Your R System Images - August 2024

[David Berry]

A miner squabble …

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Noisy Miner : Manorina melanocephala
Pine Mountain, Queensland​

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For me, it was a lazy afternoon passed messing around in our garden, and drinking more cups of tea than was strictly necessary.

I didn't have the place to myself: the Noisy Miners — our sociable squabblers — were up to their usual tricks. One bored individual was clinging to the highest sprigs of a casuarina tree about twenty or thirty metres away. An exuberant companion hurtled in from on high (our right), knocking its auntie/sister/mother almost upside down, before circling back to alight next to its already right-side-up family member.

"G'day, mate! Nice afternoon. Can't hang around… Bye!" And was gone.

Although I had had my lens pointed at the perched bird, the action was so fast, and unexpected, that I didn't get the shutter button depressed until after the joyful collision. By then the adolescent had braked hard and thrown a u-turn. Never mind: we have ways of overcoming such problems.

 

[NGauger101010]

That's a great story! Beautiful action shot!

 

[Hali]

Great story and super shot!

 

[Hali]

Very healthy looking Yote. That's a fine series of clicks Hali.

Thanks so much!

 

[Hali]

Fantastic set! I love Yellowstone, but haven't been there in years. Those photos may just change that.

You should definitely go! We love yellowstone and can’t wait to go back yet again!!

 

[AOC]

Loving the Canon R5 2 so far. Here is a hummingbird get from the other day suing the camera.

 

[BirdBrainPhil]

Not posted for awhile, been out of action from a kidney stone and waiting 5 months for an operation!

Anyway we had the Bank Holiday away in Norfolk as it was a Snettisham Spectacular Weekend.
This happens when there is a very high spring tide and the sea covers The Wash completely.
There was a strong heat haze so not ideal for telephoto shots.

 

[NGauger101010]

That's great even with the haze!!

Hoping you feel better!! Take Care!

 

[AOC]

Enlightened

 

[PKM-UK]

Young seagull with an adult one (Larus michahellis)

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Hi Massimilian,

Two fine captures of beautiful creatures - very well controlled given the competing exposure demands, with terrific eye-pop.

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Hey Phil, as usual great photos and I'm looking forward to the next batch! Have a great holiday.

Hi Mike,

Cheers - much appreciated!

We had a fine time, staying (almost) dry and cosy - despite Storm Lilian gently rocking Frank through a couple of blustery nights.

(Only one historic property visited, but it was fun - if photographically challenging - and some images will be posted in due course).

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Got my R5mk2 yesterday and while I am not a bird photographer, I thought it would be a good test of the new camera. Images shot on an R5mk2, RF100-300mm f2.8 and the RF1.4x teleconverter (140-420mm f4 equivalent.) The autofocus is STICKY and really nice to use. I don't even have it completely dialed in and it was amazing. I would say that it seems as good or better than my R3's. These jpeg images were only cropped, no post processing, no sharpening. The big test comes on Saturday when I am shooting Major League Soccer for a visiting team. Stay tuned for images and impressions from that assignment. View attachment 30874View attachment 30872View attachment 30873View attachment 30874View attachment 30875View attachment 30876View attachment 30877©2024 Adam Bettcher www.bettcherphoto.com

Hi Adam,

Congratulations on your new tech - and for being the first to post some R5II images to the monthly thread!

Looks like you're off to a flying start (literally!) with this series of terrific captures of a magnificent creature.

Well done - and thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

We went for bit of a road trip to the west of Canada. I don't get out to very many country fairs but this one was fun. Antique cars, tractor pulls and horse jumping. All types of local products. There was a significantly sized photo contest. Also contests for about anything out there. The most crooked 3 carrots. The 3 most evenly sized/shaped potatoes and it went on.

Millarville, Alberta

Great to see youngsters doing this.

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My first tractor pull. Tires dug in and the red flag came up.

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Got a wee bit of motion blur in the rear tire Actually that was a bit of a challenge. They don't go very fast.

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Hi Only RF,

Looks like you had a lot of fun (as did everyone else!) at this community event. It's pleasing to see a community coming together to have a fine time.

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

My wife and I decided to mark one of her items off of her "bucket list". This was something she had wanted to do since she was a little girl, take a flight on a Zeppelin. Zeppelins are built about 20 minutes from our house, in Friedrichshafen, and during the summer, if the weather permits, you will see these magnificent airships flying around.

We booked a 45 minute flight for the next morning and hoped that the weather would permit. It did....sort of. We wanted to take a flight in the direction of Lindau as Lindau has an iconic harbor that I wanted to photograph from above. But there was a storm in that area of the lake so it was either go in the other direction, towards Meersburg, or get a refund and rebook another day and hope the weather permitted. Everyone on that flight chose Meersburg, I guess when you have your dream in front of you waiting, why would you not take it. Who cares where you are flying....haha...it is on a Zeppelin.

