Serendipity with the FZ18 (1 Viewer)

One of the great things about the FZ18 (and FZ28 too no doubt) is that it's light and easy to carry around compared to a DSLR and long lens or a digiscoping setup. That means more chance to grab shots that you can't predict. I was walking around my local patch near Sevenoaks carrying my FZ18 this am and spotted a treecreeper prospecting a dead willow for nest sites. I was able to whip the FZ18 out and take several nice shots hand held very quickly with minimum fuss. The details are: FZ18, full zoom, Nikon TC-E15ED X1.5 teleconverter, ISO 100, 1/200 F4.2. Really please with these shots taken at a range of about 15 feet and about a 60% crop.

Great pics, Dave! We have Brown Creepers, Certhia americana, here in North Alabama. I'm sure you have a different species there "across the pond." Creepers can be hard to see on a tree trunk as they blend in so well with the bark. I've only seen one.

And I agree wholeheartedly about the FZ18's versatility. It will do almost everything the heavy, clunky, and expensive DSLRs can do.

Tom

pilsman said:

...And I agree wholeheartedly about the FZ18's versatility. It will do almost everything the heavy, clunky, and expensive DSLRs can do.

Tom

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Yes, very fine pictures indeed! Congratulations.

As for comparisons with the heavy DSLRs, there is one major drawback. The cameras' reaction time. I find it virtually impossible to get a shot of a quickly passing bird. No problem with those raptors soaring overhead. But try it on a falcon shooting by, and you are lost.

Yes there have been several comments on this forum that the FZs are not ideal for flight shots. With practice good results can be obtained with some slow moving birds like circling raptors, but autofocus is quite slow.