WINTERY NORTHUMBERLAND GROUSE/BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY/ RETURN TO NIKON
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- Опубликовано: 22 окт 2024
- What better than a few days up in Northumberland photographing Brown Hares. We packed packed up the car and headed North. The weather obviously had other ideas and whilst it stayed fine at home it was certainly wild up on the Northumberland moors. We had to change tact and ended up trying to get shots of the Red Grouse in the wild and wintery conditions. I also explain the reasoning behind the move back to Nikon. Join me as we head to Allenheads and our short stay in Signpost Cottage (AirBnB). Link below.
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Anyway grab a brew and a fig roll (other biscuits are available) and sit back and enjoy the film!! Thanks for watching.
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That is a beautiful cottage, too bad about the weather, still got some nice pictures.
Thanks for watching, all the best 👍🏼
Another fun vlog, I especially like the picture of the red grouse on the stone wall. Keep it up and thanks for sharing.
Cheers Lee, yeh I liked that one myself 👀👌🏼
Always brilliant video and informative to give a very honest opinions 👍
Glad you enjoyed it, ATB, Si 👍🏼
Allenheads is also a great location for Red Squirrels. We saw Stoats up on the moors too. Can't wait to go back. Nice cottage! We will look at staying there next time.
Nice one Daz, yeh its a great place 👍🏼👍🏼
Great video Simon, great weather also, would much prefer them conditions than a bright sunny day. I’m always using the motor as a mobile hide also, more skittish subjects are just not fussed if your sat in the car..
Absolutely Richard, great conditions. Like you say cars are a superb hide. Thanks for watching Richard 👍🏼🎄
Mint place that Si, cracking cottage and views. Beautiful place is Northumberland 👍. Should get a few people staying there after that. Loved the footage n pics too as always. Cracking stuff n definitely need the right gear on up there in those conditions 🙂👍, can be a wild remote place can't it.
Nice one Si
Atb Rick n Billydog
Aye its a belting spot up there Rick, you need to get yourself up there you'd love it!! Hopefully get a bit of decent weather next time 👌🏼
I presume that the lovely lady is your Bride. I love your channel, and look forward to more. You did have some lovely shots of the Grouse. Magnificent !
Thanks Richard, youre correct that is my very patient wife. Glad youre enjoying the channel, all the best. Si 🎄
Hi Simon,
good to see you again! With the big lens you will at least be warm while walking, with the OM you could not have made the trip. 😉
Love your videos, you are so natural and funny, glad you have a Nikon again as I can relate to you. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Hilary, feels good to be back. Glad youre enjoying the channel
Nice vid again Simon, i,ll have a look at the cottage.. keep it up and have a great Christmas..
Nice one Dennis, its a grand place 👍🏼
Nice video, I've been waiting for your video and at last its here, keep em coming.
Thanks Neil, hope you enjoyed it 👊🏼
Another amazing and informative blog, ivenever managed a hare but they always look so full of character when I see photos. I was up near your raven spot today but stuck to highland cows was too cold in the cumbrian fells
Thanks Andi, bet it was baltic up there mate. It'd be a dicey one heading up there in this weather. Stay safe. ATB, Si 👊🏼
@@simoneardley it was, but plan was just a couple of hours and once mist appeared, it was back to car,
🤣🤣🤣 welcome to Northumberland Simon we have some amazing weather up here the cottage looks great atvb jimmy 😎😎👍👍
Cheers Jimmy👍🏼
Morning Simon looks a bit chilli out thar but brilliant video mate and nice stills take care of yourself stay safe mate
Thanks John, its been a bit brass monkeys everywhere. 🥶All the best, Si 🎄
Hi Simon, once again a great video content. I've been on the fence re: OM1 for awhile. Can't thank you enough pointing out the obvious ! Image quality reins supreme in wildlife photography. As a Z6 shooter I would really like to upgrade to a "Z6 3" which would hopefully contain some of the best features of the Z9 in a smaller body. Like you, I'm fairly patient but, time marches on and on past records it could be a year or more before the Z6 3 is available . Time to trigger the button on a Z9 I believe. Thank you Si. Merry Xmas.
Nice one Ted, if you do plug for the Z9 you'll notice a huge difference in the AF compared to the Z6. Poles apart. ATB, Si 🎄👍🏼
Great to see you out again Simon,Great Grouse images in the snow👍
Thanks Alan
My neck of the woods Simon.I live about 3 miles from there as the grouse flies,top of Weardale.may see you about if you're up again.bye the bye the weather has been bright and sunny for days now but cold,take care.
