Birds Birds in Flight Thread - Post Your Shots Here

[THXGEEK]

In astronomy, it's traditional to post a 'first light' report of the new telescope you just acquired. In that spirit, I offer the first pics captured with my new A1II.

• ILCE-1M2
• 300.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 12800

• ILCE-1M2
• 300.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 12800

• ILCE-1M2
• 300.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 12800

 

[Roland]

THXGEEK, even with the best camera, not easy to catch the birds like that.

 

[THXGEEK]

THXGEEK, even with the best camera, not easy to catch the birds like that.

Thank you most kindly. I am loving this new camera. The pre-capture really works well - equal to, if not better than, my Nikon Z8.

 

[THXGEEK]

• ILCE-1M2
• 285.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 2500

• ILCE-1M2
• 285.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 2500

• ILCE-1M2
• 285.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 2500

• ILCE-1M2
• 285.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 2500

• ILCE-1M2
• 285.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 2500

• ILCE-1M2
• 285.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 2500

 

[THXGEEK]

• ILCE-1M2
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 12800

 

[Tim Mayo]

A red kite snapped at a Bwlch Nant yr Arian in Wales last year.

• ILCE-1
• 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports 024
• 500.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 500

 

[RogerSmith]

A red kite snapped at a Bwlch Nant yr Arian in Wales last year.

Tim this is a fantastic image. Wondering if its from a hide? So jealous of the hides you all have in the UK / Europe. I feel like establishing one locally!

 

[Tim Mayo]

Thanks Roger. This was taken on the side of a lake at a feeding station which is part of a reintroduction program for the kites. They do have a hide there but I normally find them quite restrictive for shooting birds in flight so prefer to be in the open when possible. I've considered building a hide on our farm for kingfishers as we get them on our pool now and again and they are difficult to get close to. The pool needs cleaning out first though and some fish adding. It's one of my many projects that I'd like to do if I ever have the time.

 

[THXGEEK]

Finch coming in for a landing....

• ILCE-1M2
• 500.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/2500 sec
• ISO 12800

 

[THXGEEK]

Sparrow following the Finch....

• ILCE-1M2
• 500.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/2500 sec
• ISO 12800

 

[AlphaWorld]

A red kite snapped at a Bwlch Nant yr Arian in Wales last year.

View attachment 74489

You are definitely getting your money's-worth from that Sigma 500mm! Beautiful work.

 

[AlphaWorld]

Thank you most kindly. I am loving this new camera. The pre-capture really works well - equal to, if not better than, my Nikon Z8.

On the Z8 it's JPEG, isn't it? On the A1 II and A9 III it's full RAW. Sometimes it doesn't make a difference, but sometimes it really does

 

[AlphaWorld]

Close encounter with a wedge tail eagle - wing span of over 2m. I think the guy on the right is protecting his child from the bird. Shot at a free-flight bird show (about the only way to get this close to a wedge tail!)

Shot with the 50-150 GM at 150mm on the A1 II at f/2 1/2000 ISO 640. Bird eye AF nailed focus on the eye. I'm enjoying how f/2 blurs everything but the bird.

 

[Williams359]

Pre capture does feel like I'm cheating

• ILCE-9M3
• FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/8000 sec
• ISO 2500

• ILCE-9M3
• FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/8000 sec
• ISO 3200

• ILCE-9M3
• FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/8000 sec
• ISO 3200

• ILCE-9M3
• FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 2000

• ILCE-9M3
• FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 6400

• ILCE-9M3
• FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
• 303.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 4000

• ILCE-9M3
• FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter
• 560.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 12800

 

[THXGEEK]

Red-Winged Blackbird at a nearby lake...

• ILCE-1M2
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 500

• ILCE-1M2
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 500

• ILCE-1M2
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 500

 

[Tim Mayo]

Pre capture does feel like I'm cheating

I wish I could cheat like that! Awesome shots! It's the only feature I'm missing from my A1.

 

[Tim Mayo]

You are definitely getting your money's-worth from that Sigma 500mm! Beautiful work.

Cheers Tony. It's a lovely lens to shoot with, even more so after holding the 400-800 for a while!

 

[THXGEEK]

Purple Mallard?

This was dreadfully blurred (I had been shooting stationary critters and my shutter speed was waaay too slow and didn't have time to adjust), so I decided to hyper-enhance the deblurring, focus and upscaling of the pic. The end result is rather striking.

(There has been NO adjustment to the hue on this picture - it had purple markings!)

• ILCE-1M2
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/320 sec
• ISO 250

 

[iamdlewis]

Purple Mallard?

This was dreadfully blurred (I had been shooting stationary critters and my shutter speed was waaay too slow and didn't have time to adjust), so I decided to hyper-enhance the deblurring, focus and upscaling of the pic. The end result is rather striking.

(There has been NO adjustment to the hue on this picture - it had purple markings!)

Purple headed Mallards are said to be a rare color variation. I have a good number by me so I don't feel they are rare.

 

[DavidN]

Some recent shots:

Marsh Harrier from RSPB Greylake

Hobby & Swift from RSPB Radipole Lake

• ILCE-1
• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 640

• ILCE-1
• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 1000

• ILCE-1
• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 640

 

[Williams359]

Cuckoo

• ILCE-1
• FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter
• 140.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 500

 

[AlphaWorld]

Another raptor (I think it's a black kite, but I could be utterly wrong) - whatever it was, it brought maybe a dozen friends to enjoy the winds in the cold morning air (it was about 9 degrees Celsius). They weren't flying close enough together to make it easy to get shots of more than one at a time, but here is one shot in low morning sun - catching the sun under one wing, with the other wing in shadow - I liked the look.

Did I use the 400-800? The 200-600? The Sigma 500? The 300 GM? No, any of those would have been a sensible choice!

This was shot with the 50-150 GM (hey, I came to photograph lions and servals! I wasn't expecting the descent of a dozen wild raptors). The birds have to come close to get decent shots at 150mm.

(EDITED to add - I just noticed that Nick Williams shot just above mine was shot at 140mm )

This is a 2000 x 2000 crop off-centre from the A1 II. Shot at f/2, 1/2000, ISO 100. And yes, that's a real catch light in the eye - not editing.

 

[spudhead]

• ILCE-1
• FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 500

 

[THXGEEK]

Sparrow

• ILCE-1M2
• 200.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 4000

 

[iamdlewis]

Red-winged blackbird

• ILCE-1M2
• Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G)
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 1600

 

[AlphaWorld]

Red-winged blackbird
View attachment 74746

Are you sure this is the image you meant to post here?

 

[Roland]

Oh, yes, but not for the eyes of the busy onlooker with little time to spare.

 

[Phil Vetra]

Red-winged blackbird
View attachment 74746

Very clever!

 

[iamdlewis]

Are you sure this is the image you meant to post here?

Well the blackbird is in flight. Probably should have cropped that silly deer out.

 

[spudhead]

• ILCE-1
• FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 250