This article features a selection of handheld photographs of sparrows in-flight captured with an M.Zuiko 75-300 f/4.8-6.7 II zoom lens and an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III.

NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.

I haven’t been out with my camera gear for a little while, so I decided to do something a little different. To that end I used our E-M1 Mark III with the M.Zuiko 75-300 mm f/4.8-6.7 II to photograph some sparrows in our backyard.

It was a dull, overcast day so lighting was less than ideal. Making the outing into a bit of a higher ISO test seemed like a logical thing to do.

I captured all of the images in this article using Pro Capture H with my standard settings. Both Pre-Shutter Frames and Frame Limiter were set to 15. I used a frame rate of 60 frames per second, along with a single auto-focus point. The following photographs are 5 consecutive images from the same Pro Capture H run.

To capture the 5 photographs above, I focused on the perched female sparrow and spooled images into temporary memory as I waited for the male bird to fly into my composition. It suddenly veered off to its right… and out of focus… as it came in closer to the perched female.

Another approach that can often generate some interesting images is to pre-focus on a bird feeder, then slide your composition slightly away from the feeder while spooling images into temporary memory. Using ‘both eyes open’ technique can help anticipate the arrival of birds flying in to feed. The four consecutive images that follow were created using this method.

This technique can also be used to captured small groupings of small birds in flight as we can see with the next two photographs.

I enjoy capturing images of birds taking flight just as they are becoming airborne. These types of photographs tend to have a feeling of anticipation in them… as in the following photograph.

The next 5 photographs are from the same Pro Capture H run. They are not all consecutive as the twigs in the composition obscured the sparrow’s eye in a few of the frames.

It is important to try to anticipate the angle of flight that a bird may use when taking flight. If we are successful in capturing an image run with the bird flying parallel to our camera’s sensor it will stay in focus when we are using a frame rate that is locking exposure and auto-focus based on only the first frame of the image run.

Even very common birds like sparrows can have an intense, focused expression when taking flight.

As noted earlier, photographing birds-in-flight with an E-M1 Mark III and M.Zuiko 75-300 mm f/4.8-6.7 II zoom lens isn’t a combination that I use very often. it is a small, lightweight match-up that can be a heck of a lot of fun. As time permits I may go out with this combination on a more frequent basis this winter.

Photographers looking for a small, lightweight, and easy-to-use zoom lens for birding should have a look at the M.Zuiko 75-300 mm f/4.8-6.7 II. It is a good little lens that won’t break the bank.

Technical Note:

Photographs were captured handheld using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. Images were produced from RAW files using my standard approach in post. This is the 1,235 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

Copyright

Word of mouth is the best form of endorsement. If you like our website please let your friends and associates know about our work. Linking to this site or to specific articles is allowed with proper acknowledgement. Reproducing articles, or any of the images contained in them, on another website or in any social media posting is a Copyright infringement.

Article and images are Copyright 2022 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, duplication or adaptation of any kind is allowed without written consent. If you see this article reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use. Posting comments on offending websites and calling out individuals who steal intellectual property is always appreciated!