Canon 1200 D DSLR (T5, T6)
 

I went walking out by the lake this morning just after sunrise and carried my Canon 1200 D with me. I talked about this camera on another thread a few days ago and was commenting on how much different Film and Digital is, especially with the Slower Lenses that usually comes with most cameras today.

Anyway, picture 1 is Looking across the lake, sun to my left. ISO - 100, Ap - F5.6, Shutter - 1/200, Focal - 75mm.

Picture 2, a Herron resting on a log. ISO - 800, Ap - F10, Shutter - 1/200, Focal 100mm.

Picture 3, A Friendly Squirrel that allowed me to get close. ISO - 3200, Ap - F4, Shutter - 1/100, Focal 85mm.

Picture 4, A Turtle on a log, not sure what type of Turtle, possibly a Slider. ISO - 200, Ap - F8, Shutter 1/500, Focal - 300mm.

And last Picture, a young Deer was browsing and I was able to get very close before she spooked and ran off. ISO - 2000, Ap - F4, Shutter - 1/160, Focal - 90mm.

Was hoping to see some snakes but not a one today.

I like this camera, but I feel that "picture 4" (the Turtle) is lacking in detail. You can't really see the vivid coloring, and if I had used a film camera with an F1.4 Lens, I know I could have obtained a better shot. But I'm happy with the others none the less.

Should have "Manually" focused
 

I saw 2 baby owls sitting on a branch together this morning and grabbed the camera. I (regretfully) let the camera Auto-Focus and looking through the view finder the picture looked good. Of course now we can plainly see the camera focused on the Leaves several feet in front of the owls and the 2 owls are blurred.

This is the sort of situation where it would be better to turn off the auto focus and do it manually. "Live and Learn."

Better Focus on Mama Owl
 

The Mama Owl of the 2 babies pictured above was guarding her young from another tree branch. I actually did not even see her at first but she screamed at the babies as I walked past and only then did I spot her. I was able to get closer to her and grabbed this photo.

I manually focused this time (although I probably didn't need to in this picture) and my camera was set as such: F5 aperture, ISO 3200, 1/40th Shutter, 140mm Focal. No flash, this picture was taken at about 6:00am this morning under cloudy skies. I'm surprised it came out this good.

Bambi posing for me
 

The camera Auto-Focused very well for me this time. My settings for this picture: F4 aperture, ISO 3200, 1/13th Shutter, 80mm Focal. No Flash.

Radnor Lake
 

There is an old Railroad Refilling Lake built about 100 years ago during the old steam engine days only a few miles from me. It is called Radnor Lake.

Today it is a National Park and Wildlife Refuge.

People go there to hike, walk, enjoy nature and take pictures. That is where all these pictures have come from.

(Below) picture 1 - Two Turtles on a log engulfed in lots of Green Pond Scum. Yummy! Focal - 55mm, ISO - 100, Shutter - 1/125, F7.1

picture 2 - An Observation Deck overlooking the Lake. Focal - 18mm, ISO - 100, Shutter - 1/60, F5

picture 3 - A Flower on a tree. (Not sure about what kind of tree this is.) I got as close as my lens would focus, about 9 inches away and focused manually. Focal - 18mm, ISO - 100, Shutter - 1/125, F7.1

and picture 4 - A young Buck with new antlers still covered with Fuzz. The deer in this area know we (the people) can not hurt them so they are not scared of us. You can't feed them or pet them but they will sometimes walk right up to you. I got about 50 feet from this guy when I took this picture. Focal - 300mm, ISO - 3200, Shutter - 1/200, F5.6

More pics from Radnor taken with the Canon T5
 

I was out very early this morning, first light. The sun was just up and all pics were taken at ISO 3200. All pics were in "Auto Exposure mode" but I manually focused on everything. All pics were taken with the 75 - 300mm lens.

Pic 1 - a female Ruby Throated Hummingbird enjoying some Honeysuckle. (Only the males have the red throat.) Focal - 300mm, ISO - 3200, 1/400 - Shutter, F7.1

Pic 2 - The Park Rangers sometimes take tour groups out in canoes. This is the only time you're allowed on the water. Focal - 300, ISO - 3200, 1/400 - Shutter, F7.1

Pic 3 - Momma Deer and her 2 Babies. Focal - 300mm, ISO - 3200, 1/160 - Shutter, F5.6

Pic 4 - She turned around and smiled for the camera. Focal - 220mm, ISO - 3200, 1/200 - Shutter, F5

And last pic, (#5) This is what a young Buck does when a Flea bites him in the butt. Focal - 75mm, ISO - 3200, 1/100 - Shutter, F4

Nice work, Karl. It certainly helps to be able to zoom in on the wildlife!

yup. I've been hoping to get pictures of the pair of Bald Eagles that have recently made the area home as well as the variety of snakes that live here. There are 2 species of harmless water snakes as well as Cotton Mouths, Timber Rattlers, Copperheads, 3 species of Rat snakes (which include our friends the corn snake).

