What You NEED to Take RAZOR-SHARP Birds in FLIGHT Images!
Super fast tiny Swallows in flight? How is that even possible? Let us help YOU capture amazing Birds in Flight images!
Welcome Back to The Bird Photography Show with Jan Wegener & Glenn Bartley. Today we dive into the world of birds in flight photography & what you need to master it.
Master BIRDS in FLIGHT Photography! SETTINGS for SUCCESS!
• Master BIRDS in FLIGHT...
LET US HELP YOU TO TAKE YOUR IMAGES TO THE NEXT LEVEL!
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EDITING SOFTWARE WE RECOMMEND
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THIS IS THE GEAR WE RECOMMEND
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Canon EOS R5 amzn.to/2FV1Fpq
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
0:49 Why Birds in Flight?
2:12 What makes a GREAT BIF photo?
3:04 The Thrill of BIF Photography
3:51 What matters the Most?
6:03 How can you TAKE a Great BIF Photo?
7:47 Tripod?
8:44 The Right Lens
10:10 Best focal Length
10:35 Our Dream Lens
11:05 The Perfect Camera Body
12:40 Rolling Shutter
13:42 The Right Amount of Mpix
14:18 Buffer!
15:13 Nobody is Perfect!
15:50 Our Little Mishap!
16:13 Best CANON BIF lenses
17:40 Best SONY BIF Lenses
18:11 Best NIKON BIF Lenses
19:08 More SWIFTS in flight!
20:11 Best THIRD PARTY BIF Lenses
20:54 Best Budget lenses
21:21 What About YOU?
22:17 Best CANON BIF Cameras
23:41 Best SONY BIF Cameras
24:45 Best NIKON BIF Camera(s)
25:49 DSLR vs Mirrorless
26:30 Olympus
27:35 You DON'T NEED all the fancy stuff!
28:17 THIS will make YOU a better BIF Photographer!
It's a magical moment to look at the screen and see sharpness, composition, good exposure, and a great pose!
My favourite bird to shoot --Great HORNBILL....
Oh ya. That's a beauty!
That's a cool one!
I have Nikon Z9 and 500mm pf...is an amazing combo for me. Is light, fast af and very sharp.
The ideal Nikon kit in my opinion!
Yes, it does very well.
Thank you Guys for this awesome Format, until now i did shoot Birds with my Fuji xt3 and the xf 70-300. The Af Zone with back button Focus works good enough for me. It is not as advanced as a Canon or Sony but its an incredible lightweight and versatile little camera with a good reach, awesome colors and a good Image Quality. .I´ve upgraded my Gear to a Fujifilm XT5 now with a XF 150-600. Even better reach, decent image quality, the AF is improved and im quite happy with it. since i do shoot other stuff too and not only wildlife and i love my retro feel of the XT- Series . It was a good Choice fore me because i have other lenses for it already here and it did cost me 2 k less than a R6MkII with the 100-500 wich was my second place on the wish list. Only downside with the xt5 is the iso noise, but i can fix that in post and the buffer that just sucks... shooting raw gives me only 2 sec bursts with 15 FpS at 40 MP. Im no Pro so i can live with that. Cheers from Germany
Very interesting discussion guys. I have a D500 with the 500mm PF. For a while I was experiencing difficulties in getting sharp BIF shots as also reported by other photographers. After reading various forums, many people came to the conclusion that it was the light weight of the lens that may have contributed to a lack of sharp shots especially when using it on a DSLR. A lot of pro photographers using the 500mm PF will have been used to heavier 500mm / 600mm F/4 lenses which probably helped with their panning technique. With the 500mm PF, it’s easy to over pan the subject due to its light weight especially on DSLRs because of the blackout making it difficult to keep the AF point on the subject. After hours of practice, I’ve now got to a point where I’m very happy and it helps by slowing the AF responsive down a bit in the camera so if the AF point does go off the subject, it’s not grabbing the background and putting the subject out of focus. I know the D500 isn’t as capable as the R5 for BIF but the ergonomics of the camera are superb making it easier to be successful in getting keepers. FYI, when I’ve been out in the field with photographers who have owned both the D500 and the D850, practically all of them have said the the speed of the AF on the D500 is faster than the D850.
You guys are doing a fantastic job here, everything you cover couldn't be more accurate. Well done! 👏
Thanks so much for that kind feedback. Be sure to share with your friends!
Thank you!
Great show - always learn so much! The Olympus OM line cameras were my starter cameras and they were truly great for beginner level shooting imo. But I finally graduated up to the Canon R5 last year and wowwww what a difference!! My go-to setup is the 100-500 on the R5 - I use that combo the most. I still have one of my Olympus sets as a back up but after using the R5, I just can’t bring myself to shoot with the Olympus anymore lol!
Thanks for sharing!
Fascinating video. Thank you. I am a newcomer to bird photography and I drive 40 miles to photograph Red Kites in the UK with my Sony A7R3 and Tamron 150-500. The lens is about 4lbs and my walk takes me 9 miles. The Kites seem to know when I lug the Tamron with me and they don’t show up (seemingly). When I take my 70-300 there are lots of Kites around. Other birds that I try to photograph fly into trees and I get images of branches with a bird behind (and out of focus). I have a lot to learn and not many years in which to learn it!
