Jim's little warm-up

[JimS]

Preamble

Obligatory "I'm not a birder, but...". A refrain I have read in a few people's first Big Year posts. But I've enjoyed the variety of birds seen and photographed on my travels, and this seems an ideal way to build familiarity with a new camera. I doubted I'd make it far in the few weeks remaining of this year, with a busy family calendar most weekends, but rather than wait until January I decided to get started with a "little warm-up" beginning with a trip to Otmoor RSPB reserve in Oxfordshire UK. It's going to take me a while to get my eye in identifying things, so expect lots of posts from me in the "Bird ID topic" thread.

 

#1 Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes): Otmoor RSBP nature reserve, UK, 11 November 2023

OM-1, Olympus 40-150mm @150mm (cropped to ~300mm equiv), f2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 6400. Thanks to @kittykat23ukfor confirming my ID.

 

Light was very low at this point and there's a liberal application of noise reduction. I've learned some new terminology in the BY threads and now realise I can excuse any imperfection in my photos with a nonchalent "it's an EBC".  

I was playing around with the OM-1's ProCapture mode, and hoped to get a useable frame of a take-off. This little guy just tucked in and made like a Golden Snitch.

 

OM-1, Olympus 40-150mm @150mm (cropped to ~300mm equiv), f2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 6400.

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by JimS

[xelas]

Welcome, @JimS! Indeed many of us started as a "non-birders" and gradually turned into "Don't follow my car, I am a birder" photographers. I specially appreciate your input as we are using the same camera.

I like that you are posting the exif data, please add also the ISO.

 

There is a useful app named Merlin Bird ID that will give you a starting idea for bird id; I took a photo of the camera screen with my phone then use Photo ID option. Try it, it is quicker that flipping through many pages of a paper Bird Guide book like Collins.

Edited November 14, 2023 by xelas

[Tdgraves]

Always good to welcome a new “non-“ birder!

[kittykat23uk]

Welcome, I'm interested in how you get on with the om1 as thinking of upgrading my em1 mk2. 

[JimS]

Thank you @kittykat23uk, @xelasand @Tdgraves. I've added the ISO @xelasas requested. I also find it useful when people note these things on their images. I already have the Merlin app, haven't tried it IDing an image yet but the sound ID feature is a lot of fun. @kittykat23ukI'm coming to the OM-1 from the Pen-F, so a very different camera whereas it should feel more similar to the EM1ii. So far I'd say: AF feels a very big upgrade, frame rate is astonishing (need to take care, can easily fill a memory card without realising), high ISO noise worse than I hoped but better than Pen-F.

 

#2 Canada goose (Branta canadensis): Otmoor RSBP nature reserve, UK, 11 November 2023

OM-1, Olympus 40-150mm @150mm (cropped to ~200mm equiv), f2.8, 1/26000s, ISO 200

 

Moving on to an easy one earlier the same afternoon. Even I can recognise a Canada Goose. For those checking out the camera settings, the shutter speed is not a typo. I was walking from the car to the reserve when this pair flew over. I'd taken no care at all over getting the camera ready, I just turned it on, pointed to the sky and shot. The result was massively underexposed and I'm impressed the RAW file was salvageable to this extent after being "pushed" about 4 stops in Lightroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by JimS

[michael-ibk]

Welcome from another previous non-birder birder Jim, great you are joining this fun game. 

[JimS]

I'll finish the remainder of the Otmoor sightings in one batch... starting with another easy one

 

#3 Mute swan (Cygnus olor): Otmoor RSBP nature reserve, UK, 11 November 2023

OM-1, Olympus 40-150mm @150mm (cropped to ~200mm equiv), f2.8, 1/250s, ISO 500

 

Very pleased with his performance, they both took a bow:

 

OM-1, Olympus 40-150mm @150mm (cropped to ~200mm equiv), f2.8, 1/250s, ISO 500

 

#4 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos): Otmoor RSBP nature reserve, UK, 11 November 2023

OM-1, Olympus 40-150mm @150mm (heavily cropped - it was very distant), f3.2, 1/3200s, ISO 200

 

#5 Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo): Otmoor RSBP nature reserve, UK, 11 November 2023

OM-1, Olympus 40-150mm @150mm (cropped to ~300mm equiv), f2.8, 1/2500s, ISO 320

 

#6 Gadwall (Mareca strepera): Otmoor RSBP nature reserve, UK, 11 November 2023

OM-1, Olympus 40-150mm @150mm (cropped to ~200mm equiv), f2.8, 1/2500s, ISO 250

 

These needed a bit of work for a novice like me to identify, but I got there via the chestnut and white bars on the male's wings. In this case 4 of them chasing a lone female (with the yellow/orange beak).

