And..Another Bald Eagle

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Rick S

Rick S

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This one came right down the parking lot and back up into the trees to partake of its bounty. D850/500Pf, hand held.
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Rick S said:
Thanks Ralph.
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Your impressive Photos with the D850 are pushing me to consider getting the D850 as my first FF camera body instead of waiting on the mirrorless. Been going back and forth on the matter. I’m in no rush but I’m getting a little itchy to pull the trigger.
 
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Ralph Bruno said:
Your impressive Photos with the D850 are pushing me to consider getting the D850 as my first FF camera body instead of waiting on the mirrorless. Been going back and forth on the matter. I’m in no rush but I’m getting a little itchy to pull the trigger.
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The 850 is what is in my way for a Z9. Every time I get back and get the pics done I think to myself "Why". I can't imagine getting enough improvement for the $5500 investment, especially considering I don't make any money at this. I post online and donate a few prints to charity auctions at Church or a couple of other local groups or for family and friends.
 
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Rick S said:
The 850 is what is in my way for a Z9. Every time I get back and get the pics done I think to myself "Why". I can't imagine getting enough improvement for the $5500 investment, especially considering I don't make any money at this. I post online and donate a few prints to charity auctions at Church or a couple of other local groups or for family and friends.
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I totally agree. There is no way you can do better with any other camera body including the Z9 and the A1. You take incredible photos with that camera. And I’ve seen other photographers on this site who are also taking great photos with it.
 
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Rick S said:
This one came right down the parking lot and back up into the trees to partake of its bounty. D850/500Pf, hand held.
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Excellent set. Awesome feather detail. Yeah he's definitely watching another bird.
Ralph Bruno said:
Your impressive Photos with the D850 are pushing me to consider getting the D850 as my first FF camera body instead of waiting on the mirrorless. Been going back and forth on the matter. I’m in no rush but I’m getting a little itchy to pull the trigger.
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Ralph, for someone who already has F mount lenses and hasn't started investing in Z yet, IMO the D850 is currently the best value out there. Lightly used ones can be had easily for $2k or slightly under. Best camera I've owned to-date(Z9 still undetermined).
 
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Rick S said:
There were quite a few Eagles around and I think it was watching the skies for a potential thief.
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- They seem to be constantly either stealing or being stolen from, or harrassed/harrassing for those same purposes.

Rick S said:
The 850 is what is in my way for a Z9. Every time I get back and get the pics done I think to myself "Why". I can't imagine getting enough improvement for the $5500 investment, especially considering I don't make any money at this. I post online and donate a few prints to charity auctions at Church or a couple of other local groups or for family and friends.
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- It wasn't that long ago that people were waiting months-upon-months to get their hands on a D850. It's still the same camera.

As far as whether not making money from photography has anything to do with buying any camera, think about what you spend to enjoy photography as a hobby.

My goal is to take a "photography vacation" every year: 7-10 days of travel with the sole purpose of photography. (I started last year, but have had to forego the trip this year due to a family situation. I may still be up for a shorter one in a month, but the window of opportunity is closing.) The trip would likely cost about $2000-$3000, plus my time, depending on when and where I go. If I were to go with equipment that improved my keeper rate by a significant amount, it would be worth it. That's why hiring a guide to to get to the best opportunities is worth it. The purpose of going is to take good photos, and anything that you can do to increase the number of images that you like and want to share with others is a good thing, as long as you can afford it.

It is a very personal decision, and if you don't believe that the purchase of the new equipment isn't worth it, and you are pleased with the results you are currently getting, there is absolutely no reason at all to purchase new gear or the latest gear. That being said, even if my Z9 turns out to be everything I want it to be, I'm still not getting rid of my D850! (Although it may stay in my camera bag more often than it now does.)
 
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NorthernFocus said:
Excellent set. Awesome feather detail. Yeah he's definitely watching another bird.