Love the bird photography show! Keep the good work guys! :)
Thanks so much for watching!
Thanks!
Another excellent video. You asked about the gear we use so here is my reply! I own the Canon 1 DX3 and the R5. I love using both for flight photography.The black out on the R5 bugs me as does the occasional rolling shutter effect but the FPS and MP make up for the negatives.The image quality on the files from the 1 Dx3 are much better than the R5 (IMHO) and if I have a special bird that I can photograph and get close to I usually pull out my 1 DX3. Here in Nova Scotia, the birds are hard to get close to so my go to is the 600mm with the 1.4 x .I love photographing puffins, waterfowl and eagles in flight.The small birds are sooooo hard but I am practising.
Awesome Gail. Thanks for letting us know your gear and techniques 🙂 Have you tried DXO Pure RAW on the R5 files? It works magic!
@@GlennBartley No, I have not.I will give it a try this weekend.Thanks.
If you downsize the R5 files to the 1dX III level the quality will likely be superior. You're zooming much further in to the files with more mpix. It must be a challenge to shoot mirrorless and DSLR at the same time. Thanks for sharing. Excellent tip by Glenn to try out Pure RAW if the files look noisy
Bifs are definitely the toughest forms of photography. Another great video - thanks.
Absolutely
Great episode (as usual!). Those swallow shots.... very impressive. Also I hadn't thought about specifically targeting banking shots, so that's a great tip.
Thanks!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the show,
Fantastic. I’m just getting into bird photography and this is by far the most useful (to me at least) information I’ve come across. I’m now off to watch episode 4.
Awesome Howard! Enjoy the journey!
I was gonna say, you must have missed the other videos on this channel haha! Glad we could help :)
Topside Bank! Absolutely! Great episode as always gentlemen! Informative and entertaining!
Glad you enjoyed it
Good show, great tips and best of all Glenn has got his hat on the right way!!
Haha. Next show I'll wear it sideways 🤣
Thanks!
I use OM Systems OM1, and with DXO software I have no noise problems. Also, the photos are so sharp, I can crop. With the 300mm f4 and the 1.4 TC I get plenty of reach. Having the ultimate gear and being able to cary it around would be great, of course. But the results I get don't make me regret my gear at all. If I apply myself, I can come away with great shots every time I go out. That is my bottom line. Keep up the great work guys, this show is right up my alley.
Right now I enjoy shooting hummingbirds with Sony a1 and 200-600mm Sony lens. Amazing image quality and with so many frames per second the selection of body and wing position is awesome. This combination is hand holdable, but for long sessions I may us a monopod.
Thanks for sharing your great experience. Bird photography is more difficult than other subjects shootings. Specifically birds flying in the space is their most beautiful nature. That for taking a photography with flight bird means you need to challenge yourself a lot, so many people like challenging something adventurously. I love to see you guys photographing with more tiny birds like Goldcrest, hummingbirds etc.
I'm always down for some hummingbird phtoography!
More tiny birds in flight? That can get tricky fast :D
I have recently purchased your Prosets and what a difference, thank you so much, they for me are a game changer. I feel my technique taking shots is on point but its my editing that lets me down and this has made such a difference.
Glad you like them! That's why we made them :)
I really enjoyed this episode. I really enjoy shooting birds in flight. I really love trying to shoot hummingbirds. Emphasis on the word “trying”. I do get some decent pics from time to time but it is always challenging. I am currently using the R6 with the 100-500mm. Also a Panasonic G9 with the PL 100-400mm. The G9 animal detection seems to do a little better for hummingbirds than the R6. I am seriously considering the OM-1. I love m43 but the AF and high ISO performance weren’t there. It sounds like the OM-1 may be competitive in the AF and have improved high ISO performance. My only stumbling block there is the price (and difficulty finding) of the 150-400 F4.5 Pro lens. I think I would have to have that one. 1000 effective millimeters with the built-in extender and still able to use the 1.4 and 2X separate extenders.
Agree, pose for me is most important and I am nearly exclusive owl and owl in flight shooting. So it gets really boring to see the same bird in sky image. So working on what you see while shooting is really important. Also Whistling Wings SpeedShooter is a game changer for carrying large glass, gives you the monopod / gimbal experience but on a harness, it’s amazing. I can do handheld 1/60th of a second BIF and still be mobile.
thanks for sharing mate!
Olympus is fine on a sunny day on a cloud they suck at birds in flight Great video
Interesting!
Very good show guys, I like to see more in the future. This is very great show topic for beginners and pros. Loved it!