 

OM-1, Olympus 40-150mm @150mm (heavily cropped to ~600mm equiv), f3.2, 1/2500s, ISO 250

 

#7 Dunlin Snipe (Gallinago gallinago): Otmoor RSBP nature reserve, UK, 11 November 2023

I stand ready to correct this if I've misidentified. I snapped off a few frames as this flock flew across the scene behind the swans. The second image below is a montage from the sequence of frames of a sample of birds that give a sense of the markings. I've checked field guides and online sources and I believe these are Dunlin but let me know if I have it wrong. Thanks to all below who corrected my ID. Now I check out sample images of Snipe in flight it's clear.

 

OM-1, Olympus 40-150mm @130mm (cropped to ~100mm equiv), f2.8, 1/2500s, ISO 500

 

 

Final comments on the experience:

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip, a very mindful way to pass an afternoon. I'm pleased with the OM-1 so far, but I find myself browsing for deals on the 100-400mm lens to get that extra reach.

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by JimS

[kittykat23uk]

Hmm.. Those last ones with their gold lines down their back to me look like snipe. Be interested to see what other people think..? 

 

I pretty much always use the 100-400 Panasonic with mine, but you could look at the 1.4 or 2x tc if you don't want to fork out on another lens right now.. 

Edited November 14, 2023 by kittykat23uk

[Peter Connan]

Welcome Jim

 

I started taking photos of birds because it was something I could practice my skills on in my back yard. The other day I was reading a trip report here ( @Tdgravesin the Kgalagadi). In one post there were some fabulous shots of a family of Cheetah. But my favorite shot was of two live birds squabbling over a dead one. Be prepared...

When it gets really sad is when one reads a trip report of a fellow forumite (in this case @TonyQ) to a place you had visited just a few years ago (Sani Pass), and he got an amazing array of birds, and you can't remember having seen a single bird. In fact my overriding memory of the whole country is that nothing except Shepards  and ponies live there.

 

I don't know UK birds at all. That last bird: everything looks Snipe-like to me except the tail. The Snipes I have seen all had their tails fanned out. But it's of course a different species of Snipe.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Snipe for me as well. 

[Galana]

2 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Snipe for me as well. 

And me.

And welcome to another non birder. We all were once! Then we learn about 'who killed cock robin?' . Stir in Arthur Ransome's "Coot Club" and "Great Northern" and we were a lost cause. My Damascean moment (Epiphany?) came on a Naturetrek trip when I noticed the other Tourons were running around with tripods etc.., when there was just a bunch of birds outside the breakfast tent.

[JimS]

Thank you all for pointing me in the right direction - corrected the ID above accordingly

[Zim Girl]

Welcome to Big Year @JimS.  It won't take long before you are hooked - have fun!

[PeterHG]

A warm welcome to the BY thread from me, too, @JimS. I am also an OM-1 photographer and I am pleased to hear you like the camera. I can see why you would be looking for an 100-400 to get more reach. Of course you could try with a converter as @kittykat23uksuggested. I agree that would be a less expensive solution. I have the 40-150 too and tried it with both converters. The MC14 works great, without noticeable degradation in image quality, but the MC20 does tend too soften the image too much for my liking.

[Dave Williams]

Never too late in the year to start a BY. Welcome to what seems to becoming an OM club!

I use Flickr to upload my shots so if anyone wants the full exif it's there to look at. Writing it up when you post  for each individual shot becomes very tiresome, well for me anyway.

[Galana]

6 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Welcome to what seems to becoming an OM club!

Ha. I read this as Old Man's club at first.

 

I will stick to my Box Brownie a while longer. Progress is all well and good but it has gone on too long IMHO~!

