I enjoy the fact that Chelsey looks so relaxed with Jeans and a T-shirt. Tony looks like he can sit down and become a bush. :) Even the cameras matches the outfits!😀👍😜
i dont mean to be offtopic but does anyone know a tool to log back into an instagram account..? I was dumb forgot my password. I appreciate any help you can offer me
@Harlan Terrell Thanks for your reply. I got to the site through google and I'm trying it out atm. Takes a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Quang Pham he's a wildlife photographer they had as a guest once a few years ago. He only shoots JPEG and he came off as very arrogant and condescending. Worst guest ever.
The very best You Tube channel for wildlife photography and education on the subject is Steve Perry's Backcountry Gallery. He is a master wildlife photographer, not a jack of all trades. I only wish that I knew half of what he knows. He has been a Nikon DSLR shooter but now does some mirrorless work. If you want real life reviews on cameras, lenses, tripods and mounts you will get it from him...
More Chelsea talk plz! More proportional screen time in the dual vids makes ‘em better imo. (I get it though, I also get excited and can use up a lot of words compared to my partner). Love you both, thanks for all the knowledge!
I don't even need to watch your guys' videos, and I give a thumbs-up anyways! Wait, is that the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR Lens, a $16,296.95 lens? Lolz. xD
One tip I would say is time your shots. This can help especially if you have a slower camera. Maybe instead of spraying 30 frames quickly, try to time your shots and shoot maybe 10 or 20 frames instead, shorter bursts. Yes you will run the risk of missing some shots, but this also helps with the buffer so you have space when you need it versus filling the buffer, because some cameras actually will not let you take the next shot until the buffer clears which in some cases could mean 30 seconds or something. So timing your shots and taking "fewer" shots but giving yourself a small "break" to let the buffer catch up, can be a good balance.
Watched this video again after about a year, and it's a nice refresher on the basics required to get your wildlife photography goals accomplished. Thanks again for a great quick summary!
Thank you for writing your books, I've bought 4 of them and they are great, I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into writing such a great guide to photography
There's a difference between pro and amateur wildlife photography other than one gets paid to do that as their paid job? OK. There comes a point when you have this many subscribers that you might not need the baity titles. Just a thought.
Simply one of the best tutorial videos I have watched. I really appreciate your relaxed, natural style with your great knowledge and experience. Please keep them coming. If you can also consider those who do not have the 'top of the range' camera and lens, that would be cool too. The book (photography) you mentioned is great.
@@TonyAndChelsea What I find amazing is how easy it is to conceal yourself from people (but sadly not many animals) - a muted colour beanie hat, camo long-sleeve shirt, and lower body moderately hidden behind a bush in a hedgerow and I've had 90% of people walk past completely unaware of my presence - which saves having to explain what I'm up to..! The rest of the animal kingdom lives to a completely different set of contact rules to human-kind, confirming our 'top predator' rating.. And I've got a gillie suit (it was passed on to me, honest!) but don't wear it out of embarrassment of being spotted (by humans!) in it.
10:40 I had to learn the aperture lesson about long lenses and small birds the hard way. Could've skipped it if this video was around back then. Fortunately I had seen another old video. It discussed the idea of using the shutter speed that definitely works, and then progressively dropping to half. That has been very effective. Then again hopefully I don't have to think about this anymore. I only shot birds because COVID-19 restrictions meant that there was nothing else.
Great video and awesome tips for shooting wildlife photography. Love that while you are recording the video, you are still focused on capturing wildlife! :)
Thank you to both of you, I have learned so mucho since I started watching your tutorials like 5 years ago. Please, keep doing this, for all of us who can’t get enough experience as photographers.
I use A7RIV spot metering small, and it has been incredibly good for finding bird eyes in crazy difficult situations, but I do have some exposure issues occasionally and would like to try "evaluative" metering, just to see if it avoids what you point out, the crazy under-over exposures. What I cannot figure out is where that setting is (what it's called) in the A7RIV menu.
Thanks for your info ! I got a Canon M6 mk2 recently, with my 70-300 usm nano and got my cameras Custom 1 and 2 settings set to either: - Manual mode with 1/2000sec, f8 (much sharper than “wide open”) and auto ISO. Center area continuous auto focus, with one quick button press to change the areas or single auto focus. And high shutter speed (The M6 mk2 has high for tracking priority and high plus). I use it for flying/moving birds. - The other is manual mode with 1/500, f8, auto ISO. Center point focus with subject tracking (like you showed on your Sony) with one quick button to switch between continuous or single auto focus, and one other quick button to zoom in for manual focusing. Set to silent shutter. This mode I immediately switch to, when birds are sitting still ☺️ Works perfectly for me !
