joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

I have been using a blind for capturing hummingbirds mostly at a distance of 10-12 feet. This past week I painted my deck so I had to remove the blind. After the deck was dry I tried shooting several times without the blind; no success. The birds come in, look at me and dart...too fast for me to follow. I could shoot from a greater distance, but I would rather not...so the blind is up again. When the light is right I'll be at it again.

Here is an image from a previous shoot. I was trying out Topaz's Photo AI, version 0.7, which was released recently. My original version was 0.5.

(Download)

NJFrank Loc: New Jersey

That’s a beauty.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

The behavior of the hummingbirds at our place makes me think they become accustomed to you if you are regularly around during their feeding times - they don’t seem as skittish with us sitting on the deck with our evening cocktail in hand. Actually if you consider their speed and reaction times their time sense is stretched immensely compared to ours. We must look like lumbering giants moving in slow motion to them. Makes you wonder why they would be skittish at all since they have plenty of time to move out of harms way.

Stan

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

You are not close enough to alarm them.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Nice shot!!!

I have a pop up blind (2nd one, the first got sun rot after over 4 years in the yard) for the backyard but I find the hummers will get within 6-8 feet if I just sit quietly in a lawn chair and raise my camera slowly while they sip. A black lens instead of one of my big white "L's" and a wide brim fedora to keep my face in shade and reflections off my glasses help. Once two little males in a dispute over who owned which feeder used my head for a racing pylon in a game of "chase the birdie". They circled my head a couple of times so close I felt the air, or possibly a wing tip, on my ears.

I just got an R7, I think I will get the black RF 100-400 for it to carry and for hummingbird sitting. It has very good reviews with at least one reviewer saying the center section the R7's crop sensor uses is as sharp as my EF 100-400 mk2. It is much smaller and lighter than my EF "L" zooms and the 5x the cost of the RF 100-500L.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

Nice one Joe

ecobin Loc: Paoli, PA

👍👍

JeffDavidson Loc: Originally Detroit Now Los Angeles

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

Zooman 1

I think you will like the combination of the R7 and the 100-400mm, I do.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA