I think I need to get a dot sight.
Tried to take some shots of the barn swallows this morning and it's really hard to get them in the frame.
Better light would help.
It might also help with photographing the warblers. I can spot them up in the tree by eye, but by the time I get the camera up they are somewhere else.
Merlin ID'ed 4 warblers in our yard today (sound id) that I don't have yet. Went out trying to spot them and photograph them, but no success...
All swallows in flight are very fast and some times act like airial acrobats 👍
Not Bad .. Are you familiar with Thomas Stirr's blog (sorry if I ask this before ..) He has two recent articles about shooting swallow that might be interesting smallsensorphotography.com/first-swallows-of-2023 and smallsensorphotography.com/swallows-diving ...... Interesting but I probably will restrict my interest to catching them occasionally along the Tennessee river sitting down. .....
WhyNot
A dot sight would certainly help.
Have a look at the Olympus/OMDS EE-1. It is expensive but very small and closes down nearly flat on top of the camera when not in use, so it doesn't interfere with normal photography. I don't bother to take it off my camera when putting them away in my backpack. You need to calibrate it each time you mount it on the hot shoe, but that only takes a couple of minutes with practise.
The Nikon dot sight looks very similar. The rifle dot sights that I have seen are bigger, heavier and don't close down.
Very nice Jim. I am sure I would not catch them in the frame at all unless perched! You need the big white and the dot sight. I think I read a post on dpr of someone that adapted a sight for use on the Olympus bodies because it was so much less expensive than the OM product. It is not all that expensive so they must be penny pinchers. Today pennies disappear if you try to save them! If I were seriously into birding I would have ordered the big white and a dot sight last year. My wife just spent almost that much on a demonstrator long arm quilting machine, frame and new rear handles for pantographs. We have more disposable income now than at any other time in our lives. Rather ironic since with age the money is not really needed for much where as when we were younger it was always in short supply and we were frugal!
Andrew
Yes, but I've not looked at it in quite awhile.
I'll have to check those out.
I've heard they are hard to come by. Maybe I will.
But they are a lot less expensive, I believe I can get one with the hot shoe mount for < $50.
Thanks Andrew
I'm tempted.
Trying to determine how long my "serious" interest in bird photography will last.
Same here. Just remodeled our bathroom, new tile shower, vanity, and countertop - about double the cost of big white.
Just read both posts. Very impressive. Great shots. Takes LOTS of patience and practice - two things I'm poor at 😏
You are catching them nicely, Jim. I've been thinking about a dot sight. I wonder how it would work with subject recognition auto focus. Do you use bird recognition auto focus when chasing these quick little birds? Rich
I presume you know the dot sight just lets you see a much larger area than the viewfinder or screen Rich and is just useful to attempt to keep the bird in the frame. Of course you knew that but I am under the influence of medication so please forgive me! "In the force you must trust!" that the bird Ai will work and do its job well!
Andrew
I appreciate your input, Andrew. I do know how the dot sight works, but I was wondering if I was missing something about using a dot sight that might enhance the Ai auto focus experience. I am very happy with the bird recognition Ai autofocus when I have birds to shoot. I think the dot sight might not be as good as composing with the viewfinder.
I am having a problem finding a place which songbirds frequent and is accessible to me for sitting and waiting. You, WhyNot, and Jim with your gardens which attract birds have it too easy. My long lenses gather dust when the raptors leave for more than six months. I could do it right here where I live but there are too many people who will distract me, and the birds.
I just realized that while you are taking the pain meds you cannot take any alcohol. This is more punishment. I hope those meds are working well. I realize they can't totally eliminate the pain, but whatever reduction you get is a help.
I thought of you and your pain when I found these fat oriental poppies yesterday. Rich
Rich that poppy is a beauty! I am still imbibing in the evenings. I usually don’t take the oxy until the middle of the night. The labels do not say not to, only that it may increase drowsiness. That would be welcome since I have not been sleeping much. Not drinking very much though. Maybe one every few nights.
Mowed today. Took twice as long because I had to go slowly. Popping in the back on occasion. Dandelions stuffed the air intake and I had to clean out the air screens as the tractor over heated. Took some pictures. May process them tonight if I can not sleep.
Andrew
The last two are pretty good, wouldn't say that you need one from that evidence, but I suppose it can make things easier!
Rich, Andrew, and Yslee - I've been MIA for a few days - sorry.
I feel the subject recognition is doing very well, my problem is spotting the birds to get them in the frame, either when flying, or when perching in the trees (the little birds I've been shooting don't perch in one spot long); so, I'm thinking a dot sight might give me a bigger field of view for spotting them, and a center point for aiming at them. Yes, I'd loose the composition value of the EVF, but, if I don't have the subject in view, what good does composition do me?
I see the EE-1 is available for about $130, or I could cobble something up with a rifle dot sight and a hot shoe adapter for about $50. I watched a video of a guy in Guam who did the latter and was pretty happy with it. I liked the fact that when using it he kept the camera close to his face, just moving the camera up or down to use the dot sight or EVF. All the videos I've seen of people using the EE-1 they hold the camera at arm's length away from them which seems very awkward to me. Perhaps it would work close to the face just as well, I don't know.
Thanks, Andrew. I like that poppy. I see it every year.
You gave me a chill. Old metabolisms don't remove toxins as quickly as young ones. Sorry, I will mind my own business.
On camera flash at the marine laboratory. I got a great effect, It lit up the critter's gut Evidently the critter had hot sauce on its combination plate at lunch. Very shortly it will be saying, "Come on ice cream." Rich
