How did he photograph that (i.e. hummingbird wings)

[dagray]

Hummingbird at feeder
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb277/lizardman_u/Wildlife/Hummingbird3.jpg (http://s211.photobucket.com/user/lizardman_u/media/Wildlife/Hummingbird3.jpg.html)

So how did I get the shot? first let's lay out the gear
Pentax K7
Sigma 50-500mm 1:4-6.3 (6.7 on Pentax bodies)
Pentax AF-360 flash.

I sit outside with my camera on a sling attached to the lens (remember with big lenses always attach tripod and camera straps to the lens to avoid doing damage to the lens mount on the camera body) with my back to the outside of the house.

I set my ISO and Shutter speed and opened the aperture wide open.
Pre-focus the camera for the feeder
wait for humming bird to fly to the feeder, and then raise the camera to my eye and fire away.

The flash was set on HS (high speed) allowing it to sync with the shutter speed, and only was used to get some catch light on the subject as I was shooting mid afternoon.

ISO set to 1600
shutter speed 1/6000
focal length 500mm
aperture 6.7

[rickztahone]

You made me go back and check my exif on a shot I did on a ruby throat. I used 1/100 which I was was closer to 1/1000 but I didn't like raising iso much back then because of terrible high iso management on that body.

I'll post it later if you don't mind

[dagray]

Please do Rick and add how you got it.

I figure all of us with hummingbird shots (wings blurred or stopped) can post and give a tip or tips on how they got that shot :)

[rickztahone]

At the time I believe I was shooting with a 70-400 at 400. I remember it being evening and wishing I had more light. Bumped up the iso only to 200 and hoped that the face was sharp and blurry wings.

My advice would be stop down, use fill flash at high speed sync and possibly 1/1000-1/2000.

[Ardan]

Really like that picture! Thanks for sharing. Looks great even at high ISO.

Ardan

[dagray]

Thank you Ardan. The Pentax bodies (K5 and K3) are great at high ISO as far as low noise. I also now use Topaz Labs "DeNoise" plugin if I need to shoot higher than 3200 ISO, or use the cell phone to take a shot.

[brewmaster15]

Dave,
You just moved the sigma 50- 500mm one step up on my wish list.;) THANKS!:)

AL

[dagray]

Al, I bought mine without the OS (optical stabilization) as it was $1800.00 VS. $2500.00 and the Pentax bodies have the IS (image stabilization aka anti shake). Using both can have the systems competing with each other and actually cause blur.

I purchased mine used at www.keh.com for $800.00 and later had to send it in for repair due to catching a basketball in the lens. So total I am still under $1000.00 outlay for the lens.

Keh.com had a few of these last time I looked in the $700.00-$1000.00 range.

[brewmaster15]

Al, I bought mine without the OS (optical stabilization) as it was $1800.00 VS. $2500.00 and the Pentax bodies have the IS (image stabilization aka anti shake). Using both can have the systems competing with each other and actually cause blur.

I purchased mine used at www.keh.com for $800.00 and later had to send it in for repair due to catching a basketball in the lens. So total I am still under $1000.00 outlay for the lens.

Keh.com had a few of these last time I looked in the $700.00-$1000.00 range.

Its a pricey one but definetly on my list down the road...need to buy more Lottery Tickets! .I just heard that sigma discontinued its little brother, the 150-500 in pentax mount.. I hope this 50-500 is around still when I am ready!

al

[Discus-n00b]

Ugh, one of the coolest things ever to shoot but it makes me sick to my stomach. While in Costa Rica I had some of the most AMAZING hummingbird shots ever, some of my favorite photos I had ever taken by the LCD screen at least and since I didn't have a computer on that trip I had to sit them on the memory card until I got back. I accidentally formatted the card while in Costa Rica while playing in the menu and lost them all, I was sick....still am sick. I'm talking about hummingbirds close enough to land on your lens type of shots. Been craving going back to CR ever since, and truth be told that incident is driving a lot of the craving.

Nice photo though!

[rickztahone]

Ugh, one of the coolest things ever to shoot but it makes me sick to my stomach. While in Costa Rica I had some of the most AMAZING hummingbird shots ever, some of my favorite photos I had ever taken by the LCD screen at least and since I didn't have a computer on that trip I had to sit them on the memory card until I got back. I accidentally formatted the card while in Costa Rica while playing in the menu and lost them all, I was sick....still am sick. I'm talking about hummingbirds close enough to land on your lens type of shots. Been craving going back to CR ever since, and truth be told that incident is driving a lot of the craving.

Nice photo though!

wow, can't say I have ever done that, but you will make me look twice and thrice before formatting my cards next time.


Dave, here is the hummingbird shot I was talking to you about:
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8289/7810449916_803125a101_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/7810449916/)
Ruby Throated Humming Bird (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/7810449916/) by rickztahone (https://www.flickr.com/people/rickztahone/), on Flickr

This one is of a stationary hummingbird shot, but I wanted to post it just because this was the first time ever that I had actually seen a hummingbird perched. I remember when I saw it I had my gear slung over my shoulder on the tripod and was walking down a hiking trail. I saw it by the corner of my eye, planted, shot it, and it flew away seconds later. It was like if he was just waiting for me :):

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7810467438_4f1c14d5fd_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/7810467438/)
Ruby Throated Humming bird profile (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/7810467438/) by rickztahone (https://www.flickr.com/people/rickztahone/), on Flickr

[dagray]

Great shots Rick.

Here is one from about 20 feet away of a Black Chinned Hummingbird perched (50-500 Sigma Lens).
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb277/lizardman_u/Wildlife/BlackChinnedHummingbirdatfeeder_zpscb2491ce.jpg (http://s211.photobucket.com/user/lizardman_u/media/Wildlife/BlackChinnedHummingbirdatfeeder_zpscb2491ce.jpg.ht ml)