asher,
thanks!! not only for your comments but the help from the forum and yourself. i've been shooting by myself for so long and not had anybody to share information with. i understand that i still have tons to learn, but this here feels like a huge leap ( even though it's not ... lol ).
if i remember correctly, this is about 1/3 to 1/4 of the original. i think the distance of the tree to the window was about 15'. i shot about 20 frames in burst mode (manual). some of them came out a little off focus, but because i shot them through a window screen they needed lots of help in ps ( i can post the frame prior to this for you to see when i get on the other computer ). when you said that they could use some contrast adjustment, was this because they look a little 'over done'? just curious. my monitors are not calibrated so i'm wondering how far off the images are that i am seeing from the images you are seeing.
your statement about the 'landing enough pixels', kind of goes with a feeling that i have been having about my camera. the images just don't have the same "crispness" now as they did when i first purchased the camera. this photo of the finch was taken before the duck images that are posted here in this thread. is there a time when digital cameras just start falling in image detail? i asked this question in the last forum that i tried and i was pretty much flamed and called an idiot.
i've been looking at the prices of the 1D (used, body only). i'm thinking maybe in the next 3 or 4 months (finances willing
) i can pick one up.