Ducks in Flight with Lumix G9 and 100-400mm lens
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- čas přidán 18. 02. 2023
- #birdsinflight #LumixG9 #leica100400mm
Ducks are perfect to practice your Birds-in-flight photography skills. In this video I share tips using the Leica 100-400mm lens.
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Marlene Hielema
Calgary, AB Canada
** All video and audio content created by myself and or used with permission from the creator.
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So, I am loving the Leica 100-400. I’ve never been able to find a bird in a tree to photograph until this lens. I have low vision, but the extra reach helped me find a robin. Also, animal detect helped me find it by creating the box. I was so excited. I also got a Robin in flight right in front of me. My reflexes are improving as I practice. I also practice on airplanes flying low.
Well this is just fantastic to hear, April! Thanks for letting me know.
Learn something about my G9 everytime you make a video Marlene. The AF sensitivity and panning are 2 things I've never looked at. Until now. Thanks Marlene!
Great to hear this Dylan. Thank you for watching. Cheers!
You got some great photos there, young lady! And I got a couple of new tips. Thanks!!
Awesome! Thank you for watching Keith. Happy Sunday to you.
I enjoyed all your photographs. Thanks for the video.
Glad you enjoyed it. It was fun to make. Harder than I thought but I’m always up for a challenge.
Beautiful results and great tips. Back after a long road from the operating table! A late Happy New Year...looking forward to your videos in 2023!
Happy new year to you too. Great to see you. 😀 Here’s to a full recovery and great photo opportunities for you.
Great tips
Another great video - I never knew about panning setting for IS! Thanks Marlene!
Yes, I forget about it too. And don't forget to set it back to "non-panning" when you're not panning. Otherwise you might find yourself "fighting" against the camera. Thanks for watching and dropping some comments and Coffees too. Cheers!!
Just recently got out of the hospital so behind in my CZcams watching. This was a good one. I am terrible at shooting birds in flight so your video lit a fire to get out there and practice. I think ducks are underrated and loved seeing them in flight. Keep up the great work!
Sorry to hear you were in hospital Steven! Hope you're on the mend in a good way. I actually spent a week in hospital myself in January, so my CZcamss haven't been getting done as often as I'd like. Life takes twists and turns when you least expect it. But we're both still here. :) Thank you again for the coffees as well. You're too good to me! I hope you have nice spring weather in your area. We're deep into winter -- still! Been a long haul this year. Oh yes, what were we talkinga about? Ducks for the win! Cheers and take care! Warmly, Marlene.
That little ambush at ten seconds in was such a surprise! Haha! Kudos for not missing a beat!
Haha! You caught that! Yes I got photo-bombed by a White-breasted Nuthatch.
@@ImageMaven I've heard birders say that the birds in Canada are generally much more approachable than in the UK. Not sure why. Maybe we hunted them more in the past and the fear is passed on. In the UK, nuthatches normally stay well away from humans.
Great video Marlene and some great shots. I also have some videos on my channel where I use that lens. It's a great lens. 👍😀
Excellent set of tips. panning stabilisation makes complete sense. I'm lucky to live near a country park with a small lake frequented by many ducks, geese and swans. (That's where I shot the gull image 😀) Thanks again.
Happy practicing Berny!
Great video, Marlene! What helped me a lot was getting out at the pond in my neighborhood and shooting hooded mergansers when they winter here, particularly paying attention to their behaviors right before flying off so I could predict when they were taking off and ready my focus.
Yes! We need to practice patience and learn to anticipate the action. Thanks Blaine!
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who shoots at f8.
Oh yes. It’s a somewhat recent change and I find I get a lot more fully focussed shots especially when the birds have their wings outstretched.
There were some very nice photographs skillfully taken well done. Thank you for your videos they are always a treat.
I'm glad you enjoy them Michael. It's always a treat to hear from you too!
Another tip is to have your back to the wind as birds tend to fly into the wind. I usually don't go past 300mm on the Leica lens and use F5.6 for fast action birds.
