Birding with the 85/1.4...

[Remorhaz]

I know it's not your typical birding lens but I just received my first of my new Sigma lenses that I won. I unboxed the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 lens and since there was this very accommodating Kookaburra in our back yard (and he needed to be since I was right up in the birds face) I figured I'd try some bird portraiture

I havn't AF calibrated this lens yet (with Reikan Focal) so these results are straight out of the box - that said looking at the images at 100% I got a very good hit rate of in critical focus captures and the AF looks to be pretty close to spot on.

This first is shot at a depth of field frightening f/2.0 up close (at 100% pretty much only the surface of the eye and feathers in the same plane are in focus and it falls off to blur very quickly either side - e.g. the chest and beak and the back feathers)



A little further away at f/2.8 and we have a little more dof to play with



I'm just checkin' you out... (yeah I know oof beak )

[aim54x]

Nice stuff...very accomodating Kookaburra!

[zafra52]

Lovely pictures! I like best 1 & 3. I think in #1
the right empty area could be cropped ensuring
the eye remains on the top left third of the picture.
The third one is so in your face...a bit of a tight
crop but still very nice.
While the second need a bit more reflection in the
eye or bit of more light in that area to make it better.

[Matt. K]

Sharp!