Lumix G9II has all the options you are wanting for the preshooting. You can set a button or on off, you can set the time to .5sec or others if you want, it also doesn't fill the buffer because it continues to shoot while it is writing the images.
The best bird pohotography videos on the planet. I hope you will do this for the next 20 years. Awesome combination of tech information and nice pictures
i moved from Olympus OM-1 ii and Lumix G9ii, both which had pre-capture up to 75fps. trying Canon R7 and R6 II and wish they had a pre-shoot where there's not an extra step to get the raw files from the burst. a great underrated feature Olympus has had for many years.
OM Systems is the leader in preshooting. No extracting in camera (writes all to the card as separate frames), variable frame rates, and variable pre and post number of frames. C'mon Canon, get with it. Sorry, Wrote this before Glenn spoke about the Oly.
I think that improved buffer capacity and clearance, and built-in SSD image storage are two areas where cameras could be improved. Improved (faster and more accurate) autofocus AI algorithms and auto-exposure capabilities would be greatly appreciated, as well. I agree that higher resolution sensors that would allow in-camera 1.3, 1.6, and 2X crop would be very helpful. I also agree that a true successor to the Canon 7D Mark II and the Nikon D-500 would be welcomed by wildlife photographers. Another area of needed improvement is security and ant-theft technologies that protect our investments in this expensive equipment.
All buttons of camera should be configurable to your needs. In a "My setup" you should be able to setup different consolidated steps of configuration and this setup should be setup for a button. Enough internal memory for AI updates, images buffer for pre capture, foootgage etc. Charged firmware for genre related AI functionality (AF, features etc)
As a Nikon D500 user, I agree that a mirrorless crop sensor body with Z8/9 type focusing is a real need in the Nikon lineup. Meanwhile, I also have to say that I'm quite happy with my "obsolete" camera bodies.:) The photos of the week are still my favorite part of the videos. I found myself talking to the screen and telling Jan not to brighten the owl. The way it so perfectly matches the tree would be exactly what I would want to preserve. LOL. No perfect answers when it come to composition and editing, eh? Thanks, guys, great video.
I would love it if Nikon released a option to link shooting speed (fps) with shutter speed. I usually shoot at 20fps but if I have a slower or static subject and I drop my shutter down to 1/200, etc. I end up with 20 identical photos. It would be amazing to say anything under 1/320 shoot at 5fps 1/320-1/800 10fps and over 1/800 shoot at 20fps because I want more images of a fast moving subject to get that special moment.
Good session! I've found that adding a noise filter on the remove/gen ai section after removal, typically 1 to 4%, helps make it look much more natural.
New tech that fixes all of these "problems" is great. But go back in time.... remember FILM? And no image stabilization? We are becoming spoiled, I think. I guess we need a camera that we can simply set out in the field, and which will go out and find birds, take thousands of photos, and return to us. Then all we will have to do is dump the photos to our computers and process them. Seriously, though... as always I appreciate your content. I always learn something.
Hi Glenn & Jan. Thanks to both of you for your always interesting contents, no matter the gear I use. the nice bird with the tiny nest at 29:55 might be the Whiskered Treeswift ( Hemiprocne comata) i found on Cornell Lab page Enjoy your outings and Greetings from Belgium
For Canon, they definitely need a competitive product to compete with the Nikon PF lenses. The 400 f4 DO II was a great lens but not quite the reach needed for birds. And I agree, 24 mpx in 2024 is sub standard. Great video. Always entertaining!
I'm an original Affinity photo user, i dont think it has any ai functions, and that's perfect for me as i dont want any. I made the transition from dslar to mirrorless (z9 and d500 owner) and i enjoy the new capabilities that brings but I don't want the camera to do all the work as it would take all the enjoyment and satisfaction i get from having to learn the required skills and then develop my technique to be able to actually get the shots I'm after. That applies even more to editing. If i can take an out of focus, poorly exposed badly framed photo, and know that with the click of a button, my computer will produce the desired image, what's the point. Why bother learning and mastering anything if I'm ultimately not responsible for the outcome. It would be like learning to drive a racing car over many years and then racing a self driving car.
@jan_wegener definitely, and i really enjoy the editing process and the results that it can produce. But we seem to have an addictive relationship with technology where it seems to be adopted even if it makes things worse than before. I just hope our wonderful pastime is not negatively affected by 'progress' Great channel, by the way. I really enjoy your content
Great ideas! Built-in 1T memory would have so many advantages in speed, weight, and convenience! Internal memory and 1 SD card would be ideal with the ability to write to both for backup (it would be extremely rare for internal memory to fail), or the ability to transfer from internal memory to internal SD card for archive (Or to have a 10 GB/s transfer to computer). Many more computational features! How about a two point focus with aperture setting for focus stacking (set aperture, focus on near object, focus on far object, next shutter press will compute how many frames, and at what focus distance at the given aperture are required for the entire range to be sharp at the given sensor resolution, then take the shots, for focus stacking. The A9III could focus stack a whole flock of birds at 120 fps. Pano mode: hold down the shutter button and move the camera while a pano is created internally (this is nothing new - my iPhone will already do this for a horizontal pano, but a good camera could do multiple rows).
I would love the camera makers to come up with a way to back up photos direct from camera to hard drive via a cable. I always watch your videos - very informative, thank you.
I use AI when I need to extend the crop. I find it does an amazing job. The remove tool in Photoshop is my new best friend for removing distractions. In Lightroom, the new masking tools are wonderful. From a negative standpoint of AI, I hate the generated birds that people are posting as if they are real birds. Your photos are proof that Mother Nature needs no improvement.
Thought-provoking as always - thanks. Both top micro4/3 systems (pany. and OM) contain many (all?) of your 'wishes'. These set the bar for functionality (including in-body processing like simulated ND and hand-held hi-resolution), even if not matching image quality of full frame. For example, Panasonic's G9's "drive-mode dial" at the left-hand thumb makes it trivial to switch between single shot, burst, or pre-burst modes (and a few others). Not sure if the g9 ii has the same versatility, but this control provides what Jan was asking for - a "button" to switch pre-burst in or out instantly without looking.
