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It is easier to get the focus right when the subject is far away (but not too far away e.g. covering less than 2-3% of the frame), than when the subject is close. When the subject is closer and moving perpendicular to the direction of the lens, moving with the subject - around an axis - and panning is a lot more difficult.

Standard settings would be AF-C, D9 or D21 (depending on circumstances), release priority, with lock on settings as per a user's preference.

E.g. the first image is more difficult to get sharp than the second one

Well it depends on the bird. A Pelican is a different story. I'll have no problems shooting them close or far away. Their color and size helps the camera lock focus easily.

Here's one up close right above my head with a 500mm

This was a little hard to track with a prime due to the distance and lighting but once I got the bird in frame and focus the camera nailed it.


Here's one with a little color added


This one was really hard. Crappy lighting and the bird was tiny and I was totally not ready for it.. I Think this was ISO 1600 and the camera chose 1/640 T value. I was shooting wide open at 500mm f4. Barely got it in focus. PP'ed

Depends, all relative.

Swallows are far friskier than a pelican.

Anyway, give me an eye level shot of a pretty female mammal any day than these silly birds :)











Edit: I wouldn't put any of these (my) shots in a portfolio page of mine, if I were to use high res versions and PP/sharpen properly. Some are cropped, the light is not nice and there is no catchlight in the eyes (except the last shot). Many birding shots I take are snapshots in my opinion. There is no story, no environment, no personal passion. But then again, birders have their own motivation. They get turned on by seeing some tiny, rare bird. A friend of mine is ready to carry heavy gear and trek to god forsaken (and beautiful) places - actually, scratch that, near-to-god, high altitude places, to shoot some tiny feathered creature :-). While I get a kick out of winking at a tigress a few feet away, even if I can't take any photos at that short distance. Or hanging around the dying embers of a campfire late in the night, while big cats are prowling around. Nature/wildlife passion is an immersion with all the senses, beyond what a camera (eye, and sometimes sound, if one is using video)) can capture.

Eye of the beholder.

Though back focused, I liked the drama, hence the post.
D9 amd release+ focus. May be 3D mode would have helped.
I find it very difficult to get these fast moving birds of prey head on when they are close.. At distance these are quite easy for me.
I find Pelicans quite easy, lateral or head on. Nice pictures though.:)

These birds of prey are unpredictable when they are hungry. Not quite difficult to track them along their path, but it takes some serious effort capturing them head on as they storm straight towards you to snatch their prey from the ground.

This 'take off' wasn't difficult as I was anticipating the move. A long shot heavily cropped from a D810 FF image.

I would think that those green bee-eaters you had shot would be more difficult to capture than any large bird, even at a distance.

Pelicans are easy to shoot. Anyway, they are not really about BIF skills (which I don't claim to have), but more of an exercise in getting an 'ínteresting light' shot. The main thing for me is to wait for the right direction and intensity of light, to get an image - after pp - that I imagined before taking the shot.



Edit: but what gets me excited is to encounter my favourite animal. My dream is to shoot a proper sequence of a tiger hunting its prey. And take many shots of very small cubs, playing.

That's a nice shot. The Fred Miranda forums have some amazing birding shots.

D810-generation 3D is not that effective against a similar coloured background. High contrast between subject and background (e.g. sky), it works very well. Edit: besides, with D9, you have more control re where you want to keep the focus (the face/eye). Since this shot was taken from far away, 3D could have worked, but doubt whether better than D9. And 3D could lock onto another part of the body e.g. the tail or wing if the bird starts coming close.

Edit:
I haven't tried it, but I feel 3D would work extremely well, far or close, if the head is of a different colour than the body or background (say some paradise flycatcher). Will try that out someday.

The entire sequence lasted for 0.5 seconds - from shot 1 to shot 3. I was using auto ISO, the first two were taken at ISO 10000, the last at ISO 9000 (that shot was a little darker too).

Coming. Waiting.


Almost there


Feeding time!

Green-bee eaters are rather predictable as they usually come back to the same perch after the kill, if left undisturbed, even their take off can be captured rather easily. One just needs to keep waiting with the focus locked and start firing as they approach. A similar case of your shots of swallows above. The challenge is when you got to track them until they start storming at you at your eye level for that amazing perspective. D810/200-500 f/5.6 does tracking fine, but gets nervous at the latter.

For that same reason, I use single point almost all the time even for action.

Regarding your safari, I would pick a D810 over D500 for the IQ as you are mostly a mammal shooter.

Hmm, didn't know that re bee eaters. +1 for subject knowledge, which is so important for birding and wildlife shooting.

Re D810 vs D500: no, I am betting that animals won't come close. I will be doing the safaris in the first few days after the park opens, animals are very wary after the 4 month monsoon break. And the D500 image quality is better than the D810 in DX mode. Let's see. Perhaps my bet will be wrong.

Edit: re swallows - yes, it took me a while to figure out the pattern. I was hiding behind a bush, and since I was handholding, I couldn't keep pointing at any one place for minutes. After an hour or so, realized that irrespective of where the first bird lands, it starts calling in a different matter when it senses that the parent is coming to feed. And then hops around and faces the right direction, while wagging its wings 1-2 seconds before the other bird comes in. Then it was a matter of catching them when they do the mouth to mouth feeding sequence for 1-2 seconds.

One keeps learning :-)

@M35 - Nice job tracking the Hawk. This needs lots of practice. Its so exciting to see these birds hunting. Love it!

@Nilanjan - Take both cameras. I'm sure you'll find use for both. A long zoom and a wide-medium telephoto.

Here's some Bald Eagle's in action.

My comment was based on your taste , those beautiful Animalscapes and Enviroscapes !
Anyways, all the best and have fun. :)

Lovely captures !

Birds. In different light.

A young one pecked by the male to claim his rights over female. Never realised that these docile pigeons could have such a gory aspect. Even after nursing it, it could survive only for few days. I do have a few distraction free pics but they are bloodier.

After all those high-flying shots, here's a couple of more low-key ones :)





Edit:
nothing great, but just trying out a Sigma 17-50

The eagle's are beautiful.

Would look better in colour imo.

Oh, they are extremely 'cruel'. Was watching this programme on Nat Geo where bird chicks mutilate each other cruelly, and the parents sometime kill and feel the weaker chick to the others.

Nice capture.

Nice. See if you can shoot them when the sun is low and slanted, diffused light is shining on the flowers.

A couple from the forests

Darter. Downsized from another JPEG, excuse the halos and oversharpening.


Sambarscape

Nothing to write home about though, either version:)

A full wing span !