Getting the Nikon 200-500 to use with my D750 - a Christmas present to myself. I will pretend to be surprised when my wife gives it to me on Christmas morning! Thanks for your interesting videos.
This is a great series. ISO was only at 500 and when it comes to good light noise is normally better controlled than dark light. In situations like this I normally use Manual with Auto ISO limited to 1600, keep Shutter Speed at least at 1/3200 given the speed at which these birds move and shoot at f8-f11. I have been on a Safari trip on the Chobe River in Botswana with a Company CNP run by Lou Coetzer, one of the world renown bird photographers who shoot of custom made boats, they use A priority, measure the light and set ISO to around 800 push SS as high as possible 1/4000, f8-f11 and EV -1.3. This way you protect the highlights and you increase the speed by at least 1 stop. With the D500 you can also use the metering mode, spot with focus on metering the highlights, this works fantastic. I use it all the time when I use my D5 shooting birds on the water and birds with a lot of light colored feathers.
Thanks for watching and I think you are 100% correct. I did have auto iso enabled. I just didn't react quick enough. Thanks for the great info. I'm sure it will help everyone who is reading through the comments, including myself.
just curious why EV -1.3? wouldnt that make everything dark. if the SS is upped less light in, I understand the iso at 800 but not the EX -1.3. just an amateur so just asking and wanting to learn something new.
Another great video Mark with some fantastic photos. The Pelicans with the fish are top draw. Looking forward to your next one. Best wishes from the U.K.
Nice images as always Mark. Yea a little more depth of field would have been good but we can always go back with 20/20 hind sight and think about things we could have done better.
Hi, I love this video , my next lens is going to be the 200-500 and I own the d500 .your images on this video are great , just because you shoot a common bird doesn’t mean you’re not going to get great image , love your videos, keep up the good work! I’m from Plymouth Uk
Continually amazed at the stunning photos, Mark. The pelican feeds are just fantastic. Great clarity and action captures. Pelicans out on the West coast are not nearly as colorful. Thanks for the photo stats too. That helps. Keep up the good work.
I don't care how common the subject is, the photos are great and your commentary is very interesting, thanks very much for sharing this, I've subscribed and am looking forward to seeing your other videos. Cheers from the UK.
Mark- I'm pretty late to the party making my comments regarding the pelican/fish images, but here goes: First, your images are awesome! Of course, living where you do with access to so many beautiful bird subjects to image is a big plus factor, but really your artistry in finding, composing and capturing your images is what it is all about and why I watch your videos. As I was initially watching this video and got to the bait fish/pelican scene, I felt that the bait fish desperately attempting to escape were the stars of the image, while the pelican was playing a supporting role. The sharp focus on the fleeing fish really highlighted them as the main characters, and I did not find the softer focus of the pelicans to be a negative, in fact, just the opposite. My eyes were drawn to the fish, wondering what was chasing them from below driving them to jump free of the water in panic exposing them to the pelicans above. And the very soft background was a definite plus as well, and you would have lost some of that with a smaller aperture. Looking at a series of the photos and having the both the pelican and the fish in it's beak in sharp focus brought the whole event together. I don't think you needed to change anything. For my senses, your images were not about absolute technically perfect documentation of the pelican and fish, you were capturing the life and death struggle of the predator and prey. Sometimes I feel we dwell too much on the technical details and not enough on the artistry of the images we see. That's my opinion anyway....
Right place, right time. Great day :-) I can spend hours trying to capture terns hitting the water but in my opinion the best pictures are just before the water or just after with the splash of the water still settling. If you can catch them on a still day with the light just right you can get an awesome reflection to add to the overall composition.
I have spent hours chasing small terns and have managed a few shots like you mentioned minus the reflections! I had a day a few weeks ago when they were hitting these huge bait balls of fish about 10 feet in front of me. I also had a day at a smaller pond where I got some good shots right after impact. The water had this line green color to it that just added to the scene. They are fun to shoot and great practice.
Thanks for posting this...amazing shots! I just got my first DSLR and I have the birds-in-flight shutter bug. I moved to Australia recently, so I have a good variety to start practicing with, and parrots on my balcony daily. Fun stuff! Just need a good lens now.
Awesome shots Mark and another very cool video. I almost always shoot birds at 5.6 but there are times I try to increase DOF if there are other interesting subjects. First get the shot then make it better! I heard that somewhere on RUclips and I try to remember it when I'm out and about shooting wildlife. It helps keep me focused...pun intended lol
Stopping down the aperture 1 stop to F8 would require you to halve the shutter speed or double the ISO. I prefer to keep the shutter speed up at times like that. I also prefer to keep the focus on the thing that I want to be sharp because it's difficult to judge how much nearer or further the fish are into the depth of field. (Sitting in the comfort of my arm chair) I'd say you should have focused on the bird, set the camera at F8, let the camera take care of ISO (auto ISO) and hoped that the fish would have been within the range of reasonable sharpness.
Great idea. Thanks for sharing. I was so infatuated with the fish I didn't want to lose sight of them. I did have auto iso enabeld too but it all happened so fast! If I get another chance, I will try your idea. Thanks again for sharing.
I enjoyed your video. I really like my D500 & D850 and use them as my primary cameras. I still use my D810 and D750. My favorite lens is my Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 FL followed by my 24-70 f/2.8. I like my Nikon 200-500 but I've not mastered it. I'm happy to see you shoot manual. I have a hard time making my brain shoot shutter priority or aperture priority even though I know there are times I should. Keep the videos coming.
Great video as usual! Keep shooting the pelicans, they maybe common in america but here in france we don’t have them and it’s really fascinating to watch them through your videos! Always a pleasure for the eyes, thank you😉
Thanks. I'm glad you are enjoying the videos and it is also nice to know that some of the more common birds here aren't so common everywhere else! Thanks for watching.
As always another fantastic video Mark. I feel really bad for the pelican. Hopefully it will rid itself of the fishing lure. Always look forward to watching your videos.
Thank you! I felt bad for the pelican too when I got home and saw the shots. I know these fishing lures rust very quickly and hopefully it doesn't do any damage to the pelican. Those pelicans are very resilient.
I've really been enjoying your videos Mark. I live in Canada so I'm very jealous of all the different birds you have down there. I have a Canon 7D Mark ii and 100-400 ii but I'm considering changing to Nikon because of the great combo of the D500 and 200-500. I'm waiting for the Mark iii to come out this spring but if Canon leaves the AA filter on the sensor then I'll be switching to Nikon. The D500 is much sharper than my 7D Mark ii because of the sensor. Keep up the good work.
I use a 1dx, and Sigma 150-600C. I Just purchased a D500 and 200-500/5.6 to give Nikon a try. Im actually really impressed. It now has me contemplating a switch in systems.
Another outstanding video, Mark. I really liked those pelican shots at the end. I find them fascinating birds especially how they can just throw themselves into the water...like kamikaze bombers. In terms of the fish shot, I would have tried shooting at F8 or probably higher particularly if the lighting was good.
Hey Mark Smith , I got you're birding book.. And my birding Photography is so awesome.. I have captured lots of Birds using my 150-600 MM for birding and Wildlife for my Nikon D5300 Camera
Love this video Mark!!. Probably you could gain more DOF with high Isos. But the perfomance @5,6 looks great! Amazing the fish race with the pelicans on their backs.!. Again, incredible the 200-500 versatility.
Thanks so much. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It was a rush being there when it all happened. This combo seems to really excel at everything I throw at it. I'm so happy to own it. My D810 is starting to get a little jealous though ;)
Hi Mark You are correct , the bird at the beach is a Willet About the Techs ; I thing your shutter speed is perfect for this scenario. I would not go higher than f7.1 because the background takes to much attention. I enjoy your videos, super entertaining and you cover many things about photography in the field + beautiful spots in Florida. You are doing a beautiful job. Marcos Baumann Santiago - Chile
Thanks so much. I'm glad you are enjoying the videos. I know I am having fun making them. I agree about the background. It was very busy and a wide depth of field may have been too distracting. So many choices! I bet you have some nice areas in Chile. I would love to visit one day.
using a Nikon D500, i would never be concerned about iso in the daytime, as it is in the top 3 for clean photos at very high iso. So using a high shutter speed should never make you doubt if you should or not, just crank it up there to freeze the action. Your photos are very crisp.
