- Post score: 13
- #1
I was in South Carolina this past weekend and had a chance to photograph swallow tailed and Mississippi kites using the Nikon Z7ii and new 400mm f/4.5 plus the Z 1.4 TC. Overall I liked the combination of gear, but found the subject matter very challenging. These kites are migrants and are only seen for an hour or so each morning while they hunt large bugs in hay fields. The soaring birds are extremely acrobatic and dive to just above the ground to capture bugs in their talons, then eat the bug in the air.
I found the 400mm f/4.5 lens to be excellent - fast focusing, accurate, and great optically both with and without the TC. The Z7ii was just beyond it's limits for this subject matter, and something faster focusing would have been a better option. One wrinkle is I normally find it hard to maintain focus at the kites circle, dive toward the ground crossing the treeline, and then change direction just above the ground. I ended up using AF Lock On set for 5 - Delay - in order to maintain focus. I normally used Wide Small or Wide Large modes.
The birds in flight were cropped to about a 40-50% view.
Swallow Tailed Kites
Mississippi Kites
Here is a white ibis photographed with the same combination. This kind of subject matter is easy and the camera and lens did a great job.
I found the 400mm f/4.5 lens to be excellent - fast focusing, accurate, and great optically both with and without the TC. The Z7ii was just beyond it's limits for this subject matter, and something faster focusing would have been a better option. One wrinkle is I normally find it hard to maintain focus at the kites circle, dive toward the ground crossing the treeline, and then change direction just above the ground. I ended up using AF Lock On set for 5 - Delay - in order to maintain focus. I normally used Wide Small or Wide Large modes.
The birds in flight were cropped to about a 40-50% view.
Swallow Tailed Kites
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Mississippi Kites
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Here is a white ibis photographed with the same combination. This kind of subject matter is easy and the camera and lens did a great job.
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