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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Need Pointers on Action Shots (1 Viewer)

rka

ttbirds
In several areas on this website I have seen some incredible action close-ups of several birds in flight.

The amount of zoom required for some of those photos I expect to be in the 30-40 X range. Given the subjects are moving, a spotting scope may be out of the question.

So the question is, how does one take a clear close action shot requiring 30-40 X zoom of a distant subject?

rka

PS: I guess it's possible to use a high megapixel camera e.g. 5mp and instead of using 30-40 X optics, use only 10 X optical zoom on the camera and then use post processing (zoom with photoshop etc. and crop).
 
Sorry I did not notice this sooner. You are right about the increased MP, but I would say you would need 6 or above. Without knowing the exact photos you are referring to, it is very hard to get a digiscoped flight photo. My guess is that they may have been closer to the subject than you think. What type of camera are you dealing with?
 
I do some flight photography with my Canon 10D and 100-400L.

The best way that I've done it is with focus tracking and a fast focusing lens (with reach, after the 1.6x crop magnification my lens is 640mm.) The focusing speed of the 10D isn't great, though, so focus tracking doesn't always keep up with the subject.

It is possible to do it with a large subject (Heron, Egret) and just focus and shoot without tracking, but it's more hit or miss. If the subject is moving quickly (swifts, tern diving) take many pictures. I leave the camera on motor drive always. You never know when you will want to fire off a burst.

And last but not least. Practice. Go to the beach (if you can) and shoot seagulls. They are reasonably large and fast. They work well as test subjects.

Some people have recently posted flight shots through a scope. Since I have a reasonbly long lens I don't do it that way... but I'm not sure I'd want to. It's not easy.

Eric
 
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