Great and helpful video! I've had the 200mm-500mm in mind for quite some time now. I guess the decision is made now after watching your superb images. :-) Thanks!
Love your videos Mark. I've been going through them all as i'm very keen on the 200-500 Nikon lens. I think you were right with a Willet in this video. For these kind of bird in flight photos I tend to shoot at F8 or F9 to try and get the whole bird in focus. That said you take some fantastic images and it shows how sharp this lens is at wide open. Keep up the good work PS: Loved your Sandhill Crane story, very moving climax.
Thank you for all the kinds words and compliments. The 200-500 is a great lens. I love mine. Thanks for the info on your aperture settings for your bird in flight shots. The ending of the Sandhill Crane story was really tough!
Great video once again Mark. I try and up to say 7.1 to try and get more depth of field but in the UK I do not get the light you have very often so I often have to keep it at 5.6. Yes I agree great for landscape and I do not have a full frame so I use this. It works great with AFP lenses if you have one, really sharp and super fast focus. My D500 has gone in for warranty repair as it will only allow aperture change in live view for all lenses except the 2-500 which Nikon tells me uses a different way of dealing with aperture change, cannot wait got it to come back
Thanks again. I am constantly surprised just how good the D500 is as an all around camera. Sorry to hear yours is in the shop. I hope you get it back soon.
I agree with most of the comments. I too think you shouldve chosen to increase your depth of field. What I found is that usually 1/2000 is sufficient for birds in flight (unless you're shooting stuff like hummingbirds and theres probably a few other examples like swallows). I shoot Manual and use auto ISO so I've got one less thing to worry about but have the flexibility to choose my shutter speed and depth of field.
I did have auto iso enabled but unfortunately I was not quick enough to react and make that change. I should have been but the excitement got the better of me.
Mark I heard a professional fisherman interviewed somewhere last month and he was asked about fish hooks in wildlife. He said the stainless steel ones will rust out in a couple of days. That didn't make sense to me, I thought that stainless steel was more resistant to corrosion to standard steels, and I'm sure standard steel wouldn't rust out in a couple of days in the ocean.
I'm not sure how long the hooks last. I know I have had the fishing itch in the past and saltwater just destroys hooks. I would usually get to use a lure once or twice, stuff it in a tackle box only to find it a few weeks later with rusted hooks. The pelican constantly exposing that lure to the elements is beneficial. The pelicans around here are funny. They have grown so used to seeing people that they will often steal fish from fisherman. I bet that is how this one got hooked. It thought the fisherman was throwing out a live fish so the bird went for it and ended up getting the hook. It happens all the time and there is a group of people who will intervene if the hook and line becomes a problem. Since this bird was eagerly hunting, I would assume it didn't need help. Must be extremely uncomfortable though.
Agreed that the bird is surviving OK, although swimming and standing would be hard for it. It just shows how animal kingdom it's all about survival. There are probably pelican/seabird rescuers in that area, if it is a regular you could alert them to the problem and they may be able to help the bird out. Another problem I've heard about is diving birds like Cormorants chasing bait on hooks when the fishermen cast out, after the juicy shrimp or fish pieces on the hook.
To change the depth of field on a 500mm you should increase way too much the aperture (even above f13). So not much would have changed from f5.6 to f.8/9 as people are suggesting. Just fix the max ISO your camera is able to handle, fix the shutter at 1/2000 or 1/3200 and select the aperture accordingly. Thing is you can't much control the DOF with a long lens like this, is better to choose the correct focus spot in the first place, and with a d500 it should be really fun! Anyways great job and good luck, subscribed!
You didn't mention, Mark, if you shoot in auto ISO mode. If you do, then you know it's one thing less you need to keep in mind as you try to capture images. Without thinking about ISO, you can concentrate more on whether you want to freeze the action, or have more depth of field. From the resolution of the video, I couldn't see that the pelicans were out of focus; they looked fine to me. In this case, keeping the shutter speed high really froze the action. It's a tough choice to make, and not much time within which to make that decision: more depth of field, or sharp fish but slightly out of focus birds; things must have been happening very fast. If I were able to roll back the clock for you, I'd go with more depth of field to have the fish AND the bird in sharp focus. But, as always, great capture.
Thanks so much. Your comments are always great and thought provoking. I enjoy that. I was shooting in auto ISO. I always do and you are right, this entire scene happened so quickly. My brain was so focused on just trying to keep everything in the shot but I knew I needed to freeze the action, so I went with it. Don't get me wrong, I really like the images. It is always nice though to hear what others would have done in the same situation.
Hi mark i just saw your video.It is great again.I think your statement is right.The photo you made at 3:45 i did not like a lot because the pelican was not in focus and the fish did.Maybe you could help this by lowering your shutter speed and change your aperture to F8 instead of F5.6.So you have a greater depth of field.A shutter speed of 1/2000 will be enough.But it is very difficult i think. At the moment i am using a canon 7d mk2 with sigma 150-600 .it is a good camera but the sensor in it is not top end.The nikon will be my next camera.
Thanks for watching and I am glad you enjoyed the video. Also thanks for the input. F8 might have given me enough depth of field. The D500 is impressive. I like it more every day.
Great pictures! I also trying to get the best pictures of birds and know how difficult it is. The ones I have not been able to get yet, are the birds flying at the end of the day. Combination of speed and low light, it is still a big challenge for me. I am doing with a Sony alfa 6000 and a 210. After watching your videos, definitely understood that need a 500.
Awesome shots, with the D500's excellent high ISO performance you could maybe raise the ISO and stop your lens down to get better dof and keep your shutter speed at 1/3200....but as I said, the shots are awesome at f5.6
Thanks! I could have cranked up the ISO a bit too. It is a lot to think about when the action is happening so fast. I was more concerned with getting closer with the zoom I think.
Like the royal tern shots the best, I think a little more DOF on the pelican feeding frenzy would have helped with a sharper bird along with the fish, not too much though as to keep the background from becoming distracting. As always I enjoy your videos and it helps all of us learn.
Thanks for watching, commenting and the compliments. Those Royal Terns are beautiful birds. They were only here for a very short time and then moved on. I agree, the background was very busy and it would have been very distracting.
Fanatastic photos. It is a learning curve when it comes to subjects like this. I have started to take bird photos and videos recently and its been hit or miss for me so far, especially since I use a Panasonic GH5 and a Mark 1 Panasonic 100-300mm lens which is a bit slow at focusing and may get a better, slightly longer telephoto zoom lens as I have a Metabones smart adapter that I recently got for my GH5 which can take EF/EF-S lenses and I have several Canon DSLRs so want to invest in a good telephoto zoom for birds and other wildlife that I can use on my GH5 and Canon cameras. Looking at the photo at 1:50, its surprising how small the Royal terns feet are! I have noticed the same in other tern species like Arctic terns and little terns and have always been curious to why as other similar sea birds like gulls have bigger feet than that. That is also terrible to see the Pelican with the lure on its leg, always hate to see that as earlier this year in a wetland I often visit to see wildlife, there was an owl found there that had to be rescued as had been tangled in a bit of fishing net that someone had left hanging on a tree.
Thanks so much. It sure is a learning curve and you have to think fast too! I used to own a GH5 and the Metabones too. I used it to adapt my Nikon lenses to the GH5. It is a great camera for video.
Me too. I have been to this location dozens of times and never seen those fish, ever. I wonder if they might have been migrating with the birds? Either way, I like how the image tells a story and makes you wonder and think about what is about to happen. I know pelicans aren't lions but this reminded me of a pack of lions hunting down gazelle.
Nice job Mark. I think if you go there again you should try your shutter speed at 1/2500 and your f/stop at f8 or f11so your bird look sharper and I see that you had you ISO on auto and the Nikon D500 shouldn't really get much noise if your ISO goes up a little bit more. And i was wondering if you used your teleconverter?
