Ruby throated hummer 

Frozen hummer in flight 

Hummingbirds - a photographer's video game

Anyone who has ever tried to get pictures of hummingbirds knows it is a challenge. Not only are they fast and tiny, they are smart and learn fast. And this year may prove even more challenging than in other years since reports are coming in from most of my bird watching friends, as well as a local nature observatory, that hummingbird sightings are down this year. Possibly a result of the active huricane season in 2004.

First, find the little guys. Hummingbird feeders offer opportunities. Here is the catch 22 though. Hummingbird feeders need to be in the shade to keep the liquid fresh. When you are shooting pictures of something small in the shade, on a sunny day, what do you get? Backlighting. If your camera has a spot meter take advantage of it.

A natural setting is more appealing than having a feeder in the shot. So watch where they fly and land prior to and after feeding.

One great thing about busy feeders is that hummingbirds have a trait that is somewhat like a swarm of bees. When they are hungry and lots of them are fighting (yup, they do fight for feeding spots), they become less timid, not only of eachother but of people and cameras. You can get pretty darn close to a busy feeder and if you just hold perfectly still and wait a few minutes they will come back and pretty much ignore you. I even got some to land on my finger by putting my finger in front of a feeder flower and holding still.

You know that hummingbirds are fast, but how does camera speed compare and what can you do to freeze that frantic action? Hummingbird wing speed varies by size but for the mid sized, ruby throated for example, it is approximately 53 beats per second (see www.hummingbirds.net for more info). Makes a 3 to 5 frame per second SLR seem pretty sluggish by comparison doesn't it. Not to worry. You may not be able to take a pic of every wing progression, but you can still freeze the few that you do take, by cranking up that shutter speed. Here is the rub though, remember the shade? Shade and fast shutter speeds don't go hand in hand. If you set your camera to the Tv (shutter speed priority) mode, set the ISO setting as high as possible, crank the shutter speed up as high as feasible for the lens you are using and the available light (the aperature will start to flash when your shutter speed is so high it is underexposing the picture), you might be able to freeze the wing action. Try using a mid-range rather than a long telephoto because you will get more light into a shorter lens, allowing faster shutter speeds.

You may be wondering why I mentioned that hummingbirds are smart and what that has to do with photography. Think flash. Although flash can solve your backlighting issue by lighting up the subject, realize that once you flash an animal, not just hummingbirds, they are likely to avoid the camera in the future. So if you feel compelled to use the flash, use it very sparingly. Heck, the hummers who sat on my finger were so smart and fast that when they saw the pre-flash focusing strobe, they took off. Giving me only a picture of my finger with the retreating bird just above it. And I didn't use the flash on most of my shots.

You will get even better results by hiding near a sunny roosting place. Have fun and I hope you win a free game for your efforts (or at least win one great shot).

geopic
PS. Thanks to my friend Don for excellence in feeder management and putting up with my addiction to taking shots of the pleathora of birds that visit his feeders.

Picasa

Here is a site with some pretty nice photo software that you can download for free:

www.picasa.com

Picasa searches your computer for pictures, stores them in folders, enables photosearching, and provides some nice basic editing tools. Not only that it is pretty cool. When you download it be sure to read the readme file about the product and upgrades since the last release. Not only because it is helpful, but also for a good laugh. Kudos to whoever wrote the Picasa readme file because they are a great writer.

Picasa also makes backups manageable. It remembers which pictures you've backed up so you can just back up new ones going forward.

But my favorite feature in Picasa is the sharpening tool. Yup, I couldn't believe my eyes but this tool's sharpening feature actually works!!! Oh, and the graduated filter tool is pretty darn good also. I like the feather feature, that allows you to disolve the "line" on the horizon.

Have fun.
geopic

Firmware Upgrade

There is a new firmware upgrade out for the Canon 20D. Well, it came out a few weeks ago actually, but that is still pretty new. If you own the 20D and want to check your firmware release, turn your mode dial to the creative zone (P will do), turn the camera on, push the menu button, then page down to the last yellow feature in the toolbox, firmware version. If your firmware is prior to release 2.0.0, it's time for an upgrade.

