Birds Blue Jays

[TomF162]

So I have to admit that I am not a very good Birds In Flight photographer. I've been trying for several years with my Canon SX50HS, which was regarded as a good BIF camera, but never had great results. Now I've been trying with my new a6700 and the 70-350 lens and still have not been successful. Today the blue birds were quite active in my yard. There are lots of things around that they are eating. I was able to catch a Scrub Jay eating a grasshopper, and caught one with an acorn and another with something else, maybe and apple. Still not great but the last one is interesting.

• ILCE-6700
• E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
• 350.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 2000

• ILCE-6700
• E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
• 350.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 800

• ILCE-6700
• E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
• 350.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 320

• ILCE-6700
• E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
• 350.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 160

• ILCE-6700
• E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
• 350.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 2000

 

[Richard A]

They look good. Keep practicing. I’m sure there are plenty on here who can give you good advice.

 

[Unframed Dave]

Nothing wrong with your technique, you would probably gain some benefit from a longer lens.

 

[iamdlewis]

Birds in flight just take practice. The 2 things to work on to get good are 1 being able to bring the camera up to your eye and having the subject in frame and 2 just following them in frame. For the tracking practice on the larger birds (geese, eagles, herons/egrets) first, then gulls and ducks and finally after a few steps you'll be ready for swallows/swifts.

 

[TomF162]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I do think that my lens is probably not enough. I've noticed that most of the birds in flight pictures here are focal length more like 600mm.

 

[spudhead]

look good to me

 

[iamdlewis]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I do think that my lens is probably not enough. I've noticed that most of the birds in flight pictures here are focal length more like 600mm.

You have an a6xxx series so you have an APS-C sensor so you are shooting an a full-frame equivalent of "focal length * 1.5" so your 350mm is like a 525mm on an A1/7/9 camera. 525mm is fine, it is longer than any option I had when I started with Sony.

If you check most of the bird images here you will see that most of us are using an A7Rx or A1 with some lens that ends up at 600mm. So it isn't just that we have a slightly longer lens it is also that we are using 50 and 60mp sensors. Do you NEED 50 and 60mp? Not really, it all depends on what you want to do with the images and what makes you happy with the images.

Don't think that you need an A1 or A7Rx to do bird photography and defiantly don't switch thinking it will instantly improve things (though some of the tech will instantly make some things better). The best thing to do is practice with what you have (I started with an a6000 and the kit 55-210 so you set is way better than what I had), and learn the technical aspects of what you are looking for in the images. Learn what your style is, do you like the close-up head shots or the bird with more of its environment or something in-between. At some point you will either reach the limit of the camera or know exactly what you are looking for in a camera body and lens and that will be the best time to make a change. Worst thing you can do is go out and drop about 6k or more and be frustrated with the results.