Thanks! I go to this location all the time but that was the only time I have seen these fish explode out of the water like that. I did have auto ISO on so there was one less thing to think about. I should have been stopping down while I was shooting but I was more eager to just track the birds. You have to be quick on your feet out there! I don't own a teleconverter yet. Still unsure as to whether or not I want one. I see such mixed reviews.
Yeah. You always need to be quick on you feet when something can just disappear quickly. I don't know how quick those birds are, but I think you could've had or at least tried out your shutter speed at 1/2500 of a sec and yeah there are alway mixed reviews on everything, even one which camera brand you should buy. I have a Nikon also and I just got asked if I wanted a Canon 35mm film camera from a friend that's down sizing.
Oh, I looked up your Willet and I think you're right. I thought it was a Lesser Yellowlegs but now after looking at it agin...well, he's gonna need some yellow hosiery to be the other one.
Great video and I thoroughly enjoy your natural honest style. Pelicans may be common where you are but in England we see them pretty much only as ornamental birds in St James Park in London (where I once saw one eat a London pigeon which was too slow for it!). I'm really interested to see all the flight photos and detail. Re the aperture, I'm quite happy with F/5.6. I like the faster shutter speed and lower ISO (even given the ISO capabilities) and the blurred birds somehow add something to the drama for me. It catches the moment, where as if everything were "technically" correct I wonder if you'd have lost some of that energy? Don't know but what you got worked for me where pelicans would be exotic! Really enjoying these videos and as I suffer from GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), now I'm wondering if the 200-500 would beat my Tamron 150-600 G1.... Guess the sensible thing to do would be to keep the Tamron which has served me really well....then again........ Thanks again from East Sussex England.
That's great. I am glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for the compliments. Pelicans are a little on the wild side. I could see them eating a pigeon. I agree about the aperture. I do like the shots and the blurred birds leaves a little more to the imagination. I also suffer from GAS. That's why I have the 200-500 and the Tamron 150-600 V1. The Tamron treated me very well for about 3 years but it failed me a few times and the last time was enough to make me want to replace it. If you get a chance, try out the Nikon 200-500. I did and had to leave to store with it.
I hate to enable a fellow photographer who suffers from GAS, but i'd say do it to test your resolve. Do it to test your strength or weakness. Do it to test the lens and see what you think. There is quite a difference in my two lenses.
Again like your images.Yes when the action is happening l find it hard to slow down just enough to make the correct adjustments.But its a trade off to get some action shoots or that one perfect image.You where there to capture these shots that's the main thing.Grate action images.
Dear Mark, A great video as ever. Really loved it. I shoot some water birds here at Ras Al Khaimah, UAE and would definitely love to have a little greater DOF. Nikon D500 has a reasonably food high ISO capability and I find acceptable noise upto ISO3000-5000.
Mark, great job. Good photos. I'll head there one day. What Time of the day did you go to Sebastian Inlet? I likedl strongandco comment but I'm your disciple and have a lot to learn. The more you learn the more I learn. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! It was early morning and the entire little cove was in the shadow of the bridge. Strongandco had an excellent point and when I get this chance again, I will have to try his idea.
Fantastic photos! I shoot f8 whenever possible when it comes to birds in flight. I still get a lot of out-of-focus shots though with my D7200 especially when photographing birds with a darker plumage. I guess the autofocus has a hard time picking them up from the background when they fly below the horizon. I would appreciate any tipps, I mostly shoot in contiuous AF with the d21 setting.
Thanks! I have found that F5.6 on this lens is often sharp enough but I think the shallow depth of field might have gotten the better of me on this shot. I'm not sure on your issue. Perhaps someone else will chime in.
I had a lot of fun enjoying your shoot. And you raise an interesting issue with SS versus aperture. I'm going to add ISO. Why not leave ISO set on automatic, keep the high SS, and use a tighter aperture for DOF? I sometimes do that with Sandhill Cranes and ducks in flight. Thanks for your good work.
Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed the video. I like your idea. It sounds goo. I did have Auto Iso enabled but I wasn't quick enough to change the aperture and zoom at the same time. I usually go for 1/2000 of a second and around F7.1 for birds in flight. This seems to get good results in good light.
I know what you mean about not being quick enough. In the middle of a shoot like yours, the adrenaline is flowing, and my mind and eye is on the viewfinder. 1/2000 is also a comfortable place for me for BIF. Unless there is a lot of fast action I'm not certain of the science, but I think using high SS with deeper DOF helps insure a tack sharp image. And I usually have my camera on a tripod. Thanks again for the video and your informed response.
Thanks so much for watching and taking part in the conversation. I always appreciate hearing what other have to say and how they would handle the situation.
Great video. I do think f7.1 would have been sharper along with slightly deeper DOF. I think I caught one of the white King birds in NJ a few weeks ago. In the series the sharpest one was the one fr]lying off the frame. That is how it goes sometime I guess. Keep em coming Mark! Jim
OK so here is a question ISO related but not about this video: All things being equal I am usually in M mode and auto ISO with a limit set. When light starts to drop allot are you better holding the ISO at a reasonable level and hold say under 10000, underexpose and correct in post or shoot with right exposure and try to clear noise.? I know really you just want to avoid the higher numbers and that high end depends on the camera body. Just curious what you thought process is. Jim
That's a tough question and one I have never had to put myself in. I would prefer a cleaner image and trying to bump up the exposure in post. The D500 has a nice dynamic range and I think it would be pretty easy with the right lens. A faster prime lens might be necessary though. I have noticed that images with extreme noise are harder to recover. Sometimes the noise just destroys the details and you can't get them back. Might make for a cool video topic though.
Don't know if anyone has mentioned this already, but the free Merlin app for Android and iPhone is a fantastic bird identification tool. I'm pretty sure it would have no trouble identifying the bird at 2:25. I have only recently started doing bird photography, and the Photo ID feature of Merlin, which allows you to upload a photo of a bird you want to identify, has accurately recognized the bird species in about 98% of the photos I threw at it. The app might have a little trouble in cases where two or more species are ridiculously similar (e.g. some gulls), but it has managed to tell apart a Downy Woodpecker from a Hairy Woodpecker (I had a photo of a Downy). Not bad at all given their similarities. Btw, I have absolutely nothing to do with the app or the developers (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). I just find it very useful and appreciate the fact that it's available for free. Great video! Those are some sharp photos!
Hi Mark, great video again. As for F5.6 vs F8. I'd go with F5.6, especially if subject is distant. For example, if it's 40ft from camera, with 500mm / F5.6, acceptable DOF is probably +-0.6ft; but at F8 +-0.9ft. That difference i.e. 0.6ft vs 0.9ft is probably not enough (in a 40ft example anyway) to justify sacrificing half the available light / doubling ISO or alt halving shutter speed. Unless there's superb light! But guess there are no easy or "one size fits all" answers either!
Thanks! Great points. These birds were over 100 feet away so they were pretty far and what I didn't mention in the video was this. It was early morning and there was a large bridge directly behind me blocking all the light from the rising sun. The entire little cove where this happened was cast in shadow. The light wasn't the greatest and I'm not entirely sure that an increase in depth of field would have been all that noticeable. No way of knowing now. If I wasn't so excited and had thought to stop down, then I would have an excellent comparison example.
I wouldn't lower the shutter speed for the purpose of stopping down to F8 (while keeping ISO at 500). I would just keep the shutter speed at 1/3200, and then stop down to F8. That would raise ISO (if you are using auto ISO) to probably around 1600. but that's the compromise I am willing to make (given the noise performance of D500 at ISO = 1600). That's my 2 cents. I very much enjoy your video; keep up the good work!
Yes, I think you are right. I did have auto iso enabled with a max iso of 2500. I just wasn't fast enough to change the aperture in the short time it happened. I think if I had not been so excited about the scene, I could have put enough thought into also stopping down to F8. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I'm new to shooting with telephotos, so this may be an annoying newb question, but (on the ground shots) are you shooting handheld or tripod? I love your work.
