Bobcat pictures and camera stuff.....

I don't want to garbage up the King Buck thread anymore with superfluous stuff.........because we're having so much fun there. But I would like to start a thread about cameras and filming game in the wild.

I'm pretty disappointed with the job I did filming this bobcat. I realized about 3 good shots of the cat at varying distances, but my unfamiliarity with the new camera hindered me greatly. The camera is a Canon SX30 IS, and I believe has some good features that I neglected to take advantage of. 30X optical zoom, image stabilization, and probably more importantly........some manual overrides for light and speed (beyond auto) that I wasn't particularly competent enough to use.

The shot of the bobcat adjacent to the vertical cornstalk is 40 yards from the blind. I placed that cornstalk there......and had three others at 40 yards in a semi-circle around the field where we had been seeing turkeys.

The bobcat is perfectly motionless when he stops, but has some quick moves (particularly its head) when he does move. In retrospect (and after a bunch of practice), I should have used a speed override rather than staying in auto to take a bunch of shots. There is a multitude of software that can "clean up" a photo for light and clarity.........if you give it a chance with the native image. Unfortunately......blurry is blurry.....no matter how you try to modify it. At least that's my experience.

Hoping some shutterbugs will chime in and give some hints.

Pictures are those I took when I first noticed the bobcat.

Too bad you cant post videos. On my wifes first ever bowhunt we had 2 bobcats come in and got some great video. Here is a still frame from one of them. Taken with a Canon HG100.

Here is another place you might find some good tips. These guys take some good pics of wildlife. http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/forumdisplay.php?s=&f=56&page=1&pp=30&sort=lastpost∨der=desc&daysprune=100

first pic i got of a bobcat

Bobcats from my tree stand opening day of the 2009 gun season... mother with 3 little ones

If I understand you correctly, you zoomed the first photo in to the coyote (2nd photo). If that is so .... WOW ....... that is impressive. This is just what I am looking for. Light is such a huge factor when shooting with long lenses.

Light is everything. This was a bluebird day, 10:30 in the morning. I was on auto and full zoom. Attached is the original picture. Dimensions 4320 x 3240, 1/250 sec, F 5.8, ISO-80. I just cropped the coyote from this picture. Not a perfect picture, but that's a looong ways out there, and he was loping.

Do you play with the ISO settings at all and what setting do you prefer? My take is the lower the ISO the less noise and the better the quality. Same as with film cameras.

I have played around a bit with it, and I concur with you.

You stated that the photos were all hand held at 30x. I don't want to call you a lier but you must be either the most relaxed man on earth or a human tripod or Canon nailed there IS technology better than any other camera Co.

Heh Heh....

I assure you they are indeed hand-held. As I said, I anchor the camera against my forehead and lock my elbows against my side. The only thing I do differently than with my 35mm's.....is rather than having my left hand under the camera (fingers and thumb for focusing), I plant the left side of the camera into my left palm.....thumb against my cheek and forefinger on my forehead. The other three fingers wrap around the top of the camera. I can get a fairly steady hold this way, and I pan with my entire upper torso.

I certainly will use an impromptu rest if I can, or use a tripod if I'm in an intentional setup. But I'm not reluctant to use all of the zoom available on this camera hand-held if I have to.

Canon's IS is definitely not a gimmick..........it's good, and it works.

It has pushed my purchase of a dedicated digital video camera further into the future. I really see no reason for the average person to buy a dedicated video camera anymore when basic digital cameras can shoot video in 720p and 1080p unless one is doing video for TV shows and such. I take pictures viewing through the eyepiece rather than the display screen I will NEVER buy a camera that does not have any eye level viewfinder. To much ambient light to deal with on the display screen. Nice thing about digital photography........practice costs virtually nothing. Well said..... I used to have to buy the film, buy the chemicals to develop the film, buy the chemicals and photo paper to develop the prints, then after hours of work be able to see if I even liked what photos I took........now, I just hit delete if I don't like them.

If I understand you correctly, you zoomed the first photo in to the coyote (2nd photo). If that is so .... WOW ....... that is impressive. This is just what I am looking for. Light is such a huge factor when shooting with long lenses. Guess that is why one can pay $5,000.00 for a 400mm lens that can shoot at f2. and be able to shoot at low light.

Do you play with the ISO settings at all and what setting do you prefer? My take is the lower the ISO the less noise and the better the quality. Same as with film cameras.

You stated that the photos were all hand held at 30x. I don't want to call you a lier but you must be either the most relaxed man on earth or a human tripod or Canon nailed there IS technology better than any other camera Co.

I am going to dig up some digital photos I took so check your messenger in the next few days.

This is the turkey my friend didn't shoot. We call him "Survivor".

~80 yards running....

These are absolutely the first pictures I ever took with this camera. (hope all three upload in the sequence I want) The far woods in the center of the picture lasers at 367 yards. Just for the heck of it, I panned this running coyote at 30X on the ridge in front of the woods......then blew up the subject. The two Toms that came in are in the light area in front of the ridge. I thought the camera had possibilities after that exercise. The rest of the hunt I filmed using the video option. My friend took the bigger one on the right. The other had a longer beard however. These are hand-held 30x zoom shots.

All good stuff, 870.

The picture in the opening post was taken at 30x...or close to it. I take pictures viewing through the eyepiece rather than the display screen.......(I'm still in 35mm mode).......but it gives me another "anchor" point against my forehead, and I can control the camera better.

I likely had a few things going against me for light that day. It's early in the morning, and overcast, we had rain off and on all day. I'm also sure setting shutter priority would have saved a few other shots....even in that light. Checking the properties on all those pictures......most were shot with shutter speed of 1/40 sec. If the cat wasn't almost motionless.......the pictures were bad.

It's disappointing that my unfamiliarity with the camera cost me some nice shots, but it's also prompted me to practice more. And you're absolutely correct, when opportunity presents itself there's rarely time to do much fiddling with settings. Nice thing about digital photography........practice costs virtually nothing.

I do like the camera. My previous digital was an Olympus C-2100. 2.1 Megapixel. 10x optical zoom. I took a ton of quality pictures with it, and I still use it. But it does have limitations.

BTW.......the video on the SX30 was a pleasant surprise. Far better quality video and audio than I was anticipating. It has pushed my purchase of a dedicated digital video camera further into the future.

I used to do allot of 35mm photography years back. I also am looking to purchase the Canon SX30. If you don't already know 30x zoom is the equivalent of a 840 mm lens to a 35mm film camera. Impossible to hand hold at full zoom even with image stabilization

Most wildlife photographers use a mono pole to hold camera steady. It gives you much more freedom of movement over a tripod. If you have shutter priority in auto mode (you set shutter speed and the camera sets aperture) use that mode for moving subjects or with good daylight. In low light use aperture priority and open up the lens aperture.

To go full manual will take allot of practice (trial and error or mostly error) and we usually don't have much time to think when that shot suddenly comes and we need to focus and all that stuff. It is the same as trying to keep your composure when that buck walks in front of you.

If you are shooting video I won't be of much help here.

I am really interested in how you like the camera and would like to see some of your shots and if I can be of any help please message me and I will give you my email address. I used to have a darkroom which is now pretty much obsolete and have now learned to use some of the digital programs out there.

You do have a great camera and you are sure to have fun with it.

Pictures that didn't come through on first post.....