Birds in Flight

[martin_feldman]

Any lenses and/or techniques for shooting birds in flight? One pro highly recommended the Sigma 400 f/5.6 APO Macro because it is hand holdable and sharp.

[marcos_g._meider]

I know there's a lot to talk about using AF for shooting birds in flight because there are detractors of this system, but by own experience I know that there is a huge field to experiment and to amaze. I normaly use a Nikon F90x (N90s in USA)combined with a 300 mm Nikkor IFED AF f/4 and the results are fantastic, eventhough many people think is a drawback using it having just one AF sensor. I know is not an F5 or an eos 1 with different sensors distributed all over the viewfinder but when used in the wide mode it almost covers the frame. Another thing is in which mode you're going to use AF system. I always work in the continuos mode because I like to follow the subject and decide when I want to press the shutter, but other people seem to work better in the servo mode which is another AF system. I have a friend who works always in servo and his photographs are fine. So I suppose it depends in which mode you feel more comfortable.

 

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About the lens I have to confess that I'm really happy with the Nikkor 300 AF but many people may find this lens is a bit expensive but its quality is superb. I'm sorry I can't tell you about Sigma's 400 because I haven't tried it.

 

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BTW Martin I'm not going to say anything about manual focusing because once I discovered AF I forgot to focus manually when a bird approaches me. I think I should send an image of a flying bird so that you can see what I mean.

[doug_herr]

Martin,

 

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I haven't used AF of birds in flight so I can't comment on that type of system but I certainly would NOT use a twist-the-ring manual focus lens for flight shots.

 

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I've used the Novoflex follow-focus lenses and the Leica 400 and 560 f/6.8 lenses, which have a non-traditional sliding focus configuration.

 

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The sliding-focus setup is superb for this kind of photography, not just with slow-moving stuff like eagles or herons but also with skimmers and swallows. A good shoulder brace such as the one supplied with either the Novoflex or Leica lens is extremely helpful.

Lenses longer than 400mm are much more difficult to use because of the much narrower angle of view.

Of these lenses my favorite by far is the Leica 400.

[don_baccus]

My favorite for this task is my EF 300/2.8, with or without a 1.4x (420/4's pretty damned fast!) and with my homebuilt, $2/shoulder stock which I will again promise to (someday!) put up on my website (I need a model and a few reminders to get me to do this).

 

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The Sigma 400/5.6 is the right sorta length for this, but faster's a bit better (if nothing else, of course, shooting birds in flight early or late when there's little left).

 

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I personally don't find it very difficult to handle the 300/2.8 (with or without extender) weight-wise, with the shoulder stock. And I'm a wimp, really. Software engineer, desktop softy.

 

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Brian Wheeler, a far better birds-in-flight shooter than I (personally, I concentrate on intimate static portraits, as those of you who've seen my photos probably understand), dumped his Nikon MF 400/3.5? 4? lens for the EF 300/2.8 + 1.4x. He, though, doesn't use a shoulder stock. Doesn't think it's necessary. But, he's bigger and far more robust than I (and I'm 6ft tall) so I'm not sure I'd take his personal experience as relevant for those of us lacking that NFL linebacker build...

 

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(Brian Wheeler's the co-author of the Peterson series "Hawks" book, and specializes in photographing hawks in flight).

 

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AF speed's a real issue here, so think carefully about 3rd party lenses. How does the Sigma 400/5.6 (presumably driven by the body motor???) compare with, say, a newer AFS lens from Nikon on appropriate body? Birds move fast, there's no doubt about it.

[anthonty_debase]

Marcos, bye all means, post some of your flying bird images on this site. I would love to see them.

 

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Don raised the question of how fast the Sigma 400mm f/5.6 focuses using a camera with the focus motor in the body. Since I use that lens with the N90s let me share my experience. I find that the biggest problem is not the speed of the N90s/Sigma combo, but the speed and accuracy of my own reflexes. When I follow flying birds my biggest problem is keeping them in the finder, ANYWHERE in the finder. I just need more practice. However, during those times when I do manage to coordinate my movement with that of the bird, I find that the N90s tracks them pretty reliably. I set the lens so as to limit focusing from 10 feet to infinity. At the farther end the camera can quickly tweak the lens to keep it in focus. No doubt the Silent Wave lenses work faster and someday I will have one, maybe even two! But for now the Sigma 400 is very affordable and works well with the N90s.

 

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I think Nikon takes some bad raps from those who want Silent Wave motors in every lens. They don't realize that the modern cameras suchs as the N90s and F5 have very fast and accurate focusing systems even if they depend on motors in the camera body. And I am not sure that Silent Wave lens motors offer much of an advantage from 200mm down.

[hans_buchholdt]

As Anthony says, keeping birds in flight properly framed is a challenge.

 

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For tracking birds, the value of a shoulderstock just cannot be overstated. Just like with shotguns, I think they're not optional at all for this kind of thing. I use the Leica 400 with the sliding tube follow focus as described earlier, the rig (plus R-body/motordrive) weighs 6.5 lbs. and is perfectly balanced. The Leica Universal Handgrid with Shoulderstock (the catalog description) can be ordered seperatedly, as can the Remote Release-R cable (it fits trigger-like in the pistolgrip) I'm sure can be modified (spliced) to a Nikon/Canon elec-cable type plug with relative ease. The Leica shoulderstock is an ergonomic wonder, and matching it with AF could make photographing flying birds almost easy.

[john_merriman]

If you are using Canon bodies, I would suggest looking at the Canon EF400 f/5.6L for birds in flight photos. It is very light (less than 3 lbs) with fast autofocus. It is a favorite lens of bird photographer Arthur Morris for that purpose. I have used it mostly for wildlife stills with great results.

[jeff_hallett]

I use the the Sigma 400 5.6 for flight shots and this is the only

type of shooting where I wish for the Canon for its faster autofocus.

I use a homemade gunstock with it and have gotten some really super shots of terns and skimmers at my local beach.

It takes much practice and AT LEAST 1/250sec or better to get these

shots right on.

If the bird is flying more or less toward you, it is much easier to

keep it in the frame than if if it's flying from side to side and

just seems to whiz by. Practice on large stuff like pelicans, herons

and large birds of prey as they seem easier to keep in frame as a rule.

[george_rhodes]

Martin,

 

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I have had success using the Minolta AF 400mm f4.5 APO on a Minolta 9xi. The lens is faster than the 400mm f5.6 counterparts, but is just a bit heavier, making it very hand-holdable. I like the fact that the 9xi has 4 AF sensors, so you don't miss much. I also use the Tamron AF 70-210mm f2.8 LD SP with the 9xi. Both lenses autofocus very quickly with the 9xi. Prior to these two combinations, I used a Nikon FE-2 with motor drive and the Nikkor 300mm f4.5 ED with good results. I went with Minolta when my Nikon equipment was stolen. That was just after the 9xi came out. It was the first AF camera to have more than one central AF sensor and was the best camera for AF at that time. Although I did have pretty good success with the manual Nikon equipment, I have achieved even better success with the AF equipment, as I suppose should be expected.