Go with 1/3200 or even shorter, f/8 but no closer aperture to keep AF accuracy, Auto ISO. Convert the RAW files with Capture NX-D after tweaking. It uses the D500 in body noise reduction algorithms, which are WAAAAAAY better than anything else available for desktop computers. The workflow becomes less convenient, but results are dramatically better. Fujifilm has something similar, the XRawStudio Converter, which needs the camera plugged into computer to directly use the X-T2 or X-H1 etc. in body processor.
If you're used to the workflow of Lr, Br, Ps, Affinity Photo etc. the workflow will be quite inconvenient 🙈- OK, let's say "different". But the results are stunning. Specially noise reduction has D500/D850 in body quality. Pretty impressive. But you may not be frightened of doing another learning curve 🤪
Thank you for showing your photos, so many reviews of this lens just spend ten minutes telling us about weight travel ability thank you again, if I were to have a negative comment it would be, I’d like to know what the ruff distance you were for the subject...
Hi Mark. The one thing I was missing, that i'm personally most interested in for BIF photography using the D500, is the focus settings you were using in each scenario. Could you outline those please? Thanks and keep up the great work.
Sure thing. I use AF-C exclusively on my D500. I also use group focus by default and have setup the AF-ON button to switch to single point. I don't use it for back button auto focus like most photographers do. The pelican shots would have all been using group focus. I made a video on how I set everything up is you are interested. ruclips.net/video/MCI1tL-aHcE/видео.html
Mark, you did a fine job. You could have upped your ISO to 800 or 1250 and that would have allowed f8 or 11-ish. and still maintain shutter speed. f11 may have captured two birds, if they were fairly close to the same plane, or possibly the fish and a bird if they were fairly close to the same plane. My wife has a D500 and the Sigma 150-500 original, I have the D750 and the Tamron 150-600 G2, and my son, in FL, has the D750 and your lens.
Thank you for the compliments and the valuable input. Awesome to hear that your entire family is in to photography! I also have the Tamron 150-600 V1 but haven't used it since I got the Nikkor 200-500.
When you do, please post a review or let me know. I'll tell my son. I have to find out from Matt Granger how his test of the Tamron G2 worked out with the Tamron extender. So far, he hasn't replied.
As always beautiful photos. I think your original setting is better in shallow dept of field, f/8 mind not look better over all image because of the background obstructing.
Thanks! I didn't even consider your thought and I think you are right. It was a very busy background and more depth of field might have brought out too much background making it difficult to see the action. Thanks for watching and commenting.
It's all relative as far as species. Pelican's may be common there but if I happened to catch one migrating through here I'd be like, "OMG A PELICAN!!!!" lol For the settings I would have went to f8 and iso 800 depending on how the exposure was.
Hey Mark! Another great video!! I think you could have gone ahead and shot at 1/3200th shutter speed and f8 with Auto ISO. The D500 can really handle higher ISO's as you know, then just take care of any noise in post. Keep up the fantastic work!!
It's really great you have so much wildlife around you. I am getting ready for the eclipse in August. I haven't photographed an eclipse since my film camera days with a telescope!! Lots to learn!!
It is great. I am really enjoying it and learning so much. I thought about shooting the eclipse and that is as far as I went. I'd be curious to know how it goes for you.
My town will be in the 90 percent coverage area so I am definitely photographing it. I was thinking of driving to southern Illinois but the roads will be packed, there are no hotel rooms to be found so I'll stay here and be happy with the 90%!
Hi Mark, Seems as if you've had plenty of comments to answer to on this video, I must admit that your style is certainly infectious and I really enjoy learning from you. With regards, the settings, it seems t me that it is an 'American' thing to think that F8 is a super fix for everything, whereas in Oz the 'Birdmen' tell me that F7.1 is the max? My only comment here is that the subject is always in focus and it's up to you to decide who is the subject. I think that you've done exactly as I would, set up your camera and blast away at a once in a lifetime activity? Anyway, I was wondering what the other settings that you used were, i.e. focus set-up, iso auto settings, etc? The settings that never get mentioned are the ones that I'm most interested in and if you can help me out with that those so that we can all learn? Please keep up the fantastic work. . .Bruce
Thanks for all the compliments. I really appreciate them. For focus set-up, Here's a video that shows it all. ruclips.net/video/MCI1tL-aHcE/видео.html Basically, I use AF-C at all times on the D500. I have group focus by default with single point and auto focus enable assigned to the AF-ON button. Auto-iso is on with a range of 100-2500. Thanks again.
If I were you, I would choose f/8 and the same 1/3200 shutter speed but use the automatic iso. D500 gives good quality images even with iso around 2000.
Getting the Nikon 200-500 to use with my D750 - a Christmas present to myself. I will pretend to be surprised when my wife gives it to me on Christmas morning! Thanks for your interesting videos.
Great choice for a present. I'm sure you will love it, even it you got it for yourself. Thanks for watching.
Lol, you are a great story teller. Nice stuff and great images.
Thanks so much. I can say I thoroughly enjoy doing this.
Your pictures are truly awe inspiring BUT your sense of humor sometimes is off the chain... your so funny Smith!!
All of your Pelican pics are awesome. Does not matter if everything is not in DOF
Thanks. That is very nice of you to say!
This is a great series. ISO was only at 500 and when it comes to good light noise is normally better controlled than dark light. In situations like this I normally use Manual with Auto ISO limited to 1600, keep Shutter Speed at least at 1/3200 given the speed at which these birds move and shoot at f8-f11. I have been on a Safari trip on the Chobe River in Botswana with a Company CNP run by Lou Coetzer, one of the world renown bird photographers who shoot of custom made boats, they use A priority, measure the light and set ISO to around 800 push SS as high as possible 1/4000, f8-f11 and EV -1.3. This way you protect the highlights and you increase the speed by at least 1 stop. With the D500 you can also use the metering mode, spot with focus on metering the highlights, this works fantastic. I use it all the time when I use my D5 shooting birds on the water and birds with a lot of light colored feathers.
Thanks for watching and I think you are 100% correct. I did have auto iso enabled. I just didn't react quick enough. Thanks for the great info. I'm sure it will help everyone who is reading through the comments, including myself.
just curious why EV -1.3? wouldnt that make everything dark. if the SS is upped less light in, I understand the iso at 800 but not the EX -1.3. just an amateur so just asking and wanting to learn something new.
IMHO f8. I was told this 35 years ago by my mentor ,when in doubt f8.
Great videos and instruction Mark. Thanks
Yep. I know there is a little rhyme for that but for the life of I can't remember what it is.
All those pelican fishing shots are soooo sick!!!
Thanks!
I would have gone as far as f11 and see if I could live with the noise. And more often than not I can. Love the 500. Keep up the great work.
Thanks! The D500 is a great camera.
Another great video Mark with some fantastic photos. The Pelicans with the fish are top draw. Looking forward to your next one. Best wishes from the U.K.
Thanks for the compliments and watching. Cheers!
Great video! Your ability to describe your shots as well as all of your miscellaneous tips really sets you apart from other wildlife channels.
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy them. I really love telling these stories!
Sooo beautiful, you are very special! !!!!! I love all your shots!! Awesome!!!!!
Thanks
Nice images as always Mark. Yea a little more depth of field would have been good but we can always go back with 20/20 hind sight and think about things we could have done better.
Thanks! It can be hard to react so quickly when the action is happening that fast.
Hi, I love this video , my next lens is going to be the 200-500 and I own the d500 .your images on this video are great , just because you shoot a common bird doesn’t mean you’re not going to get great image , love your videos, keep up the good work! I’m from Plymouth Uk
It is a great lens and thank you.
Continually amazed at the stunning photos, Mark. The pelican feeds are just fantastic. Great clarity and action captures. Pelicans out on the West coast are not nearly as colorful. Thanks for the photo stats too. That helps. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Vinny! I have more planned.
