P900 usage & settings tips for birds (1 Viewer)

[marcsantacurz]

My girlfriend was shooting a TZ30 (14 MP, 24 - 480mm optical equiv) P&S and is now trying out a P900. She used to shoot film and understands aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc., but would like to keep it simple when shooting and not be changing settings. I'm not sure the P900 is where we'd end up in a bridge camera, but we have one available so she's giving it a try. She does love her small TZ30 (except for the lack of a viewfinder).

Do you have any suggestions on P900 settings for birds, mostly perched and in the water at a distance? She'd mostly be using a monopod or hand-held.

Is the "Birding" scene and ok place to start for her?

Any other suggestions to improve her usage would be appreciated.

She'd love to be able to get BIF if that works out, but she usually has a hard time locating them through the zoom. I'm hoping the zoom peaking button will help her there.

Thanks,
Marc

 

[poledark]

I don't think the peaking will help with BIF on the 900, might make finding and staying on the bird difficult. Familiarity is the greatest asset for me, getting used to pointing the camera on target quickly.
Use the EVF so the camera follows your eye, the screen doesn't line you up as well.

I often set the shutter speed to 1000 and let the camera do the rest.

For what it is worth, I have switched to the P1000, the EVF (and lots of other improvements) make it a much better camera than the 900.........except for the weight/size.

Den

 

[marcsantacurz]

I don't think the peaking will help with BIF on the 900, might make finding and staying on the bird difficult. Familiarity is the greatest asset for me, getting used to pointing the camera on target quickly.
Use the EVF so the camera follows your eye, the screen doesn't line you up as well.

I often set the shutter speed to 1000 and let the camera do the rest.

For what it is worth, I have switched to the P1000, the EVF (and lots of other improvements) make it a much better camera than the 900.........except for the weight/size.

Den

So you find setting shutter priority to 1/1000 and setting auto aperture and auto ISO works well?

I'm pretty sure we'll switch to something else. At minimum a zs50 with dedicated viewfinder. Maybe a bridge camera. She has not decided yet if she likes having the larger body to hold for more support.

Thank you.

 

[Hauksen]

Hi Marc,

I'm pretty sure we'll switch to something else. At minimum a zs50 with dedicated viewfinder. Maybe a bridge camera.

The Panasonic FZ1000 in my experience does rather well with regard to autofocus speed for birds-in-flight, so maybe that would be an option in the same general weight/size/price class as the P900.

Regards,

Henning