[xelas]

On 11/14/2023 at 6:31 PM, JimS said:

high ISO noise worse than I hoped but

Indeed it is more visible, but also it "cleans" better than the same ISO number produced by my D500. LR has an AI Denoise plug-in, otherwise use one of Topaz products. Use AutoISO, lift your shutter speed and do not be afraid of high ISO. One can clean the noisy photo but can not sharpen the blurry one.

 

On 11/14/2023 at 9:37 PM, JimS said:

I find myself browsing for deals on the 100-400mm lens to get that extra reach.

If your wallet allows, look for 300 mm prime; it will complement your 40-150 and is a PRO version that will give you SyncIS. The 100-400 is a very versatile lens but it lacks in micro contrast and fine details, specially at 400 mm end. That are my personal findings, others might have different (better) results.

 

On 11/14/2023 at 11:52 PM, kittykat23uk said:

but you could look at the 1.4 or 2x tc

In fact that would be my first purchase. Working slowly towards longer reaches; 800 mm FF equivalent is a lot to handle for a small size sensor. As @PeterHGmentioned, the 1.4 TC does not degrade the image quality, and is usefull for all your future lenses (300, 100-400 or when you find your winning lottery ticket, the stunning 150-400 ).

 

One more from my (limited) OM-1 knowledge base: there is a Digital Teleconverter that is in fact quite useful. It will give you better (closer) view of the subject for more precise focusing, and will retain the 20 MP size of the photo (for additional cropping). It only works with JPEG or RAW+JPEG settings.

Edited November 16, 2023 by xelas

[kittykat23uk]

Yes I use that digital crop quite a lot, especially for birds. If you shoot raw plus jpegs the jpeg provides the cropped version but you can still go to the raw if you want a wider composition. 

[JimS]

Really pleased to find lots of fellow OM-1 shooters here. I'd welcome more discussion on the camera and how to get the best from it, but to avoid contaminating the BY maybe I should start a new thread under "Photography Talk" to stay in the good books of the moderators

[BRACQUENE]

 

A warm welcome @JimSto the BY and the  "OM-1 club" which I joined a few months ago after consulting @PeterHGand had a huge impact for the better I hope on my bird photography even if I am still learning the handling and endless possibilities on offer ; I started with the 300 mm prime Pro lens which I find amazing and recently added your 40-150mm and even the 7-14/2,8 Pro which I will use in my next safari to Akagera NP Rwanda in three weeks .

I was also hesitant when starting but like all the others have said birding is immensely addictive and before you know it you are hooked for life 

[Kitsafari]

Welcome to the birdie corner, and just like the safari addiction, watch out for the bird addiction as well. Never too late to start a BY!

[xelas]

A quick “pre-release” info about OM-1: in Africa with all that light it really shines! But be warned, bring triple the SD cards you have been used to fill-up with DSLR camera.

[JimS]

#8 Carrion Crow(Corvus Corone): nr Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, UK, 25 November 2023

 

Since last posting I've now got the 100-400mm (thanks to some decent Black Friday prices in the past couple of weeks) and took it out for a walk near the River Thame. Most, if not all, shots of the EBC category, but "practice makes perfect". More to follow from the same walk shortly...

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400mm @400mm (cropped ~2x), f6.3, 1/800s, ISO 500

Edited December 1, 2023 by JimS
Adding exif info

[PeterHG]

Congratulations on the purchase and I’m looking forward to more shots with the lens

[JimS]

 

 

On 11/27/2023 at 11:58 AM, PeterHG said:

Congratulations on the purchase and I’m looking forward to more shots with the lens

 

Thanks Peter. Now I need to stop spending on gear and get out practicing with it!

 

#9 Rook (Corvus Frugilegus): nr Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, UK, 25 November 2023

 

My learning journey continues, now I have learned what distinguishes a Rook from a Carrion Crow. Did some experimenting with the OM-1's ProCapture feature and concur with @xelasthat this could result in my SD cards filling up very rapidly.

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400mm @400mm (cropped ~2x), f6.3, 1/2000s, ISO 3200

Edited December 1, 2023 by JimS
Adding exif info