I don't care how common the subject is, the photos are great and your commentary is very interesting, thanks very much for sharing this, I've subscribed and am looking forward to seeing your other videos.
Cheers from the UK.
+AoToGo Thanks so much for the kind words and for watching and subscribing.
Mark- I'm pretty late to the party making my comments regarding the pelican/fish images, but here goes: First, your images are awesome! Of course, living where you do with access to so many beautiful bird subjects to image is a big plus factor, but really your artistry in finding, composing and capturing your images is what it is all about and why I watch your videos. As I was initially watching this video and got to the bait fish/pelican scene, I felt that the bait fish desperately attempting to escape were the stars of the image, while the pelican was playing a supporting role. The sharp focus on the fleeing fish really highlighted them as the main characters, and I did not find the softer focus of the pelicans to be a negative, in fact, just the opposite. My eyes were drawn to the fish, wondering what was chasing them from below driving them to jump free of the water in panic exposing them to the pelicans above. And the very soft background was a definite plus as well, and you would have lost some of that with a smaller aperture. Looking at a series of the photos and having the both the pelican and the fish in it's beak in sharp focus brought the whole event together. I don't think you needed to change anything. For my senses, your images were not about absolute technically perfect documentation of the pelican and fish, you were capturing the life and death struggle of the predator and prey. Sometimes I feel we dwell too much on the technical details and not enough on the artistry of the images we see. That's my opinion anyway....
Mark, another super winner!
Thanks!
Great video. And, as always, great photos! You always sound so excited and positive in your videos. I really like that!!!
Thanks! I do have a great time making these videos and when the action is happening, I get really excited!
Bravo Mark, another super video!
Thank you!
Every time when I see a new video from you, I would click 'like' first and then start to watch it. Keep it on!
That's awesome! Thanks!
Lovely Video again Mark!
Thanks!
Right place, right time. Great day :-) I can spend hours trying to capture terns hitting the water but in my opinion the best pictures are just before the water or just after with the splash of the water still settling. If you can catch them on a still day with the light just right you can get an awesome reflection to add to the overall composition.
I have spent hours chasing small terns and have managed a few shots like you mentioned minus the reflections! I had a day a few weeks ago when they were hitting these huge bait balls of fish about 10 feet in front of me. I also had a day at a smaller pond where I got some good shots right after impact. The water had this line green color to it that just added to the scene. They are fun to shoot and great practice.
Awesome video Mark. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Thanks for watching!
G'day Mark, love your shots, especially the diving pelican. Keep 'em coming.
Cheers Rick from downunder
+Rich Ita Thanks and G'day to you as well.
Thanks for posting this...amazing shots! I just got my first DSLR and I have the birds-in-flight shutter bug. I moved to Australia recently, so I have a good variety to start practicing with, and parrots on my balcony daily. Fun stuff! Just need a good lens now.
Thanks for the compliments and thanks for watching! Bird in flight photography is fun an very addictive! I enjoy it very much.
Very informative video, Thank You Very Much. Lots of things to learn from you. Will surely watch all your videos from the beginning.
That's great. Glad to hear you are learning from the videos.
You have some absolutely great action shots! Congratulations and keep up the good work!
Thanks so much!
Another great video Mark, really enjoyed it! Cheers from Singapore.
Thank you and Cheers!
Excellent video Mark keep up the good work.
Thank you very much!
Excellent. Love the Pelican images.
Thank you. Those pelicans were busy!
Wow, really awesome pictures and video
Thank you!
Awesome shots Mark and another very cool video. I almost always shoot birds at 5.6 but there are times I try to increase DOF if there are other interesting subjects. First get the shot then make it better! I heard that somewhere on RUclips and I try to remember it when I'm out and about shooting wildlife. It helps keep me focused...pun intended lol
Thanks. I like that saying. I think it will stick with me and help keep me focused as well. Pun intended ;)
fantastic video you are a great storyteller
Thanks
Awesome video! I want to come to Florida do bad! Good job with spring the video and photography of the pelicans and other birds! 👍
Thanks!
Stopping down the aperture 1 stop to F8 would require you to halve the shutter speed or double the ISO. I prefer to keep the shutter speed up at times like that. I also prefer to keep the focus on the thing that I want to be sharp because it's difficult to judge how much nearer or further the fish are into the depth of field. (Sitting in the comfort of my arm chair) I'd say you should have focused on the bird, set the camera at F8, let the camera take care of ISO (auto ISO) and hoped that the fish would have been within the range of reasonable sharpness.
Great idea. Thanks for sharing. I was so infatuated with the fish I didn't want to lose sight of them. I did have auto iso enabeld too but it all happened so fast! If I get another chance, I will try your idea. Thanks again for sharing.
Another great video Mark, thanks. Thumbs up...
Thanks!
I enjoyed your video. I really like my D500 & D850 and use them as my primary cameras. I still use my D810 and D750. My favorite lens is my Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 FL followed by my 24-70 f/2.8. I like my Nikon 200-500 but I've not mastered it. I'm happy to see you shoot manual. I have a hard time making my brain shoot shutter priority or aperture priority even though I know there are times I should. Keep the videos coming.
Thanks! Sounds like you have quite the kit going. I have had great success with my 200-500 and I would love to try the two lenses you mentioned.
Great video as usual! Keep shooting the pelicans, they maybe common in america but here in france we don’t have them and it’s really fascinating to watch them through your videos! Always a pleasure for the eyes, thank you😉
Thanks. I'm glad you are enjoying the videos and it is also nice to know that some of the more common birds here aren't so common everywhere else! Thanks for watching.
As always another fantastic video Mark. I feel really bad for the pelican. Hopefully it will rid itself of the fishing lure. Always look forward to watching your videos.
Thank you! I felt bad for the pelican too when I got home and saw the shots. I know these fishing lures rust very quickly and hopefully it doesn't do any damage to the pelican. Those pelicans are very resilient.
I've really been enjoying your videos Mark. I live in Canada so I'm very jealous of all the different birds you have down there. I have a Canon 7D Mark ii and 100-400 ii but I'm considering changing to Nikon because of the great combo of the D500 and 200-500. I'm waiting for the Mark iii to come out this spring but if Canon leaves the AA filter on the sensor then I'll be switching to Nikon. The D500 is much sharper than my 7D Mark ii because of the sensor. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the compliments. I'm glad you are enjoying the videos! The D500 paired with the 200-500 is an insane combo!
I use a 1dx, and Sigma 150-600C. I Just purchased a D500 and 200-500/5.6 to give Nikon a try. Im actually really impressed. It now has me contemplating a switch in systems.
Yup, I definitely want these lens.
Another outstanding video, Mark. I really liked those pelican shots at the end. I find them fascinating birds especially how they can just throw themselves into the water...like kamikaze bombers. In terms of the fish shot, I would have tried shooting at F8 or probably higher particularly if the lighting was good.
Thanks so much. Pelicans are pretty incredible birds! Lighting wasn't too hot that morning. I'm still not sure F8 would have worked!
Hey Mark Smith , I got you're birding book.. And my birding Photography is so awesome.. I have captured lots of Birds using my 150-600 MM for birding and Wildlife for my Nikon D5300 Camera
Thanks so much for the support. I really appreciate that! Sounds like you are having a good time out there!
Love this video Mark!!. Probably you could gain more DOF with high Isos. But the perfomance @5,6 looks great! Amazing the fish race with the pelicans on their backs.!. Again, incredible the 200-500 versatility.
Thanks so much. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It was a rush being there when it all happened. This combo seems to really excel at everything I throw at it. I'm so happy to own it. My D810 is starting to get a little jealous though ;)
Since you asked for opinions, I think f-8 would have been better....thank you for your efforts and sharing of knowledge...
Hi Mark
You are correct , the bird at the beach is a Willet
About the Techs ; I thing your shutter speed is perfect for this scenario. I would not go higher than f7.1 because the background takes to much attention.
I enjoy your videos, super entertaining and you cover many things about photography in the field + beautiful spots in Florida.
You are doing a beautiful job.
