Foto at top: Holland sun Red Kite (Rode Wouw) size 63cm distance 65m equivalent 1050mm D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR standard camouflage APERTURE mode Birds 1/6000 f/8 ISO 560 -1.5EV. Crop 2700 x 1800.

Our ideas about “lightweight” bird photography;

Over the years we gradually developed our “ideal method” of bird photography based on these rules and facts:

1. Know your birds, use camouflage and never disturb them

Speaks for itself. Grant yourself time. Gather sufficient knowledge of local birds and use adequate camouflage. Get birds within reach of your camera without disturbing or chasing them.

2. Use some facts and follow some rules about using Nikon equipment

• We use exclusively lightweight Nikon DSLR‘s and MLC‘s and lenses. We will for example never use lenses like Nikkor 600mm f/4.0E VR qqq gram or the like. We want to be able to easily move around in the field and preferably track moving birds using handheld ultralight equipment.

• The semi pro Nikon D500 has been equipped with the AF module of the full pro D6. So for bird action photography we structurally use D500.
• Generally Nikon Z camera’s and Z mount lenses provide more reach and image quality than classical DSLR‘s and F mount lenses.

• Nikon Z camera’s and Z mount lenses provide significantly more detail and image quality than classical DSLR‘s and F mount lenses.

• Three Nikon lightweight phase fresnel lenses, Nikkor 300mm PF, 500mm PF and Z 400mm PF, have optical top quality. They are our first choice.

• Unique aspherical Nikkor TC-20E III doubles the 35mm equivalent of F-mount lenses without significant loss of image quality! This way you get ultralight, movable potentially handheld combinations, for example D500 Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR equivalent 900mm or D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1500mm for tracking fast or unpredictably flying birds.

• Nikkor TC-14E III provides a unique 700mm equivalent using Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR without any loss of image quality.

3. Apply optimal settings to your equipment: use our “APERTURE mode Birds”

• We use all the available light we can get by keeping APERTURE values fixed. In bird photography one is almost always using telelenses so APERTURE values are relatively low. Do’nt make it worse, keep APERTURE value fixed. “Stopping down” modern image sensors of Nikon Z MLC’s usually does not make sense any more.

• Structurally underexpose like -1.50 EV to protect detail in highlights an use modern denoising tools in post production.

Our “APERTURE mode Birds” in detail:

• No stopping down lenses, leave APERTURE value fixed.

• Use Automatic Sensitivity settings to compute optimal Maximum ISO value versus Minimum EXPOSURE TIME and use modern Denoise tools if this is by exception required.

• Use automatic setting Whitebalance and correct WB value in Post Processing if this is by exception required.

• Enable maximal easy camera handling other parameters.

4. Quick and safe camera handling

• Always use Back Button Focus (thumb) separating autofocus and Release function (forefinger).

• Always use Easy Exposure Compensation for quick and easy handling (thumb).

• Always count in 0.50 EV steps.

• Preferably use ultralight Phase Fresnel lenses Nikkor 300mm f/.4E PF VR, Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR or Z Nikkor 400mm PF VR S. All three are relatively light and deliver top image quality pictuures.

Thinking this way we end up using the next three lightweight – essentially different – combinations of Nikon equipment:

This results in three essentially different combinations of Nikon equipment:

Pictures resulting from this approach:

Birds (relatively) far away (reach):

Active birds (action photography)

Handheld tracking moving birds (using ultralight equipment)

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