Monarch Butterflies

[mapleleaf56]

I think I have found something more difficult to capture in flight than swallows.. the Monarch butterfly.. I managed to capture a couple of shots but boy it was hard work..

• ILCE-9M2
• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 2500

• ILCE-9M2
• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 16000

 

[Tim Mayo]

Cracking shots Keith! I don't think I've ever tried to catch a butterfly in flight, will put it on my to-do list

 

[mapleleaf56]

Cracking shots Keith! I don't think I've ever tried to catch a butterfly in flight, will put it on my to-do list

Thank you Tim..
They are pretty challenging.. I tried with my A7r4 and the Sigma 100-400 but was to close and not fast enough.. so enter the A9ii and 200-600, I then moved back maybe 20ft or so and that seemed to work better..

 

[Alan Clark]

My technique is to mount the camera on a tripod with a long lens and focus on a nectar plant, then when an insect comes near I fire the shutter in burst mode with a cable release. I use low magnification so that the field of view is bigger, giving a better chance of getting one in the frame, together with better depth of field. With modern cameras you can then crop the best images a lot without significant loss of quality.

 

[mapleleaf56]

My technique is to mount the camera on a tripod with a long lens and focus on a nectar plant, then when an insect comes near I fire the shutter in burst mode with a cable release. I use low magnification so that the field of view is bigger, giving a better chance of getting one in the frame, together with better depth of field. With modern cameras you can then crop the best images a lot without significant loss of quality.

Can I ask what settings you use..

 

[Alan Clark]

I would use about 1/4000s at f8, auto ISO, so about the same as you used.