Links to OM SYSTEM gear (as affiliates we do earn from qualifying purchases). They currently have a sale on the OM-1. Best Deal of the Year! Save $500 on the OM-1 body or kit explore.omsystem.com/om-1?olycmp=aff-om1_campaign-influencer-derek_sallmann-yt_link-om1_pdp
You have to learn how to use your camera gear, get good clean photos & edit images with photo software to clean up noise, adjust color, lens correction, sharpen, etc…… so its skill, gear and editing software
I feel like birding and photography are different hobbies. I’m a birder that uses photos to help ID or just for fun, I use a bridge camera aka a super zoom and it’s fine. Takes “good enough” photos
Great video! Because of the bigger sensor compared to smaller point-and-shoot cameras, mirrorless cameras and DSLRs get how much more detail, and less noise than for example the FZ-80. I started with the Lumix FZ-80, and now have a Nikon d500(not as good as the gear you were shooting with, but pretty good for a 16-year-old 😂), and the difference is pretty crazy! And yeah pretty much the only downside of shooting with a high shutter speed is the lack of light, which leads to more noise in photos.
There are a lot of variables to a good bird photo. Lighting, background, eye level, pose, etc., etc. in addition to your camera settings. I choose high end equipment because as a bird photographer you’re eliminating one of those variables so you can concentrate on the others. I evolved from low end to high end equipment over the years and found that my keeper rate is much higher.
I have fairly decent gear, there’s a learning curve for sure, but I really love it when I capture an amazing image of a bird. It inspires me to go out more and seek different birds.
The bird in the photo is an Altamira Oriole, which has a very limited range that does not include California. However, the similar looking Bullock’s Oriole and Hooded Oriole can be found in Southern California in the summer so check out those two and see if one of them fits!
look at the lenses each system has to offer, how it feels in your hands, and the range of options available in the system. I'm using Sony, several of the other well-known brands offer similar capabilities.
The big ones around here are Cannon, SONY, NIKON, Panasonic, and OM SYSTEM, in my opinion. They all have different strengths and weaknesses but are all good options! I don’t have a strong preference for one over the other at the moment but I’ve had fun testing them all!
I think your photographs are excellent. You may not be an expert with the gear but your knowledge of ornithology serves you well. I hope you are able to find a way to stick with it, it might even be good for the channel.
dont underestimate the advantage of used gear. I have a full frame Sony A7R3 and a Sony 200-600 G lens...and a Tamron 100-400. They really helped me improve my photos over prior gear... I bought them lightly used and all three probably cost $4K together...
I'd say your off to a great start, and being a hard core birder to begin with, you already know where / how to find the cool birds :) I started off strictly as a photographer. I've been doing some level of photography for 50 years, digital for more than 20. So I started getting really serious about birds, specifically smaller songbirds, Hummers, and such, about 5 years ago. Then got my first mirrorless camera 3 yrs ago. And yes, the gear makes a HUGE difference. Now that I'm getting to where I know I can take technically good shots, I'm starting to become a bit more of a "birder".... I'm probably still like 80% bird photographer, and 20% birder, but that's slowly shifting. Rare and hard to find species are meaning more and more to me as time goes on. Currently, I'm a Canon guy, but those OM1 systems are looking pretty great too. Nikon makes great stuff as well. And while the gear certainly matters, ALL of these can make some really great photos in the right hands :) Glad to see you getting into the photography side of things more too. Nice vid :)
Great photos can be made with very modest equipment. What better equipment does is increase the range of options. The OM System gear is certainly a step up from a good all-in-one camera but keep in mind most of the best bird photographers will spend more than $10,000 for just one lens and $6,000 or more for a camera body.
You got some really nice photo's that's for sure. Expensive gear certainly does help, but if you dont understand how to use it, it's really pointless. You might as well use a point and shoot. bird photography is very challanging and tricky but seeing results instantly is very satisfying . The more you do it, the better you will become. also, when it comes to editing photo's, a bad photo is a bad photo and no amount of editing can or will fix it. look forward to seeing your work !!