Another ? I record both jpg and awr (a la Sony) and usually edit just the jpgs, turn to the raws when I have a difficult correction. But when all is said and done, to share, or print the image, I have to convert to .jpg. So how does that preserve all the benefits of raw?
Hmm....never use spot metering for anything that is moving. It was not designed for that. However, spot metering can be very useful for perched birds that are white. You can use +1 ev to nail the exposure in camera. So, just using evaluative metering is NO a pro thing to do. Regarding shutter priority versus manual....well, what Chelsea described (bless her heart) is exactly what do in manual mode, which the exception that I still can control the aperture without having to make a mode change. This is a big deal because while I can shoot wide open for distant birds and be fine, if the bird is close then I need to stop down to get more of the bird sharp. That is just turning another dial with my thumb rather than my pointer finger. Manual with auto ISO is the PRO thing to do. And shooting jpeg is a total waste of time for a typical wildlife shooter. That is a very un PRO thing to do. Regarding pre-focusing....that is mostly necessary on Sony ML (and perhaps other ML camera) as they simply suck at grabbing focus on distant subjects. My Sony RX10 mk 4 has the same issue and it will drive you nuts trying to pre focus in fast action situations. I just used the Canon 1Dx3 and it works much much better and can grab stuff without pre focusing. Pre-focusing does have its place, mind you, but it shouldn’t have to be every time you try to shoot a flying bird.
Wait a minute here. You say to use a single AF point in the center. I wasn’t going to argue that point as I assumed you were addressing the fact that most people have lower-end cameras and may not have better options (all of the XD Canon bodies do have better options than a single point in the center). But then you talk about using two back buttons. That is not a feature found on low-end cameras. It is an excellent idea but if one can use two back buttons than one can also use 4-pt and 8-pt expansions (Canon talk) and get much better tracking for moving birds than a single point. So, y’all just didn’t think this through fully. And, by the way, I am a Stunner and I learned everything I know from you guys. But y’all need to come down here to S.C. and let me give you a refresher course on wildlife! Ya been in the studio too much, guys! Spend some real quality time in nature to get your mojos back!
Under exposing by 1-2 stops is the best thing I did when shooting raw.. so easy to pull it up in post, with no loss of image quality to equivalent iso 👍🏻
10:22 I only have my smartphone to take pictures and a teleconverter lens that you can imagine (the picture is not so sharp, but for a smartphone it's more than fine) and I went to photograph a Great Kiskadee and he looked at me, took a picture it doesn't make any noise in my case, but imagine: you're having a good time and someone stops by your side with a contraption in their hands
Tony is ignorant and should be shooting 1DX mk3 or Red Monstro getting motion and stills in high resolution! Komodo will be 6 k supporting RF lenses and auto focus.
I assume birds, especially raptors, see in greyscale, since eye rods are much higher resolution than color cones. Thus they look for and are sensitive to patterns and shapes. This is how camouflage helps, in greater breaking up the human shape, if we only stay as still as possible. Insects are sensitive to UV, and don't see flowers like humans.
I must be missing a trick using silent shutter? I have had instances of rolling shutter when I use it on my A7R3 - maybe I should save it for better light or stationary subjects.
I am astounded that they are photographing birds in flight with extremely long lenses hand-held! Is it a miracle of image stabilization hardware that obviates the need for tripods? This seems quite an assumption, given that tripods have been necessary during most of the history of photography.
Tony, your idea that you should use the slowest shutter speed possible (that will freeze the action) is ridiculous. The camera will always gather the same amount of light for a given exposure. If your shutter speed is high, the wider aperture lets in more light. If you use a slower shutter speed, the aperture will close down to let in less light over the longer time period. End result: same amount of light getting to the sensor. I've never before heard anyone advocate a slower shutter speed for higher image quality -- you may want to reevaluate that statement.
Thank you for the simple, straightforward and yet brilliant explaination of the different settings. I've watched this video multiple times, I pickup more info as my learning progresses.
i never understood people who shoot birds , i dont get it , outside Documentary , but that is Video or if you are a pro on asigment , but as an amateur , i dont get it . Its torture , finding the fastest most remote object to shoot , its just torture . And i would need money , i would want to be payed for that .
