This article shares a selection of bird images captured handheld with the M.Zuiko 100-400 and the FL-700WR flash unit. I recently renewed my annual membership at Bird Kingdom in Niagara Falls. Since I had not yet used the M.Zuiko 100-400 zoom with the FL-700WR flash unit, I thought my recent visit to Bird Kingdom was an ideal opportunity to do so.

NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.

As regular readers know, I very seldom use flash with most of my bird photography. When I do it is typically in captive environments where the birds are used to both people and flash photography. The last time I used my FL-700WR flash with a telephoto lens was about three years ago. So… these images fall firmly in the test category.

I have been wondering for some time if the Olympus FL-700WR flash could be effectively used with the M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS zoom lens.

As you can see with the image above, it was captured with my 100-400 zoom fully extended. I did not affix the lens hood as to reduce the risk of casting a lens hood shadow on the subject bird.

As I wandered around the small bird aviary I watched potential subject birds with the objective of capturing somewhat unusual postures or body angles.

The sparrow in the above image was facing into some bright sunlight streaming in from a window. As a result its back was in dark shadow. Using fill-in flash was helpful to balance out the exposure in the image.

I also chose some subject birds that were perched in very dark areas of the small bird aviary. I was quite please with how well my E-M1X acquired focus under these dark conditions. I used a single, small AF point for all of the images in this article.

When photographing in captive environments It can be challenging to identify subject birds that are far enough away from adjacent backgrounds to avoid casting shadows… as you can see in the image above. Waiting for some interesting bird movement can help capture a bird posture that attracts a viewer’s eye and can reduce the impact of a distracting shadow.

I looked for birds perched in a range of lighting conditions, including being up against very bright backgrounds with the bird in shadow.

The FL-700WR flash performed well in the various lighting scenarios in my brief test at Bird Kingdom with the M.Zuiko 100-400 mm.

The image above was one of my favourite test images. This bird was perched in a dark area with some slight backlighting coming in from the right side of the composition.

I also took some test images of birds that were a bit more distant to try to replicate situations that I may encounter along a forest trail.

Doing some depth-of-field tests were also instructive.

Since I am a neophyte when it comes to flash photography, I need to dedicate some time to learn more of the basics of this technology, and spending more time in the field with my FL-700WR.

As the fall and winter birding seasons approach, I can see the value of taking my FL-700WR flash with me when shooting under darker conditions… especially in captive environments like Bird Kingdom.

Overall I was encouraged by my initial test using the FL-700WR with my M.Zuiko 100-400 mm zoom lens. This combination will help expand my opportunities when photographing birds in lower light conditions.

 Technical Note

Photographs were captured handheld using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. Images were produced from RAW files using my standard process. All images were captured using the Olympus FL-700WR flash. This is the 1,307 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

How you can help keep this site advertising free

My intent is to keep this photography blog advertising free. If you enjoyed this article and/or my website and would like to support my work, you can purchase an eBook, or make a donation through PayPal. Both are most appreciated.

Our eBooks…

The Finding Visual Expression eBook is designed to provide readers with some photographic inspiration and composition ideas. The Little Camera That Could details our extensive experience using the Nikon 1 system. Our eBooks also include a number of travel photography publications including Images of Ireland, New Zealand Tip-to-Tip, Desert & Mountain Memories, Images of Greece, and Nova Scotia Photography Tour. We also have a business leadership parable… Balancing Eggs.

Donations support this website…

If you click on the Donate button below you will find that there are three donation options: $7.50, $10.00 and $20.00. All are in Canadian funds. Plus, you can choose a different amount if you want. You can also increase your donation amount to help offset our costs associated with accepting your donation through PayPal. An ongoing, monthly contribution to support our work can also be done through the PayPal Donate button below.

You can make your donation through your PayPal account, or by using a number of credit card options.

Word of mouth is the best form of endorsement. If you like our website please let your friends and associates know about our work. Linking to this site or to specific articles is allowed with proper acknowledgement. Reproducing articles, or any of the images contained in them, on another website or in any social media posting is a Copyright infringement.

Article and images are Copyright 2023 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, duplication or adaptation of any kind is allowed without written consent. If you see this article reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use. Posting comments on offending websites and calling out individuals who steal intellectual property is always appreciated!