83x anyone? The new Nikon P900 (1 Viewer)

[mzettie]

It's great to see so many new P900 users' photos. I've really been enjoying them, hope you'll all keep them coming and let us know what you're discovering in the way of favorite settings.

Today I played around with "pre-shooting cache" for BIFs (binoculars page 67 of the manual) It starts recording images the moment you depress the shutter halfway, shoots at about 15 fps and buffers more quickly than regular high speed burst. It reduces the size of the pics, but since I'm never going to get print quality BIFs anyway, that doesn't bother me much....I'm more concerned about being able to get record shots when I need them.

Anyway, combined with a fast shutter speed it seems pretty useful...just haven't decided if it's also good to pair it with one of the tracking autofocus settings or better to stick with a medium-sized centered focus square. When I figure it out, I plan on saving to "U" so as to be able to get on BIFs quickly.

Also turned on digital zoom for a little while today, here's an un-cropped Kite taken at 4000mm equivalent.

 

[Slotpolice]

I am still struggeling with the sharpness when the birds are 250m or more away. Which Setup did you use under these circumstances.

 

[mzettie]

Those are great. I hope my replacement does as well.

I never needed to think about Aperture priority and such with the Canon. But I noticed that while I was using the P900 the depth of field was very limited. I don't know if that was connected to the faulty focus or not. I wonder if the P900 can be set to automatically shoot for greater depth of field than P mode provides. Is that what A or S mode would do?

Crazy, just to add a little to Chris' answer; aperture priority is usually used to manipulate depth of field, but it's of limited value when shooting superzooms at long focal lengths, because of light limitations. However, the farther away the background material is, the better the bokeh, so sometimes you can improve a shot just with positioning of the camera in relationship to the subject.
Shooting in shutter speed priority can help with fast moving subjects, and also reduce the effects of camera shake at long focal lengths.

I know you're an avid reader, so you might be interested in this; http://www.digitalbirdphotography.com/1.1.html
Could help pass the time while you wait for camera #2?

 

[mzettie]

I am still struggeling with the sharpness when the birds are 250m or more away. Which Setup did you use under these circumstances.

I don't think this bird was quite that far away, but I didn't walk it off so can't be sure. I'm finding camera shake and atmospheric conditions to be the two biggest problems when very long distances are involved.
Can't do much about conditions (lens hood might help a little) but higher shutter speeds and a monopod or tripod can help with shake. I wont carry those, so for this shot I sat on the ground and placed my elbows on my knees. Shutter speed priority (1/1250) AF-S, spot metering, spot AF, continuous-low.

 

[John Cantelo]

Anyone know where there are some in stock in the UK?

Stephen

My local branch of Jessops had one in stock over a week ago. I see there are branches of this rejuvenated store in Leeds & Manchester which may be convenient for you. I believe you can order online and pick up in-store.

 

[crazyfingers]

Crazy, just to add a little to Chris' answer; aperture priority is usually used to manipulate depth of field, but it's of limited value when shooting superzooms at long focal lengths, because of light limitations. However, the farther away the background material is, the better the bokeh, so sometimes you can improve a shot just with positioning of the camera in relationship to the subject.
Shooting in shutter speed priority can help with fast moving subjects, and also reduce the effects of camera shake at long focal lengths.

I know you're an avid reader, so you might be interested in this; http://www.digitalbirdphotography.com/1.1.html
Could help pass the time while you wait for camera #2?

Thanks I will read that.

I noticed the issue especially with the turtles and the rock photos that I posted earlier.

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3209832&postcount=322
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=300509&page=11

I don't really know if the P900 was choosing settings that have especially limited the depth of field vs the SX50 or not. The P900 shots were so out of focus vs the SX50 that it could just be that. The shots others here are posting don't appear to have a big issue so I'm hoping it's all connected to the faulty focus on the one I am returning.

At this point I just have to wait and see.

 

[pppppvvvv]

Weather was nicer for me today, even managed a bird in flight!
The Godwit was in "hit and miss" territory for me, long range, early moning, etc.

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

My local branch of Jessops had one in stock over a week ago. I see there are branches of this rejuvenated store in Leeds & Manchester which may be convenient for you. I believe you can order online and pick up in-store.

Thanks John.

 

[Slotpolice]

Weather was nicer for me today, even managed a bird in flight!
The Godwit was in "hit and miss" territory for me, long range, early moning, etc.

Which Setup did you use for these really nice shots?

 

[pppppvvvv]

Thanks,

The Godwit was on Birdwatching mode, with the camera propped on a post. AutoISO 100-800.

The Gulls standing were all with ISO set to 100, Aperture priority, stepped down to f7.1 or f8.

The flight shots were Shutter priority (1/1600th), Auto ISO 100-400.
I had manual normal focus area, and I've changed the picture setting in the camera to neutral. I have processed them, mainly sharpened and adjusted brightness.