I still love my 7Dii for it's speed. I like my 5Div sensor more but the 7Dii is faster overall. I consider myself lucky to have both available to choose from.
M50 with the sigma 100-400mm is a fantastic wildlife set up for me, always use the large jpeg , the canon setting for jpeg works well, less post editing more fun shooting.
I guess I have to figure out my own settings for the Panasonic G9 w/ the Panasonic Leica 100-400 f4-6.3 lens. No surprise that Tony doesn’t mention crop-sensor cameras, but I guess he’s just a little biased. At least we have an idea on where to start.
The G9 is not a great camera for wildlife because it has an MFT sensor, which is too noisy for shooting fast shutter speeds in low light. If you want to use it anyway, the settings are pretty much the same as for anything else. Their tips aren't very brand or camera specific.
I use the same and am happy. I typically use shutter priority, limit max ISO to 1600 and normally group autofocus in centre with single AF. Usually there is enough light for shadow recovery. Shoot RAW
Landscope 360 I recognized that MFT won’t perform as well as a Full-Frame sensor. It’s just that he could’ve, at least, mention crop-sensor cameras since not everyone can even afford those monster-sized lens, let alone carry one around.
@@JustSimplyBrandon He didn't mention camera systems or brands at all except to say what they personally are using. This video isn't about choice of gear.
Chelsea, you said that when you shoot white birds like the swan you drop your exposure compensation to get great feather detail. Does dropping EC mean negative numbers. Also, when shooting black and white birds do you change EC?? Thank you and I really enjoy your videos and thank you for sticking with Nikon. Too many have changed to canon of others
My bufferspace is 5 pictures and I always shoot RAW...that's very little...That's why I never use continuous shutter. I'm actually faster with single shot...
Great - so much practical information in a short video! One question, at 10:54 Tony mentioned using manual mode, auto ISO, & setting f-stop to get sufficient depth of field. This is how I typically have my camera set for all types of photography. This functions like an auto mode, but both my shutter speed and DoF are controlled. What is the downside of this for everyday use?
The main downside is that the camera will overexpose when using a slower shutter speed and plenty of light, because the ISO can't shift below it's lowest ISO (usually ISO 64-200 depending on your camera). I learned this the hard way when I had shots overexposed and thus ruined.
@@TonyAndChelsea Thanks so much for that voice of experience! I tend to go for higher f-stops, looking for more DoF with macro/close-ups. Also, I worry that on quick shots I won't get the focus right on a surprise wildlife shot. So often it's f/8 and be there! Love your videos!
If I'm shooting RAW (usually 12-bit) + JPEG (normal) to a single card in my Z50 - would that slow down my frame rate or fill the buffer faster? Is this a bad approach? I also have a D7200 with dual card slots (I write RAW to one and JPEG to the other).
A bit surprised to see you discouraging people from getting a TC, especially hearing your explanation. Optical extra reach is extra reach, you can’t always just digitally crop in, not every one has A7riv. In wildlife photography there’s plenty of situations where you would happily trade off a bit of IQ for that extra reach. It’s not like your images become unacceptable when using a modern teleconverter
I've had my Sony A6500 for two years and never filled my buffer :) (okay full disclosure I really don't want to because I know if I do I will have a useless brick in my hands for 3 minutes)
Chelsea, you mentioned that on your D850 you set to have raw files go to the XQD card and jpeg to go to sd card. I cannot figure out how to do that on my d850. Can you help with that??
Since I do nearly all wildlife these are things I will add. I use the memory modes. Mode one is set for action which has a shutter speed 1/2500(priority), a larger AF area with continuous, multi-area balancing, high frame rate and mechanical shutter with an auto ISO range limiter with a higher base level (400). Mode two is set for more still/perched which has a 1/500 shutter (still priority), small point AF area with continuous, center point balancing (largest size of this option), slow frame rate with electronic shutter and auto ISO with a lower base level (200). Why not use a base ISO of 100? Well I use Topaz denoise which is amazing.
