Photographing Birds-in-Flight and other quick moving subjects

David Summers (dm1dave) on March 28, 2021

Thank you, Mark & Jose!

Sandhill crane in flight ... A smash hit, David Summers. You gots game.

Encuentro que es muy interesante e didactico todo lo relatado lo guardare para poder seguir lellendolo y poner en practica y comprobar OK.

David Summers (dm1dave) on June 8, 2019

Thanks Eric, I hope people will read the comments looking for updated info like you have added here

Eric Bowles (ericbowles) on June 8, 2019

Hi Dave - This is a very good article. You've provided a lot of great tips and suggestions. The AF system and recommended settings have changed the most with recent cameras. With each new generation - and even with firmware updates - the AF system is refined. What worked for a D800 may be okay for a D810, work okay but sub-optimally on a D850, and may not work at all on a Z6. Everyone needs to learn what works best for their camera, subjects, and situation. The D810 introduced Group AF. Group essentially makes a group of AF points act as one. That makes it easier to maintain the AF group on the subject. But Group is not very refined in the D810, so Dynamic modes remain the recommendation. With the D500, D5 and D850, the latest cameras have a new AF processor that supports faster AF. Group AF has been refined and improved with closest subject priority, which makes it my number one choice for birds in flight - especially raptors and larger wading birds. It's also good with smaller birds, but they remain a big challenge. Dynamic is less effective for fast moving subjects because of a new requirement that the AF point be returned to the target. The Dynamic Area supports a temporary handoff to other points, but you must return to the target in a short time. For fast moving subjects this is hard. But for partially obstructed subjects, Dynamic may still be the preferred choice because it does not rely on closest subject. My first choice for these cameras is Group unless I'm obstructed. With the Z cameras and updated firmware 2.0, AF has changed again. Group has evolved into two modes called Wide Small and Wide Large. The loose group of sensors has been replaced with a defined box. Closest subject priority has been improved. Dynamic AF has also been improved providng better results when tracking a subject in an obstructed area or tracking a slow moving subject - but ther eis just one Dynamic choice 3D tracking is gone - but it was not useful anyway. My first choice for these cameras is Wide Small, but I use Wide Large and Dynamic a meaningful portion of the time depending on the subject and context. Focus will continue to change with future cameras. The big thing is to avoid being locked into the settings of the prior generation. If you try out the AF modes, and learn what works best, you've got a great set of tools and can make the choices necessary. With all these cameras, faster shutter speeds can be very helpful in producing sharper images. Today I'm more likely to start at shutter speeds of 1/1600 second for moving subjects, and move to 1/2400 in good light with a faster lens.

David Summers (dm1dave) on May 6, 2019

Hi Russ, A “recovering wedding photog,” I link that. :) Yes, group AF works well. I sometimes switch between the two. An advantage to group AF is that is uses closes subject priority, so it should help keep focus from shifting to the background. I will use Dynamic Area AF if I am not having any trouble keeping the bird in the focus area and the background is clean. I have switched to the 200-500 as my long lens, the 400/2.8 was just too heavy to lug around. The IQ is amazing and the focus speed plenty fast enough for tracking, although is it a bit slower in initial focus acquisition. VR probably should be off at higher shutter speed, but if it is left on the impact on IQ should be minimal. It is also normal to have fairly miss rate on BiF. I hope this helps. - Dave

Russ MacDonald (Arkayem) on May 6, 2019

Hi David, As a recovering professional wedding photographer, I am learning to photograph BIF, and I was wondering if you would recommend Group AF Mode instead of Dynamic AF Mode for the D500 and/or the D810 cameras? And, what do you think of the Nikon 200-500mm VR lens? I've gotten somewhat mixed results. It's probably just me. I have been using VR Active instead of OFF. That may be part of the problem.

David Summers (dm1dave) on August 24, 2018

Hi Kostas, … A gimbal type head is ideal, it make even the heaviest lenses handle like they are weightless. A monopod is very useful and would be useful for a relatively light lens like yours. You can also use a regular ball head with the ball loose, you must remember to tighten the head if you let go of the camera.

