Bird Detection AI, Birds in Flight, Micro 4/3 (OM-D/M.Zuiko)

Swan on the Run

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This article features 24 consecutive images of a swan on the run crossing the surface of a pond at Hendrie Valley in Burlington Ontario. I made a quick focal length adjustment part way through capturing this series of photographs, going from a focal length of 508 mm (efov 1016 mm) to 400 mm (efov 800 mm). When we photograph birds-in-motion we sometimes need to make a quick focal length adjustment to maintain the relative framing of the subject in our image run.

Let’s have a look at the first portion of our selection of images. These were captured using a focal length of 508 mm (efov 1016 mm). I used Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking along with pulse shooting technique throughout this series of photographs.

OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4220 pixels on the width, subject distance 148.3 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4149 pixels on the width, subject distance 147.1 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4413 pixels on the width, subject distance 147.1 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 3957 pixels on the width, subject distance 148.3 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4545 pixels on the width, subject distance 149.4 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4353 pixels on the width, subject distance 151.6 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4533 pixels on the width, subject distance 151.6 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4029 pixels on the width, subject distance 153.8 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4688 pixels on the width, subject distance 146 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4712 pixels on the width, subject distance 139.3 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4472 pixels on the width, subject distance 140.5 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 508 mm, efov 1016 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4676 pixels on the width, subject distance 144.8 metres

I somehow squeezed off one photograph part way through adjusting my lens focal length, as the image below was captured at 456 mm (efov 912 mm).

OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 456 mm, efov 912 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4089 pixels on the width, subject distance 140.7 metres

The balance of the swan on the run photographs featured in this article were captured using a focal length of 400 mm (efov 800 mm).

OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4377 pixels on the width, subject distance 108.6 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4484 pixels on the width, subject distance 115.4 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4532 pixels on the width, subject distance 112 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4904 pixels on the width, subject distance 112 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4856 pixels on the width, subject distance 106.9 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 5036 pixels on the width, subject distance 106.9 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4928 pixels on the width, subject distance 101.8 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4376 pixels on the width, subject distance 106.9 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4748 pixels on the width, subject distance 96.7 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 4293 pixels on the width, subject distance 91.7 metres
OM-D E-M`X + M.Zuiko 100-400 mm f/5-6.3 IS with M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter @ 400 mm, efov 800 mm, f/12, -0.7 EV, 1/1600, ISO-1000, Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking, cropped to 3861 pixels on the width, subject distance 95 metres

At times we can get absorbed in the action when photographing birds-in-motion and we can forget to adjust our focal length during our image captures.

Technical Note:

Photographs were captured handheld using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. Images were produced using my standard process. After running my RAW files through DxO PhotoLab 4 using one of my custom pre-sets, I made some minor adjustments in PhotoShop CS6. My final step was using Topaz Sharpening AI. Crops are indicated. This is the 1,113 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

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