My Lens is out of action, but I still need to find subjects to photograph.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 พ.ค. 2024
- While my big lens is in the repair shop I still need to keep busy finding subjects to photograph and I still have the 300mm f4 lens as a backup.
I put some time into finding a place to film drumming Great-spotted woodpecker and also film them excavating their nest hole.
I use the Buteo single person hide on a hill side so I am almost at the same height as the birds.
www.buteophotogear.com
Mike Lane wildlife photography www.nature-photography.co.uk/
Music A morning spring by Cyberlink
Hello, Mike. Not being a particular bird photography lover, I still thoroughly enjoyed this video of yours. Why? You have reached a top level TV standard with your production and presentation. The samples and illustrations of your points when only reviewing the gear are self-explanatory; but here you prove to be the master of unfolding a real story. Which is the ultimate goal, a much more difficult thing to do right. Although I find your reviews much more than just a product review. This video is though something else: a small documentary. And it flows effortlessly.
All edits/viewing changes are placed at the right moment and perfectly harmonious with the script. Which is already remarkable. Your narrative us superb too. I cannot help but think that you have extensively studied the media. Have you done it before? I think I see a rather steep ascending quality line.
Sure, you begin with this lens repair, but actually it's the bird part that stands out. Not only are the shots impeccable, impressive, but the narrative is so appropriate at those moments.
We often forget why we buy the gear, and it seems that our talk seldom reaches the film making phase, becomes airborne. People like Morten Hilmer and you manage that liftoff, to give the gear acquisition a meaning. I'm not saying here every bird watching and every bird photography has to result in David Attenborough's style and format, but you come very close and thanks to the intimacy of the medium to me, you are preferable. I wish you many healthy years!
Excellent footage. Thanks for sharing. Big LIKE from Singapore.
Many thanks!
Absolute treat to watch Mike, thank you for making this top work. Hope you get your lens fixed soon. Look forward to the next one 👍
I hope so too!
Hello Mike,springtime is very exiting!! I only film in a nature reserve close to my hometown and every year i find a lot of natural nests and a great time to follow what's happening there.
Also a lot of fights who gets the nest.Looking at your movie i see myself back and great to see your careless moves to film these birds.Greetings from the Netherlands.😊😊
Completely agree with you about Merlin Mike. I think it's a lot better than many an old school birder would like to admit.
Wonderful footage; I really enjoyed every minute!
Thank you
Great footage as always and good luck with the repair, Mike. 👍
Thanks.
Hope you are back up and running soon Mike superb footage as always 👍
Thanks 👍
Great footage and thanks for introducing the Pulsar thermal spotter which I haven't heard before.
BTW, the link you provide for Buteo single person hide leads to 'Page not found'.
Another great video Mike. Hope you get your lens sorted.
I hope so too
Masterful video of the Nuthatch - a really great piece of wildlife film.
Thanks
Lovely! Thanks.
Thank you.
Good luck with the repair, Mike. Hope you have it back by now.
Thanks. It is in next week's film
Hope you get the lens sorted quickly Mike. I sold my 300mm when I bought the 150-400. Big mistake, I wish I had kept it. I didnt know that the female GSW drummed against the side of a tree. I thought it was only the male. Although your channel is great for photography, I do like the info you give about certain birds.
Yes I hope it is quick.
A wonderful video, Mike! I hope your lens is repaired both quickly and cheaply.
I hope so too!
Thanks for a very informative video. Learned a lot about the behaviour of the nuthatch and GSW from this. Super footage too!
Meant to add, I hope you get your lens fixed quickly too!
Thank you
Beautiful stuff Mike, Hope that lens is sorted fast. regards.
I hope so too
Darn Mike, you are going to turn me into a "birder." I normally photo mammals. Love your videos.
You should
Always a pleasure, thanks.
Thank you too!
Thanks Mike. Some lovely footage. We hear woodpeckers now and again in Rendlesham when walking but they're quite shy if you try and approach.
Thanks 👍
But did you see any UFOs?!
@@BadgerBotherer1 LOL sadly the only thing in Rendlesham forest at night are either chavs or army recruits getting lost.
