Mooge wrote:
I have been trying to capture shots of flying squirrels at night in my yard with flash. I have a set up similar to Steve Gettle minus the Sabre which I canâÃÂÃÂt afford yet and even if I could I like the challenge to do it with out the extra technology. The flyers glide about 6 feet from tree to feeder and finding accurate focus is hit and miss, more misses than hits. Has anyone used a Sabre camera trigger for something like this and has anyone found a good way to obtain consistent focus on these guys with just camera and flash? They move at lightning speed so itâÃÂÃÂs near impossible to focus on them in action. I just set focus and hope they hit that spot when I punch the trigger. They are not consistent so most times they donâÃÂÃÂt.
Scott
I have been trying to capture shots of flying squi... (
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It appears you have more than one issue here. One is light, two is timing(using some kind of trigger), and three is money for a trigger. I experience a lot of high-speed targets, so I am somewhat familiar with your problem. Here are some suggestions for you. I have a web site blog and have written articles that may be helpfull.
If you have no money for triggers, here is a possible technique for you. You have to study your advantages before your setup. If these squirrels are coming to a feeder, you are in luck because you are in control of their approach angle.
I suggest watching the squirrels coming and going from the feeder to establish the most common path, usually this is the shortest distance they have to jump, but not always.
Move the feeder until you can get them to approach from almost the same place each time. Again, watch where they launch from and where they land. You will find it is not as random as you thought. Each squirrel may be slightly different, but once they have established a route, free food is always a great target.
During the daylight hours, take a piece of string and draw it taught between the launch and landing spots. Set you camera, tripod and lights so you are perpendicular to the string. Hang something on the string that you can focus on. If you are perpedicular to the string and focusing on the target in the middle of the string, you will also have each end of the string in focus. This provides you with a wider area in focus when the animal is in the air because you are focused on the entire path and not just the individual spot where the animal is located.
Now you are able to capture shots in mid flight when you depress the shutter button during the action. Try to give yourself at least 4 foot of flight path viewing area. Use shorter focal length lenses like 100mm for full frame. Locate flashes to provide you light when they are set to 1/8th power. Run them on manual so you know the exact amount of light will be provided each time. If you use full power, the flash duration is much longer and you could acquire blurr in your end result.
This process is without a triggering device. You can read an article on my blog about this technique as well as view the drawings at
www.naturescamera.comIf you want to capture images of the squirrels moving at an oblique angle for the camera, it is best to have a triggering device. The sabre trigger is nice, but it is the most expensive trigger Cognisys manufactures. They do make the IR trigger which uses an infrared beam. The infrared is not as precise, but for large targets like squirrels, it works fine.
I use their laser light setup the most because I am often shooting insects in flight.
If and when you decide to get a trigger from Cognisys, send me a PM and I will try to assist you. I don't know where you are because you have not put that info with your avatar. If you were close enough to me in California, I would bring by my equipment and have some fun with you.
PS Try to use f8 to f11 for the depth of field. Don't go higher as you loose resolution, and lower you will lose some targeting area in the depth as it will be shallower. If you have a trigger and high-speed shutter, it is different.