Not always. In my experience this past week taking these photos, the ducks were flying in all directions. So you need to be ready for anything. Makes it a great challenge. Yes 300mm or even 200mm is easier to keep them in the frame.
I have this same setup. Didn't know about the limiter. I was just out today photographing ducks, kids, bicyclists, fishermen, pigeons, a drumming group and more in our local park here in Scottsdale, AZ. I will apply these tips next time I am out. Thanks!
Hi Liz. Glad to hear you learned a little tip. Sounds like you have a great selection of subjects to photograph. Thank you for watching.
Love the video and helpful tips! Just got my first camera (gh6) with this 100-400 lens, working on learning how to shoot wildlife video. Going to try out some of your autofocus settings tomorrow morning. Still working through the settings, hadn’t seen that panning focus setting before now, thanks for pointing that out :)
Ooh nice combo James. I’ve heard great things about the GH6 for video. Enjoy! And thank you for stopping by!
you rock!
Thanks for that Marlene. I have plenty of ducks and Brent geese here on the Essex marshes so will get out and try these settings which I've just custom set on my G9. I dislocated my right shoulder 6 weeks ago so reaching up to the shutter release will be good physio for me!
Thanks for watching and for the coffees too, David. ☺ I'm happy to hear you have some ducks to photograph. Don't overdo it with your shoulder. The G9 and a long lens is heavier than you might be ready for. I've got a few repeat shoulder injuries from skateboarding and if I go out shooting too long, I really feel it the next couple of days - and nights - because as I'm sure you know, the nights are worse for shoulders, especially with dislocation. Anyhow, have fun with your practice! Cheers.
Another clear, concise (cold🥶) video! The G9 with 100-400mm is a great combo for photos, video and weight lifting. 😉 As a G100 lover, it would be interesting to see best settings for birds in flight and wildlife with the G100 & 100-300mm lens. This combo weighs less than the 100-400mm alone and costs way less. The G100 & 100-300mm could be a good entry level combo for wildlife. So many projects, so little time! 😄
I have actually thought of making a video on that exact topic as I’m traveling to the far north in July and want to travel light. It’s pretty niche though. Would anybody watch it? 🤣 Great to hear from you!
I’ve had another think and have a feeling the Lumix FZ1000 Bridge would be better than the G100 with 100-300 for entry level birding. Just less to carry especially when traveling!
@@ImageMaven Do I detect G.A.S.? There's always just one more camera or lens! We brought our FZ300 with us to South America as one of our cameras. While I carried the G9 with 100-400mm, my wife used the FZ300. Out of camera jpg from both were terrific. The differences come when you crop into the images with the FZ300 best when framed to require no cropping. The FZ1000 would be an alternative to the G100 to simplify life on the road, but trade off some flexibility. And, comparison video(s) between the two for travel and entry level could be in your future😄
@@ImageMaven You definitely should go duck shooting with the G100 with 100-300mm lens. Put the G9 on the tripod and share your impressions of the G100 for your trip vs. the G9. Whatever you discover, it'll be fun👍
Thanks. The G9 has so many settings, I've hardly scratched the surface learning them all.
Yes it sure does have a lot. Gives me a lot of content to make videos about, and to be honest I'm learning as I go too. And I sometimes try them out and then never use them again. Cheers!
Such great advice and wonderful photos too! What was the video of you talking shot on? Looked good!
Hi Gordon, I’ve been using my G100 paired with the 15mm f/1.7 lens for my talking head clips. I love it for the portability especially when on location. Also it has a mic port so I can use my Rode Go2 with it.
What I love about my G9, and I wish my GH6 had, is the Pre-Burst mode. It truly is a game-changer feature.
I don't know how you set up your camera however I prefer to use the electronic shutter. It keeps things quiet and less chance of spooking people, birds or animals.🤣
Hi Frank, I didn't know that about the GH6. But I agree Pre-burst is very useful! And so is electronic shutter. Thanks for stopping by to chat. Cheers.