Marcos Baumann
Santiago - Chile
Thanks so much. I'm glad you are enjoying the videos. I know I am having fun making them. I agree about the background. It was very busy and a wide depth of field may have been too distracting. So many choices! I bet you have some nice areas in Chile. I would love to visit one day.
Another great video. I so want that lens! LOL!
Thanks. It is an awesome lens!
using a Nikon D500, i would never be concerned about iso in the daytime, as it is in the top 3 for clean photos at very high iso. So using a high shutter speed should never make you doubt if you should or not, just crank it up there to freeze the action. Your photos are very crisp.
Thanks for the info. I will keep that in mind.
Excellent narration. Also thanks for showing the exif info.
Thanks and you are welcome!
Great and helpful video! I've had the 200mm-500mm in mind for quite some time now. I guess the decision is made now after watching your superb images. :-)
Thanks!
Awesome. Glad to know the video is helpful. The 200-500 is a great lens. Mine gets some great results.
Love your videos Mark. I've been going through them all as i'm very keen on the 200-500 Nikon lens.
I think you were right with a Willet in this video. For these kind of bird in flight photos I tend to shoot at F8 or F9 to try and get the whole bird in focus.
That said you take some fantastic images and it shows how sharp this lens is at wide open.
Keep up the good work
PS: Loved your Sandhill Crane story, very moving climax.
Thank you for all the kinds words and compliments. The 200-500 is a great lens. I love mine. Thanks for the info on your aperture settings for your bird in flight shots. The ending of the Sandhill Crane story was really tough!
Mark Smith Thanks for the reply Mark.
Florida is on my list of places to visit in the not to distant future, the wildlife looks amazing.
All the best.
It is an excellent place to see a wide variety of wildlife!
Great video once again Mark. I try and up to say 7.1 to try and get more depth of field but in the UK I do not get the light you have very often so I often have to keep it at 5.6.
Yes I agree great for landscape and I do not have a full frame so I use this. It works great with AFP lenses if you have one, really sharp and super fast focus. My D500 has gone in for warranty repair as it will only allow aperture change in live view for all lenses except the 2-500 which Nikon tells me uses a different way of dealing with aperture change, cannot wait got it to come back
Thanks again. I am constantly surprised just how good the D500 is as an all around camera. Sorry to hear yours is in the shop. I hope you get it back soon.
Great video mark
Thanks!
AWSOME video
Superb Mark 👍
Thanks!
Really like your videos man
Thanks!
I agree with most of the comments. I too think you shouldve chosen to increase your depth of field. What I found is that usually 1/2000 is sufficient for birds in flight (unless you're shooting stuff like hummingbirds and theres probably a few other examples like swallows). I shoot Manual and use auto ISO so I've got one less thing to worry about but have the flexibility to choose my shutter speed and depth of field.
I did have auto iso enabled but unfortunately I was not quick enough to react and make that change. I should have been but the excitement got the better of me.
Mark I heard a professional fisherman interviewed somewhere last month and he was asked about fish hooks in wildlife. He said the stainless steel ones will rust out in a couple of days. That didn't make sense to me, I thought that stainless steel was more resistant to corrosion to standard steels, and I'm sure standard steel wouldn't rust out in a couple of days in the ocean.
I'm not sure how long the hooks last. I know I have had the fishing itch in the past and saltwater just destroys hooks. I would usually get to use a lure once or twice, stuff it in a tackle box only to find it a few weeks later with rusted hooks. The pelican constantly exposing that lure to the elements is beneficial.
The pelicans around here are funny. They have grown so used to seeing people that they will often steal fish from fisherman. I bet that is how this one got hooked. It thought the fisherman was throwing out a live fish so the bird went for it and ended up getting the hook. It happens all the time and there is a group of people who will intervene if the hook and line becomes a problem. Since this bird was eagerly hunting, I would assume it didn't need help. Must be extremely uncomfortable though.
Agreed that the bird is surviving OK, although swimming and standing would be hard for it. It just shows how animal kingdom it's all about survival. There are probably pelican/seabird rescuers in that area, if it is a regular you could alert them to the problem and they may be able to help the bird out.
Another problem I've heard about is diving birds like Cormorants chasing bait on hooks when the fishermen cast out, after the juicy shrimp or fish pieces on the hook.
To change the depth of field on a 500mm you should increase way too much the aperture (even above f13). So not much would have changed from f5.6 to f.8/9 as people are suggesting. Just fix the max ISO your camera is able to handle, fix the shutter at 1/2000 or 1/3200 and select the aperture accordingly. Thing is you can't much control the DOF with a long lens like this, is better to choose the correct focus spot in the first place, and with a d500 it should be really fun! Anyways great job and good luck, subscribed!
As always great video very interesting cheers all the best.
You didn't mention, Mark, if you shoot in auto ISO mode. If you do, then you know it's one thing less you need to keep in mind as you try to capture images. Without thinking about ISO, you can concentrate more on whether you want to freeze the action, or have more depth of field. From the resolution of the video, I couldn't see that the pelicans were out of focus; they looked fine to me. In this case, keeping the shutter speed high really froze the action. It's a tough choice to make, and not much time within which to make that decision: more depth of field, or sharp fish but slightly out of focus birds; things must have been happening very fast. If I were able to roll back the clock for you, I'd go with more depth of field to have the fish AND the bird in sharp focus. But, as always, great capture.
Thanks so much. Your comments are always great and thought provoking. I enjoy that. I was shooting in auto ISO. I always do and you are right, this entire scene happened so quickly. My brain was so focused on just trying to keep everything in the shot but I knew I needed to freeze the action, so I went with it. Don't get me wrong, I really like the images. It is always nice though to hear what others would have done in the same situation.
Hi mark i just saw your video.It is great again.I think your statement is right.The photo you made at 3:45 i did not like a lot because the pelican was not in focus and the fish did.Maybe you could help this by lowering your shutter speed and change your aperture to F8 instead of F5.6.So you have a greater depth of field.A shutter speed of 1/2000 will be enough.But it is very difficult i think.
At the moment i am using a canon 7d mk2 with sigma 150-600 .it is a good camera but the sensor in it is not top end.The nikon will be my next camera.
Thanks for watching and I am glad you enjoyed the video. Also thanks for the input. F8 might have given me enough depth of field.
The D500 is impressive. I like it more every day.
Nice Photographs buddy.
Thanks!
Great pictures! I also trying to get the best pictures of birds and know how difficult it is. The ones I have not been able to get yet, are the birds flying at the end of the day. Combination of speed and low light, it is still a big challenge for me. I am doing with a Sony alfa 6000 and a 210. After watching your videos, definitely understood that need a 500.
Thank you! It can be difficult getting nice shots of birds in flight.
Awesome shots, with the D500's excellent high ISO performance you could maybe raise the ISO and stop your lens down to get better dof and keep your shutter speed at 1/3200....but as I said, the shots are awesome at f5.6
Thanks! I could have cranked up the ISO a bit too. It is a lot to think about when the action is happening so fast. I was more concerned with getting closer with the zoom I think.
I like your videos, follow from your start. Mvh Kield fan from Danmark
Thanks for watching!
Like the royal tern shots the best, I think a little more DOF on the pelican feeding frenzy would have helped with a sharper bird along with the fish, not too much though as to keep the background from becoming distracting. As always I enjoy your videos and it helps all of us learn.
Thanks for watching, commenting and the compliments. Those Royal Terns are beautiful birds. They were only here for a very short time and then moved on. I agree, the background was very busy and it would have been very distracting.
Fanatastic photos. It is a learning curve when it comes to subjects like this. I have started to take bird photos and videos recently and its been hit or miss for me so far, especially since I use a Panasonic GH5 and a Mark 1 Panasonic 100-300mm lens which is a bit slow at focusing and may get a better, slightly longer telephoto zoom lens as I have a Metabones smart adapter that I recently got for my GH5 which can take EF/EF-S lenses and I have several Canon DSLRs so want to invest in a good telephoto zoom for birds and other wildlife that I can use on my GH5 and Canon cameras.