Derek on one of the episodes that you have recently you're carrying around a Sony 200 - 600 now I do not know which body were using but did you like easy that and I'd love to see the results using that lens and that camera body .
@@garymeredith2441 out of the SONY stuff I liked the A7iv because of the video capabilities in addition to the photo. Overall, all the mirrorless stuff was great! Hard to choose one over the other.
Good gear helps, but experience and training make a big difference. Some of your better shots were when you got the eye sharp with a little catch light in the eye. This makes the bird come alive.
You're not kidding about getting sucked in. It's like a drug habit. It empties your bank account and takes over your life. Natural high though. Not that I am that good, but I have noticed some elements that make the best photographers. Number one is mastery of your weapon. Next, the glass does more than the camera. Then, all those awesome photos you see are edited. I don't know many people who shoot in jpeg. Last but not least, patience and discipline. You have to be patient to get a good shot and you have to go to some lengths sometimes. Yep, up at five to drive two hours and get down in the mud. The technique most of us use involves rapid fire. I delete more than I keep. 30 years ago, a single outing would have required two assistants, three cameras, hundreds of dollars in film and several man-weeks in a high-end lab. I can do as well in three hours with just a camera and a computer. By the way, you got some very nice images. Way to go.
You don't need to spend that much. You can get really good results with just $2000-$3000 worth of equipment if you know what you're doing. However, I was impressed with the video shots - if you were handholding for those, that's impressive stabilization there.
@@BadgerlandBirding that's impressive. I upgraded my camera a while back but didn't realize the new one didn't have stabilization. It's good, but just pushing the button can cause some camera shake. This must have been fun to try out though
Well i would hope so $$$ lol ...but all seriousness, the gear definitely helps these days since the mirrorless camerias are more advanced , better specs, and more features like bird eye focus. But it seems like these "pro" bird photographers spend so much time editing. Ive seen a famous bird photographer here on TH-cam that creates like 12 different layers for ONE photo 😵💫 , so they are more like pro photo editors 🤣
My dad does a good bit of photography (not birds, usually bars and bands, hehe) and has always told me he takes a thousand "meh" shots for every "YES" shot. My friend who's learning video and photography says the same! That is QUITE the price tag on that gear, but I'm aware there are some even more expensive lenses and so forth, the kind of stuff the NatGeo guys haul around so they can take insane photos of lions without actually being within reach of those scary claws. The gear certainly can help, but I'm betting it also helps a lot to know which specifics you need to focus on (pun intended) as you're choosing what to get.
The bottom line is that two photographers of equal skill, the person with far better GEAR will come home with better keepers. So all these folks that are always screaming the Gear Doesn't matter, well in Reality, they don't matter. Because they are BS everyone.
Not necessarily. I challenge any photographer to walk as far as I do and shoot low angles as quickly and easily and be as reactive as I can be with a m43 setup. All being equal - sure they might have better quality images but good luck seeing that after post processing and printing.
*"Photos were made in JPEG"...* aaand... That's the clue of entire film. Shooting jpeg will never anyone a better photographer even with 60.000$ gear. Photo needs to be edited in post - yes, NEEDS to be, if you are PROFESSIONAL because photography is about details and technical aspects of the photograph, not about sharing your collection on "jpeg files" on your social media.
I 100% disagree with you on this. If you think it’s all about editing and shooting in raw then you’re basically saying any photo taken before computer editing was available isn’t professional. People have different end goals with their photos and they don’t all involve massive files and hyper editing. And I think that kind of mindset keeps a lot of beginners out of photography.
@@BadgerlandBirding But when it comes to gear itself, I find OM-1 a really great camera. Like.. TOP 5 on my list, DEFINITELY.. If my point was a wildlife, I would definitely focus on 150-400 mm lens, as my main goal in life - today. But if my main goal is sport photography, I can't go M43 system because of the strict rules, which may be forced by organization - when it comes to quality, gear used, and so on. So as you say people have different end goals, and should really be interested in M43 system if they are not going in veeery professional deep usage, like sport photography example.
