Foto at top: Holland cloudy May 2023 Grey Heron (Blauwe Reiger) size 94cm distance 40m equivalent 750mm D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR total camouflage APERTURE mode Birds 1/1500 second f/5.6 ISO 100 -1.5EV. Crop 4500 x 3000.

F11: full screen!

Photographing birds is slightly complex

As a bird photographer you are dealing with almost continuously changing subjects, situations and amount, direction and type of available light, small or large birds, perched birds, birds flying at low or extremely high speed, in some situations acting quite unexpectedly, sometimes partially hidden behind reed or branches and all this in various wheather and light conditons. This usually requires an almost continuous check and reset of photographic equipment. During bird photography you will actually:

• always hope for abundant available light enabling you to accurately focus & track bird action.

• sometimes need maximal reach and detailed pictures of interesting, (relatively) small, rare or shy birds at large distance like Kingfisher, Shrike, Bee-Eater, Wheatear, Bearded Tit, Blue Rock Thrush, Rufus Bushchat, Bluethroat, Wren, etcetera and possibly using tripod.

• occasionally want “wide angle reach” for example when large birds are close by which should fit within your picture, for example Grey Heron, Egret, Avocet, Gannet, large bird of prey close by.

• at almost any moment havve to be prepared for photographing (fast) bird action of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard, Kite, Osprey, Kestrel, Peregrine, Hobby or other hunting or fouraging birds, depending in what kind of habitat you are, beach, forest, river, ocean, desert, swamp, etcetera.

• in some situations all of a sudden need a special unique lightweight handholdable easily movable, camera-lens combination for tracking exceptionally fast or unpredictably flying/diving/turning birds like Whiskered Tern, Sparrowhawk, Lapwing, Pratincole and other air acrobats …

However – and this is essential! – these requirements are significantly different with regard to your choice of lens, converter and possibly tripod or ricw bag but they do not essentially differ with respect to camera settings. This opens the door for something like our special “APERTURE mode Birds“. In every situation using all different sets of equipment you can still use this one and only APERTURE mode Birds at every combination suited for bird photograph you are using.

Look at some examples below which illustrate the great variety of equipment, bird size, distance, action, wheather, environment and available light you may experience in bird photography:

The idea behind APERTURE mode Birds

In order to acquire maximal reach, bird photographers use tele-lenses or super tele-lenses with relatively large APERTURE values like f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6. Many bird photographers – including ourselves – also use high quality converters. This results in photograpy using relatively high APERTURE values like f/8 (e.g. D500 Nikkor f/5.6 500mm TC-14E III or even an exceptionally low light combination f/11 (Z50 Nikkor f/5.6E 500mm TC-20E III). By the way this f/11-combination, that we frequently and succesfully use, transmits but 12.5% part of the total incoming light onto the image sensor! Nevertheless and if you get sufficient available light, you get incredible reach and satisfactory detail! (Bird action photography is more difficult.) Modern sensors do have exceptional low light capability.

In APERTURE mode you are in fact working “ISO driven”, continuously checking & resetting ISO value and EXPOSURE Time Compensation +/-. As the pictures above demonstrate, you try to shoot in-focus, detailed pictures of stationary or moving birds of changing size from close by to far away in frequently changing wheather conditions and direction or intensity of light like sun, cloudy, heavy overcast, deep shadow, twilight, backlight or direct light. Fortunately modern Nikon DSLR’s and Z mirrorless camera’s equipped with late technology-sensors, firmware and modern denoising tools produce surprisingly clean pictures even in low light situations.

In bird photography we try to structurally use a constant APERTURE value because we need all the light we can get from our telelenses to produce in-focus pictures with optimal detail, light and colour contrast. We also prefer maximal depth of field (scherptediepte) to keep head and tail of larger birds in focus, particularly when birds are flying to or from us. So we avoid stopping down Nikkor lenses in bird photography. Only if maximum detail is absolute priority we stop down lenses for example great quality classical lenses like Nikkor 300mm f/4D, Sigma Sports 600mm or Tamron G2 600mm.

So, if our APERTURE value is more or less fixed, why not try automatizing other settings as well! After all, modern camera’s are extensively programmable. So,with quite a bit of trial and error we developed this special mode and called it “APERTURE mode Birds“, only to give it a name. We are using it for many years now, mid 2024.

Because of an almost constant APERTURE value in bird photography you can program a (semi) pro Nikon camera shooting pictures in “APERTURE mode Birds” without frequently resetting this camera.