Fantastic video guys. Totally agree with your take on denoising software. This is one of the most essential tools for us bird photographers. Literally makes the unusable, usable! Also agree with your comments on the "remove" tool. By far the my most used tool these days in photoshop. A tremendous upgrade! Great vid cheers
Your comments on the images help me to see things I would never have considered. And I've been in photography (not wildlife) for 30+ years. Thanks for all the great content.
A9III is the first camera to do pre-capture right. You can program it to any custom button...shoot without it and just push the button to jump into that mode without any menu diving. Boost feature is also killer.
I would appreciate a more modern menu. Add a search function. Setting via a connected mobile device would not have to copy the camera interface, it could be more smart, with an unlimited number of customer settings for example.
🙏 Canon should be watching this to have a bright future ;-) I guess I can only add the R5ii should get dual CFxB, and the R6iii and R7ii should get at least one CFxB
Thanks for the video. In the future I'm hoping for focus peaking that automatically changes the color on different backgrounds. A more intelligent autofocus that does not require special settings for each object. With eyes AF, this should work for all animals, including human animals :)
pro capture + pre capture is for taking one action, like bird coming out of the nest or bird coming to land on the perch. yes you should be half pressing then when the action happens you fully press so it takes about half or one sec. here its important to set the camera for more images pre release , my settings usually 30 fps pre release and 10 after. yes it not for shotting always but its always good to put its setting on one of the custom battens and program one button for easy recalling. i use it mostly for the weaver in my garden as its going and coming during nest building.
I want more buttons on my camera! If they are adding more features, you need to be able to access and control those features on the fly. Also, I don’t do any photo editing (yet), but I disagree with the owl pic advice. One of the things that makes this owl pic great is how well it is camouflaged with the tree. Increasing the contrast between the owl and the tree loses some of that camouflaged effect. If I wanted to change it, I would consider increasing the crop to highlight the owl a bit more. If someone thinks the photo is too dark, then try lightening the entire photo, not just the owl. Thanks for another great video!
Great Podcast, guys ! With regards to AI and the development of Photoshop and especially Camera Raw i must say that we are very lucky to have such, truly amazing tools, available to us. As we speak, i am processing old pictures from our trip to Sri Lanka we did in 2011. I had the Canon 5DmkII with me. Horrible autofocus but the good ones are really good. MUCH better, honestly, than i can achieve with my Panasonic G9. The dynamic range is jaw dropping ! The amount of recovery is just unbelievable. I am so happy that i did not throw away as much as was my initial reflex when i saw them in 2011. That 5D was far from perfect but working on them now is like putting new light on old faded memories. Sure, i have to deal with noise... BUT... I have less noise than when i would have used my G9 on that trip in 2011 ! DEFINITELY going back to full frame. Despite the size, despite the weight, despite the price. I am so incredible happy that i had that camera with me in 2011. Despite the weight, size and price 👍🏻 What i would like to add is that i feel that feverish photography urge we are all familiar with, now more than i have ever felt since that trip in 2011.
I'd love to see a supplementary approach to autofocus which I'll call "Ignore Background". Say you're shooting birds in a reedbed or against the sea it seems to me that with AI it should be possible to film such a background for a few seconds so that the camera can "learn" what it looks like. Once it knows to ignore the typical patterns of vertical reeds or waves/reflections, it should make focusing on a defined subject like a bird that much faster because the camera already knows what to ignore. While I imagine this could be done initially with presets like the usual autofocus functions, the idea that you could go somewhere and have the camera learn the background you're actually shooting in would make it endlessly adaptable.
Talking of the bird with all the colour if it was me I would highlight the back area and pull the saturation right out to make the bird pop I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but an option but also like the headshot idea great video guys
Great video :) I could give you a LONG list of improvements I'd like to see for my R7 + 800 F11 combo...... But my responses are usually too long as it is :) lol I did see something with that first viewers shot (the beautiful Barbet, looked to be razor sharp too !) that immediately came to mind.... I'd have tilted it substantially to the right, and then used generative fill and brushing, to take care of the empty wedge at the top left. This would have not only put the birds eye more in the center of the shot, but also would have been a more natural angle for a bird to perch. Speaking of which, I almost never worry about leveling my bird shots in the field, as sometimes, even when they are level, I will unlevel them in post, for better cropping and aesthetics of the shot :)
Hi guys, really enjoyed this program. I agree with the comments that Nikon needs to create a mirrorless version of the D500. I have two friends that still use and love the D500. They still won't move to mirrorless. On the topic of APS-C, Nikon, Canon, and Sony all seem satisfied with, from a serious photographer's perspective, half-baked APS-C mirrorless cameras. The notable exception, Fuji, who make great APS-C cameras that just need a boost in autofocus technology. The mysteries of the camera industry today... Finally, how does one submit photos to your program for judging? Thanks...
Totally agree re pre-shooting. The "taster" in the R7 is absolutely unusable in practice. If it could be quickly enabled / disabled and if it didn't disable shooting for an eternity afterwards, that little camera could be that much closer to awesome. Oh, also. need the sensor readout to be much quicker, rolling shutter needs to be a thing of the past.
60Mpix without AA filter with at least current R5 speed would be nice as it would enable me to basically get rid of R7. Shooting in crop mode just for sake of having smaller files is a bad idea but I would love to have x1.3 mode to be used with some APS-C lenses (like Sigma 50-100mm Sport or Tokina 14-20mm) as well as x1.4 and x1.6 crop mode but allowing to get higher framerates. For instance if current R5 can shoot 20fps in FF mode I can's see why it would not be able to shoot 30fps in 1.3 or 1.4 and 40 fps in 1.6 crop
This episode provides an excellent discussion of wish list improvements for FF DSLRs and the useful advances in AI focusing and post processing. Surprisingly, your wish list of camera improvements already pre-exist in the newest OM1 cameras and their best super telephoto lens. The boosted RAM working memory coupled with the very fast CPU processor and the fast readout with its state-of-the-art stacked sensor in the OM1 Mark II has eliminated rolling shutter problems, eliminated EVF blackouts at most shutter speeds used by wildlife photographers, boosted the buffer to 256 RAW images, improved the accessibility and customization of the Pro (pre) Capture feature, greatly improved the subject AI lock-on focus speeds and tracking, and has better controlled noise at hight ISOs. With regard to wished for improvements in the size, weight and speed of wildlife lenses, the Olympus/OMS 150-400mm 1.25 TC lens already has what you wish for: constant f/4.5 up to 800mm FF equivalent, f/5.6 at 1000mm, constant close focusing at 1.3 meters, and a weight just over 2 kilos. Yes, the sensor has a crop factor of 2 (Jan’s wishlist item), and yes it is 20MP. However, they are exceptionally well implemented megapixels in a rugged small weather sealed professional camera. You guys should give this m43 camera and lens combo a try and tell us what you think. Is it what you wish for?