There's one every 2 weeks :)
Another good video. Before purchasing my Olympus EM1X and EM1.3, I owned a Sony A9 and Sony A7R4. I also owned a Sony 100 - 400mm G Master and Sony 200 - 600mm. I usually take two cameras out with me, one set up for macro, the other for birding/wildlife. A few days ago I part exchanged my 1X and 1.3 for two OM1 bodies. I use a 300mm f4 +/- an MC14 or MC20. The CAF + Tracking, in combination with bird recognition, is brilliant. So much better than the EM1X. Over the last two days, I have had very few misses with the OM1 + 300mm + MC14. It almost snatched the birds out of the sky. I am very impressed. I look forward to capturing Swallows flying just above the ground and feeding juveniles on the wing. The OM1 and 300mm f4 will be spot on for this work. If you think the OM 1 is in anyway inferior to the latest FF offerings, take a look at Andy Rouse's latest KZhead video. Andy is a full time professional wildlife photographer who uses OMD-S gear, though he is not affiliated in anyway to the brand.
Thanks for sharing those experiences. We definitely nee dto get our hands on some OM 1's and test those babies out!
Yes, the Om-1 definitely looks way improved. Not that much content out there yet, so a lot of what I said was based on history. Would be great to see it having a much improved tracking ability. I like to think of camera systems of being different rather than better/worse. Olympus offers a lot that other systems don't have and vice versa.
Thanks for another fabulous episode with a great review of best gear options for successful flight shots--we're getting ready to spend 6 wks in Africa with a couple of internationally acclaimed and published wildlife and bird photographers who have sold all their Canon gear and long lenses and switched to the OM-1 system this last year so it should be interesting to hear their comments about the transition. I'm still using the R5 + RF 100-500 and occasionally the RF 1.4x Catherine d'Alessio
Glad you enjoyed the show
Thanks guys, great info!
Our pleasure!
My favorite bird-in-flight subject is the red-billed tropicbird, so I was happy to see one in this video. They look especially beautiful in that bank that you described. I have a couple hundred shots of tropicbirds (red-tailed and red-billed) from yesterday waiting to be processed as soon as I finish watching your video.
Awesome! They are great looking birds!
Nice. They are elegant for sure!
Great piece! Shooting mostly hummingbirds w/ my Sony 200-600 on either the a7iii or a7iv. Love that lens, and you’re spot on with the recommendation. Planning to shoot some owls and woodpeckers this spring- the fledglings are the target for that.
awesome!
Great BIF video guys always a challenge to get it right Awesome ! 👍😍
Cheers Camilla!
Thank you!
Thanks for a great video once again. My favorite bird in flight where i live here in Brazil is for sure the The South American Snipe or Magellan Snipe and the birds in the Apodidae family. Not the easiest to photograph, but when you manage to get some good photos of them, it's very satisfying.
Fantastic, Thanks for sharing!
Snipe in flight sounds like a tricky challenge
Wow Jan & Glenn, what a joy to watch all these amazing images you've taken !!! For me, the eye-AF is the real game-changer which convinced me to give up the OVF. And in my book it outweighs the mp count. In that sense the R6 was a no-brainer for me because for a hobby I could not afford the R5 (being in Europe much more expensive compared to R6 than on your continents). But of course 20mp leaves not much room for cropping (even when using DXO and gigapixel). So I started using extenders on my 100-400Lii, and with the weather improving now over here, the IQ & AF-speed penalty of the EF2x is much less than I feared. It really seems the mirrorless camera's deal with extenders much better than dslrs. And compared to RF glass I'm not getting a reduced AF area. From all recent Canon patents, I'm really crossing my fingers for the 300-800/8 design which sounds to like an ideal, flexible, handholdable and affordable BIF-lens ..
Yes, eye AF is the best, but people get angry when we mention it too often :D You'd never go back once you have used it once. Yes, in terms of AF there's almost no difference between extender and no extenders anymore on Canon
Good info. Thanks guys!
Cheers!
Thanks!
Inspiring 💚
Thanks so much!
Much appreciated
Good weather , Patience and a serious amount of luck .. and being in the right place at the right time ... Managed to bag a Pair of Oyster catchers in flight ..what i got .i was happy with ...
Nice!
@@jan_wegener Where do i send a copy if you want to see them
Yes patience and the right site at the right time is key!
@@colintraveller instagram maybe
@@jan_wegener Sent
I am chuffed that you guys included the OM-1 and 150-400mm 1.2x lens set up as a possible alternative for productive BIF photography. It would be great to have both of you as R5 BIF experts practice BIF with an OM-1 and the 150-400 1,2x lens. Then we all would know how much OM needs to tweak their bird/eye tracking firmware to match the R5. My new OM-1’s bird/eye tracking (compared to that of the Oly M1X) is thankfully surprisingly fast and accurate with the 150-400mm lens. It finally puts Olympus/OM back on the competitive list for BIF photography. The new burst shutter speeds with shot-to-shot C-AF are really fast, the new back-lit sensor is also blazingly fast so there are no big concerns about rolling shutter artifacts, the buffer is substantial and the nearly 300 MB/sec SD II cards’ write speeds are more than adequate for swallowing the 20MB images. The sensor’s modest 20MP is practical with the lens’ constant f4.5 zoom and reach as they put the majority of the pixels on the bird. Glenn, I will offer you the use of my OM-1 with 150-400mm 1.2 x when I see you in Costa Rica. Pura Vida!
Will be fun to test it out Jon!