Good luck with the lens repair. I, too, thoroughly enjoyed the video, for it's always interesting to see what little tidbits I might pick up from others. This does cause me to miss the southern US woodlands in which I grew up. White-breasted nuthatches and several woodpeckers were more common there than here along the North Dakota/Montana border, though relearning my "outdoors" has been rewarding. I've long debated the 300mm f4 but I still like the versatility I have with the 100-400mm. Every time I see images from the 300mm, though, I am tempted... I'm still a long way from your big lens, though. I usually shoot other wildlife but you and a number of others have been a "bad" influence. Bird-tracking AF only lured me into the trap all the deeper... pffft... lol
Thanks for posting the link to your hide, though it did say "page not found" within their site. I have been looking for different options for myself, for it seems the older I become, the less stealthy I become lol... I was glad to be able to browse a variety of options.
Wonderful footage (why do we still call it that to this day? lol) of the nest sites... I look forward to more in the future.
Thanks
Thanks for the interesting video.
The nuthatch reduces the size of the entrances to woodpecker holes by "gluing" them with soil. That's why it's German name is "Kleiber", derived from German word "kleben" (to stick). I hop you'll have your lens repaired soon.
I hope so too thanks.
Hi Mike. I had several problems with my 150 - 400mm which think I previously mentioned to you. Eventually after returning the lens three times to OM Systems via my camera shop, OM Systems kindly replaced my lens with a new one. No problems now. Good luck with the repair.
Thanks
@systemanaturae105 Good that they replaced it but extremely poor that a Pro lens costing over £6000 should have anything wrong with it at all
@@stephenyoung2616 my lens was decentered and they refused to replace it. Their excuse was that even though it's decentered, it's still "within specification".
i have used luton camera repairs as well very good service Mike
Good to hear.
They create an almost perfectly round nest hole!
great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Hi Mike. Sorry to hear about the issue with your 150-400. I decided to keep my 300 F/4 even though it seemed redundant after purchasing the 150-400 three years ago and I still use it a lot in particular when mobility and portability are important. I believe it also pairs better with the MC14 and MC20 than the 150-400. Olympus/OM systems have a well-renowned workshop in Portugal and turn around time is short, should that be needed. Hope you get your lens back soon.
Thanks
Thankfully you had the 300f4, and your video is as always full of helpful advice, thanks. In my local wood, (borders of Kent and London I have noticed a dirth of Woodpeckers too, I have found one pair using last year's hole, I'm assuming they are the same pair and were successful last year and have returned to their same hole although I don't know if this is the norm.
I nearly sold my 300 when I received the 150-400. But it is a quality lens even though a manual one-gear jobby, I used them both two evenings ago. I'm happy I kept the 300 it is pin-sharp!
I hope your zoom is a simple repair, I wonder if it is a bit of grit in the works although that seems difficult to conceive considering its build.
Thanks. Hoping it is quick
Hope it’s a simple, inexpensive fix for your lens, not what you expect given the cost. That’s a lovely camera shop in Luton 👍
Me too
At least the lens itself isn’t damaged, more or so just the tripod collar. Hope you will get it fixed soon.
Me too.
Great footage of the Nuthatch at 14:42 . I have heard that call before, but never knew it was a Nuthatch 👍
Thanks.
That is a nuthatch song, the nuthatch call is more like a dripping water sound, that's how I know when I hear one
Hi Mike yes I have the Sony 600mm with a rotating collar that will not lock into position. Still very useable but it won't lock. 6 weeks down time so I haven't been able to get it in. £300 plus parts ! I have the 300mm on order and will use that with the 2x converter on while the 600 is in dock ! Amazing all this high tech and it is a mechanical breakdown ! Anyway hope you get yours done ASAP. Great Woodpecker action and Nuthatch.
6 weeks downtime is very poor service for what should be a simple job.
@@MikeLaneFRPS I will have to investigate where else apart from Sony could do the repair🤔
Another great video Mike , hope you get the BWL back soon.
I hope so too
@@MikeLaneFRPS as you bought that one for your wife perhaps you should now buy yourself one so you have a spare 😀
@@edwardrussell5413 We need to be careful. My wife sometimes reads these comments!