Hi MP cameras with no rolling shutter already exist for Sony and Nikon and to make every camera stacked would make cameras more expensive for those it's no a problem for. Battery life in the Z9 is great because of the size of the camera and the battery. You mention the solution, the grip. How about a grip with additional batter but also built in ssd. We defiantly need more long primes for Sony, a 500 or 600 6.3 under 1.5 KG would be great. If Sony don't make them maybe Tamron.
I have used AI fill or used it to remove distracting elements, however there are times I have to removed items manually, Like Jan said. Just a bit too tricky for AI.
Great video guys! The AI part was pretty wild. Regarding the camera / lens future, Nikon nailed it with the new line of tele primes - 400 f/4.5, 600 f/6.3 and 800 f/6.3 are dream lenses for all wildlife enthusiasts. But they are lacking a prosumer body... something like the D500 was back then so I hope they come with something like that... let's say Z500 :) Canon switched to cheaper extreme zooms that I do not like that much... Sony also have only 200-600 and then only expensive primes so Nikon is well ahead. I also hope that Fujifilm will release a great but still affordable prime tele... that would match the 400 / 600 small lenses from Nikon with the same reach, weight and price.
AI spoils down to one thing: Personal choice. Like do you paint oil or water colours? With the advance of electronics, it's impossible now to buy any modern camera that doesn't in some way, "manage" the image. Even those "purists" that only shoot Black and White - its processed ! I agree with the batter issue on the Z8. I carry three spare every time...but in saying that, I've NEVER changed batteries while out on a shoot - only when returned to base!
Not easily, because the subject is skewed differently than the background. Doable if the subject’s motion is uniform, you can cut it out and fill in the background, change the skew angle and paste it back in.
It’s very hard. Sometimes the liquifier can help. But usually when it happens the wings for instance are also not fully sharp, which makes any correction even harder
I forgot to mention this: with masking in photoshop, select the mask on the layer in question. Press the "\" button on your keyboard. It'll highlight the mask in Red. You can use a brush tool to edit the mask (using 'x' to select between white/black to add/remove to the masked area). I find the auto selection and quick selection tools horrible (sorry Jan!).
Glenn you are right dynamic range of the R3 and the R7 these 2 cameras that I use , when a cell phone does a better sunrise picture than both the R3 and the R7 because of bad dynamic range something's wrong . Glenn here again you talk about something that I really can't stand and that is A .I . personaly I think it's running our lives and especially running our photos .
To me there is still a gap in lenses that must now be possible...a 600 f4.5 DO/PF that is 2-2.3 kg. I.e. Still very handholdable. Equally a lightweight 500 f4 would be great,
The mirrorless cameras need to get better at re-focusing. With my Nikon Z8, if I am focused behind a bird it stubbornly refuses to reacquire the focus on the bird, and sometimes when I am in focus in front of the bird it will focus THROUGH the bird and then hold focus behind. The cameras need to get better at jumping to focus.
The subject is Bird photography, Wildlife is much wider and for some wildlife especially big animals, and even bigger birds, demand less speed and focus challenges that BIF especially small BIF.
I find that with Canon R5 I have had more problems due to heat haze than I would find normal. I don't know if you've encountered that problem... Normally, it's not something I worry too much about, because I shoot at times and places where heat haze tends to be negligible. But when there is heat haze, I think the problem is acute with my R5 files. "Acute" as if the camera somehow worsened the problem. I've had once a direct comparison with someone shooting beside me the same bird at the same time with a very inferior APSC camera and see him obtain much sharper images... But I haven't heard any photographer commenting on this issue. Would love to know Jan if you've noticed any difference when shooting with Nikon. Perhaps a good comparison has not yet been made. If this were a real issue with Canon mirrorless and heat haze, or with Canon R5 specifically, I would like that to disappear in the future. And I agree about: Wobbling (a nightmare when I try to show a sequence and suddenly shapes start twisting a bit, or melting as in a Dali painting). Rolling shutter (have had the same question Glenn has asked himself about length of wings, many times! 😂, and with hummingbirds you can get weird things, as one wing twisting one way and the other in the opposite direction).
Future of cameras will be a integrated unit which can fit in the back of lens and you control everything using a VR or smartphone. The pictures will be directly stored on the cloud. It will take away most of the hardware and storage away from camera. Wildlife lens can have multiple units which can be added or removed to make the lense telephoto & super-telephoto. Most of photography experience will software driven and less hardware driven.... OR am I crazy and thinking too much!
I am going to sound like a luddite, but are we becoming too technology dependent? I remember the early film motor drives when 3 fps was an amazing thing, and the buffer remember was the size of your film roll (usually 24 images). Yet those photographers captured beautiful images even with technology limitations of the time. Don't get me wrong, I am just waiting to get a new R6. But I also appreciate using my 80d when I still feel I have to work to get images.
Finding ideal range ...f stop price conundrum leaning a bit a 40 400 4.5 7 with 800 or 600 light prime 6.3not to demanding requisites for price weight .60 to 600 sig tempting me but so hefty.Bit of standard in telephoto range those 150 and 200 starts .Combo world also the ff with apsc my wishes
Given the competing sensor size criteria of low light capability and high resolution I think they should limit sensor size to best sensitivity while offering effective pixel shifting to increase resolution. You should be able to dial in the resolution you need for the application.
Absolutely true, hoping they can also speed up image transfer to minimize that issue,. In any case landscape, still life, product, real estate and astrophotography would all certainly benefit, especially astrophotography!
If Canon can’t accomplish pixel shift maybe time to change platforms? Just saw a Z8 firmware update video with high megapixel sensor shift images of Iceland and WOW!
