Just returned from a trip to Iceland & Norway and a little worried about how many keepers I have got from flying birds. Not many have the head sharp in focus. Is there something I am doing wrong? My exposure is 1/3200–1/4000 so that shouldn't be a problem. Using C-AF, Bird detection, AF Area - Large or All, SH2. Can't use back button focus due to my disability. I went from having 90% head sharp BIF with my Sony A9 III to around 20% on my OM1-MK2. I love this combo for everything else, but BIF is becoming a problem.
as a fellow OM1II and 150-400 user I will be following this thread.
I've been using the 150-400 for nearly 3 years now and I have never achieved even close to a 'great' BIF keeper rate with it.
I usually get something meeting my requirements from most BIF burst sequences though so...good enough.
I shoot 25 fps SH2 so as not to not fill my cards in an instant. It's been said that 'we' should use 50 fps for BIF. I have no argument for/against 50 fps as I've not 'tested' 50 fps for myself.
maybe more salt on the wound...
if you can and haven't already...try the 4/300 for BIF.
when I first received the OM-1 I was using the 4/300 for birds/BIF (with an EM1X).
*I used an A9 and FE200-600 in between the EM1X and the OM-1.
with the arrival of the OM-1 I immediately and very easily achieved a very shockingly high (coming from the EM1X) BIF keeper rate which is what gave me the confidence to buy a 150-400. * I upgraded to the OM-1II when it was released. I have never consistently had a BIF rate with the 150-400 that I achieved with the 4/300 with either the OM1 or II.
Yea I use 50 fps a second, someone on another forum said to reduce the AF area to the smallest, literally the opposite to what I had to do on my Sony before..will give it a go.
"someone on another forum said to reduce the AF area to the smallest"
that is interesting advice.
use AF small and keep that single small AF target on the face/eye of a BIF...well...if you (or that someone) has the required skills to do that then I guess your going to see some good results. i'd guess most people don't have that skill with most typical BIFs and hence we use Bird Ai with ALL AF targets or a large AF target group.
I used (and still use) Sony milc for people stuff and AF for people wasn't a big task to nail so required no study of Sony's AF system.
I did a lot research on the topic of Sony Af when I had the A9 and FE200-600.
At that time there were some strange 'things' regarding selecting Sony's AF target sizes.
ie. one condition meant using an AF target box sized so that it fit neatly inside the subject (no overlap at the edge(s) of the subject). another meant using an AF target sized so that it was large enough to over lap the subject (AF sees at least one distinct edge of the subject) which is what made more sense to me and how I always chose AF target groups in the past. However I’d guess selecting a somewhat oversized AF target group can/will lead to the AF grabbing a wing or some other part of the bird other than the head/eye.
with the OM1/OM1-II and BIF I use ALL AF targets and will sometimes use 5X5 group when conditions worsen while also expecting a lower keeper rate due to worsening conditions.
***I should state that the OM-1 and II are very much unlike all of the other previous m4/3 bodies I’ve used for BIF for 5-6 years before. with the other m4/3 bodies, and BIF, I got a lot of completely OoF images and plenty of entire burst sequence with completely OoF images.
the leading cause of missed (non-keeper) BIF from the OM-1II is due to the AF grabbing a wing or some other part of the bird other than the eye. it is very rare that I get a completely OoF BIF image from the OM-1II.
Just returned from a trip to Iceland & Norway and a little worried about how many keepers I have got from flying birds. Not many have the head sharp in focus. Is there something I am doing wrong? My exposure is 1/3200–1/4000 so that shouldn't be a problem. Using C-AF, Bird detection, AF Area - Large or All, SH2. Can't use back button focus due to my disability. I went from having 90% head sharp BIF with my Sony A9 III to around 20% on my OM1-MK2. I love this combo for everything else, but BIF is becoming a problem.
as a fellow OM1II and 150-400 user I will be following this thread.
I've been using the 150-400 for nearly 3 years now and I have never achieved even close to a 'great' BIF keeper rate with it.
I usually get something meeting my requirements from most BIF burst sequences though so...good enough.
I shoot 25 fps SH2 so as not to not fill my cards in an instant. It's been said that 'we' should use 50 fps for BIF. I have no argument for/against 50 fps as I've not 'tested' 50 fps for myself.
maybe more salt on the wound...
if you can and haven't already...try the 4/300 for BIF.
when I first received the OM-1 I was using the 4/300 for birds/BIF (with an EM1X).
*I used an A9 and FE200-600 in between the EM1X and the OM-1.
with the arrival of the OM-1 I immediately and very easily achieved a very shockingly high (coming from the EM1X) BIF keeper rate which is what gave me the confidence to buy a 150-400. * I upgraded to the OM-1II when it was released. I have never consistently had a BIF rate with the 150-400 that I achieved with the 4/300 with either the OM1 or II.
Yea I use 50 fps a second, someone on another forum said to reduce the AF area to the smallest, literally the opposite to what I had to do on my Sony before..will give it a go.
"someone on another forum said to reduce the AF area to the smallest"
that is interesting advice.
use AF small and keep that single small AF target on the face/eye of a BIF...well...if you (or that someone) has the required skills to do that then I guess your going to see some good results. i'd guess most people don't have that skill with most typical BIFs and hence we use Bird Ai with ALL AF targets or a large AF target group.
I used (and still use) Sony milc for people stuff and AF for people wasn't a big task to nail so required no study of Sony's AF system.
I did a lot research on the topic of Sony Af when I had the A9 and FE200-600.
At that time there were some strange 'things' regarding selecting Sony's AF target sizes.
ie. one condition meant using an AF target box sized so that it fit neatly inside the subject (no overlap at the edge(s) of the subject). another meant using an AF target sized so that it was large enough to over lap the subject (AF sees at least one distinct edge of the subject) which is what made more sense to me and how I always chose AF target groups in the past.
with the OM1/OM1-II and BIF I use ALL AF targets and will sometimes use 5X5 group when conditions worsen while also expecting a lower keeper rate due to worsening conditions.
