Finally could afford the lens I have wanted for hand held bird shots. Took it out for a stroll this afternoon. Did I see a single bird? No. A creature of any kind? No. Just this flying overhead. Mounted on my Canon 80D: Canon EF 500/4 L IS II (covered with a Lens Coat Real Tree,) with Canon 1.4x TC III on a Benro MAD49C monopod. Sigh. More to come later. Rumor was that the new 7D III might be out soon. Now they say maybe later this year. Gene

Nice bird!
Last year I got the Nikon 200-500 F5.6 not so good as yours but a bird in the lens is worth two in the wish list. I also got a 1.4x teleconverter, but have not tried that yet- I'm still pretty wobbly even with the vibration reduction. Gonna go out tomorrow and try again.
It was quite windy, and I find it hard to hold the big lens still. You can see how ruffled the sparrows feathers are.
These are cropped, of course...

Wobbly? Use a monopod.

Starting to get the hang of my new lens. Downsized for here. Otherwise unedited. Yesterday afternoon at my house. Gene

Yesterday near my house.
I have found that if there is a bit of wind, camera is very hard to keep stable, even on my nice tripod- the big lens is like a sail. I stood upwind and used a cable release, later I remembered there is a hook so I can hang something heavy to further stabilize the tripod. That will not help the windage issue much though.

These seem a bit fuzzy. Part of it may be I should have used a higher ISO so I could shorten the time the shutter was open. I tried a more open F stop to let more light in, but then I would often get the chest feathers in focus but not the eye. I guess it just seemed to me this ISO on a bright afternoon should be okay. I tend to rush, wanting to "just get the shot" and not take the time to think each setting through.
ISO 200, F13, 1/125
(Both of these are cropped about 50%)




Your geese look good! What were your settings? Here are my geese, I was in such a rush to "get the shot" I did not check the settings, I thought they were good but oh well- Just ISO 320, F11, 1/100. What an idiot. this one is not cropped.

I own 2 of the best tripods ever made. I hardly ever use them. I teach photography including a class on wildlife. Yet to meet a student who can properly set up a tripod and also use it correctly. People think tripods are some kind of magic. Once I am on one I can do anything I want. The lens you own is indeed bang for the buck. However, it is good not great. It is very soft at 500mm and terrible at the edges. But, for birds that may not matter much. Perhaps you are doing the best you can. Yes, settings matter a whole lot. Figure out what you will be using before you start shooting, not in the midst of the battle. Of all the different subjects one could cover in the world of photography, I say that astrophotography is at the top of the challenge list. Wildlife is 2nd. I assume you know the old joke about the famous violinist who got lost walking the streets in Manhattan. He stopped someone and asked them how to get to Carnegie Hall. Practice, practice, practice. Gene

My childhood piano teacher had an even better one:
"Practice does not make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect."
I will also try the monopod idea.

I am getting better. Not easy. Needs lots more practice. Late yesterday afternoon. Ride around my "block." 15.4 miles. downsized for here, otherwise unedited. Hand held. Sandhill Cranes, goose with broken leg, deer, ducks, turkey, geese. Gene

They look good Gene!