This article shares some small BIF (bird-in-flight) images captured handheld with the M.Zuiko 75-300 mm f/4.8-6.7 II zoom lens, and an OM-D E-M1 Mark III.

Camera gear choices and related costs can be intimidating to many photographers, especially those who are starting out with bird photography. For many folks, high end camera bodies and exotic lenses, are simply not practical choices.

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that a lot of fun can be had with bird photography even when using more affordable camera gear. I went out with my wife’s OM-D E-M1 Mark III and her M.Zuiko 75-300 mm f/4.8-6.7 II zoom lens, and spent a few hours at Biggar Lagoon Wetlands photographing small birds-in-flight.

NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.

I set up two of the Custom Modes on her camera to be similar to a couple that I use for bird photography with my E-M1X. The biggest difference was that her E-M1 Mark III does not have Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking.

So, instead of using Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking with a single AF point (in combination with Pro Capture L) for birds in free flight, I used Pro Capture L with Continuous Auto-Focus and a 5×5 AF grid. I shot at 18 frames-per-second using silent shutter.

I found these setting on the E-M1 Mark III worked very well and enabled me to capture a good selection of images of birds in free flight. The vast majority of my photographs were of swallows in flight and as a result were similar in appearance… so I only included a few in this article.

Regular readers will know that I capture almost all of by images of birds-in-flight using either Pro Capture H (for birds taking flight), or Pro Capture L (for birds in free flight).  I followed suit for all of the photographs featured in this article.

When I use my wife’s M.Zuiko 75-300 mm f/4.8-6.7 II zoom lens I have no hesitation to shoot it wide open and fully extended when needed. I find that the resulting RAW files respond very well in post, and produce very usable images.

Whether I’m using my E-M1X or my wife’s E-M1 Mark III I absolutely love using Pro Capture H to capture small birds taking flight. This technology enables a photographer to easily capture precise moments.

Using a small, lightweight combination like the E-M1 Mark III and M.Zuiko 75-300 mm II can be a very liberating experience… although the lack of reach can be an issue at times. I tried to move in a bit closer to a subject bird than I normally would to help compensate.

There were situations when I couldn’t get in as close as I wanted… so I adjusted my composition to include more of the surrounding environment.

As I walked around Biggar Lagoon Wetlands, every small bird that came across that was perched became a possible photographic subject. All I had to do was acquire focus on it while using Pro Capture H… and wait for it to take flight.

Pro Capture H technology opens up a world of opportunities… even when the camera and lens you are holding is so small and lightweight. It still amazes me when I meet other photographers who own Olympus/OM System cameras but don’t use Pro Capture on a regular basis.

I used my standard Pro Capture H settings for the images noted in this article. I shot at 60 frames-per-second. Pre-Shutter Frames and my Frame Limiter were both set to 15, and a single, small AF point was engaged. I find this allows me to ‘thread the needle’ when acquiring focus on birds perched in trees or in tall vegetation.

Wanting to expand my experience base using my wife’s camera gear, I split my time between using Pro Capture H and Pro Capture L. I found that the shutter release on the E-M1 Mark III was more of a ‘hair trigger’ compared to using my E-M1X. As a result I ended up with a few more unintended Pro Capture H runs. I had to adjust my technique and use a much lighter ‘half depress’ shutter release pressure.

While I would have liked more reach in some situations, having a shorter focal length zoom did make it easier to find birds-in-flight in my viewfinder.

This could be an important consideration for folks just starting out with bird photography as eye/hand coordination is a fundamental skill to develop. I think the M.Zuiko 75-300 mm f/4.8-6.7 II zoom lens could be an ideal choice for many folks starting out with bird photography.

I couldn’t resist spending some time by the large pond at Biggar Lagoon Wetlands, trying to photograph swallows diving. This specific situation is one where I missed having more reach. That said, I was still able to successfully capture a few decent images (albeit heavily cropped) of swallows exiting the water.

Using the E-M1 Mark III with the M.Zuiko 75-300 mm f/4.8-6.7 II can be a very enjoyable and productive experience. This small, lightweight combination provides a photographer with a lot of image making power and flexibility.

Technical Note

Photographs were captured handheld using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. Pro Capture L was set to 18 frames-per-second using silent shutter, 10 Pre-Shutter Frames with Frame Limiter turned off. I used a 5×5 AF grid with Continuous Auto-Focus and Silent Shutter.

Pro Capture H images were shot at 60 frames-per-second with Pre-Shutter Frames and Frame Limiter both set to 15. A single, small AF point was used. All images were produced from RAW files using my standard process. This is the 1,279 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

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