Raz Theo Loc: Music City

porin, thanks for the detailed info and the pep talk.

Raz Theo Loc: Music City

That's "pmorin". Sorry.

Raz Theo Loc: Music City

I wasn't asking anyone to answer everything - it's multiple choice.
Thanks.

Raz Theo Loc: Music City

Good leads. Thanks much.

Raz Theo Loc: Music City

Great advice. You're suggesting a lot of common sense which sometimes elude me. You pointed out at least two areas I've been negligent about.
Thanks for the detailed help.

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

I use the Nikon D500 with the 200-500mm lens. F5.6 for the most part. 1/800 or so. Play with exposure. VR on. Monopod sometimes. Here is an image I captured of a Hawk in my front yard. No time to set up. Saw the Hawk when I came home from work. Ran inside grabbed my D500 with the 200-500 and took the image from my front porch. Second shot take out of my truck window when I saw the Awspry sitting in a tree. Third picture taken as I was visiting Orlando Wetland. Last shot is of my rig.

SkyKing Loc: Thompson Ridge, NY

Radnar Lake State Park is preparing for the spring bird migration...and join the national chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society...start from there and everything else will fall into place...!

shutterhawk Loc: Cape Cod

A lot of people have offered up good advice here so I won't repeat what's already been gone over. I'd just like to comment on the "how much time do you spend" part of your inquiry. If you're going to get seriously into bird in flight you need to develop insane levels of patience. Birds aren't actors who will perform on cue. They do what they do, not necessarily what you want them to due. Your photo op/ window of opportunity is never going to be more than a very few seconds and you may wait hours for those precious seconds. Make yourself as comfortable as possible (I have a small folding camp chair that helps) and enjoy the fresh air.

SafariGuy

Birds-in-flight

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

By the term BIF, I assume we are talking about Birds in Flight?
If so,I use a Nikon D500 and a Nikon 200-500 lens.
My settings are, continuous Auto Focus, 10 frames a second, Center Weighted Metering, F6.3, I shoot at a minimum shutter speed of 1/2500 sec. I also use GROUP AUTO FOCUS and use the center focusing spot, Nikon then picks four spots around that one for a total of 5 focus spots. I keep the bird in the middle of my viewfinder as I track it. My keep rate using this is about 98%. I always hand hold because the action is close and fast, a mono pod or tripod would slow me down and my keep rate would fall off fast.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

Apparently you won't be answering this one. LOL

Jerrin1 Loc: Wolverhampton, England

Blimey, where to start! Well, as previously stated, Steve Perry knows what he is talking about and has a YouTube channel full of dead good videos. The problem is, you have not outlined your current kit or what, exactly, in the way of BIF you want to photograph. Kit can be quite a big factor: despite what some say about it being the person behind the camera, not the camera itself - well I'd like to see them take BIF shots with a Kodak Instamatic or Brownie 127. I use a Nikon D500 and either a Nikkor 300mm f3 PF VR + TC14EIII or Nikkor 200 - 500mm f5.6 and an Olympus EM1 mark II + Oly 300mm f4 (both with and without a 1.4TC). Depending on the available light I will set a shutter speed of 1/2000th, aperture f8, auto ISO and, depending on the colouration of the bird +/- 0.3 - 0.7 stops of compensation (in general). I will drop down to a shutter speed of 1/1250th if I feel the ISO is too high, or open the aperture to f4/5.6 - there are many variables. It is rare that I can ever go up to 1/3200th, as it's never that bright where I live. Some photographers like to have a blurr on the wingtips to show motion but I prefer to freeze the action. Once you have your camera set up, if you have a local park with a pond/lake practice on big slow stuff like geese, swans, herons etc., then move up to pigeons and ducks. Practice panning with these birds until you are happy with your results. Once you have it sorted go out into the bondhu and try your hand with some proper wild stuff. Manage your expectations; I've been doing this stuff for some time and it isn't always easy. Photographing swallows can be a real bugger because they are so fast, so it's just a case of practice. Generally, I just walk for about 7 hours and photograph BIF as I go along. I only bother with a tripod and gimbal when I'm in a hide (blind) at a waterfowl place and know the flightpaths. Good luck.

fourg1b2006 Loc: Long Island New York

I'm sure everyone will have a different way of doing this. Hope you get what your looking for.

Tom M Loc: 77429

I don't know if anyone already mentioned it, but I use 'back-button focus' and in AFC (continuous auto focus) mode. I also have been having better luck using 'Manual' with auto ISO (TAv for fellow Pentax users), keeping the speed up around 1/1000 s and aperture pretty much wide open (5.6 on my kit lens). I also highly recommend getting Steve Perry's eBook "Secrets to Stunning Wildlife Photography".

Bill_de Loc: US

But none of your examples are flying.

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