Most of the time we use our favourite lightweight photography methods, techniques and settings. “APERTURE mode Birds” is something like systematically always using an effecttive and extremely comfortable combination of affordable lightweight Nikon equipment and optimal settings thereof (in our case and for example) as follows:

• Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR 770 gram,
• Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR 1450 gram,
• Aspherical converter TC-20E III 330 gram.
• Converter TC-14E III 190 gram.
• “Back button focus“.
• “Easy EXPOSURE compensation“.
• Structurally underexposing e.g. 1.5 EV to protect detail in the Highlights of the pictures.
• “Auto ISO“: ISO value confined by parameters Minimum shutterspeed and Maximal ISO value dependant of actual bird species and actual bird activity. (You yourself define these limits depending on actual available light condition and expected bird speed etcetera).
• Auto Whitebalance” (and correct whitebalance in post production if occasionally required).

How specifically do you set your Nikon DSLR or MLC in “APERTURE mode Birds”?

1. Camera in standard APERTURE mode.
2. No stopping down lenses: constant APERTURE value (front dial not any more used for setting APERTURE value).
3. “Back Button Autofocus”: AF-ON button (thumb) autofocus & Release: (forefinger) shooting your picture(s). The functionality “shoot picture” via press Release is completely separated from function “start autofocussing”.
4. “Easy EXPOSURE compensation” ON Via back dial. Far more easy and safe than using the small +/- button!
5. Step value (re)setting APERTURE, ISO and EXPOSURE TIME always: 1/2 EV. Quick and easy during actual photography.
6. ISO sensitivity settings: Auto ISO sensitivity control ON, Max. sensitivity 3200 (default), Min. Shutterspeed 1/1250 second (default). *)
7. White balance: AUTO2 (keep warm colors, perfect white no priority) (DSLR only). qqq
8. Standby timer: 30 seconds. Camera shuts down automatically and is anytime ready to go, even the next day.

*) ISO 3.200 is our personal maximal ISO value in combination with 1/500 scond and VR using denoising tools. We may use 6.400 or even higher and by exception accept lower image quality as long as the pictures are in-focus and we want to shoot them at all cost, for example if bird or action are unique. Shutterspeed 1/500 second and VR will freeze most bird action, not all though!

Our actual bird photography using APERTURE mode Birds now and in near future

In our own lightweight bird photography we are using or considering to use in near future:

• D500 860 gram including battery (or replace this DSLR by by MLC Z8 and thereafter operate “Nikon MLC only”.
• Z50 400 gram body only.
• Z7 II (qqq gram) or Z8 body only (qqq gram).
• FTZ adapter 135 gram.
• Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR 770 gram.
• Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR 1450 gram.
• TC-14E III converter 190 gram.
• TC-20E III converter 330 gram.
• Z 1.4X converter (qqq gram).
• (either) Z Nikkor 400mm f/4.5 S 1160 gram (splendid successor of excellent F mount Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR).
• (or) Z Nikkor 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 2160 gram (excellent detail also with Z 1.4X).
• (or both:) Z Nikkor 400mm and Z Nikkor 180-600mm.

By using “APERTURE mode Birds” we eliminate all activities except focussing, which in APERTURE mode Birds is always performed applying “Back Button Autofocus” via AF-ON button. We use forefinger (at Release button) and thumb (at AF-ON button) and always keep one hand free for moving tripod or whatever.

We may only occasionally adapt EXPOSURE Time Compensation in case of substantial change in available light, for example from backlight to direct frontlight or from heavy overcast to sunshine. The implementation via so called Easy EXPOSURE TIME Compensation via main (back) dial camera is far more easy and reliable than the classical manner using the slightly ackward positioned +/- button at the top of the camera.

This way photographing birds is far more comfortable and reliable. You do not have to repeatedly check and reset camera any more and can now dedicate all your time and attention at observing birds, anticipate their actions and shoot pictures at the very right moments.

Photographing in “APERTURE mode Birds”

(Notice: In the text below: for “AF-ON” please read: “AF-ON button” at D500 or “AF-L/AE-L button” at Z50)

Start photographing as follows:

• Switch ON camera (possibly from standby mode).

• Possibly LOAD applicable file containing settings. Our default file ever created is named: BBAFGRP17UN25AI3200INVERT1000-AF-ON (“Backbutton AF, Group 17 points, Underexpose 2.5EV, ISO Sensitivity Control Auto, Min Shutterspeed 1/1000 second, Max ISO 3200 assigned to AF-ON button”)

• Point camera at subject bird(s).