I am trying to get an Olympus set up, but no luck thus far
@@jan_wegener Glad to hear that you are curious re testing the OM-1 with the 150-400 1.2x. This new body is just getting shipped and the lens will still be rare as the the build rate per month is slow. BTW, my OM-1 is showing a buffer of 90 RAW images and unlimited for super fine JPEGs. The buffer clears the 90 RAW images in about 5 seconds depending on the SD card’s ~260 MB/second write speed.
@@jonerikrolf2029 Interesting, so you do wanna be careful not to hit it too much ideally
Another great video guys, I have had a crack at a couple of BIF shots too and you have given great advice to anyone having a go, if anything these new mirrorless cameras have made it so easy if you have good techniques you won’t miss a shot, I was going to give it up after getting my A9 for that reason, the challenge was gone but now I just try to push things further, it’s a great game - lol
Yes, you can now push for shots you couldn't get before
New doors are open 🙂
I use the Canon R5 with the Canon RF 100mm-500m. What I love about bird in flight photography is the thrill of the hunt, with hopefully some stunning images captured as the trophies. For me my favourite bird to capture in flight is the Eastern Osprey. I'm lucky enough to have a nest 10 minutes drive from home.😀 Love seeing your bird images, so inspiring, and exemplifies what's possible, setting a high bar for us to aspire to. Nothing makes me unwind like watching the bird show.
Glad you are enjoying the show! Must be great to have Ospreys that close!
That's great to hear Godfrey 😀
Excellent tutorial.Thanks a lot.I use A 74 with 200 to 600 G lens.wonderful AF and tracking.
Fantastic!
My favorite BIF subject at this time of year is the black-footed albatross. I shoot the Sony A9 with primarily the Sony 200-600mm, although I find my recently-acquired 100-400 GM lens easier to use on long shooting days and a bit faster in terms of both maximum aperture and focusing.
Yes, 100-400 is faster. 200-600 has more reach, tricky to pick which one is "the one" sometimes
Dzięki za świetną dyskusję. Wyjaśniającą i popartą doświadczeniem. Ja nie korzystam z autofokusa. Posiadam aparat Apsc 24mpxl. i obiektyw manualny stałoogniskowy 400mm f5.6 .Dla mnie To jest prawdziwe wyzwanie zrobić zdjęcie manualnym obiektywem ptaka w locie. Mam super satysfakcję z takich zdjęć. Poza tym lubię używać i dotykać profesjonalnych i perfekcyjnie wykonanych ,starych obiektywów z manualnym ostrzeniem. Metal i szkło , pierścień ostrości i preselekcji przysłony tak gładki że nie sposób tego nie kochać . Pozdrowienia z Polski.
Excellent work!
Thank you! Cheers!
Jan and Glenn, Thank you for another excellent episode. Thank you too for finally mentioning Olympus (now OM Systems). Specification-wise, and what I have read from bird photographers who have used it, the new OM-1 should be an amazing camera for BIF and bird photography. OM Systems have decided to focus on bird and action photography, and adventure/extreme environment photography. They have zeroed in on bird photography..think about what that says ...not trying to be all things to all people, but the best they can be for a much smaller, specialized group of photographers...US! I know is m4/3, a small sensor etc but the sensor lays a lot of pixels on the subject, and with DXO Pure RAW at the beginning of your workflow, the feather detail is excellent. My OM-1 is on pre-order, but I'm excited about the new AF capabilities. They have a wonderful variety of lenses ..all hand holdable!
They are finding a great target market for sure.
Would be fun to try out that camera and see what it can do :)
great video as always from both of you! I can't complain on gear, I use R5 and 150-500 and 600mm f4. The only thing I struggle with over here in Sweden is time, I work fulltime and in winter it gets dark before I come home from work. So really looking forward to spring and more time photographing!
Spring is the best!
Thanks for sharing!
Great video. Favorite bird in flight is a tie between Tree Swallows and young Peregrine Falcons. I find the Tree Swallows are just so expressive and the young Peregrines are just so active and playful. Favorite gear setup is the A1 with 100-400GM because it is faster focusing and sharper than the 200-600 but my most used is with the 200-600 (probably 3 to 1, if not more) because the reach tends to be more valuable than the speed and slight edge in sharpness. One thing about 3rd party lens is that they can be limited in the FPS. Also for lens it is important that the lens be fast focusing. A lens could have a long side of 500-600 with great image quality but if the focusing isn't fast it would not be a good BiF lens.
All great points David!
Yes, kinda exactly the thoughts I had in the video as well. 100-400 is very good, but a tad short, so the 200-600 is very enticing
I really enjoy you shows guys, there's always something new to draw for me from it. The downside lol is that what I used to call a keeper photo looking back on them now sadly they will become free ssd storage. Guess learning is a journey you never reach your final destination. I personal enjoy back and bank and got some bountiful northern lapwings in morning light recently.( flying inverted) And these are seriously acrobatic birds. But anything lower then 2000s is just a blurr...
Yes, they are always fun to watch in flight with their big wings! This happens all the time, pictures I liked 3 years ago, I don't like anymore...