But so far after obtaining my New Camera, the only guys that want to come out and pose are Birds, Squirrels and Deer.

Always the way, Karl! Murphy works overtime sometimes.

Back to Radnor Lake
 

More pictures from Radnor Lake.

Pic 1. I was standing on top of the dam looking down on the creek below and spotted this Green Herron hunting in the water. The Green Herron is a cousin of the Great Blue Herron, but is much much smaller. I especially like his red cheeks. My camera settings - Focal 300mm, ISO - 2000, Shutter - 1/500, F7.1, No flash, Manual Focus.

Pic 2. The same bird, a slightly different angle. Focal 300mm, ISO - 3200, Shutter - 1/400, F6.3, No flash, Manual Focus.

Pic 3. An American Bittern perched on a Limb over the water. The camera exposed on the water and so the bird is under exposed. I should have exposed manually on this one. Focal 300mm, ISO - 1600, Shutter - 1/500, F7.1, No flash, Manual Focus.

I've never seen a green heron in person but I recognized it immediately. I like the first of this trio the best but they are all good, Karl. I've got to get out more with my camera!

Yeah I'm starting to like this new T5, but it has been a learning curve to go from a Film SLR to a DSLR.

True, Karl.

I have an advantage in that though I used several family member's film SLRs through the years, I never owned one of my own. I never knew the cameras so well they were second nature. The first time I picked up the DSLR, I was amazed at how different it was; but for me in a good easier to use way! Still, I'm thinking of signing up for a photography class this fall.

Another thing I like about this camera, it has an adjustable viewfinder diopter to make up for my "Old Man Eyes" and it enables me to manually focus the camera without the need for glasses. Of course if somebody else looked through the viewfinder everything would probably look blurry.

Anyway, a few more pics from the Radnor Lake Historic park and wildlife refuge:

Pic 1. A view from Otter Creek Road. 20 years ago you could drive this road, but today it's slowly crumbling away and now too unsafe to drive on. It winds around the lake and pedestrians are allowed to walk it, but vehicles are no longer allowed. You can see part of the lake on the left through the trees. Camera Settings - Focal - 75mm, ISO - 100, Shutter - 1/200, F5.6, Manual Focus

Pic 2. Standing on top of the Dam and looking over part of the Lake. In the upper left there is an Osprey that was circling the lake looking for fish.
Focal - 75mm, ISO - 100, Shutter - 1/320, F7.1, Manual Focus

Pic 3. Looking across the lake from Otter Creek Road. I manually focused on the treeline on the opposite side of the lake. The trees are in clear focus, the shimmer on the water is slightly blurred. I thought it made for a nice picture.
Focal - 75mm, ISO - 100, Shutter - 1/250, F6.3

Pic 4. I came upon a Resting Buck this morning. I see deer out there all the time, but this is the first one I have seen on the ground like this. I was able to get about 60 feet away from him when I took this picture. He stood up and walked away right after.
Focal - 300mm, ISO - 3200, Shutter - 1/50, F5.6, No Flash, Manual Focus

Pic 5. One of the Baby Owls was screaming for his breakfast. I heard him in the trees and it took me several minutes to find him. The owls have become "Celebrities" of the park. 2 babies were born there this spring and we've literally watched them grow up. I only saw 1 this morning. He is a "Barred Owl" and is now almost as big as his parents, but still requires on them to bring him food. He will have to learn to hunt for himself soon. I was able to get about 100 feet away when I took this picture. Sadly, I'm not too pleased with the quality, it was just too dark under the trees to get a decent shot. Focal - 300mm, ISO - 3200, Shutter - 1/60, F5.6, no flash, Manual Focus

Beautiful, Karl. Looks like you live in a part of paradise.

Pretty close to it.

I have lived in Kentucky, Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Tennessee and I can honestly say this is the most beautiful area I personally have ever lived in.

Overcast and Stormy today at the lake
 

supposed to be a stormy day today in the Nashville area, the sky is very overcast, and I've been dodging rain drops.

This kind of weather does not deter a Great Blue Herron from flying overhead (Pic 1) or a Flock of Canadian Geese from "Honking" in for a landing on the water (Pic 2).

(Pic 3) I was able to sneak up behind a Cinnamon Backed Turkey Hen.