Aye, you never know Rob. Lovely part of the world, typical it faired up when I went home!!!😆
Thanks Simon. Hard work that habitat, l’m north of border and same habitat out me door. Challenging for sure but worth it. Glad you got the z9, it’s top of my wish list. Sticking with my d500 till then. Lovely cottage. Stay well. All the best. 👍📷😎
Nice one Rob, the D500 is a top camera. I had some great shots when I had one. Lucky man living up there, great countryside 👍🏼📷
Hi Simon. Happy New Year 2023. I have to admit that I was waiting for the moment that You will make change In the system. OM looks Great on the paper. Lighter, tougher, stabilisation, size and reach but on the same time it lacks of the iso caoabilities and the background seperation and those two things can be crucial.
Yeh you guessed it Thomas, i suppose you dont know till you try eh!! 🙂
@@simoneardley well I had the same problem with my crop camera 7d Mark 2 while having In the same time 5d Mark3 and 5d Mark 4. I told my self that I will have an extra reach for free and it was good on paper. But when I compared the images from crop and ff it was a difference. I ended by selling it together with 5d Mark3 for R5.
I new the Z9 would arrive, lovely area did wild camping up there when i lived in Cheshire, have a great Xmas and Newyear to you and the family
Cheers Col, it was only a matter of time. All the best mate 🎄
Hares, rabbits and grouse. You should eat well while you are at your mate's cottage. Add some mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy and Heaven wouldn't be any better. Looking forward to hearing of your experiences with the Z9 and the 500mm. I shoot a D850 and a 500mm f4 G lens. Combined weight 10.7 pounds. I always shoot from my truck or a blind with this setup. The image quality is amazing.
Cheers Clifton, yeh its a brute of a setup but the image quality makes it all worthwhile 👀👌🏼📷
great video Simon! I also went out into the cold so can totally relate how much effort this was thanks for making it
Glad you enjoyed it Drew, great being out in a bit of grotty weather!!😄🥶🌧🌬
Welcome back to full frame Nikon :-)
Cheers Adam 👍🏼
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Cheers, I've got the Skaddi mitts by Valerett. Quality items and great when the temp really drops.🥶🥶
And there’s me seriously thinking about looking at the Olympus system!!
The only way to find out Neil is to try it if you can. The image separation is the only thing I fell out with. It has so many great features but ultimately I prefer the look of the full frame images.
Hey Simon, this was a really nice vlog. Refreshing to see the perseverance on tough days out there. The z9 is a workhorse by what i hear. I'm waiting for the canon r5mk2 and R1
Cheers Kevin, yeh it wasnt the best conditions but worked out ok in the end. Good luck with your new gear!!👍🏼📷
Must admire your dedication Simon, but even on a bad day you came out with some images I'd have been very pleased with - the beanbag I purchased from you a while ago is still going strong everything from my macro lens to my telephoto lens it supports them all ! As always enjoy your vids. 👍
Nice one Glenn, the Grouse saved the trip!!😆 Thanks for your custom, all the best. Si🎄
What a beautiful cottage 👌great shots of the grouse Simon in your mind blog was a failure, I really enjoyed watching this 👏you must be a really fit guy trekking with all that gear in that weather credit to you 👏👏👏👏keep blogs coming 👌ps who's the lady is that the owner of cottage?
Thanks Paul, not a complete failure just not what I planned!! Turned out ok in the end though. Work and a big prime/Z9 keeps me fit mate and the lady in the cottage is the missus!!😆👍🏼
Simon, forgot to ask how you find going from a crop to a full frame, do you miss the reach of the crop?
I do Philip but its a nice challenge to get closer to my subjects. Ramp up the concealment and fieldcraft.👍🏼
Hey Simon, welcome back to the dark side! It's good to see a Nikon in your hands! Somehow I thought you might switch back.... the Z9 is on my list but just not yet.
Even with the weather you shared great images of the Grosse. I'm sure you are in the workshop like a busy elf making beanbags for Christmas gifts! I always enjoy your videos! Greg
Cheers Greg, yeh good to be back. Youre right mate, too much time on the sewing machine and not enough out in the field 😆
Nice images of the Lagopus lagopus ("Grouse, which stays brown in the winter," according to my bird encyclopedia) - the male with the beautiful red "eyebrow". Here in the Danish islands we fight the same weather, boring sky and limited colour palette during the winters. Hope to see a lot of interesting images from your new Thaikon Z9 .... No, I am just jealous. My ILCE A7RM3 is Made in China! Nikon seems to have survived the financial crises. At least I hope so. What would the photographic world be without that iconic name.
Thanks Eigil, theyre a lovely bird. Such a shame theyre bred to shoot😩. You can get some really moody shots in the snow, something different for us. Loving the new Z9 👌🏼👌🏼
I thought you would go back to Nikon once the Z9 was more available. I ordered mine in October and It arrived 2 weeks later. It's an amazing camera and hard to beat. Attached to my 500 F4E, the autofocus is lightning quick. I was hoping my 800mm would be here for Christmas, but I think Nikon are prioritising the Z 600 TC orders so will have to wait a bit. Great images as always Simon. Have great Christmas and I look forward to more of you adventures in 2023!