Excellent episode guys! I started off my BIF photography with a Nikon D800E with a Tamron 150-600mm G1 lens. I then upgraded to the G2 lens. Later I upgraded to the D850 camera but I felt the shutter speed was limiting my captures. I would get the bird's wings in the same position all the time. I found this to be extremely frustrating. When Canon released the R5 and the 100-500mm, I knew this camera and lens would be a game-changer for me. I've had my R5 kit since September 2020 and it has taken my BIF photography to a whole new level. YOu definitely need the megapixels for BIF photography. I recently bought thee RF800 f/11 lens and I've been very surprised at the shots I've been able to get of BIF with it. On occasions, I'll even use my RF1.4X extender with it and shoot at 1120mm and get some cracker BIF shots. It's just a bit trickier to keep the bird in the centre of the viewfinder! :D
Great! Yes, the smaller focus box makes it a bit trickier
Glad to hear you found the right kit for you 😎
Great Video thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Great show as always! The setup I have for birds in flight is the Olympus EM5 MKIII with the Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400mm f5-6.3. It’s a great lightweight and affordable setup (around $2,500 new). It doesn’t have tracking but the AF is really good and you can setup a in camera focus limiter so that it doesn’t lock focus on the background. I would love to try out the new OM-1 with its bird tracking but that isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
Olympus definitely brings some awesome features to teh table. Being able to limit the BG focus would solve so many issues! So thats fantastic your kit is working well for you!
Thanks for sharing. The Om-1 sounds like a nice upgrade.
Thanks for your expertise guys. Very informative and beautiful images. I use 7Dmk2 400mm f 5.6 for birds in general. Looking forward for Canon's confirmation on 1/6 apsc sensor cam. Thanks again.
Thanks Noel. Yes I think many are eagerly awaiting a Canon 1.6 R body. Me among them!
The more we want it they seem to enjoy holding it back haha
Hi guys. Thank you for all the wonderful and informative videos. I'm learning heaps and always look forward to the next instalment. At one point you mentioned the Olympus system. I'm not sure if you're aware of the new OM1 review recently put out by Andy Rouse. You may find it interesting. Cheers Zsolt
Will have to scope it out!
Have not watched that one yet. It's definitely interesting what they are doing
My wife uses the Olympus system purely for its weight. 300mm/f4 equals 600mm/f4 and it weighs less than 2kg compared to my R5 +600/f4 4.6kg. Then the camera has an option I envy: capture pro. That option may come on the canon r5 from me. Super fast autofocus with the right lenses very sharp photos. Disadvantage I think is the noise.
Great video guys. Z9 & 500pf is my go to for birds. Kingfishers ( luckly we have 10 different ones ) and the Verreaux Eagle are my favourite birds to photograph.
Great combo and you are lucky to have so many Kingfishers!
Very cool!
I love shooting the large shore birds landing/taking flight. Something very majestic about great herons and egrets that make stunning photos. I also enjoy shooting hummingbirds. My primary body is a Nikon D750 and for the longest time I was coupling that with my Sigma 50-500. Auto focus isn't the fastest with that combo so shooting larger slower birds in good light was pretty much what I could do. I have recently been shooting with a D500 and acquired a Nikon 200-400 f4 for a really good price. It's been great not only for sports, but also shooting birds. The D500 has a high frame rate and great autofocus. Couple that with the big prime lens and I'm essentially shooting a 300-600 mm lens without having to use a teleconverter. Throw the 50-500 on there which is a smaller and lighter lens and I'm getting 75-750 mm on the crop sensor with no teleconverter.
Thanks for sharing that!
Sounds like a great combo!
Thanks a lot.....
Cheers!
You're welcome :D
Great and informative stuff :)
Glad you liked it!
Another great episode guys. You mentioned some other brands including Olympus/OM System. Wondering if you would be able to do a review on the new OM1? I seems there has been improvements in the bird tracking. You also mentioned their 150-400mm, I have this and the reach v weight is great. I am but honestly missing tracking on my current body. Anyway, if you could mix things up a little and do a review in the OM1 that would be very interesting to see
Would be interesting for sure. Might be possible.
Yes, that would be great to have an R5 BIF expert practice BIF with an OM-1 and the 150-400 1,2x lens. Then we all would know how much OM needs to tweak their bird/eye tracking firmware to match the R5. My new OM-1’s bird/eye tracking is surprisingly fast and accurate with the 150-400mm lens. It finally puts Olympus/OM back on the competitive list for BIF photography.
I really enjoy watching your vids, thanks. I have learnt heaps! A potentially useful lens that you didn't mention is the Canon RF 100-400. I have an R5 and a RF 100-500 (which, I agree are fabulous), but I recently purchased the RF 100-400 as well because it is so light and therefore very easy to carry around for extended hikes. Early days, but the focusing and image quality under favourable conditions, seems almost as good as the 100-500 (almost), at less than half the weight and less than a quarter the price! Yes, it's F8 at 400 and not weather sealed, but it's excellent value. And it seems to be providing much better image quality as a light carry around, than my micro 4/3 Panasonic G9 and Pana Leica 100-400; and the R5 and the RF 100-400 combo actually weighs around 270g less! Of course the crop factor makes the micro 4/3 800mm max (at 20 MP), but the 45 megapixels of the R5 means I can crop to about that equivalent.
