200 species. Perched birds early; birds in flight whenever. Water is where the action is.
100-400 · 400mmNo filterHood on
- Mode
- Tv
- Shutter
- 1/1600 flying · 1/500 perched
- ISO
- Auto (max 6400)
- Exposure ±
- +⅔ for a dark bird against bright sky
- Drive
- High-speed continuous
- Focus
- Servo · Whole area · Subject: Animals (birds are detected) · Eye on
Do this
- Perched: Tv 1/500, single AF point on the eye if branches confuse it (Q menu → Spot AF).
- Flying: Tv 1/1600, Whole area, Animals. Find the bird in the viewfinder first, half-press, let the camera track for a second, then burst.
- Park near water, turn the engine off, wait. Birds come to you; chasing them never works.
- A bird against the sky is a silhouette unless you brighten it: exposure compensation +⅔ to +1.
If it goes wrong
- Bird is a speck
- It usually is. This is the hardest thing in photography. Pick the closer birds and be patient.
- Wings blurred
- 1/1600 minimum; 1/2500 for small fast birds. Let ISO go.