HHHR Butterfly Test

This article features some Handheld Hi Res HHHR butterfly test images captured last week at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory. It has probably been over 18 months since I did any photography at this facility due to COVID 19 restrictions. Needless to say, I was a bit rusty. It didn’t take too long to get back in the grove though. 🙂

The photographs in this article were all captured using the M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with an E-M1X body. Some of the images were captured with my zoom lens fully extended to 400 mm (efov 800 mm). As a first HHHR test with this lens at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory, I was reasonably happy with the results. In the future I will likely use a bit faster shutter speed to help ensure crisp images when using HHHR with this subject matter.

As regular readers know I’m not a pixel peeper by nature. I do appreciate that some folks like to view 100% crops so I have included a few at the beginning of this article.

NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 186 mm, efov 372 mm, f/6.3, 1/100, ISO-2500, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 1.3 metres
OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 186 mm, efov 372 mm, f/6.3, 1/100, ISO-2500, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 1.3 metres, 100% crop

It wasn’t until I began capturing some photographs that I decided to do an HHHR butterfly test. My last visit was so long ago that I forgot that I didn’t even own the M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS at that time.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/6.3, -0.7 EV, 1/400, ISO-160, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 1.5 metres
OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/6.3, -0.7 EV, 1/400, ISO-160, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 1.5 metres, 100% crop

As I scanned the facility for subject butterflies I tried to pick out individual butterflies that were reasonably close to me.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/400, ISO-500, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 2.1 metres
OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/400, ISO-500, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 2.1 metres, 100% crop

This approach allowed me to use all of my HHHR butterfly test images in this article as full frame captures without any initial cropping.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/30, ISO-2500, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 1.3 metres

The lighting at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory is quite variable and many times butterflies can be in dark shade. This gave me the opportunity to try some fairly slow shutter speeds like 1/30, as used in the photograph above. And the two that follow.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/30, ISO-1250, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 1.3 metres

For most of my HHHR butterfly test images I used a shutter speed of 1/400. I had the IS of my lens turned off… as is my standard practice with the M.Zuiko 100-400. I typically find that just using the IBIS in my E-M1X works a bit better in terms of the image ‘settling down’ quicker.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 227 mm, efov 454 mm, f/6.3, 1/30, ISO-2000, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 2 metres

I tried to find somewhat unusual compositions when possible, and also looked for subjects in good light.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/400, ISO-800, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 2.1.3 metres

Or, in high contrast situations, to add a bit of drama to compositions.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/6.3, -0.7 EV, 1/400, ISO-640, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 2.2 metres

There weren’t too many people at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory during my visit. I still needed to be aware of social distancing rules to ensure that I was 2 metres away from other people. Masks were mandatory to enter the facility.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/6.3 -0,7 EV, 1/400, ISO-640, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 2.5 metres

My wife prefers butterfly images that show the entire insect, not just a close up of its head and shoulders. So, the HHHR butterfly test images in this article were more to her liking.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 261 mm, efov 522 mm, f/6.3 -0,7 EV, 1/400, ISO-1250, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 1.8 metres

If you have an OM System camera that has the HHHR (Handheld Hi Res) function, it’s good to remember that this technology can be used for other subject material rather than just landscape photography.

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. Images are shown as full frame captures without any cropping. Some 100% crops to show details are included. This is the 1,086th article published on this website since its original inception.

OM-D E-M1X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/6.3 -0,7 EV, 1/400, ISO-800, Handheld Hi Res mode, subject distance 3.2 metres

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