I was happy to read that they do not use hydrogen any longer and only use helium. (one a side note: Zeppelin has a museum in Friedrichshafen with a lot of items from the most famous Zeppelin of them all...The Hindenburg)

This is our Zeppelin as it landed at the end of the previous flight. If I remember correctly, there are only 14 seats in the cabin. That is why the cost for a 45 minute flight was 470€ per person.
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Some important information to know during the flight:

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Friedrichshafen has 2 Zeppelins that are used for flights like ours, the second ship is the Goodyear ship seen here flying over Lake Constance. If the weather were nice, we would have had a wonderful view of the Swiss Alps, but I have clouds in the background of my shot. This was shot through a small open window at the back of the Zeppelin. We were told to make sure we held on to our camera/phone because if we dropped it it would be difficult to find. I was thankful for my Peak Design Cuff wrist strap.

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Coming in for a landing. The passengers on the next flight have to stay directly in front of the airship as the pilot is landing. This is so he, or she, can always make sure the passengers on the ground are safe. The wind can blow the Zeppelin a bit, so one of the flight attendants is there to direct the passengers on the ground to run like chickens to the left or to the right. I wasn't sure if it really is necessary or was simply for the amusement of the pilots. I didn't take any photos when I was waiting because we were very clearly instructed not to so we wouldn't be distracted when our flock of fellow chickens needed to run. But, as you can see, not all chickens follow the rules.

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Hi Bryan,

That looks like quite an experience - with precious memories beautifully captured (and you've got to love the safety advice provided on the door! ).

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

The early bird catches the worm?

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Laughing Kookaburra : Dacelo novaeguineae
Australian Magpie : Gymnorhina tibicen
Queensland, Australia​

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Our avian squabblers were at it again. Might is right… my beak's bigger than yours!

I'm not sure who was first to swoop down, but it was the kookaburra who flew off with the worm.

Hi David,

You've got some real characters in your neighbourhood - the (apparent) look of indignant disappointment is a classic.

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Been out playing with my new toy, trying out some of its tricks...

Unfortunately, Saturday afternoon at the river mouth is noisy vehicle play time, so there weren't many birds around. Just one tern (for the worse), but I do love the shapes their wings make. As spring gets moving their numbers will increase.

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Caspian tern, Taranui - Hydroprogne caspia
Loved the way the camera locked on to the subject and held on to it - and also took the exposure from the tracked subject. I did have pre-shoot on, but wasn't very systematic in trying to see what it would do.

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Chaffinch (adult female), Pahirini - Fringilla coelebs

Compared with my old R6, the extra megapickles make small bird photography a lot easier. I'm one of those snappers who likes to pretend to frame shots in camera, and looks down on cropping, but with little birds the ability to crop saves a lot of money on expensive glass. That said, I do have an idea that my next purchase might be a 1.4x teleconverter. Don't tell SWMBO...

Subject tracking wasn't a problem for the last two:

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I did try the eye tracking, but my first attempt at calibration resulted in an annoying offset. I'll have another go soon, because the little experience I had suggested that if I can get it going it will be wonderful.

I'm looking forward to trying the facial recognition thingy on a very extended family holiday in warmer climes next week, but that will be for the September thread. Will do my best to avoid getting sand in the gears...

Hi Gareth,

Congratulations on your new tech!

Looks like you're already having plenty of fun - as these fine images evidence - and we're keen to see more of what it can produce in due course.

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

How do I set auto exposure for the priority subject when I'm shooting in pre-continuous, eye-detect, 30 frames per second, muted-but-not-silent electronic shutter, blah, blah, blah…?

Read the manual, bird brain!

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Grey Butcherbird : Cracticus torquatus
Butch finds the answer on page 332 (of 1225 pages).​

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Hi David,

Congratulations on your new tech! We're looking forward to seeing what it can produce in your hands.

We generally only read the instruction manual for gadgets just before we replace them (then discover all the things they can do we didn't know about). The one exception is our camera gear and it's good to see you're already doing some light reading - we presume the subject is adding to their 'how to avoid getting photographed knowledge'...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

I have been going out and shooting with my new R5 2, putting it through its paces and trying to become familiar with some of the new features it has over the R5> Love the Precapture mode and the Shutter Roll control of the stacked sensor during the 30 frames a second in electronic shutter. Auto Focus also seems nice and sticky. Here are two images taken at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria VA. This is the first time I have seen an eagle at this particular park.



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Hi Art,

Congratulations on your new tech! We're looking forward to seeing what it can produce in your hands.

Looks like you're already off to an astonishing start - image #2 is absolutely stunning.