Looking at the photo at 1:50, its surprising how small the Royal terns feet are! I have noticed the same in other tern species like Arctic terns and little terns and have always been curious to why as other similar sea birds like gulls have bigger feet than that. That is also terrible to see the Pelican with the lure on its leg, always hate to see that as earlier this year in a wetland I often visit to see wildlife, there was an owl found there that had to be rescued as had been tangled in a bit of fishing net that someone had left hanging on a tree.
Thanks so much. It sure is a learning curve and you have to think fast too! I used to own a GH5 and the Metabones too. I used it to adapt my Nikon lenses to the GH5. It is a great camera for video.
I liked the pic at 3:40, we know its a pelican and what it looks like, but not those lil fish. i think it's awesome.
Me too. I have been to this location dozens of times and never seen those fish, ever. I wonder if they might have been migrating with the birds? Either way, I like how the image tells a story and makes you wonder and think about what is about to happen. I know pelicans aren't lions but this reminded me of a pack of lions hunting down gazelle.
My general rule of thumb for BIF with my D500 + 200 - 500mm f5.6 is 1/2000th, f8 and auto ISO. I only change to f5.6 if the ISO goes above 1000.
Sounds good to me.
I liked your video fun to watch you kept my attention the whole time
Awesome. Good to know!
Nice job Mark. I think if you go there again you should try your shutter speed at 1/2500 and your f/stop at f8 or f11so your bird look sharper and I see that you had you ISO on auto and the Nikon D500 shouldn't really get much noise if your ISO goes up a little bit more. And i was wondering if you used your teleconverter?
Thanks! I go to this location all the time but that was the only time I have seen these fish explode out of the water like that. I did have auto ISO on so there was one less thing to think about. I should have been stopping down while I was shooting but I was more eager to just track the birds. You have to be quick on your feet out there! I don't own a teleconverter yet. Still unsure as to whether or not I want one. I see such mixed reviews.
Yeah. You always need to be quick on you feet when something can just disappear quickly. I don't know how quick those birds are, but I think you could've had or at least tried out your shutter speed at 1/2500 of a sec and yeah there are alway mixed reviews on everything, even one which camera brand you should buy. I have a Nikon also and I just got asked if I wanted a Canon 35mm film camera from a friend that's down sizing.
I'm getting your exact setup for my graduation of high school this year.
Awesome! You will love it. It is a great combo!
Oh, I looked up your Willet and I think you're right. I thought it was a Lesser Yellowlegs but now after looking at it agin...well, he's gonna need some yellow hosiery to be the other one.
Ha ha! Where does a bird buy yellow hosiery?
Great video and I thoroughly enjoy your natural honest style. Pelicans may be common where you are but in England we see them pretty much only as ornamental birds in St James Park in London (where I once saw one eat a London pigeon which was too slow for it!). I'm really interested to see all the flight photos and detail. Re the aperture, I'm quite happy with F/5.6. I like the faster shutter speed and lower ISO (even given the ISO capabilities) and the blurred birds somehow add something to the drama for me. It catches the moment, where as if everything were "technically" correct I wonder if you'd have lost some of that energy? Don't know but what you got worked for me where pelicans would be exotic! Really enjoying these videos and as I suffer from GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), now I'm wondering if the 200-500 would beat my Tamron 150-600 G1.... Guess the sensible thing to do would be to keep the Tamron which has served me really well....then again........ Thanks again from East Sussex England.
That's great. I am glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for the compliments. Pelicans are a little on the wild side. I could see them eating a pigeon. I agree about the aperture. I do like the shots and the blurred birds leaves a little more to the imagination.
I also suffer from GAS. That's why I have the 200-500 and the Tamron 150-600 V1. The Tamron treated me very well for about 3 years but it failed me a few times and the last time was enough to make me want to replace it. If you get a chance, try out the Nikon 200-500. I did and had to leave to store with it.
Dare I try it....................? I'll blame you if my bank balance goes down :-)
I hate to enable a fellow photographer who suffers from GAS, but i'd say do it to test your resolve. Do it to test your strength or weakness. Do it to test the lens and see what you think. There is quite a difference in my two lenses.
Again like your images.Yes when the action is happening l find it hard to slow down just enough to make the correct adjustments.But its a trade off to get some action shoots or that one perfect image.You where there to capture these shots that's the main thing.Grate action images.
+Alan Vincent Thanks.
Dear Mark, A great video as ever. Really loved it. I shoot some water birds here at Ras Al Khaimah, UAE and would definitely love to have a little greater DOF. Nikon D500 has a reasonably food high ISO capability and I find acceptable noise upto ISO3000-5000.
Thank you! I'm going to start raising my ISO limits to see what I can get. Thanks!
Mark, great job. Good photos. I'll head there one day. What Time of the day did you go to Sebastian Inlet?
I likedl strongandco comment but I'm your disciple and have a lot to learn. The more you learn the more I learn. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! It was early morning and the entire little cove was in the shadow of the bridge. Strongandco had an excellent point and when I get this chance again, I will have to try his idea.
Fantastic photos!
I shoot f8 whenever possible when it comes to birds in flight. I still get a lot of out-of-focus shots though with my D7200 especially when photographing birds with a darker plumage. I guess the autofocus has a hard time picking them up from the background when they fly below the horizon. I would appreciate any tipps, I mostly shoot in contiuous AF with the d21 setting.
Thanks! I have found that F5.6 on this lens is often sharp enough but I think the shallow depth of field might have gotten the better of me on this shot. I'm not sure on your issue. Perhaps someone else will chime in.
I had a lot of fun enjoying your shoot. And you raise an interesting issue with SS versus aperture. I'm going to add ISO. Why not leave ISO set on automatic, keep the high SS, and use a tighter aperture for DOF? I sometimes do that with Sandhill Cranes and ducks in flight. Thanks for your good work.
Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed the video. I like your idea. It sounds goo. I did have Auto Iso enabled but I wasn't quick enough to change the aperture and zoom at the same time. I usually go for 1/2000 of a second and around F7.1 for birds in flight. This seems to get good results in good light.
I know what you mean about not being quick enough. In the middle of a shoot like yours, the adrenaline is flowing, and my mind and eye is on the viewfinder. 1/2000 is also a comfortable place for me for BIF. Unless there is a lot of fast action I'm not certain of the science, but I think using high SS with deeper DOF helps insure a tack sharp image. And I usually have my camera on a tripod. Thanks again for the video and your informed response.
Thanks so much for watching and taking part in the conversation. I always appreciate hearing what other have to say and how they would handle the situation.
Great video. I do think f7.1 would have been sharper along with slightly deeper DOF. I think I caught one of the white King birds in NJ a few weeks ago. In the series the sharpest one was the one fr]lying off the frame. That is how it goes sometime I guess.
Keep em coming Mark!
Jim
Thanks for the compliments and thanks for watching. F7.1 might have been perfect but I missed it! Tracking moving birds can be a little difficult.
Oh No criticism! Not sure how you track it as well as you do. Sometimes I cannot even find them let alone track.
It's all good! It is tough tracking those birds, especially the smaller ones.
OK so here is a question ISO related but not about this video: All things being equal I am usually in M mode and auto ISO with a limit set. When light starts to drop allot are you better holding the ISO at a reasonable level and hold say under 10000, underexpose and correct in post or shoot with right exposure and try to clear noise.?
I know really you just want to avoid the higher numbers and that high end depends on the camera body. Just curious what you thought process is.
Jim
That's a tough question and one I have never had to put myself in. I would prefer a cleaner image and trying to bump up the exposure in post. The D500 has a nice dynamic range and I think it would be pretty easy with the right lens. A faster prime lens might be necessary though.
I have noticed that images with extreme noise are harder to recover. Sometimes the noise just destroys the details and you can't get them back. Might make for a cool video topic though.