Ralph, for someone who already has F mount lenses and hasn't started investing in Z yet, IMO the D850 is currently the best value out there. Lightly used ones can be had easily for $2k or slightly under. Best camera I've owned to-date(Z9 still undetermined).
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Thanks, and I obviously agreevon the D850.
 
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Whiskeyman said:
- They seem to be constantly either stealing or being stolen from, or harrassed/harrassing for those same purposes.

- It wasn't that long ago that people were waiting months-upon-months to get their hands on a D850. It's still the same camera.

As far as whether not making money from photography has anything to do with buying any camera, think about what you spend to enjoy photography as a hobby.

My goal is to take a "photography vacation" every year: 7-10 days of travel with the sole purpose of photography. (I started last year, but have had to forego the trip this year due to a family situation. I may still be up for a shorter one in a month, but the window of opportunity is closing.) The trip would likely cost about $2000-$3000, plus my time, depending on when and where I go. If I were to go with equipment that improved my keeper rate by a significant amount, it would be worth it. That's why hiring a guide to to get to the best opportunities is worth it. The purpose of going is to take good photos, and anything that you can do to increase the number of images that you like and want to share with others is a good thing, as long as you can afford it.

It is a very personal decision, and if you don't believe that the purchase of the new equipment isn't worth it, and you are pleased with the results you are currently getting, there is absolutely no reason at all to purchase new gear or the latest gear. That being said, even if my Z9 turns out to be everything I want it to be, I'm still not getting rid of my D850! (Although it may stay in my camera bag more often than it now does.)
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Thanks and thanks for the perspective as well. The keeper rate is certainly a consideration. Some of the intermediate shots missed in the 9 fps vs 20 fps might indeed be the money shot.

Out for my Eagle shoots during peak Spring and late Fall though I've shot over 1500 in 4 hours at 9 fps. Doing that 3-4 days in a row for several weeks is already more than I want to process at times. I don't really take photo vacations, but vacations with photos, i.e. family visits in GA, FL or SD which are mostly family time with some day trips mixed in. I certainly am in awe of those who do take such trips though. My knees and back take away some of the enjoyment I would get otherwise.
 
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Rick S said:
Thanks and thanks for the perspective as well. The keeper rate is certainly a consideration. Some of the intermediate shots missed in the 9 fps vs 20 fps might indeed be the money shot.

Out for my Eagle shoots during peak Spring and late Fall though I've shot over 1500 in 4 hours at 9 fps. Doing that 3-4 days in a row for several weeks is already more than I want to process at times. I don't really take photo vacations, but vacations with photos, i.e. family visits in GA, FL or SD which are mostly family time with some day trips mixed in. I certainly am in awe of those who do take such trips though. My knees and back take away some of the enjoyment I would get otherwise.
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I'm with you on the knee and back thing. I have a baby stroller converted to carry my gear when I go to places like the C-B-B Reserve outside Lakeland, Florida that require a lot of walking. My gear almost always includes a folding camp chair, too.

Taking 1500 shots in four hours can be easy to do. As far as processing my shots go, I never sit down with the intent of taking care of that many shots at one time, except when I'm uploading them to a hard drive and importing them into my post processing software. I'll work through some of the imports for a while, then quit and return at a later time. I'm still going back to photos I took years ago!
 
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Whiskeyman said:
I'm with you on the knee and back thing. I have a baby stroller converted to carry my gear when I go to places like the C-B-B Reserve outside Lakeland, Florida that require a lot of walking. My gear almost always includes a folding camp chair, too.

Taking 1500 shots in four hours can be easy to do. As far as processing my shots go, I never sit down with the intent of taking care of that many shots at one time, except when I'm uploading them to a hard drive and importing them into my post processing software. I'll work through some of the imports for a while, then quit and return at a later time. I'm still going back to photos I took years ago!
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That's what I do. First cut, import and process a few. Depending on how soon I'm back out, I may do more.
 
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