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?

Great selection

Hi Andy,

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

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.

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

love the one with the fish. Nice set

Pete

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.

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!

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.