I have been looking for a long lens for shooting wild life. I love hummingbirds. I recently got a Photosniper Tair-3 Phs 300mm f/4.5 made in USSR. I tried it in the weekend on hummingbirds from my neighbor's garden, the bird feeder is under a thick oak tree and there are shadows around the hummingbirds in feeding, . Some test shots all in wide open f/4.5 as I can' focus past f/5.6 due to M42 manual diaphragm. And due to the preset ring, it is easier to shoot wide open.

#1



#2
shadow and too dark to freeze the motion




#3
user focus error
again a bit too dark




#4




#5

I need suggestions on use of filled flash on a manual lens. The lens already weight 3lb 7oz and I already skip the battery grip, if I shoot it again with a bounced flash with a diffuser, what kind of setting should I attempt? Please give me suggestions to try:

1. Should I try auto mode in AF 540 in high speed sync?
2. there is no ceiling, will the default bounced card be enough
3. how will you approach the aperture and shutter speed in Av mode and the desired ISO setting when you fill flash for the hummingbirds

Comments and suggestions are very welcome,
Hin

I don't know what you should do, but I really like the first shot.

[hinman]

I don't know what you should do, but I really like the first shot.

Thanks for the comment, the shots are better when the hummingbird are not in motion as in #1 and #5. I personally like #1 and #4.

With the manual lens, I don't think I can use the built-in flash to do the fill flash purpose to increase the shutter speed somewhat. I think in the series, those pictures are shot about 1/200 sec when the hummingbird is flying and it is not fast enough to freeze the motion. And the tree shadows causes less detail in some area. I used roughly iso 200, 250 and I should have attempted with iso 320 and 400 but I am afraid of the grain.

I am not familiar with my AF540 flash and I don't really know if flash is beneficial to bird shooting in close distance as in 10 to 20 feet.

I hope others who know how to use flash can offer me suggestions to try out. I need inputs if Auto mode in flash with high-speed syn is the right thing to start and what Av, ISO, and shutter to try and pay attention to.

Thanks,
Hin

[PentaxCats]

Well, I need help with flash also so I can't offer any tips. I think your hummers are great considering the lighting conditions! Personally I like the ones with movement in the wings, especially the one with his tongue out.

We just now have daffodils blooming, so it will be a while before I get any hummers.
Tammy