Awesome! I haven't used it yet, but might soon. It's definitely light and small
Thanks guys…great show once again… I’m using the canon 400 5.6 as my flight lens. As you say a bit more length would be great… I have a Sigma 150-600 sport and it’s just too heavy for flight shots generally
Thanks for sharing!
your the top 3 to me. i don't feel like selling my truck for an upgrade.lol! have a 7dii+400mm 5.6 lens. thinking an e-book for editing might be my next upgrade. thanx for all your videos!
Happy to help
Olympus M1x and the 100-400 lens for birds in flight. Migrating to the new OM-1 and 150-400 when I can get the lens. Pro capture helps anticipate the action and the IBIS helps with the hit rate. Love the lighter package. Went to Olympus from Nikon due to back issues. Had to get used to mirrorless and the menu system.
Ya they seem to have found their niche!
Thanks for sharing
When trying to track feeding swallows in flight on my G9 @800mm equivalent I gave up on the viewfinder, I used a red-dot sight mounted in the hot-shoe. Of course the G9 struggles to focus on birds in flight but I got some keepers. I'm looking forward to the OM-1. As far as rolling shutter, even with the Z9 the readout speed of 4ms scans the lines at a speed of 1/250 seconds - but you expect to need a shutter speed of 1/2000 or faster for BIF. So I think for humming birds rolling shutter will be an issue for while until they can do global shutter type sensors. EDIT: Then again, the sync speed is really what determines the "rolling shutter" be it mechanical or electronic, as it's based on the rolling exposure. The Z9 is on par with the mechanical sync speed of most cameras.
Goo thoughts Tim!
Yes, I think hummingbirds maybe be an issue for a while. Compared to the R5 the rolling shutter on Z9 was very minimal at least
I spent a lot of time last summer/autumn trying to get some good in flight photos of swallows and house martins with my R6 and Sigma 150-600. The more I practiced the slightly less bad they became. I'm hoping with more practice I can progress to mediocre, if i could achieve the kind of shot in your video I'd be over the moon. Your videos certainly help with the inspiration and information.
Keep practicing and you'll get there!
Yes, practicing will help a lot.
Great Video. One thing I would love to hear from you is how to keep swallows/swifts in frame while flying?
Practice is really the only trick :)
Your videos are so informative and helpful, this one is no exception. I use an R5 with a Canon 400mm f4 DO ii a lens that in my opinion is often overlooked, I combine it with a 1.4x iii extender.Lightweight and really sharp, although occasionally an odd bokeh. OK not as sharp as the new primes (wish I could afford one!) I moved to this lens from a 500 f4 which just became too heavy to lug around (although I did mange some hand held!) OK this not as sharp as the new primes (wish I could afford one!) but I think it is a great compromise. Now must go and practice BIF technique.
Great to hear! It's true, that's one of the forgotten lenses. The first 400 DO got a bad rap and it never really recovered from that. From all I have seen it would be a nice BIF lens
Great video, fellows. I shoot Nikon - D850, Z6ii. My go to BIF lens is the 500 pf, simply a great lens. However, on my Z6ii, I’ve also got great shots of larger birds using my 70-200 2.8 with the TC2.0. I don’t have a favourite bird, my favourite is the one in the viewfinder. One other thing. My dream bird and wildlife camera/lens combo is the “Z500” - crop sensor, 30MP, say 20fps with the light version of the Z9 AF/tracking - together with the 400 2.8S TC. I think 30MP is more than enough.
Cheers Brian!
Yes, that Z500 sounds sweet! :D
Hi guys, wonderful video as always. Very informative, I have a Sony A9+Sony 200-600mm combo that I shoot with, of course birds in flight included. Although I wish to have a Sony A1 instead but the $$$, lol. I would love to photograph the violet-green swallow that Glen shot 💕💕
Definitely was a tough challenge. But worth the result 🙂
It's a great combo for sure
Capturing small birds in flight is my favorite because it's such a challenge. My favorite combo is the A1 with the 200-600.
Great combo!
OM-1 tracks BiF magnificent. I own R5, R7 and OM-1. Tracking AF in OM-1 is second to any of Canon if not better. It is the resolution and light gathering capabilities that OM-1 lacks. You cannot crop as tight but usually you get better reach to begin with. Not to mention it is much easier to handhold.
I have always liked the Nikon D500 with the Nikon 200-500mm lens conmbo
I have a Nikon D500 with the 200-500mm lens which I found affordable and does the job well.
Favorite birds are Bald Eagles and Hummingbirds, Bald Eagles with natural light and the hummers using flash, love them both, after that all the raptors of North America
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing your top targets with us 🙂
Sony a7iv with the 200-600 g lens and a rolan pro camo waterproof sleeve for this awesome lens is truly amazing! Sony is the best to be honest small compact and alot of nice 2.8 glass for great price.
nice combo
Favorite Bird: Osprey, Hummingbirds. Favorite setup: 1DX III - 600mm f4, R5 -100-500
Excellent show, thank you! My favourite gear combo (or should I say triad?) Is R5 with EF500mm F4 II and RF500mm. Question: do you use any protective filters on RF500mm?