Banish EVF blackout! The Canon R3 with stacked sensor and blackout-less EVF is far better than the R5 for small, fast-moving birds. Getting swallows in flight is effortless with a blackout-less EVF. But the blinking EVF of the R5 makes it nearly impossible to follow birds that change direction quickly.
10:20 what's important, I will go even further.. I'd love to have Nikon 600 mm f6.3... Every manufacturer should have that, like Canon or Sony, but in more comfortable price... the weight of less than 1,4 kg and that sharpness.. I'd love to have that.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that until camera companies ditch the hybrid cameras, photographers, and videographers will feel their camera is only half what they need. I don't take videos, so I paid for features that I will never use....I'd gladly pay the same price for a camera that was for only stills. How good of a stills camera only would $3k get us?
photography in 2024: "take photo with camera and then use AI to make it a bit nicer" photography in 2034: "generate image with AI then use photoshop to rough it up to make it look authentic" RUclips in 2034: "download my FREE re-noise plug in for that gritty feel" "how to make an REALISTIC cluttered background in 5 easy steps" "use linear gradients for a flat overcast look" "heres 50 presets to add motion blur - just like a real camera!!!"
It’s funny you say that. When I was still managing a real estate photography company, the agents of the houses to be sold wanted everything super edited and perfect and then renders for new projects always wanted things a bit more messy and “realistic” 😆
Flagship R3 doesn't have pre capture...this is easily implemented in a firmware update, as is zebras rather than blinkies which are useless for smaller birds in EVF...been nagging CPS Australia for 8 months now and nada... Canon's camera support post camera purchase is horrid (as is Sony's to be brutally honest). Nikon shames both of them. Rolling shutter being gone, much better battery life and video overheating should have all long been solved...but camera manufacturers use these features to split their cameras up for sales purposes... I'd also like to see proper dust/weather/water sealing IP ratings...only Olympus does this. Shame on you Canon, Sony and Nikon.
I´m all in favour of AI tools. Anything that enhances my photos is fine by me while not forgetting that we still can´t make a silk purse out of a sow´s ear.
AI masking in Lightroom (sorry Jan, has been a hectic few days, so watching the video as I get time to, bit by bit) is dreadful imho. I have to spend up to 20 minutes manually fixing the masking...on nearly every image I use it on. It's better than nothing, but it isn't a drop in fix imho.
@@jan_wegener yup. It's still nice to have as a feature. I now mask in both Lightroom and Photoshop. Your masterclass video has helped my confidence in Photoshop somewhat and I've made a few images look better with cloning unwanted leaves etc. I'm still nowhere near your proficiency or quality, but hey, it's a start.
The biggest gap with Sony is that wildlife photography is an afterthought, not a priority. So we get a lot of gear that is great for other uses but just ok for wildlife. The A1 is the exception but only because it was a technological breakthrough all-around, not because Sony set out to create the best wildlife camera at the time. It shows in the lack of lenses, and the fact that most progress these days is video centric. If Nikon, as small and resource strapped as they were could release the z9 and z8 almost back to back, why couldn’t Sony release the A9iii and A1ii at the same time? Same body, same features, one with global shutter, the other with the A1 sensor and a bigger buffer for precapture. Throw in some fresnel lens glass and there would be little left out. Off my Sony soap box, what I’d like to see all brands do is make better use of vertical grips - not just increase battery count from 1 to 2, but increase buffer memory size and maybe provide internal storage as well…
I sometimes get annoyed at the autofocus with mirrorless, it hunts a lot, or the focus box dives into a corner and hides. With a DSLR it is sometimes better, but may focus to one side of the eye. On dull days AEAF can suck!
We hope you all enjoy the show. Let us know what you think the future holds!
Theft protection built in is high on my list and well as at least 1TB of internal memory.
Lumix G9II has all the options you are wanting for the preshooting. You can set a button or on off, you can set the time to .5sec or others if you want, it also doesn't fill the buffer because it continues to shoot while it is writing the images.
Thank you for featuring my Red-cowled widowbird 🙏🏾 I will improve my masking.
It’s a great shot!
It's a great picture! Congratulations.
Reach is everything.
Notice RF 200 - 800 and OM 150 - 600.
OM Pro Capture is the gold standard as pointed out.
I’ll stick with my Nikon D500,love it.😃
The best bird pohotography videos on the planet. I hope you will do this for the next 20 years. Awesome combination of tech information and nice pictures
Glad you are enjoying them
i moved from Olympus OM-1 ii and Lumix G9ii, both which had pre-capture up to 75fps. trying Canon R7 and R6 II and wish they had a pre-shoot where there's not an extra step to get the raw files from the burst. a great underrated feature Olympus has had for many years.
Great episode guys. Lots of different topics and as usual constructive comment on the photos.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you Glen for short listing my image for review and both for sharing your feedback. It means a lot and work on it
OM Systems is the leader in preshooting. No extracting in camera (writes all to the card as separate frames), variable frame rates, and variable pre and post number of frames. C'mon Canon, get with it. Sorry, Wrote this before Glenn spoke about the Oly.
Always enjoy this show so much!!!!
I think that improved buffer capacity and clearance, and built-in SSD image storage are two areas where cameras could be improved. Improved (faster and more accurate) autofocus AI algorithms and auto-exposure capabilities would be greatly appreciated, as well. I agree that higher resolution sensors that would allow in-camera 1.3, 1.6, and 2X crop would be very helpful. I also agree that a true successor to the Canon 7D Mark II and the Nikon D-500 would be welcomed by wildlife photographers.
Another area of needed improvement is security and ant-theft technologies that protect our investments in this expensive equipment.
All buttons of camera should be configurable to your needs. In a "My setup" you should be able to setup different consolidated steps of configuration and this setup should be setup for a button.
Enough internal memory for AI updates, images buffer for pre capture, foootgage etc.
Charged firmware for genre related AI functionality (AF, features etc)
That would be great
LOVE, love, love your digital darkroom tips!
As a Nikon D500 user, I agree that a mirrorless crop sensor body with Z8/9 type focusing is a real need in the Nikon lineup. Meanwhile, I also have to say that I'm quite happy with my "obsolete" camera bodies.:) The photos of the week are still my favorite part of the videos. I found myself talking to the screen and telling Jan not to brighten the owl. The way it so perfectly matches the tree would be exactly what I would want to preserve. LOL. No perfect answers when it come to composition and editing, eh? Thanks, guys, great video.
