More Dragonflies

I probably prefer my previous set but they were about yesterday so had to take the opportunity...

Common Darter - female

Common Darter - elusive male

Graphic Flutterer catching some sun

Just to show I am trying to capture in flight - not easy at full zoom - a work in progress...

I had had zero success also until I was reading someone's post about bif. Reading the signs a bird will give when it is about to take off and having pre-burst enabled and also tracking it from there..

I don't have pre-burst, but in this case the dragonfly was taking off, flying around, and coming back to the same perch (that's why the crop includes the grass). So I kept the camera pointed in that general direction and took a few shots when I saw (naked eye) it coming back. Many, many failures and that was the best of a bad lot. I had another even more out of focus of it taking off - they don't give any signs - one second there, next gone. For this I had the 49 area auto focus but I find it doesn't nail focus like I can with pinpoint. But I may need to learn a bit more there.
The other thing with these particular dragonflies, is they are more like a butterfly in flight. Their wing beat speed is quite low and they don't dart around quite as quickly as other dragonflies.

Try to get one head on like this...I dare you!

Impressive.

I have some that are just a soft blur. Do they count? 😏

Depends. There is only a very small area of focus one can get with these guys when in flight and a moving target. The rest is usually blurred due to DOF issues/angles. Eyes and face in focus are usually best...
here is another side profile shot_

Not exactly head on. It gave in at the last moment

Another one

I have always been trying but need the planets to align. My camera mostly focuses on background objects if present. So I need to get a clear background. Also the few times I have had the camera actually focus on one, it isn't too sharp. I keep meaning to switch to ES for faster ss but need good light bcos too much noise if I raise iso.
Anyway I am happy to get them close on a perch and get as much detail as I can.

Another from today

I wouldn't depend on AF very much. I use manual focus the majority of the time. It's not easy street, but it works best with busy backgrounds.

There is a lot of over-sharpening artifacts in those two d-fly shots. What software are you using? Topaz?

@Stig
Yes, Topaz. I intentionally over sharpened them. I like the way they look.

In what way do you like that over sharpened look...
I did it to this one and I think it looks rubbish - before and after.

@Stig
I do not know. Just like.

Almost. I don't care if it's side on a bit. I took your advice with manual focus. I knew it was coming back to that stick so was focused there.

I do have pre-burst. I had it set to medium (6fps) and tried it the other day with them taking off. Got mostly only one shot in frame but low quality. Will try again another time with SH (60fps) and good light / higher SS.

Actually, one set from the other day was a start... Just extracts from the MP4

I think its great that you are trying that....fabulous book by a chap I have many books:
www.allbookstores.com/Secret-Worlds-Stephen-Dalton-Stephen/9781552093849
Peruse one from the library and you'll be hooked by this pioneer of things photographed in flight.

Thanks and thanks for the link. I will definitely see if it's available at the library.

Australian Emerald - a little oof and noisy...

A couple of damselflies. These are very small, up to 25mm.

Nice!

I will never get the detail with this camera but it is rewarding none the less...

Using MF on the FZ300 helps get more captures, but because the peaking isn't real precise (it may show but can't tell how critical focus is) and given that the MF focus by wire on this camera isn't very precise either, I always had a low % of keepers - and frankly none with critical focus. So I decided to give AF a try again. I guess all the framing practice with MF has helped, as I was able to get a lot more good keepers in just two days. Lots less captures but far better results.