More on the Nikon D500

Great Blue Heron

The Nikon D500 is an excellent camera.  But, it is complicated and does take the time to learn all its nuances.  In fact, Nikon has published two manuals for this camera.  The first manual is the standard overlooking all law knobs and controls that make up the camera and the second manual just deals with all the settings in the custom menu.

While browsing Facebook this morning, I saw an article talking about the Nikon D5 and it is focusing.  I went to the home page of https://www.facebook.com/richardwildlife/?ref=br_rs and then went to his blog site http://www.richardcostin.com/articles/nikon-d5-review-diary/.  The one item I did not read was what settings did he use for autofocus.  However, I asked the question on his Facebook site, and Richard kindly answered me with what settings to utilize.  He recommended using" mostly AFC dynamic 153. The standard dynamic modes are very trustworthy!"

Although today was overcast, foggy and intermittent drizzle.  I traveled down to Plymouth, Massachusetts and visited both Jenny pond and Nelson Beach, where I tried out the settings.  Because the light was uniform,  I set my camera manually at 1/1250, F/5.6, ISO 1250 with the exposure meter set to +1.  I use the AFC dynamic range of 153.  The majority of my pictures of birds in flight were sharp, and the noise was quickly taking care of and processing.

For the wildlife photographer, the Nikon D500, I believe will become standard in its use.

Mallard Landing

Herring Gull Landing

Ring-billed Gull in Flight

My Experience Utilizing Nikon D 7100 and Nikon 80-400 mm Lens for Birds in Flight.

Last year, when I travel to Costa Rica, I borrowed from NPS the Nikon 80-400 mm lens and founded fast focusing and easy to handhold.  To complement my 70-200 F/2.8 lens.  I have been viewing the different long zoom lenses that are on the market.  Years ago I did have the Sigma 50-150, which I liked but when I obtained my 500 mm F/4 lens and my 70-200 mm F/2.8 lens, I gave the Sigma to my son to use.  Last summer, I did try the Tamron 150-600 mm lens, I liked the quality of the pictures, but however, it was heavy enough so that I could not comfortably handhold it.  So I finally made a decision, especially when Nikon had a discount on the 80-400 mm lens and bought it.

What I like about the lens, it is is compatible with all my cameras, whether they are FX or DX.  It is very handholdable, quick on focusing, sharp and I can utilize my Nikon 1.4 X converter on it.  This will give me an aperture of F/8 when the lens is fully extended to 400 mm.  I do a lot of my bird and animal photography at F/8 and I adjust my ISO so that I can obtain the shutter speed of at least 1/1250.

 I carry the combination with a new neck strap manufactured by Indigo Marble Camera Strap - Soft Padded Black Neoprene Lightweight Adjustable Comfortable Designer Sling for Your Valued Canon Nikon Pentax Sony DSLR - Anti-Slip - For Guys & Women - Quick Release Design - Protect Your Investment - 100% Money Back Guarantee , which finally, I have a strap that doesn't bother my neck or back.

Sunday morning I visited Allen Pond and then traveled down to Sapowet Marsh/ Beach in Tiverton, Rhode Island, where most of my photography were birds in flight.  Photography wise, to me the only drawback was it was a beautiful sunny day with only a rare cloud in the sky.  Therefore, most of the backgrounds are blue.

Great Cormorants in flight.  Noticed a white hip patch

Drake Mallard

Turkey Vulture soaring. It came right over our heads

Young Herring Gull

Young Herring Gulls Squabbling over a Whelk

Osprey hovering looking for a fish in the water below

Male and Female TreeSwallow Squabbling

So if you are a Nikon user and need a carry around long lens that is not too heavy then the Nikon 80-400 mm F/4.5-5.6 can be the lens for you.

 

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Photographing Gulls

Why I like to photograph gulls.  For one reason they are common in another reason is that they are usually present everywhere.  If that isn't enough, they are great bird to practice your techniques for photographing birds in flight, especially if there is a wind blowing, since they will hover in the wind.  Also, you can attract them easily by holding some food up and they will come and take it out of your hand, but if you photographing, it's good to have a second person holding the food or tossing it up into the air.  A long time ago, in my film days, I was in Florida, I lay down on the sand, had a camera with a wide-angle lens and held up a cracker and obtained photographs of the laughing gull coming in taking the cracker from my hand.  Gulls, if they are feeding, who provide interaction between gulls as one goal tries to steal the food from another gull.  So in conclusion, gulls are excellent bird to help you hone your photographic skills.

Gull taking food from hand

Gull squabble

Glaucous gull with mouth open

Great Black-backed Gull regurgitating a pellet

Great Black-backed Gull landing

Gull with a herring

Great Black-backed Gull Feeding on a Black Skimmer Juvenile

Gull with a Crab

Gull on Top of a Humpback Whale Head

Gull blur

Gull Diving for Food

Gull with Crab

Gull with an Eel

Ring-billed Gull Landing