@@ImageMaven Sadly the GH6 does NOT have the pre burst feature. Now that I know it exists I sincerely hope it comes with the next Firmware update.
Молодец!!!!
Hi Marlene, why are you using the mechanical shutter vs electronic? Thanks
No reason. I don’t think of that kinda stuff until it becomes a problem.
Hi Marlene - were you using the animal detect setting? Or some other focus area? Love you videos.
Hi Kathy, Actually I used 1-area Human/Animal and Custom Multi (with a large centre area) for these photos but wanted to compare. I had similar results but found it slightly easier to lock on to the ducks with the Custom multi especially with large groups of ducks and geese when they were against the sky. For individual birds/ducks in trees or sitting still or busy backgrounds (even dappling light on water) I use the human/animal detection focus. Custom multi can’t always determine the subject if the background is busy - especially fast moving rivers with light bouncing all around. Definitely worth testing for yourself. Everyone is different. Every scene is different.
Great video Marlene. It seems that you are using Custom Multi for the AF area. Any reason to choose this over the One Area Focus mode with animal detection? Thanks
Actually I used both for these photos but wanted to compare. I had similar results but found it slightly easier to lock on to the ducks with the custom multi especially with large groups of ducks and geese against the sky. Definitely worth testing for yourself. For individual birds/ducks in trees or busy backgrounds (even dappling light on water) I use the human/animal detection focus. Custom multi can’t determine the subject if the background is busy.
@@ImageMaven That's very useful. Thanks a lot.
I found that using the ' 2 ' position small leaver at the lower front of the camera as a quick way to get from ' normal stabilization ' - which is most of the time when hand holding & then quickly flipping this leaver ' up ' when birds are flying & I want the ' panning stabilization '. Sometimes I ' hear ' the birds coming / flying from behind me before I see them & I'll flip the G 9s switch while I turn. At times I whish the switch was a bit larger.
Great tip Ray!! Thanks for always sharing your info. Cheers!
Hi Marlene, thanks for your videos. Why no lens hood?
I use the built-in shorter lens hood on this lens. Thanks for watching!
Thx for all your great info.
I’m looking to move up from my g85 for landscape, flower, landscape, some wildlife, and travel. Do u think I’d have plenty of growth potential with a g9 and not splurge on the g9ii and possibly new lenses? I trust all your g9 experience. Thx.
I don’t usually give my opinion on these kinds of questions, but the original G9 is nearly 6 years old at this point. So yes if you have the funds, splurge on the G9ii. Having said that, I haven’t even tested it out yet so you might want to ask someone that has, like @microfournerds . Cheers!
Hi Marlene,
birds in flight is a challenging topic for the autofocus system, I guess.
Thus its fascinating to see, what great pictures you get with the often so called "herky jerky" autofocus system, which also panasonic seems to be no longer convinced of (they stopped using it in their new full frame cameras). Either your ratio of sharp images is low or the weakness of this autofocus technique is overestimated. What do you think ?
Thanks a lot for your assessment
Hi Paul. Ha ha. I'm not comparing or assessing anything until I test for myself, and I haven't had that opportunity. But in my humble opinion and experience, if you can get, and keep, the bird in the frame of the Lumix G9, then you should be able to grab focus. To me that's the real challenge no matter which camera system you use. That is the thing that needs to be practiced, once you learn how to set up your camera properly for birds in flight or whatever subject you're into. If I get the opportunity to compare Lumix M43 focus systems in the future, I will definitely be sharing my assessment. I hope there's a new G9 successor that gives us that opportunity. But things land late here in Canada, so I'm not holding my breath. In the meantime I'm more than happy with my results from my G9. I do this photography thing for fun. And that it is!
Dziękujemy.
Thank you so much. :)
Thank you Marlene! Would these same settings apply for shooting birds for video?
Hi Randy, Not really. With video you would use a much slower shutter speed. 1/250s or 1/125s otherwise your video will look jittery if you use a super fast shutter speed and will be hard to watch. So you need to adjust your f/stop and ISO accordingly. Auto ISO should still work in most birding situations though.