(Pic 4) I love the baby deer while they still have their spots

(Pic 5) I'll call this pic "Submerged log and Rain Drops"

All shots were taken with the 75mm to 300mm lens, all shots were at ISO 3200, and all shots were Manually focused. The aperture and shutter were both selected automatically by the camera.

Examining "Focal Length"
 

Here is an illustration of Focal Length for those that are just learning or interested.

Here are 5 pictures, all taken from the exact same spot, and all focusing on the exact same spot. (I was focusing on the trees at the far end of the scenery). The only difference is Lens selection. Pic 1. Taken with the 18mm focal length. Pic 2. a 35mm, Pic 3. 50mm, Pic 4. 100mm, and Pic 5. the longest lens I have, a 300mm.

You can plainly see in the first 3 pictures, almost everything in the scene is in Focus. In the 4th and 5th pictures only the items I was actually aiming at are in focus. You can see for example in the last picture, the Trees in the back are in focus, but everything else is sort of blurry and out of focus. Even the lake in front of the trees is out of focus. I actually focused on that far treeline in all 5 of the pictures.

As focal length shortens, the scene gets wider and the focus is deeper. As the Lens gets longer, the scene narrows and the ability to focus usually becomes one specific spot.

There is a "trade off" or some "give and take" when selecting and choosing lenses. Up close photographs require a "Short Focal Length" giving you great depth of field, but in large scenes you see not specific items. Nature photos are generally taken with a long lens giving you the ability to zoom out and pull in a distant object, but you can't focus up close with that type of lens. Some folks opt for the "Happy Medium" and select a Mid Range lens hoping it will serve all their needs. A Typical Mid Range would be about 70mm. But in reality, there just isn't "One Lens" that will do it all. Most photographers have several lenses for specific purposes.

More pics from Radnor Lake with the T5
 

Pic 1 - it's either Alvin, Simon or Theodore. I never can remember which is which. (300mm, 2500 ISO, 1/400 Shutter, f7.1)

Pic 2 - 2 of the babies. Ooops- one of them spotted me! (300mm, 3200 ISO, 1/60 Shutter, f5.6)

Pic 3 - The whole Duck'n Family (300mm, 640 ISO, 1/640 Shutter, f8)

Pic 4 - An American Bittern scanning the water for a fish (300mm, 320 ISO, 1/640 Shutter, f8)

Pic 5 - These guys give me the creeps. I usually walk through their webs and then freak out. Fortunately today, this girl made her web high in a tree. I just happened to look up and see her. Not sure what kind of spider she is specifically, I just call them "Garden Spiders." (270mm, 250 ISO, 1/500 Shutter, f8)

Continued from above post.......
 

Pic 6 - An Eastern Kingbird that perched right over my head. (300mm, 100 ISO, 1/400 Shutter, f7.1)

Pic 7 - a Green Herron that caught a fish. I was able to snap the picture just seconds before he swallowed it. (300mm, 2000 ISO, 1/500 Shutter, f7.1)

Pic 8 - another Green Herron not so Lucky. Still looking for his meal. (300mm, 3200 ISO, 1/200 Shutter, f7.1)

Pic 9 - the Baby Owls are almost as big as their parents now. (300mm, 2000 ISO, 1/500 Shutter, f7.1)

Pic 10 - "Tom" the turkey was showing off in front of The Ladies this morning. Poor guy had no luck, they paid him no attention. I was ale to get abut 30 feet away when I took the pic, but he would not stand still, and I was in very dark conditions. Had to shoot without a tripod at 1/13 sec, so unfortunately the pic is a bit blurred. (120mm, 3200 ISO, 1/13 Shutter, f4.5)

Our National Symbol
 

I have only seen Bald Eagles on TV Shows, in Magazines and at the Zoo. But Yesterday I was able to photograph one in the wild. This is the first real Wild Bald Eagle I've ever seen. I feel fortunate I was at the right place at the right time.

This picture was once again taken at Radnor Lake which is where I take the majority of my wildlife photos. I have been told by Park Rangers that there were 17 sightings of Bald Eagles around the Lake last year (2015) and the numbers for this year are not in yet. So this is sort of a "Rare" event.

The picture is not the best of quality as it was very early morning, low light conditions. I had to shoot with an ISO 3200 setting. The bird I would estimate was about 1/4 mile away. He was on the opposite side of the lake. I was using a 300mm lens with no tripod. My shutter speed was 1/400 and my aperture was f7.1.

Very nice, Karl. Awesome, majestic bird. Congrats on the sighting!

What in the world is that?
 

