Crested Caracara, South Texas. Photographed with a Nikon D500 and 300mm f/2.8 AFS VRII Nikkor lens. The fast autofocus and frame rate of the D500 really came through!
You probably know I enjoy photographing birds whenever I can get the chance. Over the years, I’ve used lots of different Nikon cameras, and I have to say that we’re living in good times if birding is your thing. After a year with the Nikon D500, I can honestly say that I’ve not run into a better birding camera from Nikon. The autofocus is deadly fast, the camera delivers 10fps RAW, and you can shoot 200 continuous frames when you use a fast QXD memory card. I’ve also had the chance to test a variety of Nikon lenses on my birding safaris, so here’s my current recommendations for anyone looking to maximize their Nikon birding experience. Continue reading The Ultimate Nikon Birding Kit→
So, I’ve been playing with my new Nikon D500 and one thing was a real head-scratcher: the behavior of focus vs. release priority mode when using continuous servo (AF-C) focus. For some reason, I couldn’t get focus priority mode to work when using AF-ON mode.
The priority mode option (in theory) allows you to choose as to whether or not the shutter will fire when the camera’s active AF sensor indicates proper focus. In single-servo mode (AF-S), focus-priority is the default. In continuous-servo mode, release-priority is the default. Continue reading Nikon D500: Setting up a Focus Trap→
An immature male Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) photographed from a private blind in south Texas.
The Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) is one of the more colorful bird species we will find in south Texas. This immature male perched for our group last week while we were set up in the private blinds.
Well, I’m back from leading my annual South Texas Birding Safari and once again, the private blinds of the Rio Grande Valley did not let us down. I captured this image while sitting in a blind with several of my clients (we all got similar shots); the Kiskadee decided to start hunting aquatic insects directly in front of us!
I always make a point of testing out new gear and settings before using it in the field. I’m still getting comfortable with the Nikon D500, which has a few new nuances in the autofocus system, before I head down to Texas next week for my annual South Texas Birding Safari. So here’s a house finch from the backyard, cropped to actual pixels (100%).
Backyard house finch captured with Nikon D500 and 200-500mm f/5.6E VR (click to see full size image).