Hehe, it’s all personal taste in the end
I would love it if Nikon released a option to link shooting speed (fps) with shutter speed. I usually shoot at 20fps but if I have a slower or static subject and I drop my shutter down to 1/200, etc. I end up with 20 identical photos. It would be amazing to say anything under 1/320 shoot at 5fps 1/320-1/800 10fps and over 1/800 shoot at 20fps because I want more images of a fast moving subject to get that special moment.
Thanks for the hard work you go through to bring these great videos to us.
Glad you like them!
Good session! I've found that adding a noise filter on the remove/gen ai section after removal, typically 1 to 4%, helps make it look much more natural.
New tech that fixes all of these "problems" is great. But go back in time.... remember FILM? And no image stabilization? We are becoming spoiled, I think. I guess we need a camera that we can simply set out in the field, and which will go out and find birds, take thousands of photos, and return to us. Then all we will have to do is dump the photos to our computers and process them. Seriously, though... as always I appreciate your content. I always learn something.
Hi Glenn & Jan.
Thanks to both of you for your always interesting contents, no matter the gear I use.
the nice bird with the tiny nest at 29:55 might be the Whiskered Treeswift ( Hemiprocne comata) i found on Cornell Lab page
Enjoy your outings and
Greetings from Belgium
Thanks Jan, great video as always! What is the process to apply and be selected for the photo of the week?
Tag your photos #birdphotoshow on Insta
Sometimes sending a DM can also help 😉
The new AI tools in Lightroom and ACR are amazing. I use them more and more! I'm also using Photoshop layers much more than I did a year or two ago.
For Canon, they definitely need a competitive product to compete with the Nikon PF lenses. The 400 f4 DO II was a great lens but not quite the reach needed for birds. And I agree, 24 mpx in 2024 is sub standard. Great video. Always entertaining!
My wish: eye detection for butterflies!
absolutely agree with you guys on the 600mm f/5.6 !
I'm an original Affinity photo user, i dont think it has any ai functions, and that's perfect for me as i dont want any. I made the transition from dslar to mirrorless (z9 and d500 owner) and i enjoy the new capabilities that brings but I don't want the camera to do all the work as it would take all the enjoyment and satisfaction i get from having to learn the required skills and then develop my technique to be able to actually get the shots I'm after. That applies even more to editing. If i can take an out of focus, poorly exposed badly framed photo, and know that with the click of a button, my computer will produce the desired image, what's the point. Why bother learning and mastering anything if I'm ultimately not responsible for the outcome. It would be like learning to drive a racing car over many years and then racing a self driving car.
I think a bad photo will always be a bad photo, AI or not, but you can often turn a good photo into a great photo with a touch of editing
@jan_wegener definitely, and i really enjoy the editing process and the results that it can produce. But we seem to have an addictive relationship with technology where it seems to be adopted even if it makes things worse than before. I just hope our wonderful pastime is not negatively affected by 'progress'
Great channel, by the way. I really enjoy your content
Great ideas! Built-in 1T memory would have so many advantages in speed, weight, and convenience! Internal memory and 1 SD card would be ideal with the ability to write to both for backup (it would be extremely rare for internal memory to fail), or the ability to transfer from internal memory to internal SD card for archive (Or to have a 10 GB/s transfer to computer). Many more computational features! How about a two point focus with aperture setting for focus stacking (set aperture, focus on near object, focus on far object, next shutter press will compute how many frames, and at what focus distance at the given aperture are required for the entire range to be sharp at the given sensor resolution, then take the shots, for focus stacking. The A9III could focus stack a whole flock of birds at 120 fps. Pano mode: hold down the shutter button and move the camera while a pano is created internally (this is nothing new - my iPhone will already do this for a horizontal pano, but a good camera could do multiple rows).
From a wildlife perspective I agree with you. From a long exposure landscape perspective I would love to see Canon offer ISO bracketing.
I would love the camera makers to come up with a way to back up photos direct from camera to hard drive via a cable.
I always watch your videos - very informative, thank you.
Great tips thank you
Glad it was helpful!
I use AI when I need to extend the crop. I find it does an amazing job. The remove tool in Photoshop is my new best friend for removing distractions. In Lightroom, the new masking tools are wonderful. From a negative standpoint of AI, I hate the generated birds that people are posting as if they are real birds. Your photos are proof that Mother Nature needs no improvement.
Yes! It’s so annoying when people post ai bird images and all the comments think they’re real
Thought-provoking as always - thanks. Both top micro4/3 systems (pany. and OM) contain many (all?) of your 'wishes'. These set the bar for functionality (including in-body processing like simulated ND and hand-held hi-resolution), even if not matching image quality of full frame. For example, Panasonic's G9's "drive-mode dial" at the left-hand thumb makes it trivial to switch between single shot, burst, or pre-burst modes (and a few others). Not sure if the g9 ii has the same versatility, but this control provides what Jan was asking for - a "button" to switch pre-burst in or out instantly without looking.
Fantastic video guys. Totally agree with your take on denoising software. This is one of the most essential tools for us bird photographers. Literally makes the unusable, usable! Also agree with your comments on the "remove" tool. By far the my most used tool these days in photoshop. A tremendous upgrade! Great vid cheers
Totally agree!
Your comments on the images help me to see things I would never have considered. And I've been in photography (not wildlife) for 30+ years. Thanks for all the great content.
Wonderful!
A9III is the first camera to do pre-capture right. You can program it to any custom button...shoot without it and just push the button to jump into that mode without any menu diving. Boost feature is also killer.
Yep 👍
I would appreciate a more modern menu. Add a search function. Setting via a connected mobile device would not have to copy the camera interface, it could be more smart, with an unlimited number of customer settings for example.
OVF Standard: 5.4 MPX with 120 Hz Refresh Rate / BlackOut Free, but feeling organic.
Also: Handheld Highres and Stacking in Camera
Sensors: MFT - 28.6 MPX BSI Stacked Fluid Cooled (LowNoise until ISO6400) / APS-C - 34 MPX BSI Stacked / Full Frame - 54 MPX BSI Sensor
Great topics covered.... Waiting for that canon prime budget lens.. 😅😅😅😂
🙏 Canon should be watching this to have a bright future ;-)
I guess I can only add the R5ii should get dual CFxB, and the R6iii and R7ii should get at least one CFxB
Thanks for the video. In the future I'm hoping for focus peaking that automatically changes the color on different backgrounds.