Dear David, thank you for one of the most to the point and understandable articles on the matter, as well as the very beautiful photos. How important would you say the gimbal-like set up you use is to your results? Have you used any other ways of supporting the lens e.g. monopod, fluid head etc.? If a gimbal like set-up is not available, what alternatives would you propose. Consider a lens sized similar to a 150-600. Thank you again for the great nuggets of knowledge and the urge to practice a lot (no substitute).

David Summers (dm1dave) on June 5, 2018

I don’t recommend Spot Metering for birds in flight. The “spot” that is being measured is quit small and it must be on a mid-toned area of the photo to produce the correct exposure, that is pretty hard to do with a flying bird. Your exposure could shift widely if the “spot” goes over a particularly bright or dark part of the image. I usually use Center Weighted metering with birds in flight.

David Summers (dm1dave) on June 5, 2018

Hi David,.... AF systems have changed quite a bit since I wrote this. Custom setting a3 (Focus Tracking with lock-on) still does the same thing but the settings have changed. They have added the choice for subject motion, either Erratic or Steady. Erratic is for subjects that change direction quickly. I have kept that set in the default position. The “Blocked Shot AF Response” default setting is 3, It can still be useful to set it for a longer time if you are having trouble with focus shifting to the background.

Looking back once again at your article I wonder if the focus lock setting of 4 still applies to the later focus systems (I have a D5)? A recent Nikonians post indicates some people using Spot metering for small birds, I use matrix apart from Occasional awkward light conditions, any comment please. Regards David Jackson

Thanks, Dave. Great article!

Thank you David for this wonderful information! I really appreciated your thoughts on each aspect of your approach. Can't wait to get out and try some of my own.

David Summers (dm1dave) on January 1, 2018

Hi John, Most shots are probably at least 100 feet (30 meters) and as far a about 300 feet (30 meters.) Occasionally I get lucky and get closer.

Have you mentioned your distance from these subjects? Thanks Ponz

Should have read your article first. Will have a go again with small fast-flyers. Thanks David

Wonderful article for wildlife shooter. Thank you for your sharing.

David Summers (dm1dave) on March 14, 2017

Hi Jack, Sorry for the late reply. The kayak setup actually works pretty good. I have bungee cords going from the hook under the ballhead to the side of the kayak. It helps hold the tripod in place. I can push the whole rig forward and out of the way for faster paddling. The hardest part is dealing with small waves and the kayak drifting wile shooting.

Uh... how in the heck are you using a Gitzo Series 5 tripod with Markins Q20 and a Wimberley Sidekick while in a Kayak???

John D. Roach (jdroach) on July 24, 2016

David, I really haven't gone out to photograph birds, since our time with Gary Poole at Lock & Dam 14 in January 2014 except for Gulls a couple of time. So I am doing a refresher on BIF for an upcoming trip to Horicon Marsh this coming week here in Wisconsin, travel to Sevey Wildlife Refug among other places in the Upper Peninsula in August, and then a long trip to Yellowstone and Tetons in mid-September. Thanks for writing this. I will be my bible and I will read and re read it often along with some other resources. Your article is very concise and helpful for us that use Nikon Cameras. Thanks, John (jdroach)

I am not really a BIF photographer but I have several raptors come hunting every day only about 5 minutes walk away so I have been practicing. By trial and error I had come to the conclusion that I got better results with OS (VR) off, I am reassured to see that you recommend the same thing. Your hit rate also gives me reassurance. Reading tips by somebody who specialises in BIF is a great help to people like me.

Excellent article Dave, as I am sure you have heard before. I am just getting into this aspect of photography and am learning a lot from your experience. We don't have eagles around here, as you do, so I will have to make do with less interesting subjects. :) Thanks again. Steve

Just found your brilliant article, I am getting into Bird photography with my new Nikon 200-500mm. I have set my D810 to your suggestions to start afresh. One question - until now I have been trying manual exposure 1000s at F5.6 with auto ISO (although I use Aperture Prioity for general use) Any comment on Manual please? Thank you

Great article Dave,thanks for writing this.

