Wildlife Photography: Best Camera Settings for Walking Around (Walk & Shoot/Opportunistic Style)
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2024
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Photographing Wildlife: The Best Settings for Walking Around (Walk & Shoot). I know lots of my viewers take most of their photographs when walking around, at local sites, including nature reserves. In this video I share some tips on how to set your camera up for opportunistic shooting, including focusing options, exposure and camera support.
Filmed with Canon M50 and 15-45mm lens.
Equipment: Canon 1DX Mark i
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Hi Paul, great video! My go to settings when walking around are manual mode with Auto ISO, so I set my shutter speed and aperture and let the camera worry about the ISO. Evaluative metering, AI Servo and Auto White Balance, with the centre focus square selected, unless I know I'm going to do birds in flight shots then I'll expand that slightly to include the 8 squares around the centre square. I always shoot in RAW. I'm fairly happy with this set-up and use it most of the time. Cheers. Tom
Another great video Paul. Thank you!
Thank you Mr Miguel. Excellent video.
Thanks Paul. Very useful information. Personally, I've found back button focus, to be very useful especially for walking around photography.
Thanks for the info, liked the 'look for support' tip, something I always forget. I have three customised settings, C1 Manual Auto ISO, C2 Aperture priority and C3 Shutter priority (both with ISO limit fixed), adjusting each with conditions. Easy to swap around depending on the subject and what it's doing.
Paul, I generally carry my 300 2.8 or 100-400 and body on a Kirk shoulder strap. It’s a little heavy with the 300 but doable. This setup saved me from missing a Bald Eagle in flight while setting up my tripod mounted camera a few weeks ago. I will usually sling it around my back while moving my tripod set up around. Great tips, keep up the good work.
Great lenses. Thanks for the kind words.
Great videos Paul. I am new to photography and I am finding your video's full of very useful information & good tips. Thank you
Great video. In my case using a zoom I will walk around with zoom at the max.
Really good advice :) i do the same .. walk around= ready for fast action and wide tracking
Thank you for all your helpful tips. It's a bugger when you forget where you left your finger. Take care and keep safe. 😁
Thanks great video as always. Pretty much similar to your settings, though i probably do more fixed aperture, range ISO especially in bad light winter months. One thing important you didn't mention, if you get your fox for 2 hours ;-) , don't forget to go back to the walkabout settings when you are on the move again. I've missed a few shot recently because i didn't go back ...
You helped w/ AV mode shooting. I set up the min. Ss & Iso range. I spent 4 hrs. watching a heron. he preened most of the time caught some fish no flying of course but I had progress w/ much better shots. TYSM for your help. Very interested in custom menu set up so I’ll go there next. Keep posting.
Very glad I can help.
Very helpful video, as usual. It hadn't occurred to me to attach my strap to the lens foot, interesting.
another gr8 video Paul, I permanently use the 3 custom settings on my 1DX mk11, I set up for stationary perched birds, movement at ground and eye level and movement at sky level, I also always have them all set on auto ISO and just use exp. comp. to change light according to conditions throughout the day 👍📷
That sounds excelelnt.
Nice video!
Very helpfull, ty
I really like that on the 1dx the AE-lock can be used as a quick go to setting. So that I can have panning settings on AF-on and AE-lock set to freeze action!
Great vlog Paul. I shoot handheld with a Canon 80D & battery grip, with a Sigma 60-600mm Sports Lens attached for 95% of my trips out in the field. Like you, I have a shoulder sling attached to the tfilod foot of the lens, very comfortable & spread the load & still allows me quick access to the set up ready to react to anything that unfolds. Settings wise, I usually go for AV mode with Auto ISO capped at 3200 max as I'm on a crop sensor & minimum aperture is F6.3 at the long end of the lens. Single AF point that I adjust the position of to suit the composition I am looking for, AI Servo AF, High Speed Continuous Frame rate (max 7 fps), & as the backgrkund/light changes i do use exposure compensation quite a lot to assist with correct exposure. Like yourself, I prefer the reliability of evaluative metering.
I find this set up works really well for me for most things, the exception being very low light & a moving subject. Then, like the rest of us I'm kind of stuffed! If I know I am going exclusively for in flight or fast moving subjects, then I go to Manual with Auto ISO & start of at 1/1600 minimum.
Keep up the good work 👍
I use the Olympus system. I set either f4 on my 300mm f4 and 1/640s with auto ISO, Continuous AF plus bird tracking (which means I have all focus points active), Matrix metering and L continuous shutter on customer setting C1. I up shutter to 1/2000s and H continuous on C3 for birds in flight. In both custom modes I use exposure compensation on my front dial to get the exposure right.