@@MikeLaneFRPS 😂
Great video no matter what lens you use
Thanks! 👍
I almost hope you will have to test out the OM-System 150-600mm waiting for your PRO zoom ;) But this thermal imaging device is something I envy you so much! It looks like a true game-changer
Not likely I will get to use the new lens
As usual, Mike, amazing photos and video. Your work brings me such joy. I'll be curious what the repair bill is for the lens... hopefully not too bad.
Thanks
Another nice video Mike. Hope you get lens sorted soon.
Will you be doing a review of the thermal monocular ? Always value your opinion on things.
Would not know what else to say about it. If I get the chance to compare it against another is all I can think of.
Your lenses are your bread and butter I hope you get a quick turnaround Sir good luck 🤞.
Thanks 👍
Some lovely nuthatch footage. Sorry to hear about the lens but at least it doesn’t sound too serious.
Yes could be a lot worse.
You got all that great footage after your lens broke? Every cloud has a silver lining, as they say!
Lovely footage 👍🏼 So, which lens did you use - the 100-400, or the 300mm prime?
Bit of both.
Hi Mike, I also had an issue with my 150-400. It was heavily decentered (top left is very very soft). I sent it back to OM System to repair (it was a brand new lens, so under warranty coverage) and they refused to fix it under warranty. They said that even though they see the decentering as well in their testing, they said it's "within specification". After weeks of back and forth, I finally gave up and offered to pay out of my own pocket for the repair. They were reluctant to accept the repair even though I told them I was fine with paying for the repair. Then they told me that they don't recommend the repair because there was only a 10% chance it would improve the alignment of the lens elements. 90% chance it would stay the same, or get even worse. I asked what would happen if it got worse, and they said that if they still deemed it to be "within spec", then they will not do anything about it. That's when I understood why they refused to warranty such a decentered lens. OMDS doesn't have the capability to properly align these lenses anymore. Ever since the 150-400 manufacturing moved from Japan to Vietnam (when the badging on the lens went from Olympus to OM System), the lenses have suffered from QC issues. All of my fellow wildlife photographers that I have shown the test shots to of my decentered 150-400 couldn't believe how bad it was, especially for such an expensive lens. Even my $600 Panasonic 45-175 had much much better lens alignment when I conducted the test shots.
I would not recommend this lens to anyone until OMDS releases an official statement regarding these quality issues and what they've done to address it. It's insane that a heavily decentered $7500 lens can pass off the production line. It's even worse that the company literally doesn't have the facilities nor people to repair the optical alignment of such lenses.
Ever since the JIP takeover, all I've noticed in change from the company is a huge excess in marketing. On all social media platforms and different outlets, constantly pushing their system to photographers. The money isn't being spent to make the products better. The 150-400 production moved to Vietnam to cut cost, and that extra cash is all dumped into marketing to push more sales of an inferior product. Hold on to your Olympus 150-400 if you were lucky enough to get the early Japanese made variants.
Very sorry to hear about the issue you have. I have heard the same story about a Sony 200-600mm and a Canon 500mm f4. Makes all the TH-cam review videos a waste of time if all lenses vary.
@@MikeLaneFRPS allowing a decentered lens at this price point off the assembly line is bad, but if they could correct it, then I can forgive them - mistakes happen. But they refused to warranty it + could not properly repair it, even though the lens was shipped to their testing facility in Japan during analysis of the issue. This shows that the company lacks the resources to properly fine tune and calibrate this lens to the standard that the earlier 150-400 (Japan made) Olympus variants had. I suspect OMDS is no longer tied with Olympus in any way. Previously, the facility where they made their lenses, including the 150-400 and other Olympus medical imaging equipment, Olympus allowed OMDS to temporarily use their facilities to continue production of the 150-400 lens - until the facility in Vietnam was up and running. The switchover from the Japanese made Olympus 150-400 to the Vietnam made OM System 150-400 occurred in the summer of 2023. This lens used to be made to order with only a handful leaving the Olympus facility everyday. The waitlist for this lens was sometimes an entire year long. After they had the Vietnam factory up and running, they quickly fulfilled all the year long worth of back orders, and the lens suddenly became in stock in every major online retailer. This lens is no longer hand crafted and fine tuned to precision like the Japanese version. It is a mass produced unit made by a company that doesn't have the resources to properly align the lens (I offered to pay for the repair and they could only guarantee a 10% success of improving an extremely misaligned lens).