Best article I have read. Thank you so very much for the help.

if the example is eagles fighting in air-where do you put the focus point? the situation is a minimum of two eagles fighting for a fish and one eagle is above and behind the original eagle-how do you focus both birds? The second question deals with an eagle coming down to pickup a fish in the river -you therefore have the decent,setting up the body for the feet,eyes,body postion to gather the fish into his tallons. my e-mail address is ----bull@iowatelecom.net

Eric Cabrales (ec2please) on December 31, 2015

Dave, this is a very invaluable tutorial - brilliantly written - for a novice like me, now I feel confident to take the challenge ....capturing the beauty of the Wonderful world of Wildlife Photography.....thank you so much for sharing your incredible talent, knowledge and expertise.....more power to you!

Outstanding tutorial, Dave. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. I found it interesting that you turn VR off. I equated a bird in flight to my lens manual's VR description for panning shots but your reasoning makes sense.

John Giglio (jkg0806) on December 23, 2015

Dave, an outstanding article I thoroughly enjoyed it and came away with a few pointers that I had not been using that I can't wait to try. Thank You for sharing this with us.

This is a very informative article,I am going to experiment your recommendations on other flying objects ,namely,honey bees. I have tried shutter speed of 1/1000 sec,with aperture of f5.6,I got good results but I will like to get best results,by the way honey bees have a very predictable behavior,I have to just wait near a very bright flower and they fly in to suck nectar.

Good, clear writing and excellent ideas for capturing BIF. Your ratio of keepers per shots far outweighs mine, but I'm not discouraged. I find that the process, practice, watching for bears, and battling giant mosquitos is just the best. Your photo examples are superb!

Thank you for sharing, David. I appreciated it very much. I came back today from a shoot of shore birds, only 6 out of 453 shots. Thanks again jchoong

Don Rich (dwr857) on March 3, 2015

Dave this answered many of the questions I have! Thank you so much for taking the time to create this tutorial, I learned a lot. I just recently started to shot birds and BIF and I know this will help me greatly! As I read your tutorial, I got my camera to set the correct settings! Your explanation of the settings was fantastic and even I understood them. This coming weekend my wife and I are traveling to a Lake Jordan, NC to hopefuly shoot eagles for the first time. To this day I still have not seen one one the wild. Supposedly this lake has the largest concentration of nesting pairs in the state! Wish me luck. One thing I have to get past is I get very excited when a photo opp presents itself to the point I know I have lost good shots! I am slowly getting better! Thank you again, I cannot wait to utilize your techniques. Friday I am going to the local lake to shoot the gulls! (PRACTICE) BTW - Your BIF images are fantastic.... Don

Good information, Thanks. With my D7100 in CH mode (shooting Raw + jpeg), I often find that the shot I wanted occurred AFTER the shot buffer was full and all I could do was watch as the opportunity passed. I have tried raw only but not enough improvement to suit me.

Excellent work David. I've recently adjusted my BIF settings to improve my keeper rate. I was also impressed with your results with a D300 at 800 ISO. I too own a D300 but bought a D800 for it's improved ISO capabilities but the frame rate is disappointing compared to the D300.

Malcolm Berry (mexberry) on August 12, 2014

Dave, Thanks for the informative blog. How much time do you spend scouting out shooting locations to decide where to set up your tripod? Do you use a bird calling app to attract birds closer to you?

I am confused about the best number of AF points and AF modes (Dynamic, 3D, normal, etc.). Also, we probably pan the birds so we don't really use the focus tracking and hold the frame steady, right? Thanks.

Dave, This was an excellent article; thank you for the very practical advice.

Thankyou David, most helpful. Steve

Dave. Many thanks for the tips, a great addition to my shooting skills. I´ve been attempting to capture birds in flight images with some minor success but your additional information has made this task much more successful. I´ll post the first result in the gallery. Thanks again Daveash

Malcolm Berry (mexberry) on April 5, 2014

Gracias Dave for your insight. I have just acquired the Sigma 150-500 a heavy beast and I will try to hold the AF on button down as well as supporting the lens with my left hand! I don't have a tripod with me, so it will be a challenge! BIF are a great challenge - until I tried to photograph hummingbirds I did not appreciate how fast those things move!