A more intelligent autofocus that does not require special settings for each object. With eyes AF, this should work for all animals, including human animals :)
Thanks
Thank you!
pro capture + pre capture is for taking one action, like bird coming out of the nest or bird coming to land on the perch. yes you should be half pressing then when the action happens you fully press so it takes about half or one sec. here its important to set the camera for more images pre release , my settings usually 30 fps pre release and 10 after. yes it not for shotting always but its always good to put its setting on one of the custom battens and program one button for easy recalling. i use it mostly for the weaver in my garden as its going and coming during nest building.
Thanks for sharing
With Canon, alter the Dof button to select silent, therefore going from standard to electronic and 20 frames per second
I want more buttons on my camera! If they are adding more features, you need to be able to access and control those features on the fly. Also, I don’t do any photo editing (yet), but I disagree with the owl pic advice. One of the things that makes this owl pic great is how well it is camouflaged with the tree. Increasing the contrast between the owl and the tree loses some of that camouflaged effect. If I wanted to change it, I would consider increasing the crop to highlight the owl a bit more. If someone thinks the photo is too dark, then try lightening the entire photo, not just the owl. Thanks for another great video!
Great Podcast, guys !
With regards to AI and the development of Photoshop and especially Camera Raw i must say that we are very lucky to have such, truly amazing tools, available to us.
As we speak, i am processing old pictures from our trip to Sri Lanka we did in 2011. I had the Canon 5DmkII with me. Horrible autofocus but the good ones are really good. MUCH better, honestly, than i can achieve with my Panasonic G9.
The dynamic range is jaw dropping ! The amount of recovery is just unbelievable. I am so happy that i did not throw away as much as was my initial reflex when i saw them in 2011.
That 5D was far from perfect but working on them now is like putting new light on old faded memories. Sure, i have to deal with noise... BUT... I have less noise than when i would have used my G9 on that trip in 2011 !
DEFINITELY going back to full frame. Despite the size, despite the weight, despite the price. I am so incredible happy that i had that camera with me in 2011. Despite the weight, size and price 👍🏻
What i would like to add is that i feel that feverish photography urge we are all familiar with, now more than i have ever felt since that trip in 2011.
Thanks for sharing! It’s great to look back at old files and improve them
I'd love to see a supplementary approach to autofocus which I'll call "Ignore Background". Say you're shooting birds in a reedbed or against the sea it seems to me that with AI it should be possible to film such a background for a few seconds so that the camera can "learn" what it looks like. Once it knows to ignore the typical patterns of vertical reeds or waves/reflections, it should make focusing on a defined subject like a bird that much faster because the camera already knows what to ignore. While I imagine this could be done initially with presets like the usual autofocus functions, the idea that you could go somewhere and have the camera learn the background you're actually shooting in would make it endlessly adaptable.
Now that would be cool
Good points all around. Interestingly, one easy and obvious area that Canon and Nikon are lacking are real time “zebras” for still shooters.
Good point!
have you guys seen the new sigma offering? 500 f5.6 sadly not available on the z or rf mount
Talking of the bird with all the colour if it was me I would highlight the back area and pull the saturation right out to make the bird pop I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but an option but also like the headshot idea great video guys
Great video :) I could give you a LONG list of improvements I'd like to see for my R7 + 800 F11 combo...... But my responses are usually too long as it is :) lol
I did see something with that first viewers shot (the beautiful Barbet, looked to be razor sharp too !) that immediately came to mind.... I'd have tilted it substantially to the right, and then used generative fill and brushing, to take care of the empty wedge at the top left. This would have not only put the birds eye more in the center of the shot, but also would have been a more natural angle for a bird to perch.
Speaking of which, I almost never worry about leveling my bird shots in the field, as sometimes, even when they are level, I will unlevel them in post, for better cropping and aesthetics of the shot :)
Nice thoughts
I would also like to see Canon do a pro grade APS-C MLC - the R7 is heavily CrippleHammered...
Hi guys, really enjoyed this program. I agree with the comments that Nikon needs to create a mirrorless version of the D500. I have two friends that still use and love the D500. They still won't move to mirrorless. On the topic of APS-C, Nikon, Canon, and Sony all seem satisfied with, from a serious photographer's perspective, half-baked APS-C mirrorless cameras. The notable exception, Fuji, who make great APS-C cameras that just need a boost in autofocus technology. The mysteries of the camera industry today...
Finally, how does one submit photos to your program for judging? Thanks...
Canon R6 so terrible for battery life, I’m changing batteries in the field all the time, it can be frustrating and I agree on the telling shutter
Totally agree re pre-shooting. The "taster" in the R7 is absolutely unusable in practice. If it could be quickly enabled / disabled and if it didn't disable shooting for an eternity afterwards, that little camera could be that much closer to awesome. Oh, also. need the sensor readout to be much quicker, rolling shutter needs to be a thing of the past.
Agreed
60Mpix without AA filter with at least current R5 speed would be nice as it would enable me to basically get rid of R7. Shooting in crop mode just for sake of having smaller files is a bad idea but I would love to have x1.3 mode to be used with some APS-C lenses (like Sigma 50-100mm Sport or Tokina 14-20mm) as well as x1.4 and x1.6 crop mode but allowing to get higher framerates. For instance if current R5 can shoot 20fps in FF mode I can's see why it would not be able to shoot 30fps in 1.3 or 1.4 and 40 fps in 1.6 crop
Il take a 600 f4 lense any day if I could afford it and damn sure wouldn't complain about the weight of it I wish I had the money to afford it.
How about some built in memory like Hasselblad has
You were mentioning other software, but what do you think about capture one? Any thoughts?
