my first offering shot using Oylmpus Capture

[brian1208]

I had some spare time today so set up the EM-1 with firmware V2 loaded and connected via 6m of USB to my laptop with Olympus Capture installed.

The EM-1 + 50-200mk1 were mounted on a cheap Beike Gimbal head I have just acquired (darned good value for money it looks so far) on my tripod about 2 metres from the feeder

The light was pretty dire so I needed ISO1600 to get around 1/1000th sec but it did give me the chance to shoot some feeder action (hiding in the kitchen with radio 2 on drinking a cup of coffee )


I used SAF with 10 fps and all focus point active in aperture priority

I enjoyed this one which I have called "waiting for landing clearance" (it reminded me of the time we lived under the London HR flight path )

I'm enjoying using the new capture programme which seems to be as good as my Canon set-up in days of yore

waiting for landing clearance by BrianWadie, on Flickr

[IainMacD]

Re: my first offering shot using Oylmpus Capture

Excellent capture Brian, they look like they are hanging in mid-air

[StephenL]

Re: my first offering shot using Oylmpus Capture

Nice capture, Brian.

[Ulfric M Douglas]

Re: my first offering shot using Oylmpus Capture

Yeah that's really good, and they're all spaced equally.
So the capture thing ... do you hit the spacebar or something?
Was the USB cable out the window?
Why would a gimbal head be any better in this situation than a bag of peas or ... another tripod head? I thought it was for handling tracking moving targets but with a really good centre of motion ...

[brian1208]

Re: my first offering shot using Oylmpus Capture

Thanks Stephen & Ulfric.

With capture space bar is the "Half-press" and Enter the "full shutter press" and yes, the cable went out of the window and down the garden

The gimbal head wasn't a requirement for this shoot (I've got it for my beach and motorcycle track work mainly) but it was a chance to try it out, the real benefit here was that I could nip out and make quick adjustments to position (to improve the targeting) without having to unlock and relock my 3 way head.

Balance and stability were spot on so there was no sign of movement after adjustment

[DavyG]

Re: my first offering shot using Oylmpus Capture

Excellent capture Brian.

Dave

[jdal]

Re: my first offering shot using Oylmpus Capture

Levitating sparrows!

Sounds a good setup.

[brian1208]

Re: my first offering shot using Oylmpus Capture

my favourite so far (out of a fair few not bad flight shots around the feeder)

The title of this one is "I see Sid is still having problems with his airbrakes"

I hope it makes you smile like it did me

(same shooting set up and conditions)

I see Sid is still having problems with his airbrakes by BrianWadie, on Flickr

[Internaut]

Re: my first offering shot using Oylmpus Capture

Stunning. I assume multiple captures form the one spot?

[brian1208]

Re: my first offering shot using Oylmpus Capture

Thanks, yes, the tripod remained in the same spot and I made a few minute changes to the angle / position of the lens but I think it was finally fixed for this set but they were shot in separate sequences

It showed me that the shutter response of this set up is more or less the same as firing using the on-camera shutter button, which seems pretty impressive to me (I was hitting the enter key as soon as I saw the flying birds arrive on the edge of the laptop screen)

A couple more shots, showing the less amusing, aggressive behaviour of these birds

The Female started it

female sparrow attacking male by BrianWadie, on Flickr

then a bit later the male got his own back (I have no idea if they really are the same couple as we have a mob of up to 20+ sparrows visit our feeders but it makes a story to assume they are )

male sparrow attacking female by BrianWadie, on Flickr

the noise is more apparent as these are larger crops, lighting and shooting conditions remained much the same throughout