Really good post, this image was one of a series I took because the Mountain Bluebird was on my list of birds to get on file. Literally my wife and I were driving around and there they were. Your comments have put several things into focus (pun intended) for me.
Nalu wrote:
In my opinion, your issue is not equipment in this example, its more about exposure and poor light. Looking at the histogram, it looks like the bird is underexposed by at least 1 stop. The underexposure can also account for the lack of feather detail as well as the amount fo noise in the image. Also, for moving subjects, especially with long lenses, you need to get your shutter speed up. Even the best of bird photographers would have trouble at 1/320 even with a perched subject. My suggestion, work toward having data to the right in the histogram and you will see your images improve. In this example, moving your iso up to 800 would allow a shutter speed of over 1/1000 and most of the time you should be able to shoot wide open unless you are really close to your subject. Try working on your techniques and then decide whether to upgrade your equipment.
In my opinion, your issue is not equipment in this... (
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