Well done - and thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Been a little behind again, sorry I haven't commented or been around much. Still working on my Yellowstone images. Here are a few more from the trip:

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Hi Hali,

A series of truly eye-catching shots - from the opening cutie of the month, to the concluding jaw-dropper (via several sublime B&W captures).

It's almost impossible to choose a favourite - but the final image deserves a favoured wall to sit on.

Well done indeed - and thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

A miner squabble …

View attachment 31029

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Noisy Miner : Manorina melanocephala
Pine Mountain, Queensland​

---

For me, it was a lazy afternoon passed messing around in our garden, and drinking more cups of tea than was strictly necessary.

I didn't have the place to myself: the Noisy Miners — our sociable squabblers — were up to their usual tricks. One bored individual was clinging to the highest sprigs of a casuarina tree about twenty or thirty metres away. An exuberant companion hurtled in from on high (our right), knocking its auntie/sister/mother almost upside down, before circling back to alight next to its already right-side-up family member.

"G'day, mate! Nice afternoon. Can't hang around… Bye!" And was gone.

Although I had had my lens pointed at the perched bird, the action was so fast, and unexpected, that I didn't get the shutter button depressed until after the joyful collision. By then the adolescent had braked hard and thrown a u-turn. Never mind: we have ways of overcoming such problems.

Hi David,

We often wonder at the way in which fast moving birds avoid having major collisions, of course we forget this takes a lot of practice...



Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Loving the Canon R5 2 so far. Here is a hummingbird get from the other day suing the camera.


View attachment 31078

Hi Art,

Wow. An absolutely sublime capture - well done indeed!

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

Not posted for awhile, been out of action from a kidney stone and waiting 5 months for an operation!

Anyway we had the Bank Holiday away in Norfolk as it was a Snettisham Spectacular Weekend.
This happens when there is a very high spring tide and the sea covers The Wash completely.
There was a strong heat haze so not ideal for telephoto shots.

View attachment 31088

Hi Phil,

Sorry to hear you've been unwell (been there, got the T Shirt - the logo reads 'OUCH!'), trust you're well on the way to a full recovery.

We were at Snettisham a few years back - you've added quite a few '0's' to the head count when we visited. That is quite a sight!

Incredible - thank you for sharing...

Phil

 

[PKM-UK]

We're back! A short, but fun, trip with 800 raw files (plus iPhone shots/ GoPro footage) to chew through - a few images will appear here in due course.

In the meantime, with our thanks for all of the contributions in our absence - some images from a recent-ish visit to Chester Zoo, Cheshire, England.

(Shot raw and processed with: DxO PL Elite, Adobe LrC/ PS with Tony Kuyper Panels and Topaz Labs PAI. Compilations feature R7 - Karen and R5 - Phil).

Phil and Karen


1. A fine way to start the day...

2. What can you see...

3. Go on, admit it - you're pleased to see us...

4. Hello bright eyes...

5. For the art...

6. Jaguar Club...

 

[dgphoto8]

‘Out of Office’ - Hello, we’re now away until near the end of the month (another mini Frank-Fest - rain and gales are forecast, but fun is guaranteed!) so we will be unable to provide any feedback until after we return. Please carry on having lots of fun in our absence - and stay safe… Phil and Karen

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In the meantime, a few images from recent early morning walks around Hartshill Country Park, Warwickshire, England.

(Shot raw and processed using: DxO PL Elite and Adobe LrC/ PS with Tony Kuyper Panels).

Phil and Karen


It's the sun!

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Dawn and a rainbow (a drainbow?) - which became a full double! And then it rained...

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Misty morning...

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It's gonna be...

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Wow folks, what a great set of photos. I love the colors and tones, the misty morning photo is really wonderful.

 

[dgphoto8]

Loving the Canon R5 2 so far. Here is a hummingbird get from the other day suing the camera.


View attachment 31078

Super photo with the bird's details, colors, and DOF

 

[MSH411]

 

[PKM-UK]

Wow folks, what a great set of photos. I love the colors and tones, the misty morning photo is really wonderful.

Hi Don,

Cheers - very much appreciated!

Our early morning wood walks coincide with the sunrise for a couple of weeks in spring/ autumn and occasionally these yield very pleasing results.

(We're still waiting for an angel beams spectacular though - it's been a while).

P&K

 

[PKM-UK]

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Hi Marc,

A superb capture of an absolutely spellbinding (and - for us here in central England - an extraordinary) creature.

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

 

[Bryan Conner]

Hi Bryan,

That looks like quite an experience - with precious memories beautifully captured (and you've got to love the safety advice provided on the door! ).

Thank you for sharing...

P&K

Thanks for the kind words. The safety advice made me think of the theory that if the instructions tell you NOT to do something that should be common sense, it is because some idiot did it and now they have to tell the idiots not to do it.

 

[Bryan Conner]

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