@@ImageMaven thank you Marlene for the quick response! I’ll check out those settings. Loving the G9! I think you deserve a coffee ☕️😊
Thank you for your generosity Randy 😊😊
Hi Marlene! I’m looking to switch from my Nikon setup to something a bit lighter for hiking and travel. I’m finding my focal lengths tend to be between 450 and 750 full frame equivalent when birding. If you had to pick between the 100-300 II or splurging on the 100-400 Leica which would you suggest for a newly minted intermediate birder?
Hi Willa, As an intermediate birder you'd probably be more satisfied with the 100-400mm lens. It's sharper, but having said that, the 100-400mm lens is rather heavy compared to the 100-300mm. What bugs me more about it is that the zoom ring is super stiff. I thought it was because I was shooting in cold weather, but even indoors it's tough to zoom. I think I will send it in for servicing. So if you get a chance to test one out before buying, I would. You might also consider the FZ1000ii bridge camera for travel and hiking. It's a sizeable body and decent sized sensor, but no need for a bunch of extra lenses. Nikon also makes a couple of good bridge cameras, if you're brand-loyal and used to how Nikons work. Worth a look. p.s. I dumped all my Canon dSLR gear 10 years ago and have had no regrets.
I enjoyed the video. Do you have a preference between mechanical and electronic shutter?
Hi Bruce. Second question I’ve had on the topic. To be honest I don’t even think about that stuff. So I guess I don’t have a preference unless I run into a problem. But perhaps since people are asking, I should do some testing! Cheers and thanks for stopping by.
@@ImageMaven Just asking because the G9 does have some rolling shutter in some situations.
Yes I’ve heard that too. I guess we both need to do some tests!
Hi Marlene, thanks a lot for this video. I learn from every, really every video from you! It is a much easier thing than endless reading books. 😁
Btw: Do you know the point sight from Olympus EE-1? They say it should make it easier to take photos from birds in flight with long lenses.
Greetings
Christian
Hi Christian, I looked up the Point Sight. Never heard of it before. Looks interesting. Would be fun to try. Maybe there is a used one out there for a good price. I’ll keep looking. Thanks for the tip and for watching.
Hi great video, what would you say are the best settings for the g9 using the 100-300mm mkii lens for shooting birds in flight please?
This video shows the settings I use for the 100-300mm. czcams.com/video/qFnuCPGgzqc/video.html Basically it's the same as for the 100-400mm. But I suggest you test what works best for you.
@@ImageMaven Thanks for replying.
Hi. I enjoy your videos. They have taught me so much. Do you think you could do a how to video on cleaning a micro four thirds sensor and lenses? That would be awesome. Thank you so much!
Great idea! I did one a few years back for dSLR cameras. I'm still a huge fan of the Sensor Swab. But perhaps it's time for an update. I know that Chris made one last year which is super fun and might work for you in the meantime: czcams.com/video/RfnLXCIAxxg/video.html
@@ImageMaven thank you so much! Your videos have helped me become a better photographer and creator. I appreciate the work that you do! Take care!
Thank you for your kind words. 😊 Means a lot!
Am extremely excited because my dad has a g9 with the 100-400mm but he never use it for a very long time, so his gonna let me use his g9 with zoom lens. Because he knows that I want to take birds in flight. I only have the gx9.
Enjoy your birding!
@@ImageMavenDid you use bird tracking for flying?
Great video. I'm an avid birder with a scope and binos, looking out to expand into photography. Would you recommend the G9 and the 100-400 for a beginner like me? The G9 seems reasonably priced and would probably fit my needs without being too heavy.
I also wanted to say that I really dig that you clearly show what options you are using. With your guides I'd probably get a good kickstart into the hobby.
I came to birding late in my photo journey. At this point if you have the budget and it’s mostly for birding, I’d look at the OM1 with a 100-400mm or 150-400mm lens. Or wait for what comes next for the Lumix M4/3 lineup. But that will be more cost than the current G9. Lumix promises better Auto focus moving forward.
