Detail not apparent in images. Why?

[Gregory]

I find that detail is sub-par in images when the colours are darker. For example, the feathers in the crown of this Chestnut Bulbul are completely devoid of detail. Even the whiter feathers of the breast of the bird show very little detail. Is this a light problem (shooting to the right would correct it?) or an ISO800 problem? or a camera-blur-on-the-pixel-level problem?

-- screenshot of the image at Zoom 1:1 resolution from inside Aperture.
-- shot on a heavily-overcast day with the Canon 350D at ISO 800 with a 70-300 DO IS lens at 300mm.

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regards,
Gregory

[Dale_Cotton]

The detail in the light area and dark area is likely too fine to survive the amount of blurring present in the bird's body. My guess is that this blurring is some combination of incorrect focal point and subject motion. I suspect the camera has focused on the tip of the leaf just behind and to the left of the bird, which seems to be the least blurred part of the image.

[colourperfect]

Is it possible that you under exposed and then adjusted afterwards ?
This will bring up the noise.
I also suspect the focus was not on the bird.

Ian

http://www.colourperfect.co.uk

[Jonathan Wienke]

I agree with Dale, it's a combination of motion blur and the focus being on the leaf behind the bird, not the bird itself. The ISO noise isn't helping, either, but that's the smallest of the issues.