• Press and hold AF-ON: camera will perform autofocus according to the way you have set this function and will continue focussing also if the bird(s) is (are) or start(s) moving or when you move the camera, either because you want to follow bird(s) activity or you want to recompose picture before shooting (applying “focus and recompose“). During all this the camera will keep reporting remaining free buffer space. At any moment you can stop pressing AF-ON and check actual ISO value and or shutterspeed reported. As soon as you resume pressing AF-ON, the camera will resume focussing, etcetera, etcetera …

• Full press [and hold] Release every time you wish to shoot (a series of) picture(s).

In general: keep pressing AF-ON (for example at D500) as long as you want the camera to continue focussing and tracking and full press Release any time you want to shoot pictures at the actual distance.

You only have to adjust EXPOSURE TIME occasionally via subdial (now your “EXPOSURE TIME compensation +/- button”) – easily counting in 1/2 stops – if amount and or direction of light change significantly.

The camera will also be able to satisfactorily handle borderline situations as long as it sees sufficient available light. The margin for EXPOSURE compensation in modern digital camera’s is about +/- 2.5 stops, about factor eight. Try this out, you will rarely have to use the main dial to compenssate EXPOSURE, for example only if:

• (Expected) species, activity or speed of bird(s) change significantly
• You redirect camera from backlight to direct light or vice versa or bird(s) move(s) from deep shadow into direct sunlight or vice versa
• Sunlight (re-)appears after clouds have gone away or vice versa.
• Sudden heavy rainfall or snow …

WARNING! Do not press Release if camera is not focussed at a bird because it may loose focus completely or even start hunting! Avoid pressing Release button if you are not sure camera is focussed!

Practice! Once you control this way of operating your Nikon camera, it will offer you an effective and comfortable technique for your bird photography! We do enjoy it almost every day.

More about Automatic ISO Sensitivity control

Make sure you understand this item correctly: Your “programmed” Nikon camera will try to keep shutterspeed and ISO value “between” the limits you set for Minimal Shutterspeed and Maximum ISO Sensitivity and, if this happens to be impossible, suggest or use shutterspeeds lower than the value set by you. For example requiring a Minimum Shutterspeed 1/1000 in combination with Maximum ISO 6.400 effectively means: set EXPOSURE Time to 1/1000 second or shorter (like 1/1250 second or even shorter) and try to keep ISO Sensitivity below 6.400. If this is impossible because the camera sees insufficient available light, it will – in our experience – prioritize high shutterspeed over low ISO value and for example suggest EXPOSURE Time 1/1000 and ISO Sensitivity 9000 or higher. We feel that this makes sense in bird photography: more noise and loss in colour contrast is not as bad as too low shutterspeed causing worthless blurred pictures.

Once more: ISO 3.200 is our standard maximum acceptable ISO value. In some situations we go up to 6.400 ISO and in rare and unique situations we may try 12.800 ISO. You could try this out for a while in various situations and change the ISO sensitivity and Shutterspeed limits of your camera according to your personal guidelines of image quality and or the momentary type of birds and speed. Check the results and acquire experience in setting these limits. Our experience – several years APERTURE mode Birds – shows that this method using Nikon DSLR’s or mirrorless Z camera’s, is effective and comfortable in lightweight bird photography.

Using APERTURE modes Birds you may notice:

At (firmware version December 2023) Z50 the picture in the EVF will be blacked out during shooting bursts of pictures. The camera has to write the digital images into camera’s data buffer. Newer model Z camera’s have improved in several areas. This “blacking out” is, for the time being, a disadvantage of Nikon Z MLC’s next to our overall experience that Z camera’s, except probably speedy Z8 and Z9 Superstar, are still somewhat inferior when compared to Nikon DSLR‘s regarding subject tracking. One may expect that the majority of all this will relatively be resolved by firmware updates,

The frame rate may drop somewhat. In our experience at D500 from 11 FPS to an average of 8 FPS and at Z50 from 10 FPS to average 7 FPS. This is not as bad as it looks: all pictures are in-focus at D500 because of your a1-setting for focus priority you are missing are out-of-focus pictures only.

D500 generally will keep the image in the optical viewer stable, so you can far better observe and anticipate bird action and redirect your camera accordingly.