Lots of the flight shots came out blurred. I *think* the sharp ones were when I didn't linger on shutter half pressed.. I.e. I just went for it!

The perched gulls were pretty close, ~5 metres.

I haven't really settled on a technique yet, other than ISO set to 100 with Aperture priority when the sun is out; and resorting to video and Birdwatching mode with AutoISO 100-800, when it's very dull or long distances are involved. Not sure about everything in between!

Peter

 

[Torchepot]

Reed Bunting from yesterday, in poor light..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlRRXz5iTdE

Plus a photo (Singing), and a still grabbed from the video footage (on post):
Both photos processed equally.

Peter

Hi Peter, that's the first still taken from video that I've seen from the P900. It looks pretty good, but I'm viewing stuff on a tablet at the moment so it's hard to be critical. Comparing it with an actual still either in camera or before it's posted - what's your feeling?

Cheers,

Phil

 

[Neil]

I've just got back from a fine, but cold week in Chicago where I used the P900 exclusively to record the Spring Migration which had just started.
I noticed that the detail at full zoom did depend a lot on the quality of the light. Sunlight in the early cool of the morning producing the best results.
Most of these were at or near full zoom.
The squirrel was at 1800 mm and the wide zoom view of it was at 35 mm. The Grackle was at 1200 mm.
Neil.

 

[Marcobf]

Tha squirrel is fabulous

 

[pppppvvvv]

Hi Peter, that's the first still taken from video that I've seen from the P900. It looks pretty good, but I'm viewing stuff on a tablet at the moment so it's hard to be critical. Comparing it with an actual still either in camera or before it's posted - what's your feeling?

Cheers,

Phil

I just looked at the video grab and stills from a few seconds earlier, both viewed on the back of the camera, the video grab looked slightly crisper, otherwise identical. But there was a lot going on at the time of shooting and in poor conditions, so I wouldn't like to draw too many conclusions.

As a birder, the video grab has proved it's worth for me already. Recently in Donana, something was skulking along the base of the reeds on the far bank of a pretty big lake. My binoculars couldn't make it out, I didn't have my scope. In fact I was starting to think Crake.
Luckily, I got video footage of it scurrying thru the viewfinder at maximum zoom etc. On playing it back, it was shaky and blurred, but a still grabbed from the footage although just as blurry and poor, clearly showed it was a Warbler. A Great Reed judging by the size.

 

[pppppvvvv]

I've just got back from a fine, but cold week in Chicago where I used the P900 exclusively to record the Spring Migration which had just started.
I noticed that the detail at full zoom did depend a lot on the quality of the light. Sunlight in the early cool of the morning producing the best results.
Most of these were at or near full zoom.
The squirrel was at 1800 mm and the wide zoom few of it was at 35 mm. The Grackle was at 1200 mm.
Neil.

Thanks for posting these. They are excellent. Squirrel in particular.

 

[Neil]

I backed off a little on the squirrel so here it is at 1,000 mm.
Neil

 

[Paul Higson]

Neil,

How far from the squirrel where you ?, and what settings where you using ??

These are the sort of pics I would like to replicate, so it would be a great help to me if I could stick something in a bush at the same distance and see what quality of pics I get - if we ever get any sunshine up here . . . .

 

[Chris B.]

Many photographer friends are constantly asking me about the incredible range of the P900, and are wondering whether I think it's a worthwhile addition to their kit... so I've sent them these 2 shots as an example. One was taken at full wide, and one at full telephoto. The distance to the osprey nest from my camera position was approximately 300 yards!

Normally I shoot with a Canon 1D Mark IV, a 500mm f4 and either 1.4x or 2x Canon teleconverters. While I certainly get some outstanding images with that rig, there are times when I just cannot get the reach that I'd like... this little camera fits the bill quite nicely at a fraction of the cost.

Will I shoot BIF with the P900? Doubtful...
Will the P900 perform under low-light conditions requiring high ISOs? No, that has not been my experience.

Chris

 

[crazyfingers]

Chris is the closeup optical only or did you go into digital range?

I sure am looking forward to getting my replacement.

 

[mzettie]

I've just got back from a fine, but cold week in Chicago where I used the P900 exclusively to record the Spring Migration which had just started.
I noticed that the detail at full zoom did depend a lot on the quality of the light. Sunlight in the early cool of the morning producing the best results.
Most of these were at or near full zoom.
The squirrel was at 1800 mm and the wide zoom view of it was at 35 mm. The Grackle was at 1200 mm.
Neil.

It's a quite handsome squirrel, but I'm much more impressed with the Yellow Warbler at 1600mm, behind sticks! Gnatcatcher doesn't give focal length, but they're no "easy pickins" either, always in constant motion.