One exposure trick that's never mentioned anymore, but was common knowledge in the film days, is to meter off a neutral object falling in the same light as the subject. So for birds in flight, meter off a patch of grass falling in the same light as the birds (even those in flight). If the bird is in direct sunlight, meter off grass in direct sunlight. If the bird is in the shade of a hill/trees, meter off the grass in similar shade. Never fails and I nail exposure EVERY time. No exposure compensation, no guessing. Manual mode, meter off the grass so the exposure dial is on zero (correct exposure) at the appropriate shutter speed you need. The only disadvantages of this technique are: (1) when the sun keeps going in and out of the clouds you have to keep taking a new reading off the grass, and and (2) if the birds are flying from direct light into shade (or vice-versa) then it won't work as you'll only be able to expose for one lighting scenario at a time. I usually meter for the direct light and make a quick manual adjustment as the bird reaches the shade.
So glad to hear you shoot SP/TV priority Chelsea, I shoot planes (Jets & props) and when people shoot AP and stop props but have a tack sharp image it drives me nuts as it's not showing movement because they props show no spinning.
RAW or jpeg is not a dilemma with seasoned enthusiast nature & wildlife photographers. We are about 10 such photographers that use various gears and always shoot in RAW exclusively. We belong to various professions and post-process the files as per our convenience later. Quite often we set out on such missions in groups. BTW, two of us use MILCs, with one exclusively while the other uses both.
Is it possible to have a camera in aperture priority and auto ISO with f-stop also in auto mode? That seemed to be what Chelsea was saying she uses at about 10:30 in this video.
I always learn something new from watching your videos, even when I rewatch it. It would be nice to see your new version of tutorials: sport, landscape, night and portrait.
Hi T & C, just a quick question. I own an Ai-S 400mm F2.8 manual focus lens with a D5300 & D300s but was wondering if it may be easier to use on full frame because I struggle with nailing focus at times and usually use it at F4 or higher. I might have an opportunity to get a D3X but not sure if I should
@@TonyAndChelsea I am in South Africa where a used D500 goes for $1500. I would love to get one so maybe I will try and save up. I currently have two manual primes, the Nikkor-Q 135mm f2.8 (which only works with non-AE cameras like the D5300) and the Ai-S 400mm f2.8, the reason I got them was the price and haven't been disappointed with their quality.
I used a D5300 and it holded up pretty well with my Sigma 150-600mm C, now i use the D500 and its a world differance. I would suggest you to get a Tamron/Sigma 150-600mm if you shoot something that is moveing fast. Instead of FF Camera get a lens with AF motor, but in the end it depends what you are shooting. I shoot mostly Birds and i need an AF Motor in my lens to keep up with those birds flying, landing, lifting up.
Hi Tony and Chelsea! I am trying to focus on fast moving birds, like terns, and I find it difficult to focus on them when they are relatively close.. any tips?
If your budget is tight you should seriously consider nonstabilized primes, because of 3 main reasons: 1. Often for wildlife, you need fast shutter speed and stabilization becomes useless. 2. Nonstabilesed but higher aperture lenses allow using faster shutter and final results usually better. 3. Nonstablised lenses usually at least half the price of stabilized versions.
I forget to comment on any videos, but I have learned so much from you two that I need to because I know it will help the algorithm. I have bought all your books, a couple of t-shirts and have watched hundreds of hours of video. I think you two have a great life together because it shows. You deserve all you get in life because you have sacrificed so much and worked very hard. I love you guys!
I wanted to pursue wildlife photograpy but I have a T7 and it has 9 AF points and its super slow. I get decent shots but I can't improve upon until I have better lenses or better body. But its challenging as an amateur so I still plan to pursue it. I'd like it if you could have some tips for wildlife on beginner bodies/lenses
I sometimes use a flash to get rid of the harsh shadow. Flash is great for low light or midday. I shoot with the Tamron 150-600mm g1 on the Canon 77D, and sometimes I have to zoom out, find the bird, focus, then zoom back in, and refocus.
Most of the people this vid is aimed at are beginners in wildlife as those been doing it a while know whats what, the buffer subject is spot on for those with entry level cameras with small buffers, i have the Canon M50 as my first camera and it is great for wildlife, i use the sigma 100-400 with and without the x2 and i always use the largest size jpeg in high burst, in that mode you can just take one or two shots or a string of shots,. i also find that with the canon jpeg settings its been perfectly fine everytime i tried raw and it took the fun out of photography for me as a hobbyist shooter. if i edit a pic its because i want to not because i have too like in raw, more time shooting less time in post works for me.