Only used it for real estate in the past but not for wildlife in a while
This episode provides an excellent discussion of wish list improvements for FF DSLRs and the useful advances in AI focusing and post processing. Surprisingly, your wish list of camera improvements already pre-exist in the newest OM1 cameras and their best super telephoto lens. The boosted RAM working memory coupled with the very fast CPU processor and the fast readout with its state-of-the-art stacked sensor in the OM1 Mark II has eliminated rolling shutter problems, eliminated EVF blackouts at most shutter speeds used by wildlife photographers, boosted the buffer to 256 RAW images, improved the accessibility and customization of the Pro (pre) Capture feature, greatly improved the subject AI lock-on focus speeds and tracking, and has better controlled noise at hight ISOs. With regard to wished for improvements in the size, weight and speed of wildlife lenses, the Olympus/OMS 150-400mm 1.25 TC lens already has what you wish for: constant f/4.5 up to 800mm FF equivalent, f/5.6 at 1000mm, constant close focusing at 1.3 meters, and a weight just over 2 kilos. Yes, the sensor has a crop factor of 2 (Jan’s wishlist item), and yes it is 20MP. However, they are exceptionally well implemented megapixels in a rugged small weather sealed professional camera. You guys should give this m43 camera and lens combo a try and tell us what you think. Is it what you wish for?
I guess I’d only know if I tried it 😆
Sounds great for sure
Hi MP cameras with no rolling shutter already exist for Sony and Nikon and to make every camera stacked would make cameras more expensive for those it's no a problem for. Battery life in the Z9 is great because of the size of the camera and the battery. You mention the solution, the grip. How about a grip with additional batter but also built in ssd. We defiantly need more long primes for Sony, a 500 or 600 6.3 under 1.5 KG would be great. If Sony don't make them maybe Tamron.
As an Olympus user, I think you may need to spend some time with an OM1. All of your ask for’s are a part of this system. Really enjoy your show
I have used AI fill or used it to remove distracting elements, however there are times I have to removed items manually, Like Jan said. Just a bit too tricky for AI.
Thanks for sharing
like your discussions. I would like to see the numbering to not repeat after 10,000. on my R5. then I have duplicates
Yes that would be good
OM 1 mk II is the lighter system.. Impressed with the A2 prints. Have a Z9 as well…
Great video guys! The AI part was pretty wild. Regarding the camera / lens future, Nikon nailed it with the new line of tele primes - 400 f/4.5, 600 f/6.3 and 800 f/6.3 are dream lenses for all wildlife enthusiasts. But they are lacking a prosumer body... something like the D500 was back then so I hope they come with something like that... let's say Z500 :) Canon switched to cheaper extreme zooms that I do not like that much... Sony also have only 200-600 and then only expensive primes so Nikon is well ahead. I also hope that Fujifilm will release a great but still affordable prime tele... that would match the 400 / 600 small lenses from Nikon with the same reach, weight and price.
Today if I had to start, I would not go for Sony at all.
AI spoils down to one thing: Personal choice. Like do you paint oil or water colours? With the advance of electronics, it's impossible now to buy any modern camera that doesn't in some way, "manage" the image. Even those "purists" that only shoot Black and White - its processed ! I agree with the batter issue on the Z8. I carry three spare every time...but in saying that, I've NEVER changed batteries while out on a shoot - only when returned to base!
Can you fix rolling shutter in photos in post? I know you can to some extent in videos, but in photos? Would be a perfect task for AI
Not easily, because the subject is skewed differently than the background.
Doable if the subject’s motion is uniform, you can cut it out and fill in the background, change the skew angle and paste it back in.
It’s very hard. Sometimes the liquifier can help. But usually when it happens the wings for instance are also not fully sharp, which makes any correction even harder
I forgot to mention this: with masking in photoshop, select the mask on the layer in question. Press the "\" button on your keyboard. It'll highlight the mask in Red. You can use a brush tool to edit the mask (using 'x' to select between white/black to add/remove to the masked area).
I find the auto selection and quick selection tools horrible (sorry Jan!).
They’re only good for a quick fix
@@jan_wegener agreed
Glenn you are right dynamic range of the R3 and the R7 these 2 cameras that I use , when a cell phone does a better sunrise picture than both the R3 and the R7 because of bad dynamic range something's wrong .
Glenn here again you talk about something that I really can't stand and that is A .I .
personaly I think it's running our lives and especially running our photos .
To me there is still a gap in lenses that must now be possible...a 600 f4.5 DO/PF that is 2-2.3 kg. I.e. Still very handholdable. Equally a lightweight 500 f4 would be great,
The mirrorless cameras need to get better at re-focusing. With my Nikon Z8, if I am focused behind a bird it stubbornly refuses to reacquire the focus on the bird, and sometimes when I am in focus in front of the bird it will focus THROUGH the bird and then hold focus behind. The cameras need to get better at jumping to focus.
Yes, good pre focusing is key with that camera
The subject is Bird photography, Wildlife is much wider and for some wildlife especially big animals, and even bigger birds, demand less speed and focus challenges that BIF especially small BIF.
I find that with Canon R5 I have had more problems due to heat haze than I would find normal. I don't know if you've encountered that problem... Normally, it's not something I worry too much about, because I shoot at times and places where heat haze tends to be negligible. But when there is heat haze, I think the problem is acute with my R5 files. "Acute" as if the camera somehow worsened the problem. I've had once a direct comparison with someone shooting beside me the same bird at the same time with a very inferior APSC camera and see him obtain much sharper images... But I haven't heard any photographer commenting on this issue. Would love to know Jan if you've noticed any difference when shooting with Nikon. Perhaps a good comparison has not yet been made. If this were a real issue with Canon mirrorless and heat haze, or with Canon R5 specifically, I would like that to disappear in the future. And I agree about:
Wobbling (a nightmare when I try to show a sequence and suddenly shapes start twisting a bit, or melting as in a Dali painting).
Rolling shutter (have had the same question Glenn has asked himself about length of wings, many times! 😂, and with hummingbirds you can get weird things, as one wing twisting one way and the other in the opposite direction).
I have shot side by side with a Nikon and real heathaze is terrible on every camera
Future of cameras will be a integrated unit which can fit in the back of lens and you control everything using a VR or smartphone. The pictures will be directly stored on the cloud. It will take away most of the hardware and storage away from camera. Wildlife lens can have multiple units which can be added or removed to make the lense telephoto & super-telephoto. Most of photography experience will software driven and less hardware driven.... OR am I crazy and thinking too much!
Is the brush pack for Photoshop or Lightroom?