David Summers (dm1dave) on April 3, 2014

To Greg: No, I don’t use spot metering for moving subjects. The problem with using spot metering is that the AF point (the metered area) must be over a neutral image are to get correct exposure. If the spot meter hits an area of white the camera will underexpose and if it hits a dark area the camera will over expose. Spot metering is best used in more controlled photography when you have time to choose a neutral (middle gray) area in the scene to meter off of.

David Summers (dm1dave) on April 3, 2014

To Peter: AF still works with the TC. If the lens + TC results in a maximum aperture smaller than f/5.6 AF may get spotty on older cameras. The newest cameras can AF with an aperture as small as f/8. There is a bit of an AF penalty even with fast lenses. You lose a bit of AF speed with each more powerful TC.

Very good article. One question: you talked about stopping down the exposure; do you ever use spot metering?

one loses autofocus with the tele extenders, correct?

A very helpful article and very beautiful photos

Excellent write-up Dave. But how on earth do you manage a 400mm lens AND a Gitzo in a kayak (no need for a reply, BTW.)

I am new to this site and came across this incredibly helpful and well-written article. Just what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing this information, I appreciate it and am now so excited to go out and try my hand at this. Thanks again, Rosemary

Great article Dave

Gary Worrall (glxman) on March 11, 2014

Hi Dave, Always admired your images! Thank you for your detailed advice, I'm sure your efforts are greatly appreciated by all who visit I think I dream every night about shooting wildlife with a 500 f4 but wake up and find I am still using a 300 f4 Maybe the new Tamron will help, hope its sharp and fast enough Regards, Gary

Great Article Thank you

Great article and really help me a lot.

No need to comment re meter mode settings. After going thru the posts a second time....I found your answer Dated 2014-02-20. Thanks again Dave!

Great article, thanks Dave.

Thanks Dave for this great article/photos! I've had limited success with eagles in flight, either to dark or to bright. What meter setting would you normally use and do you pre meter on an object that would have similar darkness/brightness attributes as the subject?

Really interesting, I always tried free-hand shooting as I use to do with racing- bikes. I'm going to try with a good ball-head on my tripod.

Dave, thank you for sharing. I am sure you saved me days and days of trial and error.

Preston Moochnek RPh. (massulo) on March 1, 2014

Thanks for your hard work here

Fred Laberge (labtrout) on February 26, 2014

Superb tutorial, Dave. Thanks for all the great advice, especially explaining your reasoning on settings.

Thanks Dave great article although I haven't tried taking images of birds in flight its something I would like to try. Again many thanks.

Robert S Baldassano (robsb) on February 24, 2014

Dave thanks for the effort. I think it touches all the bases. One of the first things I learned after joining Nikonians was use of the AF ON button. I could never go back. I am not lucky enough to have anything longer than my 300mm f/4, and I don't have a Wimberley so I am doubly handicapped. Yet I still have been able to capture BIF by getting as close as I can and using TC's. I hand hold a lot or use a monopod as except for static birds, I find it hard to track a BIF with my Gitzo tripod and Markins 20 ballhead.

Christian Fritschi (ChristianF) on February 24, 2014

Dave's generosity in sharing his experience and this valuable information deserves all our votes but I only see 19. What's up ?

Thank you for sharing such valuable information. I've been shooting BIF for about a year with a D600 and a 70-300f4.5-5.6 and it can indeed be a frustrating exercise, but my keeper rate is gradually increasing, as is my criteria for what constitutes "keeper" . It is really encouraging to get " the berries" from someone who knows of what he speaks.

Thanks for a superb article. I am going on my first photo trip for birds in March, and appreciate all the useful info.

David Eyestone (txstone12) on February 22, 2014

Thanks for the tutorial and fine looking images, David. I enjoyed seeing your kayak setup as well. It actually looks fairly comfortable.

Thanks for the very thorough article, Dave. That Focus Tracking (a3) setting is a brand new revelation for me, formerly I have been on '1'. I cannot WAIT to try out the '4' setting! Bill

David, I really appreciate you taking the time and effort of putting this article together. This is a super example of what being part of Nikonians is all about. You have provided us with an excellent starting point for getting better images and boosting confidence when in the field. Thank you!

