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

A little help please. (1 Viewer)

D

dave1108

New member
I am seeking advice on a purchase I want to make.
I'm 65 years old and get hand shake with a heavy lens. I tend not to use a tripod.

I enjoy photographing birds in flight and then using Lightroom to get the best image I can.
Presently I am using an Olympus OMD E-M1 with a 12-200mm lens.

Prior to this I was using a Sony A7 III with a 100-400mm lens.

I really want a lightweight hi zoom eye tracking setup. Used is fine as I don't have a huge budget (appx £1800).
Can you suggest something?
 
Are you saying it should be lighter than your current setup? If so, it might be very difficult to find all you want.

you could compare with the Sony Rx10 IV bridge camera, but I am not sure it has the eye detect.

you could go with the 70-300 lens for your existing camera. This is not the absolute top scorer optically at the long end, but is your current lens that?

you could go with the 100-400 from either Oly or Pana (I think the latter is the less heavy). This might be too heavy for you?

You might be able to use a 40-150 pro from either Oly or Pana together with a 2xTC and get something with more reach and not too much more weight than your current setup.

I do not have insight into other systems but doubt you will find anything much more satisfying that does not weigh at least the same.
Niels
 
Dave, your setup is already pretty lightweight. I think it's going to be hard to shave any more weight and still have a suitable setup for BIF. Have you considered using a lightweight tripod more often or monopod to steady your shots? Does your lens have vibration reduction?

I go back and forth between shooting handheld and on a tripod. I am using this lightweight tripod:


It's not nearly substantial enough to hold my camera and lens (5.5 lbs) still by itself, but I leave the head loose so it the moves freely and keep both hands on the camera, one under the lens and the other on the camera body. It's like using a gun rest. I find it really helps steady things up when I am swinging on a moving target or holding on a still target for long periods of time. It's also easy to carry on hikes and can mount a spotting scope.

If I am shooting handheld I turn on the vibration reduction on the lens, but I turn it off when I use a tripod. Honestly, with a fast shutter speed I don't see much lens shake even if I am in an unsteady position.
 
I cannot help as I point and click, but I hope more knowledgeable people can and you get great pics :)
 
njlarsen said:
Are you saying it should be lighter than your current setup? If so, it might be very difficult to find all you want.

you could compare with the Sony Rx10 IV bridge camera, but I am not sure it has the eye detect.

you could go with the 70-300 lens for your existing camera. This is not the absolute top scorer optically at the long end, but is your current lens that?

you could go with the 100-400 from either Oly or Pana (I think the latter is the less heavy). This might be too heavy for you?

You might be able to use a 40-150 pro from either Oly or Pana together with a 2xTC and get something with more reach and not too much more weight than your current setup.

I do not have insight into other systems but doubt you will find anything much more satisfying that does not weigh at least the same.
Niels
Click to expand...
The Sony RX10 IV has eye detect: DSC-RX10M4 Taking a picture by focusing on an animal’s eye | SONY
It weighs 1 kg. I think that is the best the OP can do.
 
He has a 12-200, I think a 105-450 is longer. This photo of a peregrine falcon with NO eye tracking @ 400mm. Not needed with proper technique. No huge budget. My daughter uses the D3500 & 75-300 ED VR (4.5-5.6) with excellent results with no eye tracking.
 

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Yea so? Image stabilization? Lightest DSLR? That lens is very light, like he asked for. (744 grams) The camera is only 415 grams, total 1159 grams. They weigh less than my Canon 300L lens (1,180 grams) combined and my Canon 5d Mark III weighs 955 grams!
 
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njlarsen said:
And would it have the eye tracking the OP asked for? It would have essentially the same reach that his current setup has.
Niels
Click to expand...
My daughter took this shot of a red tail hawk the first week with the D3500 and the cheaper 70-300 4.5-6.3 that we replaced with the 70-300 4.5-5.6, no eye detection and she still was able to pick the hawk out of the surroundings with spot A/F. Eye tracking can be fooled easily. 1.JPG
 

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