Tree Sparrow in flight

Martyn...

Martyn...

Messages
7,821
Edit My Images
Yes
I was trying some stuff with the D300, unfortunately the light turned out pants and I could not do what I wanted, never mind I got one of these

1/500 @ f4 (D300 + 500f4) ISO2500

289_049.jpg
 
Nice shot, i've been trying to capture something similar to this with little success. How did you get the focus bang on?
 
tonyphoto said:
Nice shot, i've been trying to capture something similar to this with little success. How did you get the focus bang on?
Click to expand...

You need to use the rear button for focusing and disable the shutter release from focusing.

I then focus on the feeder or perch they are flying to/from and tweak the focus manually to a point I think they will fly through.

Then I track them and fire when they look sharp in the viewfinder, this is actually the hard part because you tend to question your decision and miss the shot, just keep practising and react rather than think, that thinking time will mean you miss the shot.

I never use machine gun mode, always single shot.

Ideally I would want to be 1/1000 and f7.1 to give a bit more depth of field, which gives you a bit more latitude for slight focusing errors, the shot above was at f4 wide open, so I was quite pleased with the result.

When the light is good I can actually focus on them in the air with my D700, but that is trickier.
 
Top work as usual Martyn :clap: Hey! what you done with Twitcher :shrug: hope he aint froze solid in a hide somewhere :LOL:
 
u8myufo said:
Top work as usual Martyn :clap: Hey! what you done with Twitcher :shrug: hope he aint froze solid in a hide somewhere :LOL:
Click to expand...

I spoke to him lunch time, he was just off to work, he sent me a cracking Goldfinch shot that he got yesterday, surprised he has not posted it.
 
Martyn... said:
I spoke to him lunch time, he was just off to work, he sent me a cracking Goldfinch shot that he got yesterday, surprised he has not posted it.
Click to expand...

Now that I do want to see, if only to find something wrong with it :LOL: :cautious:
 
Can i ask why you dont use "machine gun" mode, thought it would increase your chance of getting "the shot"
 
docholiday said:
Can i ask why you dont use "machine gun" mode, thought it would increase your chance of getting "the shot"
Click to expand...

A couple of reasons:-

Mirror slap causing vibration through the lens tube.

If I am shooting at 1/1000 sec, and I can shoot say 5 frames per second, I am capturing an image for 5/1000 of each second, but not capturing an image for 995/1000 of each second (roughly 99% of the time).

Not sure what the buffer limit is but you would soon hit that at 5 - 8 frames a second, sod's law being the instant that once in a life time shot presents itself.

I had my first SLR in 1976 and was limited to 36 shots, no option of a motor drive, it is how I learnt to do it.

I was serious about the shutter life :D

I do OK with single shot mode ;)

Just to add ... I have enough images to sort through when I get home as it is, it must be a nightmare for the machine gunners with the number of images they generate.


.
 
Last edited:
u8myufo said:
Now that I do want to see, if only to find something wrong with it :LOL: :cautious:
Click to expand...

Rich still here:LOL:have just thawed out from the weeked:LOL:taken me two days though bloody cold it was,have posted a couple of shots for you to give me your crits on:LOL:look forward to hearing from you mate.(y)
 
Another great flight shot Martyn,you really do have these sorted. (y)
 
Thanks for the tips martyn, i'll give em a try and see if i can get finally get something decent!
 
tonyphoto said:
Thanks for the tips martyn, i'll give em a try and see if i can get finally get something decent!
Click to expand...

No problem, just keep practising; rear button focusing can take a bit of getting used to, but is the best way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top