100-500 zoom taken with an R5. Granted, it was not the most current model of the 500 L. But the sharpness of the 100-500mm zoom was better than my 500 prime. I was so pleased I sold my prime. I think you will be similarly surprised at the sharpness of the zoom. And yes it works very well with the 1.4 T/C; although these days, my first choice would be the new 800mm if I needed the reach.

Irwin

Alphadog, I had the older 500mm IS f/4.0 lens and the RF 100-500. I tested them both on my R5 by shooting three different distant targets tripod mounting both lenses and shooting at the same f/stop. The targets were in the center of the frame. I did not compare resolution at the corners of the frame. I did not test different f/stops. I was surprised that the zoom was slightly sharper in each case.

Although I could no longer take long hikes with the 500mm prime due to some leg injuries, I had intended to keep it for those instances when I was shooting very close to my car. I loved my 500mm prime and thought it was a very sharp lens. Once I saw the results, I made up my mind to sell the prime, which I have recently accomplished. I have used the RF 100-500mm zoom with my R5 in a number of different contexts and found it to be an excellent lens.

I have attached one of the tests. The first is the general shot taken with the prime, The next shot is the crop of the license plate (the point of focus) taken with the 500 prime. The last shot is the same crop of the license plate taken with the zoom at 500mm from the same position.

I am not sure what you were asking about the teleconverter.

I hope this helps

Irwin

edited to include test shots and information about them

(Download)


(Download)

There are two problems that led to the softness. First, at f/4, depth field is very thin. Complicating this depth of field limitation is movement. I think the moment was front to back. Although some parts of the image are more close to being in focus, nothing is in sharp focus. My guess is that this was a down shot where you were bent at the waist. It is difficult to get a good brace when bent at the waist.

By your concentration on this image, I am assuming that it is an outlier and that you have taken sharp close-up images at f/4.

Irwin

I ordered mine from B&H two-three months ago. My fiend who had ordered before me got his several weeks ago. Mine is still on back order

I can't speak to the Sony cameras, but the R5 and other Canon cameras allow your to focus bracket in Raw and then you can process the images in an external images stacking app. The focus bracketing in the Canon has multiple advantages over manual focus stacking as well as external controls such as qDSLR Dashboard and CamRanger, particularly in outdoor stacks and deep stacks. As there is no mirror and the program uses electronic first and second shutter, there is no reason to allow your camera to settle between shots and the stacking takes only a fraction of the time it to to acquire the images, a major advantage outside when wind or changing light can spoil a stack. I suspect that this or a similar in camera apps will be available in future mirrorless models from the major manufactures in the near future.

[quote=E.L.. Shapiro]
Our cat gives me dirty looks!

NOT THE CAT!!! Now you've done it! You've gone and broken the golden rule of photography. At least you were puddy-shamed for for your transgressions.

Kidding aside, I appreciate how you taken your extensive experience and deep photographic knowledge, wrapped it with a gentle hand, and tied a bow with kindness and a bit of wit...a true gift in this age of stridency.

Irwin

No, it is not. We take pictures for many reason. I recently took a picture of a bird in my magnolia tree that was far to small in the frame to keep, which I knew before I pressed the shutter button. I just wanted to identify my visitor. Artistic? No way! Other times, I have taken pictures to preserve memories, even though the background was less than stellar and the shadows were less than flattering. In both instances the photos accomplished what they were supposed to do. There are other reasons to shoot besides creating award winning images. So long as you know the difference, you're good. Then go put your heart, skill and all of your knowledge into making your award winning images.

Irwin

Although several people have said the bird's eye is on the same plane as the seeds, it seems to me that the sharpest seed, on the right side of the feeder. It also seems to me that the right side of the feeder, is slightly closer to the camera than the bird. Did you by any chance focus and then recompose? Objects with high contrast edges (light/dark contrast and color contrast) will look sharper than objects with last contrast.

When shooting through glass, you lose sharpness for two reasons: the poor optical quality of window glass and the reflections off the surface of the glass. To cut the reflections, you can use a rubber lens hood and hold it flush to the glass, if you can't avoid the glass.

Bob, I am not sure which lenses you are referring to as lesser quality. My Sigma 180mm macro (which may be discontinued) is a fine lens equal to or better than the less expensive Canon 180mm macro. The Sigma's top of the line lenses that I have used are of professional quality. Your comment may have been true at one time but I don't think it is accurate now. Have you compared any of the recent Art series or macro lenses to their OEM counterparts?

Irwin

I had read somewhere that Sigma was not going to just adapt prior designs to the new camera systems but was going to come out with newly designed lenses. As a Canon user, I have had to wait patiently for my new lenses, even though the design was completed due to manufacturing delays caused by Covid. My guess is that there are manufacturing backups and component shortages, particularly chips that are slowing the production of new lenses.

Because of theft, I don't post much now. I have had numerous images stolen and used to sell plants on eBay, Etsy, and various website. I even had Walmart using one of my images. I spent countless hours issuing takedown letters to sites. I don't even know how to begin to issue takedown letters to sites in foreign countries whose alphabet I don't recognize and can't read.

Posting small jpgs does not seem to deter the thieves. All they seem to want is a small image to sell their plants online. They are not interested in wall sized prints. As a professional, I do not consider it a compliment when my work is used without authorization. I consider it theft. (Yes, you can have have theft of intellectual property that does not involve tangible goods or deprivation of my ability to use the property.)

As some who practiced trial law for 29 years, I have looked into registering my images with the Copyright Office but that is cost prohibitive in terms of both money and time for a one person shop. It also does not even address the problem of enforcing U.S. copyright law in foreign countries against small businesses. Yes, as creator your work is copyrighted when you publish it. The remedy for the infringement, however, is very limited unless the image is register.

Now, I seldom post my images.

Irwin

Bill, thank you for your detailed and thoughtful guide. VERY helpful.

Irwin

P.S. Was that the "Aqualung" tour? Also, why the two copyright dates? Does a subsequent reiteration/edit get a new additional date?