More Kingfisher photos - sorry!

I had a look in the gallery and both Tomkeet and Michaelblue have recently posted spectacular images of kingfishers so I apologise in advance!

I have just got a new 150-450 lens and today was the first time I could get out to try it out. I have to say, I'm not used to having to lug about a lens as big as this - it's not for general walkabout photography. I went to Low Barns in Witton-Le-Wear, County Durham and had the first three out of 4 hides to myself. Which was just as well as setting up the tripod and attaching the lens to it (rather than the camera) was another first for me.

The first 3 hides also didn't reveal much either. I managed to get a Moorhen, a few black headed gulls without their black heads and a fence post with barbed wire - test shots you understand. The day has been dull in the North East and there wasn't much light.

I went into the last hide and there was a Kingfisher on a perch. Wow - I had to try and erect the tripod and assemble all this new stuff as quick as I could, and this is what I got.



















I struggled a bit and found I had to manually tweak the focus but I'm generally please with these. What do you think?

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Andy
Flickr
Website

Great selection

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Learn how to live and you'll know how to die; learn how to die, and you'll know how to live.

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Hi Andy,

Excellent images, we're these on an APSC or FF camera please ?

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Chris

www.chrismillsphotography.co.uk

" A Hangover is something that occupies the Head you neglected to use the night before".

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K1 - Sigma 85mm F1.4, Pentax DFA 150 -450 F4.5 / 5.6, Pentax DFA* 24 - 70 F2.8

Samyang 14mm F2.8, Pentax DFA* 70-200 F2.8

K3iii + K3ii + K5iis converted to IR, Sigma 17 - 70 F2.8, Pentax 55 - 300 F4.5 / F5.6 PLM

Never apologise for Kingfisher shots like this! Never boring, and a Real Achievement, no matter how many others you see posted!

Really nice set. I Particularly like #5... there's an elegant simplicity about it that shows off the wee fellow beautifully.

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Tim

Some of my vaguely better stuff

Some nice examples of a very difficult subject - no apologies needed, just keep posting

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LennyBloke

love the one with the fish. Nice set

Pete

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K3, K50

Only doin' it for fun

Chris, they were taken using my K5II bought through this forum. So APSC. I do wonder if more pixels would enable me to crop more - say K3II and possibly be sharper with no anti-aliasing filter but having just blown all my money on the lens, a new camera will have to wait!

And thanks everyone for your comments. I honestly think I was very lucky to have such a patient subject though. And he sat still while looking for the fish. So I cannot claim any real skill. I don't think they are sharp as they could be - perhaps I should have used a slightly smaller aperture (?) - it was fully open at f5.6 if I remember.

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Andy
Flickr
Website

The last one's really fabulous. You were fortunate to have such a desirable subject to try your new desirable lens on. Better than leaving it in the case unused!

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John K

The K3 II certainly does enable very usable crops vs the same situation with a K5. I have just got the hang of capturing birds by virtue of staying with someone who has them flocking to her bird table but I found myself wishing for my K3 for its bigger sensor and better auto focussing. You can only get so close to them.

And your kingfishers are just lovely.

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Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

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