Dave, Thank you once again for sharing the previous link. The close-up pictures of your set-up answered my questions. Best, John

Roberta Davidson (birdied) on February 21, 2014

Excellent article Dave, thank you. Birdie

Great article. Two months ago I was shooting with a friend who uses a Canon, we couldn't really help each other to camera setting suggestions. Needless to say it was very frustrating when your camera won't "listen" to you. Over the next 8 weeks I came to close to your summation, this will help cut down on the learning curve for the next outing. Thanks for sharing.

Reg Aupperle (brobones) on February 20, 2014

Fantastic info. thanks Dave. Your images are superb.

David Summers (dm1dave) on February 20, 2014

John -- We have a great discussion on the subject of shooting from a kayak in the wildlife forum here... ----| http://tinyurl.com/lo8jo93 |---- There are close-up photos of my rig in that thread. ---- BTW the last eagle image was not shot from the kayak ---

David, Thank you for sharing. It appears that many of your flight images were captured from your canoe, could you share with me how you have secured your tripod to the boat? Best, John

Is there any way to get a text only copy of the Flying Bird Shooting Guide? I don't want to print pictures or posts.

David Summers (dm1dave) on February 20, 2014

More often than not I use Center-weighted metering ------ Matrix puts a little too much weight on the area under the focus point and I often find it metering a bit hot, it works great in some light though. ----- If you have consistent light it can be a good idea to take some test shots and dial in the exposure in manual mode and then check you histogram throughout the day and adjust as needed.

Dave: I echo the other comments...excellent article and most helpful. I was asking these very questions in Nikonians forums only a few months ago and got wide-ranging replies. But, having seen your superb BIFs I'll stick with your settings. One question...what metering mode do you use, matrix, center weighted, or spot? Thanks again for this helpful info.

David Summers (dm1dave) on February 19, 2014

Revising that sentence ----| When you set autofocus to AF-C and release priority, you have continuous focus tracking as long as the AF-ON button is depressed. If the bird that you are tracking lands, you can you can lock focus by simply letting go of the AF-ON button. This eliminates the need to switch between AF-C (for moving subjects) and AF-S (for static subjects.) |----- I will see if I can get the article edited.

David Summers (dm1dave) on February 19, 2014

@ AutumnInNewYork -- When the subject is in motion you must keep AF-ON depressed to track the subjects movement. When you let go of the AF-ON button the focus is locked – i.e. the lens will not adjust focus as the subject moves. So, to track – hold the AF-ON button – to lock focus (when your subject stops moving) – release the AF-ON button.

O.K. It's about time for me to get better. I now have an excellent set of notes. Thank you, David. I'm off to the beach for gulls.

Very informative, but a little confusing. ChristianF brought it up earlier. Can you please address for clarification his issue of whether you press the back focus button once or keep it pressed (without releasing it)to maintain auto focus tracking. 2014-02-19 14:12:49 posted by Christian Fritschi (ChristianF) Great tips Dave ! I was wondering if you could clarify the following statement: "When you set autofocus to AF-C and release priority you can lock focus by simply letting go of the AF-ON button and you have continuous tracking as long as you are pressing the AF-ON button." In the same sentence you say that releasing the AF-ON button keeps the focus locked and also say that you need to keep the button pressed. For clarity's sake: if I frame a BIF and press the AF-ON and want focus tracking to work properly, do I keep the button pressed or release it and the focus keeps tracking automatically as long as the BIF is within the frame ? I am a big fan of the AF-ON button and was stunned when I bought the D600 and realized it was missing. Luckily, there's the option of of assigning AF-ON to the AE-L/AF-L button. Thanks for sharing your technique on BIF's. I have a lot of respect for and admire your work very much.

David Summers (dm1dave) on February 19, 2014

@ trdavis – Yes, I shoot short bursts for the same reason with most subjects. Often one image will be just a bit sharper than the others. @ jonik – When no support is avaible you may want to use faster shutter speeds. It takes time and practice to develope smooth panning technique. @ ChristianF – When the subject is in motion you need to keep AF-ON depressed for tracking. If you subject lands and stops moving you can lock focus by simply letting go of the AF-ON button.