We tend to use D500 Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR for obviously fast or unpredictable action photography like photographing Woodpeckers or Terns

We use Z50 for other bird photography also because we can use our favourite TC-20E III in combination with Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR and particularly NIkkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR to acquire this wonderful 1500mm 35mm equivalent with top quality lightweight equipment and stil get wonderful pictures.

Saving/loading data sets of settings in your Nikon camera: data banks A B C D

In order to optimally adapt your Nikon camera to different kinds of succesful bird photography you may from time to time need to change a significant part of your actual camera settings and sometimes even create a completely new set adjusted to a specific type of bird “photography of the day”. Yyou can create, save and load one or more of such seets of settings in camera’s data banks A, B, C and D in your camera. You then can save or load them any time via menu page PHOTO SHOOTING MENU item save/load bank. We do so too, it comes in handy makes you flexible and saves a lot if time.

So why is this so effective and so easy?

Why do you consistently get in-focus pictures and sometimes even suprisingly attractive pictures even when your birds are moving fast although it feels like you are using a simple “point and shoot camera”? This is why:

• You have streamlined your photography via back button autofocus using AF-ON button to focus camera and independently press Release anytime you wish to shoot (a) picture(s) using only forefinger & thumb and occasionally use Easy EXPOSURE TIME Adjustment +/- . You always keep one hand free for redirecting camera, head, tripod or lens or whatever. You can continuously focus and track bird(s) or use focus and recompose at wish.

• Your camera is set to focus and track fast flying birds in APERTURE mode with maximal APERTURE value.

• Your D500 has been optimized for accurate focus and track via advanced AF Group mode. Your Z camera has been optimized accordingky and uses AF-C wide area Large.

• You are committed to RAW workflow using professional image editing and denoising software like Lightroom.

• The camera uses Automatic ISO sensitivity control via a lightning fast processor and you have programmed your personal experience and ideas in bird photography about ISO sensitivity and shutterspeed into this processor!

So your camera gathers maximum amount of light during optimal EXPOSURE TIME to produce in-focus, detailed pictures in accordance with your ideas about optimal EXPOSURE TIME and ISO limits in bird photography. It shoots your pictures of birds and other life. During actual photography you can dedicate most of your time to enjoying surrounding nature and observing birds, anticipate bird action and press Release at the very right moments, all this in stead of all the time resetting ISO, EXPOSURE time, etcetera.

You now shoot pictures even in low available available light like for example this one below of the beautiful elegant Black-tailed Godwit (Grutto). Notice the optimal trade off of EXPOSURE TIME versus ISO value resulting in a sufficient depth of field producing these nice in-focus waterdrops in the foreground:

A completely different example: Redbreasted Mersander, direct sunlight, bird relatively far away:

Try this mode out in your bird photography for a while and change ISO and Shutterspeed limits of the camera to your personal guidelines of image quality and or type and speed of birds. Check the results to gain experience in setting those limits. In our experience this method eventually works fine in bird photography. It may take a few weeks and different circumstances of wheather, light and bird activity to get the right feel for it.

APERTURE mode Birds as a learning tool

By the way you can use APERTURE mode Birds perfectly as a learning tool! This is an extra advantage of this method. You can test out various combinations of “Big Three”, APERTURE, ISO and EXPOSURE TIME. You will be gradually transferring your growing insight in optimal values of BIG THREE into your camera in stead of all the time checking and resetting their values during actual photography. You will but rarely have to change the value of the limits of ISO and EXPOSURE time. At the end you will only be changing values if the situation substantially changes like complete change of wheather or type of bird, very fast or none action at all, small birds far away or large birds close by, olyin case of significant changes.

Summary

Congratulations! You have transformed your high tech Nikon DSLR or MLC into a “Simple but very smart Point and Shoot” device for sophisticated lightweight bird photography. This camera will continue focussing & tracking as long as you press AF-ON until you stop shooting or memory card is full or battery is empty or someone switches this camera OFF.

We ourselves never switch our camera OFF as long as it is in our neighbourhood or as long as we are out there but leave it in standby mode all day, so if something interesting shows up, we can start shooting pictures right away. We can pick it up any moment, even the next day, It will switch itself ON as soon as we touch Release and be ready right away to start photographing! Using APERTURE mode Birds is extremely effective.

By the way you need a password for reviewing or using the workshop pages about D500 settings APERTURE mode Birds or Z50 settings APERTURE mode Birds. Go back to BLOG menu to get this password right now if you wish.

---