HermitIbis
Well-known member
Phantastic report, and all the exotic birds... Was battery power an issue?
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Birding stills with the PL100-400 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ian Shepherd
- Start date
dalat
...
Thanks!
Well, one time the battery went dead, just as I wanted to photograph the Large-billed Reed Warbler:-C but that was my fault, I had forgotten to charge.
Otherwise not a problem. I have one spare battery and that was always enough for a full day. Some of the villages, where I stayed were off grid but had they own small hydropower plant and grid, so I could always charge in the night. I'm not sure though how to do on a 3 day camping trip or so...
Well, one time the battery went dead, just as I wanted to photograph the Large-billed Reed Warbler:-C but that was my fault, I had forgotten to charge.
Otherwise not a problem. I have one spare battery and that was always enough for a full day. Some of the villages, where I stayed were off grid but had they own small hydropower plant and grid, so I could always charge in the night. I'm not sure though how to do on a 3 day camping trip or so...
I had the same setup for three weeks in Panama with absolutely no problems regarding power. I did spend every night in a place where I could recharge, but most days I spent less than one battery. I have similar experience with my previous setup, the GH2 which used same size batteries.
I have seen people complain about running out when using much larger batteries, possibly because the price of extras became prohibitive?
Niels
I have seen people complain about running out when using much larger batteries, possibly because the price of extras became prohibitive?
Niels
HermitIbis
Well-known member
Impressive. A reviewer on the Big River criticizes the camera because the battery only lasts 1/2 day. Funny - I go through 4-5 batteries on a full birding day. And that's a Nikon V2, other models are WORSE. Hardly the right gear for explorers.
dalat
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I guess it also depends on the type of environment and personal style of photographing. My trip was in the mountains, and there bird density is not so high, so there is not constant clicking. In a tropical forest or in a hide at a wetland this might be very different. That said, I had never the need for more than 2 batteries a day.
I think personal shooting style make a lot of difference. I usually keep the LCD turned towards the back of the camera so that it does not use battery unless I actively want to review images - then I open the LCD. The EVF has the eye-sensor active, so it is not active unless I lift the camera (or hold something in front of it). And finally, I only use cAF when doing BIF which is a small part of my photography.
I have rarely taken more than 400 images in a day, and usually only do a few videos - it is my impression that a video easily can cost the same as 20 shots in battery power.
Niels
I have rarely taken more than 400 images in a day, and usually only do a few videos - it is my impression that a video easily can cost the same as 20 shots in battery power.
Niels
crapbirder
Well-known member
Slightly off-topic but so far, I've not succeeded in installing the latest firmware update for a G9 body fitted to the PL 100-400 lens using the makers installation instruction https://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/lumix/g9_firmware.html
Despite changing cards, " no valid picture to play" came up time after time which implied the latest version, v1.1 was already installed whereas Version Display showed v1.0. Any help will be gratefully received and acknowledged.
Despite changing cards, " no valid picture to play" came up time after time which implied the latest version, v1.1 was already installed whereas Version Display showed v1.0. Any help will be gratefully received and acknowledged.
crapbirder
Well-known member
Many thanks for your response.
Battery charge never showed less than 2 bars and lens is v1.2 which is the latest I'm aware of.
crapbirder
Well-known member
Just noticed battery charge MUST show 3 bars, will fully re-charge and try again!
crapbirder
Well-known member
Carried out the above but still no joy. Re-read the instructions:-
1.Find the firmware file you need on Lumix Customer Suport Website
2.Download it and copy to the SD Memory Card
3.Insert the SD Memory Card in the camera and update the firmware
There are some precautions to complete updating successfully.
SEE THE COMPLETE PROCEDURE
and realised I'd taken instruction 2. rather too literally in copying it straight to the card as a zip file without opening it.
The moral of this story is "if at first you don't succeed read the ***** instructions!" Again my thanks to Stan, not your fault I cocked up.
Excellent. Is that a Black Tern on the 3rd?
Thanks.
The third is an Arctic Skua and two Sandwich Terns having a bit of an altercation.
andrewins
Well-known member
I'm tired of carring my Canon 60D with Tamron 150-600 G2. Have problems with my back and this 2,765 kilo kombo is annoing me when walking with it from early morning till late evening while birding. Thinking about going to Micro 4/3 and buying Panasonic 100-400 lens to get less weight. The focal lengh will be a bit smaller - Tamron + APSC sensor=960 mm vs Panasonic + Micro 4/3=800 mm. Don't know if it will be enough for me or not.
Also thinking about the camera to combine with the Panasonic 100-400. What will be better for birds including BIF - Panasonic G9, or Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk2 or something else?
Looked through all the pictures posted here. Half of them are too blurry from my point of view. Can't understand - are the sharp images posted here the result of postprocessing or just some of the users got good copy of the lens and some got bad copy of the lens.
Also thinking about the camera to combine with the Panasonic 100-400. What will be better for birds including BIF - Panasonic G9, or Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk2 or something else?
Looked through all the pictures posted here. Half of them are too blurry from my point of view. Can't understand - are the sharp images posted here the result of postprocessing or just some of the users got good copy of the lens and some got bad copy of the lens.
Try take a look at my images in the gallery: https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/7427
Many of these are from Ecuador where the light was really challenging, and some of them I may not have sharpened as much as you would like - but I am happy with the results. I have the g85; G9 is rumored to be better for BIF, and EM1-ii as well. EM1-iii is going to be announced soon with better AF according to Oly.
Niels
Edit: If you go more than a couple of hundred images back you get to some taken with another lens that was less sharp.
Many of these are from Ecuador where the light was really challenging, and some of them I may not have sharpened as much as you would like - but I am happy with the results. I have the g85; G9 is rumored to be better for BIF, and EM1-ii as well. EM1-iii is going to be announced soon with better AF according to Oly.
Niels
Edit: If you go more than a couple of hundred images back you get to some taken with another lens that was less sharp.
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andrewins
Well-known member
Niels, thank you for the link! I looked through your gallery from the most recent photo till this one (from page 1 till page 6) - https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/628468/ppuser/7427
I like only few photos: https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/633905/ppuser/7427
https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/634102/ppuser/7427
https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/634003/ppuser/7427
https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/633164/ppuser/7427
https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/628802/ppuser/7427
https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/628697/ppuser/7427
https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/628651/ppuser/7427
https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/628613/ppuser/7427
https://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/628468/ppuser/7427
Sorry, all other photos on those 6 pages have too plastic look because of extensive noise reduction or are too noisy. But all of them are good as a proof for bird species observation. Now I'm thinking if it is worth going to micro 4/3 if APS-C sensor is giving better quality..... :smoke:
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I recently got a new version of the software I am using which is better at noice reduction than the old one - and most of these images are processed using the older version. Having said that, iso 6400 on my camera is a stretch. I frequently ended at that level while in Ecuador.
Niels
Niels
andrewins
Well-known member
Niels, try applying noise reduction only to background and not to the bird. That can help to avoid plastic look of the bird. And when sharpening try to sharp only the parts of the bird where sharpenining is needed and not the whole photo. That methodic often helps when postprocessing bird photos.
Andrey
