This purpose of this channel is to show my progress, share tips, product reviews on items purchased and to share the little knowledge I have. I'm far far from knowing a fraction on what the software I use is capable of, but I'm slowly learning and slowly feel as though I'm getting better. Learning from my mistakes along the way. I hope you enjoy the videos on this channel, be it for the content of the videos, or if you learn something or just enjoy watching me fumble around making myself look an idiot.
Hi Marc, some great shots there! What lens were you using for the damselfly shots. The other day I also saw one of your earlier videos (screened about two years ago) that had excellent shots of a dragonfly in flight - that was a good catch! What lens were you using that day?
Hey! 👋 great video as always. Cool photos. I never ever managed to get a good shot of a crane in flight even though I had lots of opportunities. 😅 The angle somehow always doesn’t work in my favour. The image with the crane surrounded by nothing but reflections is awesome!
Maybe your YT channel would be better to combine photos with photography technique, ie "I took this photo with abc settings, compared to this one with xyz settings...". "I've switched lenses to this one", product reviews etc. And then use social media for the majority of photos. Just saying as IMO photos are better enjoyed on those platforms rather than on a video.
Nice shots of the geese! I just went out for the first time in the long time to a local lake to take some bird photos, same kit as you, and the light was terrible, too. None of my shots turned out. All out of focus. I’m hoping it was just the low light and not some other issue. I was also far away from the birds with no teleconverter. I’ll check again this weekend! Love the videos !
Thank you so much!, as I said in the video, I don't normally go out when its that grey and cloudy, but it was my only "dry" slot of the whole weekend. So I had to make the most of it, and it gave me the opportunity to have another moan.
This may seem really really strange and maybe a bit unbelievable, but i don’t follow any bird photographers. In fact it’s very rare I even watch a RU-vid channel or video about birds. I follow landscape photographers and channels.
I have to agree. I used to think it made little difference, but now I do see the images are not as sharp. That doesnt bother me too much, but I do notice tracking and auto focus is affected a lot. So, I don't walk around with it on all the time as I used to now. I just put it on when needed.
Nice photos Marc! Your wren and your treecreeper are so cut !!. I have had the chance to shoot a barn owl at Middleton lakes one month ago exactly on the large metal bridge. I didn't have the time to shoot it in fly. She has landed on a stake and she was tagged on the right leg. I cross the fingers that the sun will come out over the next few days !!
Thank you. Yes I've been lucky that side of the lakes with the owl, more luck there than around the old barn house, where most of the "owl" watchers wait. Yes i'm really hoping for at least one decent day of weather this weekend.
Them owl shots were sick pal. I have the a7iv and A9 at the moment. How much better is the A1 over the A7iv in terms of AF? I used to have the 200-600 but sold it for the 100-400 which I then sold for the 70-200 2.8 mkii and 2x tc. Im considering selling some gear for the A1 and 200-600 again for deer and golden/sea eagle wildlife. It still blows my mind that the A1 doesn't have eye AF in video... how do you video the birds without eye AF?
Thank you. I dont video birds too much, but I will be, but saying that all my video work is done on my sony a7iv. I know the A1 would perform better, but for social media, no one would ever see any difference. The tracking is great on the A1 I noticed a big difference straight away. I don't use tracking much I find for me wide focusing of spot focusing works great. I have only used the tracking focus a handful of times and it too works great.
@@marcburdenphotography exactly true marc only recently got into photography myself and been following you for a while like you said you say it as it is 👍
Can be really frustrating when the light is terrible and it feels like no wildlife is around. I have had more days like that than i can count. Having said that when it all comes together and you nail a shot it is a great feeling. I Enjoy your channel as you show the good days and the bad.
@@Macroadventures Thank you so much, trying to keep it real, as too many photography channels only show 5 or 6 photos that are good, they make it look and sound so easy when it often is not.
I’m going out birding tomorrow for the first time in a year. I got burnt out and had to take a break. So thanks for the video to inspire me to go out and see what I find. I always enjoy all your photos. I love the flying female mallard!
Very nice hardware what you have! Great shots you do, congratulations! By the way, do you know the Sony DSC-RX10 Mark IV? Maybe can be for me a better option than bringing such big lens with me which it seems to me is very heavy! What do you think about it? Many greetings from Germany, Alfredo.
TBH I don't know much about the bridge cameras. I have spoken to someone who uses one and he says the zoom is great for static birds and you will get a shot, however he did say the image quality is not as good .