If you registered your camera with Canon when you bought it, you probably already got the email about this upgrade and may have done it already. If not, go out to Canon's website and click on the download library, pick your product and go from there. http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=DownloadIndexAct

This new upgrade supports the wireless file transmitter WFT-E1.

One thing to consider when buying a digital camera is whether the model accepts firmware upgrades.

geopic

Which digital SLR should you buy?

Maybe the first question for you should be, do I need an SLR (a camera that allows you to change the lenses). If you are used to using a film SLR, downgrading to a digital point and shoot will probably only leave you dissatisfied. In the same way that film point and shoots can't do the job of a film SLR, a digital point and shoot is not as feature rich as a digital SLR. In general people who upgrade are happy, people who downgrade say, "why can't I do..."

So once you've decided you want an SLR, which one is right for you. If you've been shooting a film SLR and have autofocus lenses, choosing the same manufacturer digital SLR will allow you to use your current autofocus lenses on your new digital. That could save you some bucks, especially if you have some expensive lenses already.

The five most popular digital SLRs are: The Pentax *ISTDs, the Canon Digital Rebel XT, the Canon 20D, the Minolta Maxxum 7D, and the Nikon D70.

The Pentax is an excellent camera for the price ($899.99 18-55 kit, 6 megapixels). The kit includes an 18-55 lens, it has a metal body construction, and the kit lens has a metal mount. It is durable, takes SD cards, and uses double AA size batteries. Most importantly, the pictures are fabulous. The former drawback will soon be a moot point, Pentax doesn't offer image stabilization. Sigma has a 100 - 400 mm image stablized lense, and since they make lenses for Pentax (as well as other brands), no longer a problem.

The Canon Digital Rebel XT ($999.99 18-55 kit, 8 mp), has some great features but personally I prefer a sturdy metal body to the light weight plastic one the XT has. I've seen more than one Rebel have to have the battery door repaired. It is the best priced 8 megapixel out there though, so if you need to present your work to an audience in poster size, and you can't afford the $1599.99 20D, the XT will meet your needs. The picture quality is good, although I'd like to see more contrast. The 18-55 kit lens is the same cheap plastic one used in the lower end 20D kit, but for only $100 more than the body, it is well worth the price to get the kit.

The 20D ($1599.99 18-55 kit, 8 mp, 5 fps) is metal, fast, offers the same tracking foucus (AI Servo) feature now available in the Rebel XT (I really like that feature), and Canon offers the widest variety of lenses available. It takes the sturdy, inexpensive CF cards. This uses the same sensor as the XT, so picture quality is similar for both. One disappointment in this camera is that there is no spot meter. That means it is very difficult to get a back lit bird correctly exposed. Center weighted just doesn't get it.

The Maxxum 7D ($1599.99 body only, 6 mp) is the only digital SLR with antishake built into the CCD chip. That means you don't have to pay for it with each lens you buy. A nice feature, but they aren't flying off the shelves and I've seen one come in for repair that was having trouble with exposures. Pics alternated between grossly over exposed and underexposed. Also, the kit comes with a lens that starts at 28mm which equates to about 42mm taking the digital recording plane size into consideration. That is just not enough wide angle. To get your wide angle back you will need to buy another wider lens.

The Nikon D70 ($1199.99 17-80 kit, 6 mp) is a great camera, does a fantastic job, but is harder to learn. If you are the type that likes to keep your camera in autosettings most of the time and doesn't like learning and reading the book, skip this one. Nikon does have a following in the journalism business and as I mentioned in an earlier post, most of the Pulitzer prize winning photographs were taken with a Nikon. The lens in this kit puts all the other kit lenses to shame. It has a large objective, bringing in more light than the others, a wider zoom range, and is well built. It gives great wide angle shots. This is a fast camera that does a great job with birds. I am baffled though as to why Nikon hasn't produced an 8 mp in this price range yet. Sure not everyone needs 8 mp, but for some it can be a deciding factor.

All of these are very good cameras and I'm sure you'd be happy with which ever one you choose. Just be sure to buy the extended warranty because (whether you buy an SLR or a point and shoot), because digital cameras are VERY expensive to fix.

geopic