Foto at top: Holland sun Red Kite (Rode Wouw) size 63cm distance 85m equivalent 1050mm D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR standard camouflage APERTURE Mode Birds 1/6000 f/8 ISO 560 -1.5EV.
F11: full screen
Dilemma’s in bird photography
Although “sufficient reach” is the key issue in lightweight bird photography you may find yourself often at the same time photographing in “maximum reach mode” and something like “action or tracking fast movement mode”. In either case you use adequate equipment and settings thereof, however either optimized for sufficient reach or for fast and reliable in focus or tracked action of fast moving birds. Ultimately, and as a third option, you may use an ultralight handheld combination for tracking exceptionally fast or unpredictably flying birds when you can’t any more use your tripod because the action or moving are too fast. It is not easy to build your collection of equipment (with restricted budget) addressing all possible situations of various weather, size of bird, distance of bird, action, speed, et cetera in bird photography, but at the same time this is the interesting challenge that keeps you trying out and gradually improving your technique as a serious amateur. It may take quite some experimenting with different sets of equipment and settings thereof however it is rewarding …
Over time we have tried to solve these dilemma’s by using two different camera’s, two different lenses and two different converters, combining these in three different combinations. This approach has proven to be quite effective and pragmatic. It works!
…
Pictures shot with combination 1 (optimal reach):
…
Pictures shot with combination 2: DSLR Nikon D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR [TC-14E III] equivalent 1050mm optimised for fast focussing action, not too far away:
…
Pictures shot with combination 2 (anticipated) (fast) action :
…
Combination 3 (ultralight tracking of (anticipated) fast action)
Pictures shot with combination 3: Ultralight lightweight D500 Nikkor 300mm f/4.0E PF VR [TC-14E] equivalent 450m or 900mm optimised for handheld tracking fast moving birds.
…
…
Demo-project “Kingfisher”
The variety of potography is quite well demonstrated in “project Kingfisher”. It contains numerous pictures of Kingfisher (IJsvogel) resting, in action or (fast) moving, photographed using all kinds of equipment and settings including full frame D800 and digiscoping:
…
Nikon System Z offering new opportunities
By the way we may need to adapt this solution once more now because of the recent availability of some Nikon Z system camera’s, lenses and converters like Z7 II, Z8, Z Nikkor 400 PF VR and particularly Z Nikkor 180-600mm f/6.3 and possibly Z nikkor 600mm f/6.3. For example this 180 – 600 zoom is a great price-performance glass inlightweight bird photography. Keep changing !