Now, they are pushing marketing material like crazy to sell these mass produced, subpar units, banking on the legendary reputation that this lens had built with the original Japanese made variants that only had a limited production run.
@@HokKan I'd love to own that lens one day but what you say is very concerning and could put me off. A lens costing that much should be absolutely perfect. No excuses. Even the problem Mike has had with his copy is disappointing. At this price point you really shouldn't be having any issues. Very poor
@@stephenyoung2616 spend your hard earned money elsewhere. Until OMDS releases a statement addressing these issues, I would avoid buying it at all costs. And seeing what they've done to Olympus, I'm highly doubtful that they'll do anything about it. The company is taking money away from things that make their products better (Japan production, made to order, few units made per day) to dump it into marketing and building an infrastructure to mass produce units at subpar quality. OMDS has turned Olympus from a legacy optics manufacture to a marketing company.
Great video Mike thanks.
What kind of stool are you using and are you pleased with it ? Im looking to buy one . Cheers
It came from Go Outdoors. It's OK. Also look in fishing tackle shops
Mike, nice video as always. I was wondering what was the issue with your lens? How long it took to fix it? Is pro support making any difference in repair speed ?( e.g. was it repaired within claimed 3 days?) I have noticed sometimes peculiar issues with mine recently. It is often completely missing the focus of bird flight sequences without recovery when the background is changing (from rocks, trees to water, and backlit situations, etc). I was not sure if that is because of the switch to OM1 Mark 2 or because something is going on with my lens. My lens is approx. 2 years old and I used it extensively. I also experienced time to time brief blackouts with the lens, which improved with the lens firmware 1.1. I really love this lens and very reluctant to send it to repair when the problem is not black and white. I am afraid that a potentially costly repair will not improve anything or will make it even worst. thanks
It was the tripod foot mount that was stuck. The bearings were jammed. I did not send it to OM cameras, but took it to Luton camera Reapirs and paid £180. It took 10 days. Always hard to know when equipment is faulty when it comes to AF and when we are expecting too much. Hope you get it sorted.
Hi Mike great content as usual. Where did you get the folding stool?
GO Ourdoors camping shop.
Best wishes on getting your lens fixed quickly!
However, I'm interested to see how you take pictures with the 300mm f/4. I have that lens, but not the 150-400mm, which is more of an investment than it is worth it for me, as I am more of a general purpose amateur than a specialist wildlife photographer - but I do enjoy taking wildlife subjects from time to time with it, so it is interesting to see what you can do with the 300mm lens.
I have both lenses. Stick with the 300/4. The new 150-400 are made in Vietnam and there have been numerous reports of quality issues. The lens is no longer hand crafted and made to order. They have been mass produced in Vietnam ever since the lens was rebadged from Olympus to OM System. My copy is heavily decentered and OMDS refused to warranty repair it. After weeks of back and forth with the company, I finally gave up and offered to pay for the repair out of pocket. That's when they dropped the bombshell on me and told me that they can't actually realign that lens anymore. They said they can try and "force" a repair, but they said there's only a 10% chance it'll get any better, and a 90% chance it'll be the same, or get even worse. I ended up not going through with it since there was a good chance they'll make it even worse.
@@HokKan I hope that you replied and told them that they should do it and take the risk themselves that they will make it worse and replace it with a new model if it does.
@@JamesPetts I asked them to exchange it for another unit for me since my lens was practically new (I used it only for 2 days). They refused to exchange it because it's "within spec". If they truly believed that there was nothing wrong with my lens, then they should have no reason to deny my exchange. They know that a lens with that much decentering is not okay, that's why they refused to exchange it. But they also don't want to warranty it, so they made up the excuse saying it's "within specifications". I asked what the specific specification is and to quantify what MTF values are considered within specification for this lens and they refused to provide an answer.