Only ND filters when I film
Birds of prey in flight are one of my favourite pictures using a Canon R5 camera 😁
Very nice compilation with a lot of useful information. I would have thought you'd mention the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L with the built-in 1.4x Extender. It ticks off most, if not all, of the need-to-have items on your lens list.
But how is it better than the 100-500? Weighs a lot more. Cost a a lot more.
probably has smoother backgrounds than the 100-500, but is much heavier. You are right though that it covers the range very well.
My current favourite BIF combo is Canon R5 & 100-500 - fabulous for Major Mitchell's cockatoos (pink cockatoos) at Eyre Bird Observatory (but need to have spare batteries)
Awesome! Or take a few chargers :)
Awesome content as always !! May i know the CF card that you use on your R5 please.
I am using mainly Wise Advanced Pro (silver cards) & some Sandisk Extreme Pro
Just about a year ago I took the mirrorless plunge. I currently use the RF 100-500 on the Canon R and even though the R does not have the same level of tracking compared to the R5 or the R6, it does have more megapixels than the R6 and it's tracking ability is vastly superior to any DSLR I have ever used. This same rig has taken some phenomenal shots of sandhill cranes coming in to roost in the late afternoon and early evening. Using the R for in flight shots takes some forethought, lots of practice, and some luck as well but considering the bang for the buck compared to the cost of the R5, it should also be included in your recommended equipment.
You're doing great, shooting with a low frame rate can be tricky for BIF
People often compare cameras of different sensor sizes, and then go and compare lenses as though a smaller sensor (more crop factor) means you get more reach on a lens. What really matters is the pixel area (technically what matters is the circle of confusion radius, but that's a function of the pixel area) and the number of megapixels, not the crop factor. A Sony a7rIV has a 13.91μm^2 pixel area, while a Sony a6600 APS-C camera has a *larger* pixel area of 15.13μm^2, so cropping in (or using APS-C mode) on the a7rIV actually has *more* effective reach than going with a smaller sensor. The Sony a1 has a 17.14μm^2 pixel area. The Nikon Z9 has an 18.84μm^2 pixel area. The Canon R5 has a 19.18μm^2 pixel area. I currently have an a7rIV and a Sony 200-600 lens. I've also got a Tamron 28-200mm lens for non-bird photography uses. I'll probably pick up a 1.4x teleconverter to go with the 200-600, I don't think the 2x would be worth it (too much light lost) but there are sometimes situations where I think it'd be helpful to have more reach and less light (bright sunny days shooting birds out on lakes).
The 1.4x definitely works great on the 200-600
@@jan_wegener Good to know!
Sony a9 with 200 -600 is so good for birds in flight.
Fav camera and lens for me, Z9 + 60-600 sigma sport or 500 pf gets it done. Love to capture forest birds as they are the most difficult 😄
nice!
Canon R5/ EF 600mm Mk ll+ 1.4 tc Mk lll shooting Bald Eagle at Conowingo Dam, you guys are awesome keep up the good work👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
A great combo. I'm sure you get some fantastic results!
@@GlennBartley yes I do the bad part it’s hard for me to delete photo now 😉
Nice!
Thanks for the video. Surprised no mention of using a monopod for the big glass. And for Nikon shooters the D500 is a very good option if one can not afford the Z9. Speaking of affordability Nikons big glass is cheaper than ever. Jan......spot on advice for practicing on a fence post or object while waiting for a fly by. It eventually becomes second nature. Thanks again for the video.
Glad you enjoyed it! Personally I find monopods very annoying, so I never mention them haha
A wonderful program as usual. Welcome back from Panama, Glenn. We are going down there in September on a birding trip and I am looking forward to shooting from the tower. I have always liked the challenge of taking birds in flight. It is usually large slow flying birds like hawks and cranes that I have had success with. Also for a challenge, try shooting fast moving sea birds from a rocking ship! I find that fun but very few acceptable shots. I have an R5 and have only tried all electronic shutter once. Since I can't judge how many shots I have taken I made 700 in what seemed like a few seconds. I use CRAW and electronic first curtain closing with mechanical shutter at 12 fps. Does this eliminate rolling shutter? Also, with electronic shutter does a fast shutter speed like 1/4000 reduce rolling shutter?
Thanks Peter. The mechanical shutter definitely reduces the rolling shutter.
It does reduce rolling shutter, but first curtain ES shouldn't be used with high shutter speed. That can create other issues. Faster shutter speeds won't eliminate rolling shutter
Great episode! What do you think about the nikon 200-500 F5.6? My top bird to catch in flight is the snowy owl.
A great zoom range. I think its a decent lens. Maybe a tad heavy?
It wouldn't be my first choice due to size and not super fast AF, but still a good lens.
Favorite Camera and lens would be the R5 and the RF100-500. I have been shooting Dippers in flight lately
Great combo!
The new perfect camera for BIF... theR7 with 33MP, pre-rshooting up to 0.5 seconds, focus algorriths from tye R3 and fitted with the 100-500 it will be an absolute gem
Yes, just have to watch the buffer
one of my birding friends used to say.....it's not what gear you have, but who is behind the camera. Agree with you, some of my friends who use mid-range cameras produce stunning photos
Absolutely. The camera is just a tool.
