STVest Loc: LA - that's Lower Alabama

Thanks for this information. I usually use manual focus. I recently tried using auto focus with a single auto-focus point but on the birdies at the distance I'm shooting, every time they would bob their little heads or move slightly, the auto-focus would go bonkers trying to determine and adjust to a new focus point. So, I reverted to manually focusing (not to say that I don't occasionally switch it back to auto). I usually use f/6.3 when shooting birds, but sometimes set it at f/8 or f/16 if it's a really sunny day. I'll go back through my photos to find the ones where I used a smaller aperture and see if the focus was appreciably better. Maybe I'm just not analyzing my results thoroughly enough. (So very much to learn!!!!)

If it turns out that I do need to have the camera/lens calibrated, is that something that must be done by Canon or might the local camera shop be able to do that?

washy Loc: Dorset UK

Sigma will do it for you, if you get the camera and lens to them. I am not sure if Canon will, as it is a sigma lens, but Sigma in the UK adjusted my 150-500mm for me

STVest Loc: LA - that's Lower Alabama

Thanks for the info, washy.

washy Loc: Dorset UK

Before you send off the lens etc use auto focus, I find my Sigma 150-500 focuses just as well on auto as on manual if not better, I only use manual when I want the shot between twigs branches etc that will be in the way of auto focus. I have known some of the big sigs focus best around f8 or f9. try those settings. You can always turn up the ISO on the 60d if the light is not too good. I shot this yesterday very cloudy day with a Canon 60d and the big Sig. ISO 800 F5.6 1/750th 500mm

STVest Loc: LA - that's Lower Alabama

Thanks, washy. I will practice some more using both manual and auto focus and a smaller aperature. Then I'll see if a more thorough analysis tells me anything. A former client of mine who is also the daughter-in-law of a good friend is a photographer and until about a year ago worked for several years at a local camera shop. I haven't seen her in 2-3 years, but maybe I'll hunt her down (she lives about 4 miles from me) and see if she'll take some shots with my camera/lens and advise me. I'll probably do that before I actually ship the camera/lens off to Sigma.

Thanks for your attention and advise.

MtnMan Loc: ID

I almost always use the minimum f-stop at 500 mm on my Sigma. It does a find job. It is on a Nikon.

Assuring single point focus setting on the bird comes first. I try to focus on the eye.

Next is keeping the shutter speed up. I am learning I can go to quite high ISO to keep the shutter speed up.

With these flighty guys it might not have completed focusing before firing. Make sure the camera is set to not fire unless it is happy on focus.

I sometimes manually focus at the feeder so I don't have to worry the above.

You can see the narrow DOF on this

STVest Loc: LA - that's Lower Alabama

Thanks, MtnMan. I'm thinking maybe I should shoot something stationary with the Sigma and see if the focus is any better? These hyper little birds are really hard to keep up with and maybe my anxiety to shoot them is just causing me to make too many mistakes. Whenever I read about a problem with the equipment I wonder how I, who has so little knowledge and experience with it all, would ever determine that it is equipment failure. I simply assume (most probably correctly) that the failure is mine.

MtnMan Loc: ID

I'd call it learning.

DSLRs and their lenses are complex pieces of equipment. They take some time to learn how to operate for particular purposes.

Although I used a film SLR for many years I was intimidated by the complexity of my first modern DSLR. Now, a couple of years and cameras later, it seems easy. But I frequently find I forgot some setting or didn't do the right sequence of operations to get what I want. The nice thing with DSLRs is that it doesn't cost anything to learn. The more you shoot the more you learn.