Another great video . For the moment I'm having to wear cam around my neck but is much smaller .After an accident and until things improve my right hand has a stick to hold:) Hence no sitting on ground for me for a while :) All good to know though ...👍
Great tips. I tend to use similar settings to you, but I use back button focus. I did use aperture priority and high ISO and let the camera manage the shutter, but I found I often got too slow shutter speeds. I also use a bit of exposure compensation. Usually plus two thirds or even a full stop.
Sounds good Tony.
I just did this the other day! I generally carry a tripod, but mainly keep the legs closed and use it like a monopod, but can still switch to a tripod of I need/want to.
Nice video, Like 324 and Greetings from Italy :)
yep, pretty much bang on what i use with the M50, widest aperture, 500-800 shutter speed depending on the light, manual with auto iso and servo, i moved wb to the record button because i shoot jpeg and quick change in wb can be useful (i dont shoot raw on the M50 because the buffer too small for raw fast burst)
i moved the metering button to a quick access as well, i usually leave the Q button on the single shot/servo option in the menu so its like an extra custom button.
that way if a subject flies in i'm on servo, if it stops i can then do Q for single shot and hit magnify as well if its inbetween brancehs, if it then decides to bugger off i can hit Q to go back into servo and chase it on the way out.
if you want to practice birds in flight or just want some fun target practice try shooting Bats at dusk, they dart about all over the place, makes tracking birds so easy after that!
Another great video Paul. For general walking about i'll use manual, Aperture at f6.3 (as i use a 150-600mm sigma and like to leave in worse case for zooming etc, i know it would adjust automatically if i set to F5 but i think the f6.3 gives cleaner images at the 150-250 range). I try for a base shutter speed of 1/1000 to get me away, auto ISO with a max of 3200 on my Z7ii and 6400 on my Z6ii, auto natural white balance. Just fine tune from there depending upon conditions.
Thanks for sharing Paul. That all sounds pretty sensible.
Hi Paul: I agree with the setting you mentioned. I just got the Nikon Z6 ii and the Nikon 200-500mm. For birds, I try to keep the shutter speed at 1/1000 and the aperture between 6.3 and 5.6. What I am still not very happy with is the setting for the "AF-area mode." I mostly try with "Single-point AF" but I am not very happy with the selection. What works best for you? I would appreciate your thoughts on this. Thanks.
@@PaulMiguelPhotography I have discovered your channel very recently and have been enjoying the videos very much. Thank you for the sessions.
Great once again Paul full of great info nice pictures as usual keep us learning 👌ps where did you get your stretchy fleece saw it on your what to wear video! But don't know the brand? Regards.
The one in this video. It's soft shell jacket. Brilliant. Mountain Warehouse - I've bought a few things from there.
Thanks Paul do you have link can't find the one you are wearing?
@@PaulMiguelPhotography Thanks do you have a link for your fleece jacket?
Have you tried olympus m1x with the 300mm f4 pro lens? You will find the quality better for the weight and size 😊 dual image stabilization and animal eye focus too 😊 600mm f4 is amazing 😊
they do some good stuff. Sony too.
@@PaulMiguelPhotography Sony just too big, with 600mm Pro lens 😬 that's why I switched to mft. The size and weight, but same quality as the huge fullframe systems 😊 if you know how to master the iso of course 😉
Before you lean against that tree... *always* check for ants. :p
Why? I don't find any problems with them, against trees. Crawling on the ground though 😅🤣
Hi Paul just subscribed to your channel as a beginner learning a lot. Have a LUMIX G9 and 100- 400mm Leica lense .Obviously not watched a lot of your videos,your settings advice is really helpful. Was wondering if you shoot in raw and how it compares with jpeg and how much post processing if any you do.
Glad I can help William. I shoot RAW. For most people I think it is not necessary. Image will look very much the same - difference with RAW is you can do more with the file and probably get a better large print. I do very little processing.
I like to use Auto ISO with A Nikon D500 with 200 - 500 F5.6
Manual and auto iso works best for me
Hi Paul, great video, really informative..I think I saw somebody else asked you previously...note you have your camera is set to K , white balance...colour temperature...what have you set your temperature at please. Pete
Great question. I got this tip from a friend. I leave at 5300 almost all the time.
@@PaulMiguelPhotography Thank you! Appreciate that...sooo much to learn with photography!