Just the post I have spent two years searching for - THANK YOU !! Dick

Exactly what I was looking for! Superb shots. Thanks.

I have been very hesitant to try BIF but with your information as a starting point I feel more confident to give this a try. Thanks for a great article.

By your post, I would guess that you also set your bit depth to 12 vice 14 to eek out the maximum speed from the camera without incurring buffer retardation. I have not really done much in the way of animals or BIF but it sounds like fun. Thank you for a good getting-started guide.

Thanks David - very clear and concise with good examples and made all the better by including your personal recommendations. I can't wait to try this out.

Christian Fritschi (ChristianF) on February 19, 2014

Great tips Dave ! I was wondering if you could clarify the following statement: "When you set autofocus to AF-C and release priority you can lock focus by simply letting go of the AF-ON button and you have continuous tracking as long as you are pressing the AF-ON button." In the same sentence you say that releasing the AF-ON button keeps the focus locked and also say that you need to keep the button pressed. For clarity's sake: if I frame a BIF and press the AF-ON and want focus tracking to work properly, do I keep the button pressed or release it and the focus keeps tracking automatically as long as the BIF is within the frame ? I am a big fan of the AF-ON button and was stunned when I bought the D600 and realized it was missing. Luckily, there's the option of of assigning AF-ON to the AE-L/AF-L button. Thanks for sharing your technique on BIF's. I have a lot of respect for and admire your work very much.

Thanks Dave! There are a bunch of ideas here that I'll try my next time out. A couple of comments: Another reason to take bursts is that while there may be some lens shake due to pressing the shutter release, once it's down, the next shots won't be affected and thanks to digital photography, "film" is very cheap. Also, if you're using the D4 you can safely use higher ISO values if that's what you need for a sufficiently fast shutter speed.

Beautiful pictures. Great info. Thanks

Dave, thanks for sharing your "keeper rate" with all the other valuable info. It will keep me from getting discouraged. Hope to get to your level one day.

Dear David Thanks for an informative article. Do you have any further tips regarding this as often I am in the bush (African) or on board a small boat without the luxury of a tripod, monopod or anywhere to rest the camera or lens, so hand held it has to be! Regards

Thanks for a very useful review. I enjoyed all of it.

Thanks Dave for this! Love your shots!

David Summers (dm1dave) on February 19, 2014

Thanks everyone for the great comments. Mike, you are correct auto ISO can be your friend especially in an environment with changing light. Pierre, I also find that ISO-400 is a good starting point with a long lens. It takes exceptionally good light keep up the shutter speed with such a narrow angle of view. I have seen some fish make some big jumps but have never captured one.

I usually use my Sigma 120-400 for flying birds. I prefer a shutter speed of 1/1600 second. I would normally shoot at 400 ISO, but will crank that up as needed. The D 7000 tracks targets very well, helping greatly with focusing. For an added challenge when it comes to shooting things on the wing, try photographing flying fish!

Beautiful images. Thank you for the informative post!

Thanks Dave for a really good article. Loads of detail which I'll have to try to remember and practise a lot I'm sure before I get Photos like the ones posted. Colin

Very helpful information. Thanks. Chet

Very helpful and concise - thanks!

Excellent article with simple instructions to follow. Thanks for sharing

Thanks for putting all of these great tips in one article. It will sure help newbies like me to a least have a slim chance of getting a good image. Your superb images give us a standard to reach for.

Richard Luse (DaddySS) on February 17, 2014

Thanks Dave, really helpful!

I appreciate your advice, David. I've admired your shots in the Wildlife forum. It's nice to know where I'm in the ball park, and even nicer to have some different things to try.

Realy a great article, thank you very much.

Very interesting and useful article. Thank you.

John D. Roach (jdroach) on February 17, 2014

Excellent post, David!

Great article Dave!

Great article. Sharp shots.Thanks for sharing.

Thanks!

Thanks for the tips. I do most of this myself. Only thing I can add is that I like to use Auto ISO. I set my minimum shutter speed to 1/1000 or faster depending on the bird size. (Small birds move a lot faster then big birds). Then I set a maximum ISO of 3200. Now if only I could afford a 400mm lens...

Great article and some nice shots. Thanks for the info. Bob