@@pentagramyt417 Sorry to be harsh, but I can tell from your comments that you are not, and never have been a professional photographer -- and you are speaking without experience -- you are simply parroting what you have read other equally inexperienced people claim. I shot professionally for 30 yrs., and am now retired. The last 15 yrs. of that time was spent shooting mainly corporate events, and I shot JPEG files exclusively for very valid reasons. My clients, which included Toyota, Acura, Forbes, BSAF, Omni Hotels, and other large clients, needed daily, on site uploads for website posting, awards dinner slide shows, and often overnight print turn around, etc. -- and they often wanted copies of all of the image files, in JPEG format, ASAP at the conference conclusion. That required JPEG shooting -- RAWS were a waste of card/computer space. I might add that in all that time I used Olympus 4/3's and m4/3's gear, and never had a dissatisfied client. P.S. If you think photography is "about details and technical aspects of the photography", you are completely wrong.
Links to OM SYSTEM gear (as affiliates we do earn from qualifying purchases). They currently have a sale on the OM-1. Best Deal of the Year! Save $500 on the OM-1 body or kit explore.omsystem.com/om-1?olycmp=aff-om1_campaign-influencer-derek_sallmann-yt_link-om1_pdp
You have to learn how to use your camera gear, get good clean photos & edit images with photo software to clean up noise, adjust color, lens correction, sharpen, etc…… so its skill, gear and editing software
I started out birding with Lumix FZ80 like you had and I have been using the OM1 with the 100-400mm since Nov 2023. Pro-capture is huge!
Glad you got the opportunity to use the OM system gear!
I feel like birding and photography are different hobbies. I’m a birder that uses photos to help ID or just for fun, I use a bridge camera aka a super zoom and it’s fine. Takes “good enough” photos
I think that’s pretty true! There does seem to be a big difference in birders vs photogs.
that is an AMAZING shot of the olive sparrow! Frameable as-is, but touched-up, it'd be a masterpiece
Thanks! I thought it turned out pretty well!
Great video!
Because of the bigger sensor compared to smaller point-and-shoot cameras, mirrorless cameras and DSLRs get how much more detail, and less noise than for example the FZ-80. I started with the Lumix FZ-80, and now have a Nikon d500(not as good as the gear you were shooting with, but pretty good for a 16-year-old 😂), and the difference is pretty crazy!
And yeah pretty much the only downside of shooting with a high shutter speed is the lack of light, which leads to more noise in photos.
Thanks! I’ve heard good things about the D500!
thank you for sharing your experience with a m43 system. Very clear and beautiful captures
There are a lot of variables to a good bird photo. Lighting, background, eye level, pose, etc., etc. in addition to your camera settings. I choose high end equipment because as a bird photographer you’re eliminating one of those variables so you can concentrate on the others. I evolved from low end to high end equipment over the years and found that my keeper rate is much higher.
I have fairly decent gear, there’s a learning curve for sure, but I really love it when I capture an amazing image of a bird. It inspires me to go out more and seek different birds.
3:19 This! This is the bird I've been seeing in Southern California. I know it's an Oriole but I don't know exactly what type.
The bird in the photo is an Altamira Oriole, which has a very limited range that does not include California. However, the similar looking Bullock’s Oriole and Hooded Oriole can be found in Southern California in the summer so check out those two and see if one of them fits!
@@BadgerlandBirding sure thing
Make a setup for you backyard feeders and you can increase your quality even more
Hi. Is there a specific preference for you when choosing a good SLR camera brand : CANNON, OLYMPUS, PENTAX, RICOH, NIKON, etc… ?
look at the lenses each system has to offer, how it feels in your hands, and the range of options available in the system. I'm using Sony, several of the other well-known brands offer similar capabilities.
The big ones around here are Cannon, SONY, NIKON, Panasonic, and OM SYSTEM, in my opinion. They all have different strengths and weaknesses but are all good options! I don’t have a strong preference for one over the other at the moment but I’ve had fun testing them all!