If you guessed "It's an Egret" you are correct.

And We thought they were only found in Florida.

I was "Lucky" to see this bird and grab this shot. One of the Local Game Wardens told me that there has never been an Egret Sighting on this lake before. Never! This 1 Egret showed up 3 days ago and everyone is talking about it and grabbing photos.

He/She was fairly close to the bank so the picture was easy. I had the 70 to 300mm lens set at 210mm. Light was early morning partly cloudy, F5.6 was the aperture, the ISO was 3200 and the shutter speed was 1/320.

Beautiful! You are lucky to among so much beautiful wildlife. Thanks for sharing.

Cool photo -congrats! The next time take a tripod, please.

ummm..... no thank you. I travel as light as possible.

Besides, I don't remember asking for your critique or opinion.

Out for a Sunday morning swim
 

I'm no duck expert, so I can't say what type these are.

They were just slowly swimming across the lake.

200mm lens, Early morning light, ISO 400, F11, 1/40 Shutter. All manual selections and focus.

Wow, Karl. I love this photo. The white and blue pattern with the black silhouettes is so neat.

Does the Canon 1200D have a manual focus assist? It's pretty useful for handheld shots especially. On Sony cameras it's called peaking?

Not sure what you mean by manual focus assist. I can Auto Focus or Manual Focus.

I try whenever possible to Run in Manual Mode.

It's called focus peaking on the Sony a6000, but I'm not sure if it's an option on Canon. Here's a video that shows it in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VemUev-CIpM

There is an option on the Canon to fire multiple quick bursts from the flash when in auto focus mode to help the camera focus in dim light or darkness, but if you're out of range of the flash or working in manual focus mode, there is nothing like what you are describing to assist your focus.

I noticed in your video link, it shows the picture being focused using the display screen on the back of the camera. I usually leave that turned off as it drains battery, and I just focus through the view finder as in the "Good Ol' Days" of film cameras.

I do too for outdoor stuff especially, but my view finder is also digital. ;) Keep up the good work, looking forward to more pics. Do you have a flickr account?

No flickr account. I've never messed with it.

Actually I took a lot of pictures years ago with both Pentax and Canon "Film Cameras" when film was the only medium.

When film became obsolete I sold the 2 film cameras and bought one of those cheap Point and Shoot digitals. I really haven't taken any serious pictures in 30 years or more.

This is my first Digital SLR and I'm just getting back into the swing of it. I am fairly knowledgeable of SLR's of the film type, but it's been a learning experience with the Digital. There is a big difference, mostly with the ISO. I hate the way the digital cameras Want to boost it to let in more light, thereby ruining the "True Light" that you are trying to capture. The only way to do that is by switching to manual.

Anyway, I may some day look into Flickr, but right now I'm just having fun shooting nature and wildlife, and I don't think my skills or abilities are worthy of showing to the whole world. Ha!

It's that time of year again......
 

When you start to see these guys, umm, I mean these Ladies, everywhere you go, it's a sure sign that cooler weather is coming soon.

I don't mind the spiders and seeing them from a distance, but I still kind of freak out a little bit when I walk through one of their webs and then wonder....... "Where is she?"

1st picture - ISO 200, F8, 1/500, 290mm

2nd picture - ISO 400, F5.6, 1/40, 300mm

The first one is nice but I love the second one!

Natural light, Manual selections
 

Was at the lake this morning as the Sun was just coming up. Very little light, this is a picture of a trail I was walking in the woods beside the lake. I did not have a tripod so I steadied myself and the camera against a tree.

All Manual selected settings as well as Manual focus - ISO 400, F5.6, 1/30, 75mm

Noisy Landing and Take off
 

I was standing on the Dam this morning watching the Sun come up and sipping my morning coffee when this Massive 747 made a noisy landing on the rail right beside of me. I took a picture, and the Noisy thing took to the air again.

All Manual settings and focus - ISO 640, F4.5, 1/200, 130mm

If you are squeamish, look away
 

Spiders are both fascinating and creepy to me. I hate walking through a spider web and not knowing where the spider is.

Right now I'm seeing a lot of spiders as they are fattening up for the colder weather.

I have recently posted some other pictures of spiders, but this one shows what's left of ??? something as she gorges herself on her kill. It might be a Katydid but I'm not sure. If you think you know, chime in.

I was about 9 feet away from her. This particular lens wont focus closer than 5 feet so I had to stay back far enough to get a good focus. (yeah right)

Once again all Manual settings and Focus - ISO 400, F5.6, 1/40, 220mm

We'll never know for sure but looks like katydid to me. Very nice shot, Karl!