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Ladies and gentlemen, "Start your hummers"!

Black-chinned Hummingbird


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Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I am getting a bit luckier with finding hummingbirds but not enough to fill the camera frame.

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Asher Kelman: Hummingbird in Tree

Canon 7D 70-200 2.8L with 2x Extender at 400mm 1/3200 sec ISO 1600 f5.6



Still, I feel I'm at least catching glimpses of these wonderful fellows!

The feeling of this fluttering creature is always admiration and wonder. I've missed these in motion too many times so I went wide at 140mm.

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Asher Kelman: Hummingbird On Its Way!

Canon 7D 70-200 2.8L with 2x Extender at 140mm 1/4,000 sec ISO 1600 f5.6



I think these are Allen's hummingbird, a common Southern California visitor.

Asher
 
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Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I have taken the liberty of repurposing Winston's super pictures to kick off a call for all the wonderful hummer pictures you can share!

I do try, but his pictures are so much better!

These birds baffled scientists for ever, as there seemed to be no reason they could do what they do: hover and fly. Actually they need a lot of energy for catching insects and they get their fuel from sugary nectar!

Asher
 

Doug Herr

Member
Anna's Hummingbird


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all: Sacramento County California
1st, 2nd & 3rd: Leica R8/DMR camera, Leica 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R lens
4th: Sony a7II camera, Leica 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R lens
 

Doug Herr

Member
Rufous Hummingbird


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first: Plumas County California, Leica R8/DMR camera, Leica 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R lens with Leica 1.4x APO-Extender-R
2nd & 3rd: Sacramento County California, Leica R8/DMR camera, Leica 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R lens
 

Doug Herr

Member
Black-chinned Hummingbird


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all: Sacramento County California
1st & 2nd: Leica R8/DMR camera, Leica 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R lens
3rd: Sony a7II camera, Leica 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R lens
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Doug,

What a fabulous set of hummer pictures. A lot of work but so valuable and rewarding. This is such a delight and pleasure for me to see this beauty.

Thanks so much for sharing so generously!

I will now just feast on the collection!

Asher
 
My hummers seldom fill the frame. Some of my images above are about 10% of a 12 megapixel crop-sensor image giving me an effective full-frame focal length of about 1800 mm. Cropping is much less work than carrying a beast like that around ;-)

Winston

I am getting a bit luckier with finding hummingbirds but not enough to fill the camera frame.

IMG_01314opf.jpg


Asher Kelman: Hummingbird in Tree

Canon 7D 70-200 2.8L with 2x Extender at 400mm 1/3200 sec ISO 1600 f5.6



Still, I feel I'm at least catching glimpses of these wonderful fellows!

The feeling of this fluttering creature is always admiration and wonder. I've missed these in motion too many times so I went wide at 140mm.

IMG_0154.jpg


Asher Kelman: Hummingbird On Its Way!

Canon 7D 70-200 2.8L with 2x Extender at 140mm 1/4,000 sec ISO 1600 f5.6



I think these are Allen's hummingbird, a common Southern California visitor.

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
A Fabulous 10% of the 12MP Frame!

My hummers seldom fill the frame. Some of my images above are about 10% of a 12 megapixel crop-sensor image giving me an effective full-frame focal length of about 1800 mm. Cropping is much less work than carrying a beast like that around ;-)

Winston,


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Well this is a fabulous 1.2 megapixels. Mind you, the Rover on mars has just a 1MP camera, but they do a lot of stitching!

I am eager to learn from your feat! From the EXIF, I see you used a Sony A700 with the 70-400 f 4.0-5.6 lens at f5.6 and 1/4000 second. So in 35mm terms, you were at 600mm and then you too just the center. So that is indeed equivalent to lugging around a very long lens. Actually, if it is the center 1/3 it should be equivalent to an 1800 mm lens!

I notice that Doug Herr also got wonderful results from his Leica R8/DMR camera using the Leica 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R lens, sometimes with the 1.4x APO-Extender-R.

Now he uses that Leica 280mm and a Canon 500mm FD on a Sony A7II, (24.3MP).

What is instructive is that one can use a bunch of different routes to get the needed reach. A crop camera does appear to be an economical way of acchieving a fabulous result.

Asher
 

Doug Herr

Member
I notice that Doug Herr also got wonderful results from his Leica R8/DMR camera using the Leica 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R lens, sometimes with the 1.4x APO-Extender-R.

Now he uses that Leica 280mm and a Canon 500mm FD on a Sony A7II, (24.3MP).

This year I retired the a7II in favor of the a7rII. 42MP is much less likely to result in aliasing and moire in fine feather detail when I'm using the Leica 280. The crop-ability is fabulous when needed but I prefer to use as many pixels as possible for big prints.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
This year I retired the a7II in favor of the a7rII. 42MP is much less likely to result in aliasing and moire in fine feather detail when I'm using the Leica 280. The crop-ability is fabulous when needed but I prefer to use as many pixels as possible for big prints.

So, Doug, you have image stabilization but no autofocus. But then you have spent many years doing just manual focus, so that is simple for you.

On the Leica 280mn what aperture do you use and what do you think the DOF is? Do you feel you the Canon 500 FD is able to resolve the 42 MP of your new camera?

Asher
 

Doug Herr

Member
So, Doug, you have image stabilization but no autofocus. But then you have spent many years doing just manual focus, so that is simple for you.

On the Leica 280mn what aperture do you use and what do you think the DOF is? Do you feel you the Canon 500 FD is able to resolve the 42 MP of your new camera?

Asher

I typically use f/5.6 or f/8 with either of these lenses for a bit more DOF without getting too much into diffraction degradation. I'll use the Leica's f/4 with no hesitation if light levels drop, with the Canon I'll use f/4.5 with the understanding that the image will be a little softer. The FD 500 is pretty good once it's corrected for lateral chromatic aberration and I think the a7rII's 42MP helps bring out a little more detail than the a7II's 24MP does. The difference between the two cameras is very clear when using the Leica 280.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I typically use f/5.6 or f/8 with either of these lenses for a bit more DOF without getting too much into diffraction degradation. I'll use the Leica's f/4 with no hesitation if light levels drop, with the Canon I'll use f/4.5 with the understanding that the image will be a little softer. The FD 500 is pretty good once it's corrected for lateral chromatic aberration and I think the a7rII's 42MP helps bring out a little more detail than the a7II's 24MP does. The difference between the two cameras is very clear when using the Leica 280.

That means the Leica lenses are really worthy of their stellar reputation. Consider they were built before there was film or sensors to challenge their MTF capability. But then the origianl Leica family were good and noble people. The company inhertis damn good DNA!

Actually, there is one thing about great lenses I have discovered, they hold their value very well

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Can someone Identify these hummers?

So it was up to the 501.2L and my Canon 5DII to stand in for something more suitable. This was my son's wedding. Not anywhere to the standard set by Winston, Doug or Peter, but I do love them and until I find my work from Costa Rica, these will be my place saver.


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Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I so adore Hummers. They have so much of nature’s impossible artwork in such tiny forms!

I appreciate all the keen observers!

The discredit of Hummers is so impressive, even two sides of the same mountain the Hummers can be entirely different!

Asher

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I have been mesmerized by these hummers. In a way they are a metaphor for diversity in humans!

I am especially enamored with this Booted Racket-Tail, posted October 11th 3017


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Peter Dexter: Booted Racket-tail


Peter has shown us several such samples but this is burnt into my mind!

Asher
 
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