Nice one Ryan, yeh youre right its a beast. Still lots to learn about the AF but chuffed to bits so far. The 500 is a great piece of glass!!👌🏼👀📷
Glad to see you’ve came back over from the dark side Simon and picked up the Z9 😂. I was gutted when decided against getting it previously as I know that when you do a review for it I’ll get an honest opinion like you have on the OM system and give us the every day man in the street honest review and not just blow smoke up Nikon’s butt. The Z9 is still just something to daydream about for me and I’ll have to stick with my D500 for now but looking forward to see how it works out for you.
Don't get caught up with the Z9 frenzy. What is untold is the number of wildlife photographers ditching the mirrorless (many pros also) and going back to DSLR. The Z9 is not an upgrade to the D850...it is simply a different camera.It is by far the best mirrorless in the market but it still falls short compared to the DSLR's, This applies across all brands. I have D850's and D500's. I also have Z7ii, Z6ii, and played with the Z9 for a few days. I was happy to give back the Z9, and the Z7ii and Z6ii are gathering dust on the shelf as my instinct now is to grab the D850's or the D500's. The mirrorless are not robust enough for certain types of photography and their autofocusing still fails. They also fail in the studio with studio flash. The D500 is an excellent camera (nicknamed the mini D5 by Nikon) and excellent for wildlife.
@@snap-n-shootThank you for the reply but I have not yet seen a second hand Z9 so unfortunately I can’t agree that people are getting rid of the Z9 in any great numbers. I’m sure you have heard that some have ditched the mirrorless system but of all the pros that I follow on the various platforms I can honestly say none of them have reverted back to DSLR and say that the Z9 is in fact the best camera that they’ve ever owned. I have never used a mirrorless system so I’m definitely not in the same position as yourself to judge but the general consensus that I have formed after watching countless videos and reading numerous articles would definitely be the opposite of your experience. I guess it’s down to personal choice and the experiences you have had may have not lived up to your expectations. Thank you again for taking the time to reply to my comment and sharing your experience it’s much appreciated.
Cheers Stephen, I would have had it in the first place but I just couldnt get hold of one. It is a fantastic camera, when combined with some decent glass it should enable some awesome results. You'll not go far wrong with the D500, cracking camera👌🏼
Hello Simon, I've been using buckwheat husks for a few years now. I have a number of bean bags and as you say, they can get pretty heavy. After some experimentation I have found a mix of 60% buckwheat and 40% plastic beads gives me an ideal compromise. A bit easier to carry but still enough weight to create a steady platform for the camera.
Having spent many years using apsc sensor cameras and finally getting FF there is no way I could downsize to a smaller sensor again. The weight saving would be the only factor for me, especially at my age but I have always known there is a trade-off and I would rather put up with the weight and bulk of my FF outfit than trade down.
Weather is freezing here at the moment and I'm off early in the morning to a location where it is possible to get images of otters and I am praying for one of my bucket list shots... an otter on ice.
Yeh thats the issue I had Robert, the image separation was the deciding factor. Its a completely different look on the FF. Just the weight issue but more than worth the extra effort to lug it about. Good luck with the Otters, one of my favourite subjects!!👌🏼
Thanks man, independently which gear we use, aren't we always look to the left and right? I wish you all the best with Nikon again. Waiting for new stories and pictures! Have a great Xmas time and CHEERS from Germany.
Yeh youre right theres always new stuff to look at. Have a great festive period. ATB, Si 👍🏼
Glad to see you back on the dark side Simon, IMHO Nikon cannot be beaten
Back with a vengance Philip 😆👍🏼📷
ps...may need one of your beanbags after xmas, just got a sigma 800mm ( an old one im not a millionaire ) to go on my D4
You could be doing sketches of the wildlife with pen and paper and your videos would still be worth watching and equally as entertaining. I was happy to see you shoot OM just because I do so myself and makes the videos that little bit more relatable, but at the end of the day, wildlife photography is about the wildlife, not the gear. Having said that, that Z9 is a monster and wouldn't mind having one in my bag :D
Bang on there, its easy to get consumed by gear but it it a necessary factor and hard to ignore the latest offerings!! The OM is a great system, I'll certainly miss the size and portability. ATB, Si🎄
I have one of your bean bags, what weight buck wheat husks to fill it? Thanks
Nice one Steve, about 700g 👍🏼
Brilliant video Simon, welcome back to nikon, i was exactly same as you got frustrated in waiting for the Z9 and nearly jumped ship!!
But gladly i held out, ive had my Z9 for about 6months and absolutely love it got a few native lenses 100-400, 400 4.5 and the amazing 800pf that lens hasn't been off my camera since i had it!!
