First Try Birding With a New 200-500

[Ron Scubadiver]

November, 2015, Houston, TX
This spot is a 10 minute walk from my home.  It is also the body of water which caused the Memorial Day flood this year.  I used 1/500 second, should the shutter speed be shorter?
From this set: https://ronscubadiver.wordpress.com/2015/11/20/birding-with-a-new-telephoto/

[PeterN]

impressive

[elsa hoffmann]

Congrats - !!

You need more shutter speed to keep up with birds

[armando_m]

Very nice Ron,
were you shooting handheld ? or with a tripod/monopod ?

what af mode were you using ?
Recently i tried AF-C 3D-51 and it actually tracked the bird, in the past I tried AF-c Auto and results were not good

[Peter Connan]

Great pose and sharpness Ron!

1/500th is OK for big, slow birds like this, but for smaller ones you will need to go much faster.

For birds like the little kingfishers, you may need 1/4000 or better to get really sharp!

[ColinM]

Hope you're enjoying your new lens Ron.

My impressions, looking at the links you've provided, I'd that none of these are quite sharp enough. Can you share what zoom setting you were using?

I think you need a higher shutter speed, but it's possible the AF didn't quite lock in either.

[Ron Scubadiver]

Thank you everyone.  Comments on sharpness are well taken.  Next time I will use a shorter duration shutter opening.  However, for someone who has never done this sort of thing before, I am pleased.  The lens is heavy and handling it is going to take some getting used to.

Armando, I was shooting handheld.  51point af  Not sure what mode, vr was on.  This is so different from shooting street with a 28 or 50.

[elsa hoffmann]

Ron - I am with you - both of us will get there

[Fons Baerken]

Ron, I saw you mentioned us prices are $1396, here they go for €1599, 21% vat included.

[John Geerts]

Ron, I saw you mentioned us prices are $1396, here they go for €1599, 21% vat included.

The US doesn't have VAT which means it's a lot cheaper there 

[Fons Baerken]

if you are a self employed professional you may deduct the vat

[John Geerts]

The VAT yes, but not the Import-rates.

[Ron Scubadiver]

Ron, I saw you mentioned us prices are $1396, here they go for €1599, 21% vat included.

We have sales tax in the US.  It is recoverable by most businesses.  Local rates vary, but most are around 8%.  It is possible to avoid sales tax by ordering over the internet from a vendor who has no presence in your state.  Living here in Texas I can buy from B&H or Adorama without tax being added to the order, but Amazon will add tax.  The purchaser is obligated to file a use tax, but in practice this not enforced except for very large ticket items like aircraft.

[elsa hoffmann]

Price in SA (converting at current exchange rate) $1750

[psilo]

I'm not sure if this is my eyes but on all pictures there seems to be problem with proper focus. That is not shutter speed issue in my opinion, look at the third photo in linked set - the grass is a bit sharper than the bird itself. Can you upload 100% crop of the bird? Then we can analyze it more precisely.  Have you microadjusted AF ? It would help.