Camera helps, but isn't everything
I have only one bird photography setup Sony A6400 + 70-350mm sony lens. And prefer large birds over small ones as those looks magnificent on the frame (I love to retain bit of background to give the photo a feel of surrounding and place of the photograph).
Thanks for sharing
With an R5 I have the rf 100-400 (with the 1.4 extender when needed) which should give me lots of flexibility. As it's also very light, and not as expensive an option as the rf 100-500, I'm pretty satisfied. As it's new-to-me, I haven't had much chance to use it, but so far so good.
Awesome Ted. Spring is coming!
It's a great combo
I just got my R3 and a 100-500 also have a 1.4 extender heading to bright victoria for a week .i hope to see a few birds over there that we don't get in Mildura .
Nice!
Enjoy the trip!
As an amateur bird photographer and working stiff, the best gear I could afford is a Canon 90d in combination with the Sigma 150-600 mm Contemporary lens. It works for me although I would love to be able to get my hit-rate up (maybe someday I'll spend the cash and get an R5 and a cool RF lens, assuming my wife doesn't divorce me). My favorite bird to shoot is the Osprey. There are plenty of them at the Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Reserve in New Jersey, USA. Great video. Thanks, guys!
Yes, Ospreys are awesome! Thanks for sharing
I use a Nikon D500 with the 500mm f/5.6 PF and am extremely happy with this set up. It's a very sharp lens with fast, accurate AF and the D500 has great AF as well. For now, the mirrorless cameras are more than I want to pay .I'd prefer to use money on trips to go where I can photograph animals that I can't get at home. I'm hoping for trickle down in the technology so that lower priced mirrorless bodies will have similar capabilities in the future. You asked for favorite birds to shoot in flight, and I'd have to say that birds of prey and Herons, Egrets or Peilcans are my favorites.
Yes, I am sure we will some cheaper cameras at some stage
I shoot with Nikon D500 and the Nikon 200-500 lens. This video was so helpful and I can’t wait to go watch the other videos you mentioned. I use a Mac desktop and only edit with what comes with the photo program. I don’t have any of the editing programs and really want to focus on taking better pictures. Am I really holding myself back without an editing program?
I would say so. It's part of digital photography
@Text me on telegram 👉@Janwegener08 I’m not sure what you mean to text you on telegram.
Still using a Nikon D850 with a 500mm f/5.6 PF. Love this combo. I'm sure my hit rate would go up with mirrorless, but I'm happy with the system for now. Not to mention I cannot afford the upgrade to the Z9, even if there were any to buy (lol). One question for Jan and Glenn: Do you use a different metering, like spot metering, for BIF? I find in a lot of situations I get silhouettes or blow out highlights in the background with matrix (evaluative) metering. Exploring spot metering and it's working a bit better. I should also mention I use Auto ISO and will then adjust to a higher ISO for BIF if the background is getting blown out. Thanks for the great video as always.
For flight shooting I pretty much always shoot full manual mode with evaluative metering.
@@GlennBartley Awesome, thanks.
Yes, full manual for me
@@jan_wegener Thanks!
Hi Guys Great video-As always You teach very well and I always learn a lot I have a Fujifilm X-T4 with a 100 -400 Fuji lens which is equivalent to 200 -600 ffe I love the camera and I’m trying to take bif and any failings are due to me and not the camera but I’d really like to hear yours thoughts on the X-T4 for bif 26 mp Great continuous auto focus -sticky and can take 20-30 fps Thankyou though for great videos
From all I have heard it sounds like a great camera. I have never used it, so can't give any personal impressions.
Thankyou Jan very much
@@jan_wegener I really appreciate you taking the time to reply Jan When I get some really good bif pics ( if ??? ) I’ll send them to you
As a retired newspaper photographer I used full-frame gear BUT when required to shoot video I bought and used a Canon SX60 and then a Leica V-Lux 114 and both cameras provided excellent service, I could even shoot stills AND video at the same time with the 114. Recently I purchased a Lumix G9 and 100-400mm lens. I'm very happy with the results I'm getting with the G9's subject tracking. I wouldn't suggest it's in the same class as a Canon R5, Sony A1 or Nikon Z9 but I would say it's good enough-plus. If you guys ever decided to rent that combo I'd be curious to see what you thought of it for all of us on a retirement budget or who just want a light-weight kit.
Thanks for that Bruce. We might have to try to get our hands on some Olympus and Panasonic stuff at some point.
Yes, nice and lightweight
My favourite combo for birds in flight is SonyA1 with 200-600 mm and 600f4.
That's about as good as it gets !
yes, hard to beat
Just GREAT !! Ok I use a Canon R5 with a RF 100 - 500 len, Would explain the pros?cons of adding/shooting with the RF 1.4 Extender for birds in flight ??? As I will be in Alaska to 16 days this June with lots of flight opportunities .... TKZ
loss of light, slightly worse AF and less AF Fields available, slightly worse image quality vs extra reach
Fav canon R5 with 100-500.
A fantastic combo!
Yes, it's very good!