I like the budget Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary, nice sharp photos without breaking the bank.
I’ve heard good things about it but haven’t gotten to try it yet!
I think your photographs are excellent. You may not be an expert with the gear but your knowledge of ornithology serves you well. I hope you are able to find a way to stick with it, it might even be good for the channel.
Thanks! We plan on doing more photography reviews in the future!
dont underestimate the advantage of used gear. I have a full frame Sony A7R3 and a Sony 200-600 G lens...and a Tamron 100-400. They really helped me improve my photos over prior gear... I bought them lightly used and all three probably cost $4K together...
I'd say your off to a great start, and being a hard core birder to begin with, you already know where / how to find the cool birds :)
I started off strictly as a photographer. I've been doing some level of photography for 50 years, digital for more than 20. So I started getting really serious about birds, specifically smaller songbirds, Hummers, and such, about 5 years ago. Then got my first mirrorless camera 3 yrs ago. And yes, the gear makes a HUGE difference. Now that I'm getting to where I know I can take technically good shots, I'm starting to become a bit more of a "birder".... I'm probably still like 80% bird photographer, and 20% birder, but that's slowly shifting. Rare and hard to find species are meaning more and more to me as time goes on.
Currently, I'm a Canon guy, but those OM1 systems are looking pretty great too. Nikon makes great stuff as well. And while the gear certainly matters, ALL of these can make some really great photos in the right hands :)
Glad to see you getting into the photography side of things more too. Nice vid :)
Great photos can be made with very modest equipment. What better equipment does is increase the range of options. The OM System gear is certainly a step up from a good all-in-one camera but keep in mind most of the best bird photographers will spend more than $10,000 for just one lens and $6,000 or more for a camera body.
You got some really nice photo's that's for sure. Expensive gear certainly does help, but if you dont understand how to use it, it's really pointless. You might as well use a point and shoot. bird photography is very challanging and tricky but seeing results instantly is very satisfying . The more you do it, the better you will become. also, when it comes to editing photo's, a bad photo is a bad photo and no amount of editing can or will fix it. look forward to seeing your work !!
Thanks, Todd!
awesome picts
Thanks!
Derek on one of the episodes that you have recently you're carrying around a Sony 200 - 600 now I do not know which body were using but did you like easy that and I'd love to see the results using that lens and that camera body .
I’ve tried the A7iv, A7iii, and A7RV. Still planning on making the videos about testing them!
@@BadgerlandBirding Derek which one did you like best ??? .
@@garymeredith2441 out of the SONY stuff I liked the A7iv because of the video capabilities in addition to the photo. Overall, all the mirrorless stuff was great! Hard to choose one over the other.
I use my I phone - 😂😂works for me !!
@@maryannhelpern9682 haha 😂
Good gear helps, but experience and training make a big difference. Some of your better shots were when you got the eye sharp with a little catch light in the eye. This makes the bird come alive.
That’s a good tip! I’m gonna look to take more photos with that in the future!
You're not kidding about getting sucked in. It's like a drug habit. It empties your bank account and takes over your life. Natural high though. Not that I am that good, but I have noticed some elements that make the best photographers. Number one is mastery of your weapon. Next, the glass does more than the camera. Then, all those awesome photos you see are edited. I don't know many people who shoot in jpeg. Last but not least, patience and discipline. You have to be patient to get a good shot and you have to go to some lengths sometimes. Yep, up at five to drive two hours and get down in the mud. The technique most of us use involves rapid fire. I delete more than I keep. 30 years ago, a single outing would have required two assistants, three cameras, hundreds of dollars in film and several man-weeks in a high-end lab. I can do as well in three hours with just a camera and a computer. By the way, you got some very nice images. Way to go.
Thanks! And well said!
Don't drop those lenses ! 😂💕
"Don't put that evil on me."
I was so worried about something happening to them 😂
You don't need to spend that much. You can get really good results with just $2000-$3000 worth of equipment if you know what you're doing. However, I was impressed with the video shots - if you were handholding for those, that's impressive stabilization there.
