This article discusses photographing squirrels with Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking and shares a selection of new handheld images recently captured at LaSalle Park in Burlington Ontario.

NOTE: Click on image to enlarge.

After I began using my first E-M1X in June 2019 I did some experimentation with Intelligent Subject Tracking to see if I could use it for other subjects.

At that time it was using the Airplane mode to photograph birds-in-flight. I had some success with that approach, but not sufficient to use it on a regular basis.

Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking was introduced in November 2020. It took me some time to fully adapt my technique to this technology. I’m now at the point that I use it most of the time for both static and birds in free flight. The only exception is when I use Pro Capture H.

I haven’t had much opportunity to experiment using Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking with other animals. It occurred to me that this technology may work well with other static animals as long as their eyes were clearly visible.

So I did a little experiment with Bird Detection AI photographing some squirrels. It worked extremely well as long as the eye of the squirrel was clearly visible. As is my standard practice with birds, I used a small, single AF point placed appropriately in the frame, and shot in continuous auto-focus +tracking at 18 frames-per-second using silent shutter.

Bird Detection AI quickly locked onto the eye of the squirrel without any issue at all and held focus throughout short bursts of images. Due to COVID-19 safety concerns I haven’t had any opportunities to test this technology in other venues such as a public zoo. I anticipate that it will work equally well with other static animal subjects as long as their eye is clearly visible.

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. Photographs are shown as full frame captures, reduced for web use. This is the 1,098th article published on this website since its original inception.

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