This tiny little chap was wandering near Central Hall in the lakeside campus at the University of York, just down the road from where we live. He’s a great example of just how good cameras and lenses can be, and why it’s worth investing that little (or lot) extra, particularly in the lens. This is taken with Canon’s EOS 7D digital SLR, which has an 18 megapixel sensor producing images with 5,184 x 3,456 pixels. If you click through on this image and use the Photo Info tab, you’ll see the EXIF information that describes the technicalities behind the photograph, and that it hasn’t been cropped from the original image. The lens used here is Canon’s 100-400mm L IS USM, one of Canon’s professional series lenses. While there are reports of variable image quality from these lenses, and more credible claims that prime – lenses with a fixed, rather than zoom focal length – deliver sharper results, in real world examples the difference is almost indiscernable.
The photograph was taken with the lens’s maximum aperture of f/5.6, and a very fast shutter speed of 1/4000 thanks to the bright sunlight on the day, and the high ISO value of 800. 1/4000 is much too fast than strictly necessary here, given I was lying on the ground and so had good support along with image stabilisation. Ordinarily I wouldn’t shoot with this level of sensor sensitivity, but moving frequently from shadow to sunlight and with the lens often at its fullest extent, I wanted to make sure that the images of these birds would always be crisp. The 7D handles noise very well until around 2000 ISO, after which it’s acceptable but only really for use when really needed. In contrast, I would never have been comfortable using our 30D and 40Ds at ISO 800 unless really necessary – and I’d certainly never have used a film camera with this sensitivity.
The photographer is the most important part of the equation when it comes to creating high quality, beautiful images of the natural world. But it helps to have high quality kit – Canon’s L lenses here are in an entirely different league from the cheaper, kit-like lenses, and in this shot the lens is the most important component. The 7D’s high resolution helps but I think would still have been a sharp and usable shot when taken with the 30D at 8 megapixels, even up to A3. The bonus the 7D has given here is the extra shutter speed thanks to being usable at ISO 800 – even if higher than really necessary – but there are still plenty of similar shots left on the floor which just don’t have the same composition or sharpness. It doesn’t matter how much expensive gear you have – you’re the one that makes the shot.