The first starling on the feeder was handheld, the ones from further away in the trees was tripod, and the rest after that were handheld.
@@BadgerlandBirding that's impressive. I upgraded my camera a while back but didn't realize the new one didn't have stabilization. It's good, but just pushing the button can cause some camera shake. This must have been fun to try out though
Absolutely not! That's like saying buying the most expensive golf clubs will make you a pro golfer.
Well i would hope so $$$ lol ...but all seriousness, the gear definitely helps these days since the mirrorless camerias are more advanced , better specs, and more features like bird eye focus. But it seems like these "pro" bird photographers spend so much time editing. Ive seen a famous bird photographer here on TH-cam that creates like 12 different layers for ONE photo 😵💫 , so they are more like pro photo editors 🤣
Haha yeah! Most photogs do seem to spend a lot of time on post-processing
Bro has over 10,000 dallors of equipment
Had 😢 Sadly I had to return it all, but it was fun to use!
My dad does a good bit of photography (not birds, usually bars and bands, hehe) and has always told me he takes a thousand "meh" shots for every "YES" shot. My friend who's learning video and photography says the same! That is QUITE the price tag on that gear, but I'm aware there are some even more expensive lenses and so forth, the kind of stuff the NatGeo guys haul around so they can take insane photos of lions without actually being within reach of those scary claws.
The gear certainly can help, but I'm betting it also helps a lot to know which specifics you need to focus on (pun intended) as you're choosing what to get.
The bottom line is that two photographers of equal skill, the person with far better GEAR will come home with better keepers. So all these folks that are always screaming the Gear Doesn't matter, well in Reality, they don't matter. Because they are BS everyone.
Not necessarily. I challenge any photographer to walk as far as I do and shoot low angles as quickly and easily and be as reactive as I can be with a m43 setup. All being equal - sure they might have better quality images but good luck seeing that after post processing and printing.
*"Photos were made in JPEG"...* aaand... That's the clue of entire film.
Shooting jpeg will never anyone a better photographer even with 60.000$ gear. Photo needs to be edited in post - yes, NEEDS to be, if you are PROFESSIONAL because photography is about details and technical aspects of the photograph, not about sharing your collection on "jpeg files" on your social media.
I 100% disagree with you on this. If you think it’s all about editing and shooting in raw then you’re basically saying any photo taken before computer editing was available isn’t professional. People have different end goals with their photos and they don’t all involve massive files and hyper editing. And I think that kind of mindset keeps a lot of beginners out of photography.
@@BadgerlandBirding But when it comes to gear itself, I find OM-1 a really great camera. Like.. TOP 5 on my list, DEFINITELY.. If my point was a wildlife, I would definitely focus on 150-400 mm lens, as my main goal in life - today.
But if my main goal is sport photography, I can't go M43 system because of the strict rules, which may be forced by organization - when it comes to quality, gear used, and so on. So as you say people have different end goals, and should really be interested in M43 system if they are not going in veeery professional deep usage, like sport photography example.
@@pentagramyt417 Sorry to be harsh, but I can tell from your comments that you are not, and never have been a professional photographer -- and you are speaking without experience -- you are simply parroting what you have read other equally inexperienced people claim.
I shot professionally for 30 yrs., and am now retired. The last 15 yrs. of that time was spent shooting mainly corporate events, and I shot JPEG files exclusively for very valid reasons. My clients, which included Toyota, Acura, Forbes, BSAF, Omni Hotels, and other large clients, needed daily, on site uploads for website posting, awards dinner slide shows, and often overnight print turn around, etc. -- and they often wanted copies of all of the image files, in JPEG format, ASAP at the conference conclusion. That required JPEG shooting -- RAWS were a waste of card/computer space.
I might add that in all that time I used Olympus 4/3's and m4/3's gear, and never had a dissatisfied client.
P.S. If you think photography is "about details and technical aspects of the photography", you are completely wrong.