Mirroless cameras overcome the auto iso, exposure compensation and all semi automatic modes (which are unreliable due to the crude way the metering works). With mirroless you can set the viewfinder image to simulation as what you see in then in the viewfinder is what the sensor is seeing. If the image looks to dull in the viewfinder then up the iso or slow the shutter or drop the aperture values (or any combination of those 3). On the Canon R5 and R6 you can have a small histogram displayed in the viewfinder (semi opaque) so you really can't get your exposure wrong. Sony and Nikon mirrorless cameras have a similar feature.
For walk arround auto ISO is OK, becoarse often there is no time to change the ISO. I use the R6, for BIF in good light I use 2500/3200, F6,3/F8 and auto ISO. Exposure is the only thing to worry. On the R6 ISO can be very high (10000) if the exposure is good. (To the right in the histogram)
Do you use any of the Topaz software ? Even your high iso images look clean.
Never have. Just try not to underexpose and minimal processing. I will sometimes selectively sharpen the subject and leave the background
Just a thought, you didn't mention what format you use. Either jpeg or raw. Thanks for a good and easy to listen to vlog.
Always RAW.
I shoot RAW
A good topic here Paul everyone is out on the old exercise walk with their cameras . 🤔😀
Looks like I am doing it all wrong. I wear a neck strap because I can not afford a new strap, but I do take the weight on the lens and also I walk for miles with a 600mm lens. This old dog has not learned any new tricks. Good video, thanks for the information.
I use the peak design strap for my 150-600 and it has made it so much easier to carry for extended periods.
@@Markymuse Same here the 1DX and Sigma sport weigh a ton.
A Black Rapid strap is the best bit of kit I’ve bought in a long time - thoroughly recommended.
Hi Paul, Jose from Uppsala here. Quick question (for Canon EOS 4000 D): Do I need to set up the settings every time I switch the camera on and off? I am looking forward to me next trip to the forest to test your settings. Thanks for this great video!
Hi. No, once the settings are in there it should save them all.
@@PaulMiguelPhotography Yes, correct Paul! I've checked it and it works. Thanks :)
Canon 7d mii or Canon 1DX Mii and Canon 100mm- 400mm version II. With this tack sharp lens with four stops of stabilization and Manual mode,spot meter, sensor speed 200, shutter 800th, at f/8 sunny conditions. I can quickly change to 1600th at f5.6. (3 clicks main dial>right) (3 clicks quick control dial
Very useful information.
I use full manual, choose the highest ISO I think I can get away with, and the widest aperture I can get. That gives me a high shutter speed. Since I am usually moving from backlit subjects to brightly lit areas to wooded areas or scenes which might have a wooded background, the light changes constantly. I try to make sure I choose an ISO that will give me enough shutter speed for any of those situations. I actually do a lot of photography in the woods itself, and those situations can be fairly challenging with an f/4-5.6 lens. Fortunately, I'm generally shooting songbirds. They are twitchy, but they will sit reasonably still long enough that I can sometimes get by if my shutter speed drops to around 1/250, if I have a tripod or monopod.
That all sounds really sensible Mike.
Hi Paul, I've noticed you use K in a lot of your settings, what results does this lead to
Thank you
Hi. It's the white balance set manually. I use around 5600 Kelvin.
I noticed in your video you didn't mention anything about animal detect as a lot of new cameras have this feature, I have a Lumix G9 which has Animal & Face Detect, does your camera have it? Or do you prefer to select the focus points rather than let the camera decide/try and detect animals?
I don't have that, but newer cameras do, yes. I believe it works well on some systems
Hi Paul, firstly I would like to say since I’ve subscribed to your channel my bird photography has improved dramatically, now my query I’ve noticed that your white balance is set to Kelvin, is this your preferred method, if so at what range do you set it at to get that perfect cast.
Kindest regards
Sorry Paul, I just noticed that you have already answered this question, I really must pay more attention 😂
No worries. I'll include this topic in a video.
That's great to hear Alan, thank you. 5300K.
I still have the camera on my neck, I need to get a longer strap!
Why are my comments being automatically deleted?
I don’t think they are. I can see a couple from earlier. Let me know which comments have disappeared and I’ll check.
@@PaulMiguelPhotography The one with the flickr link. I've been attempting to add this comment for days now. To no avail. As soon as I add it and refresh the page, it's all gone.
@@TatraScrambler I'll look out for it. Yes, I think it could be because it's a link, but not sure. If it's something you'd really like me to see email me: paul@naturephotographycourses.co.uk
I usually use a fixed f/11 800mm lens, so my exposure options are limited. I only worry about shutter speed with auto ISO
Have you ever get attacked by animal when you photography in forest?
No.