Dragonflies and Damselflies

[Pape]

flied slowly around me then shortly hovered then i shooted.
i am bit suspicious at my autofocus ,i think it focus bit behind what it shoot so thats why wing tip isnt actually sharp even focus locked to it. do i need that AFTMA or what it was.

 

[Click]

Beautiful shots, Alan.

 

[AlanF]

Emperor in flight using the 5DIV + 100-400mm II.

 

[Click]

Excellent shot, Alan.

 

[AlanF]

I wanted to compare the 5DSR and 5DIV + 100-400mm II for speed of focus acquisition and managed to get some better shots of an Emperor in flight. It was rather frustrating as dragonflies don't hang around. I think the 5DSR is slower to lock on but when it does, it hangs in there. I used the central 9 focussing points, and 1/3200s. The top one is from the 5DIV at 3m, the bottom two from the 5DSR, with the first at 4m and the second at 7m. The closer they are, the more difficult it is to get both the head and tail in focus and the camera body has to be absolutely parallel to the dragonfly body. These are much closer than the one in the last posting and so much more detailed.

 

[Pape]

Excellent shots Alan! You can use bit smaller aperture with 5d4 if not minding bigger iso. I followed one patrolling brown hawker like 10min but didnt got any shots. Moving ones arent easy to shoot. Looks like you shoot lot on europe.i believe different kind of species on north america

 

[AlanF]

Excellent shots Alan! You can use bit smaller aperture with 5d4 if not minding bigger iso. I followed one patrolling brown hawker like 10min but didnt got any shots. Moving ones arent easy to shoot. Looks like you shoot lot on europe.i believe different kind of species on north america

It was very bright today so I could have gone to f/8 - f/11, but I quite like keeping the iso low and the speed high..

 

[Click]

Beautiful pictures, Alan.

 

[AlanF]

I did stop down to f/11 for this one. I managed to find a Blacktailed Skimmer on a better background!

 

[chrysoberyl]

As you can see from the barbed wire, this is a smallish one.

 

[AlanF]

As you can see from the barbed wire, this is a smallish one.

Small but well formed! Fantastic shot of eyes and face.

 

[Click]

Awesome. Well done, chrysoberyl.

 

[chrysoberyl]

Thank you, Alan and Click. I had a very cooperative subject.

 

[AlanF]

Couple of side views of a four-spotted chaser and a blacktailed-skimmer.

 

[AlanF]

A pair of common blue damselflies hovering over water and weeds below. The 5DSR and 100-400mm II make very versatile kit for amateur insect and birding shots.

 

[Click]

Very nice series, Alan. I especially like the second picture.

 

[Pape]

couple nice try RP 70-300mm 300mm

 

[Click]

Very nice shots, Pape. Especially the one on the left.

 

[AlanF]

couple nice try RP 70-300mm 300mmView attachment 185564View attachment 185565

Very nice try indeed. A suggestion: upload the images as full size rather than thumbnails as we can then see them at once.

 

[AlanF]

I can't resist uploading another Emperor in flight from this morning. He's got his face slightly turned towards us and I like the look.