Don't know if anyone has mentioned this already, but the free Merlin app for Android and iPhone is a fantastic bird identification tool. I'm pretty sure it would have no trouble identifying the bird at 2:25. I have only recently started doing bird photography, and the Photo ID feature of Merlin, which allows you to upload a photo of a bird you want to identify, has accurately recognized the bird species in about 98% of the photos I threw at it. The app might have a little trouble in cases where two or more species are ridiculously similar (e.g. some gulls), but it has managed to tell apart a Downy Woodpecker from a Hairy Woodpecker (I had a photo of a Downy). Not bad at all given their similarities.
Btw, I have absolutely nothing to do with the app or the developers (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). I just find it very useful and appreciate the fact that it's available for free.
Great video! Those are some sharp photos!
Thanks for the info. I'll have to check that out.
Excellent! Excellent !
Thanks!
Hi Mark, great video again. As for F5.6 vs F8. I'd go with F5.6, especially if subject is distant. For example, if it's 40ft from camera, with 500mm / F5.6, acceptable DOF is probably +-0.6ft; but at F8 +-0.9ft. That difference i.e. 0.6ft vs 0.9ft is probably not enough (in a 40ft example anyway) to justify sacrificing half the available light / doubling ISO or alt halving shutter speed. Unless there's superb light! But guess there are no easy or "one size fits all" answers either!
Thanks! Great points. These birds were over 100 feet away so they were pretty far and what I didn't mention in the video was this. It was early morning and there was a large bridge directly behind me blocking all the light from the rising sun. The entire little cove where this happened was cast in shadow. The light wasn't the greatest and I'm not entirely sure that an increase in depth of field would have been all that noticeable. No way of knowing now. If I wasn't so excited and had thought to stop down, then I would have an excellent comparison example.
Auto ISO would allow you to shot in manual and adjust the shutter speed and aperture to what you want without getting to much noise.
Yes it is a willet. Very nice video.
Thanks!
No no DANIALSON , always Keep eye ,eye hear both open , you will miss everything
Great shots you have done really well, good shutter speed and good sharpness at f5.6!!
Thank you so much!
I wouldn't lower the shutter speed for the purpose of stopping down to F8 (while keeping ISO at 500). I would just keep the shutter speed at 1/3200, and then stop down to F8. That would raise ISO (if you are using auto ISO) to probably around 1600. but that's the compromise I am willing to make (given the noise performance of D500 at ISO = 1600). That's my 2 cents. I very much enjoy your video; keep up the good work!
Yes, I think you are right. I did have auto iso enabled with a max iso of 2500. I just wasn't fast enough to change the aperture in the short time it happened. I think if I had not been so excited about the scene, I could have put enough thought into also stopping down to F8. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I'm new to shooting with telephotos, so this may be an annoying newb question, but (on the ground shots) are you shooting handheld or tripod? I love your work.
Handheld for all the shots. ;)
Go with 1/3200 or even shorter, f/8 but no closer aperture to keep AF accuracy, Auto ISO. Convert the RAW files with Capture NX-D after tweaking. It uses the D500 in body noise reduction algorithms, which are WAAAAAAY better than anything else available for desktop computers. The workflow becomes less convenient, but results are dramatically better. Fujifilm has something similar, the XRawStudio Converter, which needs the camera plugged into computer to directly use the X-T2 or X-H1 etc. in body processor.
Thanks for the info. I'll have to look closer at Capture NX-D
If you're used to the workflow of Lr, Br, Ps, Affinity Photo etc. the workflow will be quite inconvenient 🙈- OK, let's say "different". But the results are stunning. Specially noise reduction has D500/D850 in body quality. Pretty impressive. But you may not be frightened of doing another learning curve 🤪
Thank you for showing your photos, so many reviews of this lens just spend ten minutes telling us about weight travel ability thank you again, if I were to have a negative comment it would be, I’d like to know what the ruff distance you were for the subject...
I was pretty far away in this video. Thanks for watching.
Hi Mark. The one thing I was missing, that i'm personally most interested in for BIF photography using the D500, is the focus settings you were using in each scenario. Could you outline those please? Thanks and keep up the great work.
Sure thing. I use AF-C exclusively on my D500. I also use group focus by default and have setup the AF-ON button to switch to single point. I don't use it for back button auto focus like most photographers do. The pelican shots would have all been using group focus. I made a video on how I set everything up is you are interested. ruclips.net/video/MCI1tL-aHcE/видео.html
Mark Smith thank you again!!
You are very welcome.
Amazing pics.. i subscribed 👍🏼
+Vijayarjuna r thanks so much!
Mark, you did a fine job. You could have upped your ISO to 800 or 1250 and that would have allowed f8 or 11-ish. and still maintain shutter speed. f11 may have captured two birds, if they were fairly close to the same plane, or possibly the fish and a bird if they were fairly close to the same plane. My wife has a D500 and the Sigma 150-500 original, I have the D750 and the Tamron 150-600 G2, and my son, in FL, has the D750 and your lens.
Thank you for the compliments and the valuable input. Awesome to hear that your entire family is in to photography! I also have the Tamron 150-600 V1 but haven't used it since I got the Nikkor 200-500.
I think you have a good choice there. You've got 750mm capability.
Yes! Thinking of adding a teleconverter to the mix to extend the reach even more.
When you do, please post a review or let me know. I'll tell my son.
I have to find out from Matt Granger how his test of the Tamron G2 worked out with the Tamron extender. So far, he hasn't replied.
Will do. I plan on doing a video review of it after I use it for a little while.
As always beautiful photos. I think your original setting is better in shallow dept of field, f/8 mind not look better over all image because of the background obstructing.
Thanks! I didn't even consider your thought and I think you are right. It was a very busy background and more depth of field might have brought out too much background making it difficult to see the action. Thanks for watching and commenting.
It's all relative as far as species. Pelican's may be common there but if I happened to catch one migrating through here I'd be like, "OMG A PELICAN!!!!" lol For the settings I would have went to f8 and iso 800 depending on how the exposure was.
You are 100% correct. Some people have never seen a pelican.
Hey Mark! Another great video!! I think you could have gone ahead and shot at 1/3200th shutter speed and f8 with Auto ISO. The D500 can really handle higher ISO's as you know, then just take care of any noise in post. Keep up the fantastic work!!
Thank you! The D500 does handle noise quite well. I'll have to experiment with putting through some extreme tests.
It's really great you have so much wildlife around you. I am getting ready for the eclipse in August. I haven't photographed an eclipse since my film camera days with a telescope!! Lots to learn!!
It is great. I am really enjoying it and learning so much. I thought about shooting the eclipse and that is as far as I went. I'd be curious to know how it goes for you.
My town will be in the 90 percent coverage area so I am definitely photographing it. I was thinking of driving to southern Illinois but the roads will be packed, there are no hotel rooms to be found so I'll stay here and be happy with the 90%!
That's crazy to think that there are no hotel rooms due to an eclipse. I guess you are in the right area for it!
Hi Mark,
Seems as if you've had plenty of comments to answer to on this video, I must admit that your style is certainly infectious and I really enjoy learning from you.
With regards, the settings, it seems t me that it is an 'American' thing to think that F8 is a super fix for everything, whereas in Oz the 'Birdmen' tell me that F7.1 is the max?
My only comment here is that the subject is always in focus and it's up to you to decide who is the subject. I think that you've done exactly as I would, set up your camera and blast away at a once in a lifetime activity?
Anyway, I was wondering what the other settings that you used were, i.e. focus set-up, iso auto settings, etc? The settings that never get mentioned are the ones that I'm most interested in and if you can help me out with that those so that we can all learn?
Please keep up the fantastic work. . .Bruce
Thanks for all the compliments. I really appreciate them. For focus set-up, Here's a video that shows it all. ruclips.net/video/MCI1tL-aHcE/видео.html
Basically, I use AF-C at all times on the D500. I have group focus by default with single point and auto focus enable assigned to the AF-ON button. Auto-iso is on with a range of 100-2500.
Thanks again.
If I were you, I would choose f/8 and the same 1/3200 shutter speed but use the automatic iso. D500 gives good quality images even with iso around 2000.
Thanks for the info. I did have auto iso enabled. F8 might have been sharper.