Thanks! My background is teaching photography in studio/classroom so the demo method is my best way of teaching.
Love your videos! Am thinking of getting the 100-400 (I have the 100-300); am guessing the answer is no :>), but any regrets or negatives on getting the 100-400? Thanks!
Go for it! Especially if you’re sticking with Lumix M4/3 and you have the budget. I do find the zoom ring rather stiff compared to the 100-300mm (which I also own). I’ve made a little review about the 100-400mm. Here’s the link: Birding with the Leica 100-400mm lens
czcams.com/video/YcwFcV4G3Yc/video.html
From watching you shoot the birds in this video I can see a bit of a workout you endure as you wield the weight of the Leica 100 ~ 400 lens on your G9. Because of a birth injury to my left arm & hand, I am similarly challenged. I've created / bought a very short adjustable monopod & added an adjustable beveled metal head that screws into the bottom of the camera. With the other end supported / anchored against my torso, I'm able to relive the burden off of my arms from doing soo much lifting / holding up the rig ! I don't have a paten yet & would consider going into partners ? 😏
Hi Ray, Great to hear from you again! I have started to carry a monopod a bit more lately. I got a small cheap one a few months back, and it's just enough for those occasions where I'm stalking birds in trees. Haven't quite mastered the art of using it with flying birds though. You'll have to give me some tips. I'm not skilled or fast enough with it yet. But I may need to develop those skills as my old shoulder injuries are affecting me more than they have in the past. Thanks for stopping by to chat. All the best with your patent development and application! ;) Cheers!
@@ImageMaven Thanks for your reply. One of the good things with my set up - besides taking the weight off of my arms & shoulders - is that everything from my waist up is mostly rigid, so I only need to pivot from the waist while I pan the flying birds. Due to old injuries I've had to give up playing tennis. I have discovered Pickleball which is much easer on the body & is a lot of fun. cheers !🦆
Hola buenos tardes vídeos interesantes , hace poco que tengo la lumix g9 , me gustaría saber algún programa para traducir al español sus vídeos
Un saludo
Hi Marlene. At 0.56 in de video I see a total view of all your settings on display. How can I get there?
Hi Matt. Push the DISP. button and it will cycle through all the views.
@@ImageMaven Thanks Marlene. I must be doing something wrong. I get different views, but not the one I'm looking for. I'll figure it out.
Monitor info display was off in the settings. Simple
@@vadeluma That's weird. Should work! You have to be in picture "taking" mode.... not in picture "reviewing" mode. Half-press your shutter button to activate the LCD. Then cycle through the views using DISP button.
the way I shot birds flying, is that I get them in the frame at 100 mm and while panning I slide the ring towards 300 mm (I only have the 100-300 mm) and when it gets to 399mm, i stab the focus button and shoot away.
I don’t think that’s possible with the 100-400mm as the zoom ring is very stiff compared to my 100-300. You’d run out of time. The bird would be long gone. I typically start around 250mm and go from there if the birds are fairly close.
have you tried out the trick to remove the recording time limit in G9? (permanent service mode or something) does it work in practice?
I have never heard of this hack. Have you tried it?
@@ImageMaven other youtubers warn this can brick the device and that it is no longer available under current firmware
I noticed your quick? menu at time 1:01 is not like the one I have in my g9, is that a firmware thing or configurable?
If you push the DISP button it will cycle through the various views and you will see that come up. But yes, you can customize your Quick Menu too.... I made a video about it: czcams.com/video/VyZnaWZFQiQ/video.html
Thanks! I am so used to using ONLY the view finder that I forgot this view existed on the MAIN screen. cheers
Hei! I have a question regarding Firmware update, can i update from v.2.0 to v.2.7? Do i loose the versions inbetween?
Best regards from Knut (from Norway)
Hi Knut, Yes. All previous Firmware updates will be included.
@@ImageMaven Thank You! Have a great weekend
Marlene. It sounds like you are using mechanical shutter. If so why?
Honestly, it’s not something I think about. I have it set to Auto.