Regarding the buckwheat filling for your bean bags, how many kg will i need to fill it?
nice again keep the videos coming they're great!!
Cheers
Andy
Thanks Andy, yeh my problem is gear impatience and it cost me a packet!! Youve got a nice selection of lenses there. The beanbags will take about 700g of buckwheat husks. ATB, Si 👍🏼🎄
@@simoneardley thanks Simon Merry Christmas to you
Welcome back to the family mate was bit sad to see you go but Iam sure you have made the right decision and look forward to seeing what it produces. ps What happened to the fig biscuits in Scotland. ?
Cheers Graeme, glad to be back. Theyre banned over the border!!😆😆
Was happy to see your latest v-log. Can’t wait to see some adventures with the z9. It’s quite the beast. Did you keep any of your Nikon gear before you switched to OM? All the best!
Cheers Scooter, no mate I had to sell it all to finance the OM purchase😩. I have a new shopping list!!😆
Hi Simon, I looked for the link to the beanbag filling as I just bought one from you. Can you pop the link in please?
Link on there now mate
@@simoneardley 🍻 Cheers
Simon Just bought a new lens and I want to protect it with camouflage covers.Can you recommend any to me---cheers
Tragopan make the Camshield covers, not cheap but I expect in comparison to a new lens a snip. They're shockresistant and waterproof and come in a few different colours. Check out the website for availability. Use Tragosimon5 for a 5% discount code.
@@simoneardley thank you for your comments
Another great vlog mate, always enjoy seeing you suffer for your art 😁. On the subject of image separation, have you tried the ‘depth blur’ neural filter on Photoshop? I have had good success with it, definitely worth a try…
Cheers Steve, I'll be honest mate I try and keep my processing to a minimum and try and get it right 'in camera' if i can. It'd be just something else to try and learn!!😆
May as gone up winterhill☺️😉
3 days up Winter Hill with the missus, yeh she'd have loved that!!🤣🥶
Nice to see you back with Nikon. Hope everything works out for you. Rodders 👍
Cheers Rodders, ATB. Si 🎄
Wow Simon that's some weight increase you'll be carrying around with you, maybe use your fireman's lift
Haha, yeh i will miss the size of the OM for sure. Add a few kg's on the weights at work eh!!😆😆
Hi Simon,
i did tell you not to sell your Nikon gear yet, didn't I. I was the one you mentioned on your channel when you first ordered the OM-1 + 150-400mm. I can tell your a Nikon guy through and through. The Nikon Z9 is a fantastic camera and when accompanied with Z lens is amazing. Now you have been stung a bit I'm sure your not change systems any time soon. The ProCature (Came in after release update) feature and silent mode on the Z9 is great addition. We have sold lots of the Z9 bodies and lens and all the customers are very happy. Enjoy the adventure. I do ask question myself which is, would I like one , yes, do I need it no. I have the Olympus OM-1 and the Olympus 150-400mm and for me the weight and reach does it for me as I don't need to be closer because of the reach and no need to crop as I cant afford to do that on a micro 4/3rds sensor unless I need to.
Keep up the videos and look forward to watching more soon.
😃😃😃😃
Was great to see a notification on RUclips that you'd posted a new video, Always makes the night shifts go quicker. Glad you've manage to get hold of the Z9 and have returned to Nikon. All the best for Christmas and the New Year, Looking forward to seeing you put the camera and lens through its paces.
Cheers Michael, feels right to have the Nikon back in my mitts. All the best, Si 🎄
Etsy link wont work.
Thanks Geoffrey, should be right now 👍🏼
That’s my moor 👌
Lucky man 👍🏼
Hi Scott, who is the Beatkeeper responsible for this disgrace - filmed undercover by the HIT ruclips.net/video/hmTvhgnRGxU/видео.html
Hi Simon, is that West Allenheads / Lord Allendale's Estate? I am told that this disgraceful footage of wildlife crime ruclips.net/video/hmTvhgnRGxU/видео.html came from very close to where you were at
Yes George, we were around that area. Its disgusting what happens on the grouse moors. Shameful behaviour happening on a daily basis that seems to go unpunished!!😩🤬
Thanks for the reply Simon@@simoneardley Someone like you with the knowledge, fieldcraft and equipment would be a great boon to the fight that many ordinary people and RSPB Investigatons are battling everyday to deter and detect these things. ps the below gentleman Scott Liddle (if it is really him) is one of their gamekeepers.
Before I come over to Nikon I used a g9 with 100-400 leica and on swapping to full frame I quickly realized that mft just didn't have the resolution to crop like full frame..there brilliant for a light carry around set up but not much else in my opinion
Like you say the light weight is a massive bonus but too much sacrifice with the DOF!!