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Odds & Sods 2023

Mike B
03/01/2023 07:45

After yet another successful year on the Odds & Sods thread, initially started I think by Hazy, it might be wise to kickstart the 2023 thread off.

Thank you to those who have contributed to last years thread, and there has been very interesting odds and sods in "Odds & Sods 2022" that aren't enough to place into a dedicated thread, which you can look back on the following link:

https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/278729/odds-sods-2022/1417300?pifragment-4285=76#pifragment-4285=1

What better for me, and as yet, I've not ventured far, ewe know what I mean, with this lassie on Baddesley Clinton estate yesterday....

Mike

Flickr: Peak Rambler

  • 22/06/2023 18:20

    Just one more Woodpecker. They are pretty active down my local woods at the moment.

  • 23/06/2023 06:59 in reply to WendyBartter
    Will this be an example of AI putting someone out of a job, in this case ItsaRobbo?

    I rely on Robbo to identifying birds correctly. I think I should start a campaign - Save Our Robbo!

    Actually, Robbo's safe. For one thing, I rarely have my phone with me. For another thing, there is only so much Google lens (and other similar tools) will be taught, and certain photos from certain angle will definitely confuse the application; that's even if the application has been taught about the creature in the first place.

    But I never knew about Google lens (or competing apps) so good to know. I might, just might, install it on my phone. Not entirely sure - I'm a smart phone luddite in many ways. An IT professional of some 40 years, culminating in Data science, big data and analytics (yuk), I have a deep mistrust of over reliance on smart phones.

    90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.

  • 23/06/2023 07:15 in reply to Cheshire Lad
    Wotcha, John.

    Not so much issues with AI tracking as knowing its strengths and limitations. From my IT career, I knew the technology could only go so far - especially as all the software is loaded onto a chip in the camera, and the processor isn't massively powerful.

    AI eye tracking is the easiest to confuse. So many objects can look like an eye - especially in the pile of rubble the Skylark is stood on.

    AI animal tracking is next easiest to fool. I reckon the software is not looking for specific animals, but rather has a generic set of animal shapes it tries to match against. Some of the rocks on the pile can look like animals, and this is what my R7 was locking on to. I think my R7 was choosing the rock the Skylark was stood on. Hence, I turned it off.

    But when the Skylark was flying against the cluttered background, that's where AI tracking worked really well.

    Like any tool, it's learn strengths and weaknesses.

    90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.

  • 23/06/2023 07:16 in reply to Billysdad
    You're getting rather good with your R7, BD. I assume you're using it.

    90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.

  • 23/06/2023 10:02

    Brown hares doing what brown hares do this morning

  • 23/06/2023 16:08

    Lovely shot Bob. They look very alert ... Thumbsup

  • 23/06/2023 16:12 in reply to Bob S
    Cracking photos there Bob. :-)
    Ed
  • 23/06/2023 16:27 in reply to Angus M

    Yes Angus, still plodding on. I am finding that for relatively stationary birds, I have set my C1 to TV.  Setting the shutter as fast as possible to keep the Aperture at f6.3. Fast continuous shutter, ISO around 800 to start with. Focus to Single point expanded, Subject to Animal with Tracking Off. I am finding that with tracking on, the focus point wanders a bit away from my subject. I haven't done much birds in flight, but I am going for Full Screen focus, with Tracking on. I am also trying to mainly let the camera follow the subject as much as possible, without quickly moving the camera. I find at higher ISOs noise can affect the detail when pixel peeping, but using RAW denoised in the new Photoshop AI De-Noise feature improves things a lot. I will post this in 'Moving to Mirrorless' too

  • 23/06/2023 18:08

    A Blackbird decided to pose as he somehow knew I was trying out my new lens. Laughing

    Ed