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Here's a few more raptor shots.


Black Shouldered Kite




Whistling Kite (not 100% sure on ID)

Think this is the Swamp Harrier that Nicole has a photo of.
Pretty sure this guy had to get clearance from Avalon to land
Although from my shot I don't think it is a Swamp Harrier given the shape of the tail.

wow ..... I LIKE EM !!!

cheers rob

Wow! beautiful.

Especially like #2. I like the way you have filled the frame with the perch.

Hi Kipper,

wow, must be very exciting to capture such exotic birds. Were too excitied that you just keep pressing the shutter button and forgeting to use a faster shutter speed?

I hope to be able to make it for the next trip.

regards,

Arthur

Thanks Rob and Dhess.

Arthur, not sure about what you mean about forgetting to use a faster shutter speed. They're all taken in aperture priority at F/5.6.

First and second shot 1/500th, last shot 1/1000th. All adequate shutter speeds. Yes they're not the most crispest of shots but then again they're a very large crop of the original image. 500mm and 600mm lenses are really required for this type of photography.

kipper wrote:First and second shot 1/500th, last shot 1/1000th. All adequate shutter speeds. Yes they're not the most crispest of shots but then again they're a very large crop of the original image. 500mm and 600mm lenses are really required for this type of photography.

Very nice shots! For the prices of the 500 to 600mm lenses, you'd be far ahead of the game buying the d2x and still cropping....

Kerry, that is true if I bought a Nikkor brandnew. I have considered the D2X option. Secondhand lenses are what I'm looking at now. I've seen a secondhand Nikkor 500MM F/4 AF-S (not sure exactly what model) for $4.5k. I'll also be looking at Sigmas when I've actually got around $5k.

Kipper, great shots mate, very inspirational, hey i played with the 500mm
afs at c.e. !!! we need to win lotto,

Excellent shots kipper - especially #1.

kipper wrote:Thanks Rob and Dhess.

Arthur, not sure about what you mean about forgetting to use a faster shutter speed. They're all taken in aperture priority at F/5.6.

First and second shot 1/500th, last shot 1/1000th. All adequate shutter speeds. Yes they're not the most crispest of shots but then again they're a very large crop of the original image. 500mm and 600mm lenses are really required for this type of photography.

Hi Kipper,

Sorry. I wasn't clear. What I meant was that if you were nervous and excited at the same time as you capture these wonderful pics. I remember I was even with magpie! My excitement had on several occassion cause camera shake.

regards,

Arthur

Kipper, grear shots. Your bird photography is really something

Very nice shots.....

Some great captures Kipper!

Especially like #1 & #2.

What lens were you using for these???

70-200VR with 1.7TC

Would be really nice to have a 200-400VR with 1.4TC or a 500MM F/4 with 1.4TC. Combined with a D2X, as you really need decent AF at times to capture moving objects. Sometimes even stationery ones

Arthur I think lighting also didn't help with the image clarity. Plus the size of the subjects in the viewfinder. At times I had high shutter speed, was on stable ground, panned and ended up with slightly soft images. I think next time I'm going to try using my tripod more. Or even have a monopod for the event. I might also try to borrow a 300 F/2.8 AF-I + TC2.0

Hi Kipper,

For flight shots, 300mm to 400mm is enough. Plus the lens cannot be too heavy or too light. If it is too heavy, your arms will tire easily and becomes shaky. Too light, you can easily move the camera when pressing shutter button.

For stationary stots, the longer the better on strong solid tripod.

Lighting is very important. Poor light = Poor image being recorded on the sensor. But of course, lighting is of no use if we can get close to the bird enough. They simply fly off and we are back to square one. If we can't get close enough, the subject recorded are like specks of pixels that are not at all useful.

Bird photography is not for the faint hearted.

regards,

Arthur