Sometimes, it depends. A few of my presets are quick starts, which generally get the image ready for just a few tweaks. The first 3 sections of my presets pack, can be used on birds and wildlife photos. The others are more aimed at landscape images
Hi Marc, another informative video. Do you shoot compressed RAW? I’ve set my AEL button to a Reg. Custom Shoot setting for birds in flight with the sky as background I.e. 1/3200s, f7.1, ex. Comp +1.0, auto iso, auto wb . I also set up the button on the lens to similar settings but with ex comp -1.0 for birds against a background. Still getting used to the A1 and I’ve back off the frames per sec to M (15) as I was ending up with a lot of photos to delete. Hopefully the weather improves soon so I can get out a bit more. Cheers.
Yes I shoot compressed raw. I wouldn't set my shutter speed as high as you on a recall button, it's a little too high for most birds and by doing so your iso will increase. 2500 is good enough even for small birds.
I use manual, I find it easier to adjust anything. Ive just released a video on my settings. Although they are for the A1, they are the same that Ive used on my a6400 and a7iv.
Wahhooo! you've got one more follower! Your photos are simply stunning. I've just bought the same set and hope to do as well as you one of these days. the framing is great. I don't live too far from these lakes so I'll definitely be going to get my hands on them as soon as the sun comes out a bit more. I don't have a teleconverter for the moment but the 1,4 seems very efficient. I watched a video from a youtuber who said he only recommended it with a Sony A9. You have proved that is wrong Brilliant👏👏May be I will cross you in this aera
Thank you. No. TBH unless the bird is back between bushes or an obstacle, I always use wide. I havent even had the need to use tracking yet. It just seems to lock on and follow focus. I've had it have trouble a couple of times where it couldnt find focus, but 95% of the time it just performs well in wide. I remember when I first started photography and always used to use wide, before I new what I was doing, I seemed to get more keepers that way too. No doubt the time will come when I will need to use tracking or a smaller area, but for now Wide is serving me well for BIF, as long as nothing is closer to me in the frame than the subject I am trying to capture.
Please don't add yourself to the crew of people doing pointless B roll, if I see another video of someone wasting viewers time walking through a gate with crappy music instead of at least continuing to talk about what they are explaining or where they are I'll, I dunno, probably give them a frowning of a lifetime (or start unsubbing, lol)
@@brucec6689 Well tbh, I thought the same when I watched it back. I thought they looked a bit drab and lacking sharpness. I know I have altered my processing, Ive realised I dont want every photo pin sharp. So when I watched them back I thought have i softened them too much. Still cant make my mind up. I know the conditions havent been the best in what I've been out in. I will keep my eye on it over the next few weeks.
Some great shots in the video, Marc - especially the Apes. Like you I’ve currently got the Sony A7 iv with the 200-600 and mainly shoot birds but, by amazing coincidence, about 2 hours before I watched your video I clicked the “buy” button for a Sony A1. Looking forward to seeing how you get on with yours. I’ll probably start my set up being guided by the video posted a while ago by Mark Smith and see how it goes from there.
@@marcburdenphotography hi Marc, I’ve not been out with much as the weather has been rubbish. Based the pictures I’ve taken, I think the extra MP over the A7iv make quite a difference. However,, the 30fps is quite scary! I’ve backed mine off to 20fps but that may still be too many. I’ll keep trying. I enjoy your videos as you shoot similar subjects to me and seem to have the same frustrations. I would say, however, that your BIF shots are generally better than mine so it gives me something to aim for.
@chrisvantwiskphotography I too was saving for the A1mk2 but as it's not out for what's looking like another year, I didn't want to wait. Tbh the price it will probably be will be more than what I would be willing to pay anyway. I would rather spend the difference on some new lenses.
Holy smokes. The a6400 is an incredible camera. Obviously the a7iv is better due to the features and better tracking. But in terms of image quality, It really isn’t a difference enough to go out and spend the money on the full frame.
I was too, but....heard a rumour that some new features are going to be pushed in a firmware update to the A1, more features than previously expected. The A1 is still a great camera, It will do everything I want. I just hope the firmware brings focus stacking and if possible pre capture. I think if I'm honest thats the one I will get. I would rather not sell a kidney and with the difference between the price of the A1mk2 I may be able to get a few lenses. To be honest I'm not interested in the global shutter as I would not want to go through that many photos at that frame rate and the Ai chip doesnt really bother me, for landscape and wildlife.