@@HokKan You should consult a lawyer. This appears to be abusive and possibly dishonest behaviour (the refusal to state the specification in particular has no possible honest explanation).
@@JamesPetts it is very dishonest, but I don't think there's any legal action that I can pursue. I don't have the money, time or means to fight against a huge company like that. All I can do is spread the word so others won't fall victim to this company's practices.
Coincidentally my OM1 is back in Portugal currently with a sticking joystick, a white balance issue and a strange chattering/movement in procapture. Using the spare EM1 my ii is showing me how much better the OM 1 is when it is working!
Hope it is quick.
Great video of Woodpeckers and Nuthatches Mike 😊. Assume you used the G9 mark ii for the video ??
The lack of Exif data means I can never remember after a few days. I use the om mk2 for video far more now the af is better.
Very informative video, Mike. The Pulsar thermal spotter looks like the kind of thing i need. I looked on their website and there are so many models. What model do you have? Thanks in advance for your reply.
Pulsar Helion 2 xp50 pro. Look at Hikmicro too. Also complicated but they looked good when I saw them at the nec photo show.
@@MikeLaneFRPS thank you very much Mike for your reply.
@@MikeLaneFRPS wow! I just looked it up. That cost more than my OM1 mk2!, I will have to pass. :-(
Oh dear. Perhaps OM will offer you a long term loan of the 159-600 in recognition of your sterling work on you tube providing viewed with impartial advice and educational tips? Alternatively, if they are still operating the try before you buy you could contact WEX and if you arrange the loan correctly and take advantage of the fact that you are unable to return items on Sundays because they are not open you could get a Thursdays to Monday Morning free try from them?
Coincidentally I thought I had an issue with my 300mm lens only the other day but it turned out to be a simple software conflict between the the in camera focus limiter on the om-1 and the position of the distance limiter switch on the lens which was preventing me using the L-Fn button to select the range I wanted. I’m so glad I was able to resolve this myself, otherwise I would have been sending back to OM using their direct fixed cost repair service. The cost for the 300 is £568.89 and OM complete a full service, they replace any broken parts, calibrate and clean the lens and provide a six month warranty.
That is expensive!
Hi, Mike. So after the tripod mount failed 150-400, which lens were you using for these woodpecker videos shown this time? Telling by the bokeh, it seems to be 100-400.
I was using both lenses different days. No Exif data means I do not know which clip was which.
Beautiful footage Mike, do you mind disclosing what video settings you were using?
I shoot 4k whenever possible at 60fps so I can slow the footage down when seeded.
@@MikeLaneFRPS Thanks for the reply, I will see what I can do on my EM1iii
More countries need 'lemon laws' that cover unacceptable repeat repairs. Australia has them, so I hope you did exert your rights.
I guess the part used to tighten is plastic and is worn out hence it unable to tighten etc
For a 7 grand lense i'd be OM to replace it FOC
If I want to upgrade the Olympus 300mm prime to 150-600mm,, then will it be a good decision? Pls tell me your view on this lens.
The 300mm is optically superior, but the difference is small and you would need to study the two images side by side to see it. Zooms have a huge advantage for composing your images. I would go for the zoom every time.
@@MikeLaneFRPS Currently I have not 1500-600mm , so can not compare side by side. Thus I am waiting for your view and study. I have to sell the olympus 300mm and buy 150_600mm due to a shortage of funds.
I am not suggesting you compare. I am giving my view that unless you have the images side by side it is hard to see the difference. Look at one picture by itself and you can't say which lens is used. The difference is small. A zoom is far more important to me than the small difference in image quality.
@@MikeLaneFRPS thanks for your support.
its a loose screw underneath
Whatever you do, NEVER, EVER use AJ Johnson in Glasgow.
Absolutely horrendous experience with them. Do not under any circumstances send gear to them. They will break it further and blame you for their 'repairs'.
In other news, great video 👍
For 6k you should get a 10 year warrenty
The warranty extension is not expensive compared to the price of the lens so I took it meaning it is covered for a total of 5 years.