will focus
All-Pro
- Location
- Traverse City, Michigan, USA
-
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This lens really delivers. But of course it's the eye of the photographer that makes these shots what they are.
will focus
All-Pro
- Location
- Traverse City, Michigan, USA
Thank you, but I think the critters deserve the most credit.
will focus
All-Pro
- Location
- Traverse City, Michigan, USA
I like the perspective from above. Nice!
will focus
All-Pro
- Location
- Traverse City, Michigan, USA
Ducks, ducks everywhere! That top one looks like a domesticated duck that was hanging around here last spring.
L0n3Gr3yW0lf
Top Veteran
- Location
- Somerset, UK
- Name
- Ovi
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Not the most flattering picture, once these big birds start flying low and with foliage behind, they are difficult to spot and track.
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My first attempt (of that day) to get a flock of Sparrows in the sky was a miss. It did show up as confirmed lock and tracking in the EVF but was out of focus when I imported the images.
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At wider view it's a tiny bit better but still slightly soft (and disappointing) ... but it will get better.
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Now things are a lot better. This is one of my favourite images of this year with a very dramatic sky in the background. I love the dynamic range of the Sony a7 Mark IV and whenever I'm told that we have enough DR with older or smaller format cameras this will remind me that there's more one can do with DR when it's needed.
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I like a 16:9 crop from time to time, though I prefer the one above because the extra background gives a better expanse to the clouds and smallness of the flock of Sparrows ... though there are plenty of people who keep repeating on cropping in until you reach to your subject's nose and ears
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The weather started getting worse and less useful as a background tool for birds in flight, a large mass of grey, typical for English winter weather.
will focus
All-Pro
- Location
- Traverse City, Michigan, USA
Difficult?
There once was a Poster that if you stared at it long enough you could see the Starship Enterprise, they said. I stared at that poster quite a few times, never saw Captain Kirk.
I've been staring at this shot for the better part of 20 minutes and haven't found a sparrow!
L0n3Gr3yW0lf
Top Veteran
- Location
- Somerset, UK
- Name
- Ovi
Here's the tracking (and failure to keep up) of the Buzzard:
The sequence starts with out of focus. The Sony a7 Mark IV didn't lock-on on the first go.
I cropped in 200% to magnify the Buzzard.
If you were looking for Sparrows in this sequence you will definetly not find them. Sorry if I didn't specify in the first image that it's a Buzzard and now Sparrows.
This is the image I posted above but with more cropping so it's more noticable this way.
Even though the Sony a7 Mark IV caught up with the Buzzard and it was hanging on to it, the Buzzard was heading towards the top of the tree line and I knew (from previous experience) that once the Buzzard clears the foliage the AF-C Lock-on will get stuck on the trees bellow.
The drift started with switching from the Buzzard to the trees ...
... and focus was past past this point, all the images after this one are out of focus (4 more frames).
This is why it's difficult to shoot Buzzard flying away from me in foliage in the background on a dull day.
- Location
- New Zealand
- Name
- Danny
Extremely tough work for AF. The A1 or the 9s might well struggle in those conditions. Little contrast and very busy background. People wonder why I use the manual focus teles often
CatsAreGods
Veteran
- Location
- Northern California
Manual focusing BIF who are flying away from you sounds just a bit challenging!Extremely tough work for AF. The A1 or the 9s might well struggle in those conditions. Little contrast and very busy background. People wonder why I use the manual focus teles often
L0n3Gr3yW0lf
Top Veteran
- Location
- Somerset, UK
- Name
- Ovi
Yus, it's always a challenge to shoot not just birds in flight but most subjects in complex context (similar colour of subject to the garden environment, busy background) and compositions. I could wish for a f 2.8 or even an f 4 super telephoto prime or zoom but I can't afford more then 2.000 £ for a lens and even to do that that's at least 6 to 12 months of my life in paying for it. A faster lens can make it easier for an AF to focus because of the extra light and the better background seperation where the subject is more "obvious" front background and foreground.Extremely tough work for AF. The A1 or the 9s might well struggle in those conditions. Little contrast and very busy background. People wonder why I use the manual focus teles often
If I had enough free time to practice manual focus and tracking maybe I could get better success rate, since I got the Sony A7 Mark IV my in focus as well as tracked subject has been significantly higher where I can rely on the system to work for me and I get to enjoy the little free time I have and have a decent success rate (the only limiting factor I have now is weather/light and my free time and travel-ability).Manual focusing BIF who are flying away from you sounds just a bit challenging!
lucien
Legend
I snuck up on up on her/him got a few shots off and it took off
will focus
All-Pro
- Location
- Traverse City, Michigan, USA
Thank you for the series and clarity. I was becoming concerned about my eyesight for a moment. My credit card will appreciate a trip to the optometrist may not be necessary at the moment after all.
will focus
All-Pro
- Location
- Traverse City, Michigan, USA
- Location
- New Zealand
- Name
- Danny
All manual focus tele lenses, click on a folder ..........Manual focusing BIF who are flying away from you sounds just a bit challenging!
Flying away I delete
I'm only new to AF about 18 months ago and it misses the feel that MF teles have. So I still use them now and again.
CatsAreGods
Veteran
- Location
- Northern California
"Won't you take me to...Duckytown?"
CatsAreGods
Veteran
- Location
- Northern California
I might have been a bit disingenuous there. I still remember the day I started bird photography, because it was only 2 years ago.All manual focus tele lenses, click on a folder ..........
Flying away I delete
I had just gotten myself an X-S10 and I was going crazy finding out how many lenses could be adapted to mirrorless. I got my old Maxxum beercan telephoto (70-200 f/4, which was autofocus, but manual-only on the Fujifilm, and you have to stick your fingers in front of the lens to focus, no biggie) and went down to the nearest wildlife refuge to try it out. Lo and behold we rounded a bend and there was a red-tailed hawk. Somehow I managed to get a perfectly focused shot of it in flight, manual focus and all...and yes, while it was flying away. That one photo got me hooked and here I am!