Photoshop
I am going to sound like a luddite, but are we becoming too technology dependent? I remember the early film motor drives when 3 fps was an amazing thing, and the buffer remember was the size of your film roll (usually 24 images). Yet those photographers captured beautiful images even with technology limitations of the time. Don't get me wrong, I am just waiting to get a new R6. But I also appreciate using my 80d when I still feel I have to work to get images.
Finding ideal range ...f stop price conundrum leaning a bit a 40 400 4.5 7 with 800 or 600 light prime 6.3not to demanding requisites for price weight .60 to 600 sig tempting me but so hefty.Bit of standard in telephoto range those 150 and 200 starts .Combo world also the ff with apsc my wishes
Given the competing sensor size criteria of low light capability and high resolution I think they should limit sensor size to best sensitivity while offering effective pixel shifting to increase resolution. You should be able to dial in the resolution you need for the application.
The main issue with pixel shift is that it doesn’t to well with movement
Absolutely true, hoping they can also speed up image transfer to minimize that issue,. In any case landscape, still life, product, real estate and astrophotography would all certainly benefit, especially astrophotography!
If Canon can’t accomplish pixel shift maybe time to change platforms? Just saw a Z8 firmware update video with high megapixel sensor shift images of Iceland and WOW!
@@ralphguppy canon has it, but only in jpeg I believe
I saw a lot of great “unusable” photos made with the 4 MP Canon 1D and this was before social media which doesn’t need a lot of MP.
Of course some of it is usable, but it will be limited, so I wouldn’t wanna only get those kind of files now
Banish EVF blackout! The Canon R3 with stacked sensor and blackout-less EVF is far better than the R5 for small, fast-moving birds. Getting swallows in flight is effortless with a blackout-less EVF. But the blinking EVF of the R5 makes it nearly impossible to follow birds that change direction quickly.
10:20 what's important, I will go even further.. I'd love to have Nikon 600 mm f6.3... Every manufacturer should have that, like Canon or Sony, but in more comfortable price... the weight of less than 1,4 kg and that sharpness.. I'd love to have that.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that until camera companies ditch the hybrid cameras, photographers, and videographers will feel their camera is only half what they need. I don't take videos, so I paid for features that I will never use....I'd gladly pay the same price for a camera that was for only stills. How good of a stills camera only would $3k get us?
Add a proper, useful, pre-capture for the R3!!! Why hasn't this been released in a firmware update?
I would mute the colors in the background to make the colors of the bid stand out.
Good idea
photography in 2024:
"take photo with camera and then use AI to make it a bit nicer"
photography in 2034:
"generate image with AI then use photoshop to rough it up to make it look authentic"
RUclips in 2034:
"download my FREE re-noise plug in for that gritty feel"
"how to make an REALISTIC cluttered background in 5 easy steps"
"use linear gradients for a flat overcast look"
"heres 50 presets to add motion blur - just like a real camera!!!"
It’s funny you say that. When I was still managing a real estate photography company, the agents of the houses to be sold wanted everything super edited and perfect and then renders for new projects always wanted things a bit more messy and “realistic” 😆
yes exactly, i used to be a architectural draughtsman and thats what they used to ask for @@jan_wegener
Lol
Auto subject exposure compensation is coming!! I'm actually excited!!
@22:06 Do you think desaturating and blurring the background a bit would help?
Could be another option
Flagship R3 doesn't have pre capture...this is easily implemented in a firmware update, as is zebras rather than blinkies which are useless for smaller birds in EVF...been nagging CPS Australia for 8 months now and nada...
Canon's camera support post camera purchase is horrid (as is Sony's to be brutally honest). Nikon shames both of them.
Rolling shutter being gone, much better battery life and video overheating should have all long been solved...but camera manufacturers use these features to split their cameras up for sales purposes...
I'd also like to see proper dust/weather/water sealing IP ratings...only Olympus does this. Shame on you Canon, Sony and Nikon.
I just want Canon to compete with Nikon for wildlife lenses. A prime ~$6,000 like an RF800 f8.
ie wud gon tu blur det baggrund of det the først foto you toking about
I´m all in favour of AI tools. Anything that enhances my photos is fine by me while not forgetting that we still can´t make a silk purse out of a sow´s ear.
AI masking in Lightroom (sorry Jan, has been a hectic few days, so watching the video as I get time to, bit by bit) is dreadful imho. I have to spend up to 20 minutes manually fixing the masking...on nearly every image I use it on. It's better than nothing, but it isn't a drop in fix imho.
Yes you have to be lucky and do moderate adjustments otherwise it’ll show up fast
@@jan_wegener yup. It's still nice to have as a feature. I now mask in both Lightroom and Photoshop. Your masterclass video has helped my confidence in Photoshop somewhat and I've made a few images look better with cloning unwanted leaves etc. I'm still nowhere near your proficiency or quality, but hey, it's a start.
SSD CARDS need to go away. Now that I use CF express, I could never go back 😂
Thank you for featuring my barbet!
Our pleasure! Great image
The biggest gap with Sony is that wildlife photography is an afterthought, not a priority. So we get a lot of gear that is great for other uses but just ok for wildlife. The A1 is the exception but only because it was a technological breakthrough all-around, not because Sony set out to create the best wildlife camera at the time. It shows in the lack of lenses, and the fact that most progress these days is video centric. If Nikon, as small and resource strapped as they were could release the z9 and z8 almost back to back, why couldn’t Sony release the A9iii and A1ii at the same time? Same body, same features, one with global shutter, the other with the A1 sensor and a bigger buffer for precapture. Throw in some fresnel lens glass and there would be little left out.
Off my Sony soap box, what I’d like to see all brands do is make better use of vertical grips - not just increase battery count from 1 to 2, but increase buffer memory size and maybe provide internal storage as well…
AI allows one to go from photographer to artist.
What would be a game changer is a Universal Adapter . Imagine if you could use Nikon lenses on a Canon Camera vice versa
I sometimes get annoyed at the autofocus with mirrorless, it hunts a lot, or the focus box dives into a corner and hides. With a DSLR it is sometimes better, but may focus to one side of the eye. On dull days AEAF can suck!
I think the hiding focus box may be caused by your nose 😆
high prices - thats something i would like to see go away.