Pine Grosbeak - V1

Gallery: AvianPosted January 8, 2012374 views14 comments

Pine Grosbeak - V1

Hey Bird Gallery folks,

The V1 here stands for Nikon V1 - not Version 1!

Just a "bird on a stick" test shot. I've been with the new Nikon V1 for the past month or so - primarily to assess how it will work for me as a "walk-around" camera. On Friday I took delivery of the doohickey (more formally known as the Mount Adapter FT1) with allows you to use Nikon's "real" lenses on the Nikon 1 cameras.

Anyway - had an hour or so yesterday to play with the camera with various Nikkor lenses attached and snagged this shot. I thought some of you in this gallery might be interested in seeing it...

Subject: Male Pine Grosbeak on a cool stick
Location: Findlay Creek, BC, Canada
Camera: Nikon 1 - V1
Lens: Nikkor 200mm f/2 VR lens paired with TC-14EII (1.4x) teleconverter (756mm equivalent). VR on and in "Normal" mode.
Exposure: 1/100s at f5. ISO 200. -1.0 stop compensation from matrix metered exposure.
Lighting: Natural (no flash fill)
Crop: Moderate - this is about 80% of full-frame vertical capture

If anyone is interested, I have some more comments about the FT1 adapter on my blog (link below), and you'll also find links to my full (and still evolving) field test of the V1 there.

Comments and critiques welcomed - probably best to view the larger version prior to doing so!

Brad (one of the Wildlife Gallery Guys)

PS: If you have read anywhere that the "problem" with all these new mirrorless cameras is that you are unable to blur backgrounds with them (and thus isolate the subject from its surroundings), well...I think we can put that comment to rest...

Comments

14 comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on January 8, 2012 at 3:48 PM

I really like the comp. Nice perch, BG and soft light. Bird looks sharp. Well done.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by John Robinson on January 8, 2012 at 3:54 PM

Interesting reading and a great shot.
JohnR

Registered on March 2, 2008, 535 Posts, 2453 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on January 8, 2012 at 4:17 PM

Brad,

Thanks for posting this - I read that the adapter had been released and was pretty sure you would be playing with it. I think what Nikon has done with that camera is given photographers another great tool at a reasonable price. Now you can use that camera with a 600mm f4 + 1.4X TC for an effective focal length of 2,268mm

Yes, there are a couple drawbacks but it's an amazing tradeoff and given that the camera body is so small and light it puts no real strain (or pocket dent) on the photographer.

This is a great example of the capabilities of the camera and a pleasing shot with a butter smooth background and sharp subject. Color representation looks spot on and there is a nice level of contrast as well.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by wade pettitt on January 8, 2012 at 4:59 PM

Brad, love the light on this one, great colors and nice background. Thanks for the camera info, you always give an honest opinion on your gear.

Registered on May 6, 2009, 184 Posts, 471 Comments

Comment posted by Patrick O'Healy on January 8, 2012 at 6:13 PM

What a wonderful image. I love the texture of the stick and the lichen at the bottom. The background is soft and the bird colors blend beautifully with the stick.

Registered on March 13, 2011, 326 Posts, 1679 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on January 8, 2012 at 7:45 PM

Very nice "bird on a stick" shot Brad, looks great to me.
Interesting technology behind this small camera, sounds like a very good option for a walkaround cam

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on January 8, 2012 at 11:30 PM

A simple, but very beautiful portrait Brad! The forest background is a very nice compliment for the bird. Interesting about the new camera.

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Terry Sohl on January 9, 2012 at 8:26 AM

A beautiful bird-on-stick photo it is! A lot of character for both bird, and perch. It's a wonderful background as well.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 513 Posts, 6889 Comments

Comment posted by Roman Kurywczak on January 9, 2012 at 11:02 AM

Love the colors, perch, and BG on this one!

Registered on November 20, 2009, 56 Posts, 748 Comments

Comment posted by Tonia Graves on January 9, 2012 at 11:23 AM

Brad, nice color & detail in this. I like the perch you caught the grosbeak on as well. Nice job & have fun "playing" with your new equipment!

Registered on October 29, 2011, 92 Posts, 1035 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on January 9, 2012 at 12:55 PM

Hey all,

Thanks for the positive feedback - always nice when an "equipment test" image gets such favourable comments.

Luke (and others interested in the possibilities the V1 paired with "real" Nikon lenses opens up):

Yep, used correctly, the V1 can offer some interesting options for certain types of photography, and that includes the photography of small birds and mammals where you end up with a greater working distance with your existing lenses. In terms of using something like a 600mm lens plus TC with the V1 and ending up with over 2000mm in focal length - well...there are huge barriers to using combinations like this for real photography. Once over about 1000mm you start running into limitations imposed by DoF, camera shake (a big, big concern), and even atmospheric effects. You could definitely use such a combination for some documentary work - you know, orca fin/saddle ID shots, sasquatch and yeti shots, and the like. But tough to use for what many would consider wildlife (or bird) art.

I have just posted an image of a Red-breasted Nuthatch captured with another high-end Nikkor lens (the 400mm f2.8 VRII) paired with the V1 on my website, along with a discussion of using the V1 with "real" Nikkor lenses. Image is available for viewing in my Gallery of Latest Additions - right here:

http://www.naturalart.ca/galleries/latest/

The discussion is accessed by clicking on the "In the Field" tab under the image...

Cheers...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Bunch on January 9, 2012 at 3:57 PM

A very beautiful bird. I like the mossy perch, the light and the pose very much. Excellent sharpness and detail and a nice clean BG. Looks like everything is working for this shot. Looks about perfect to me. Ooops! Wait a sec. Looks like there's one tiny feather out of place on the head.

Registered on May 18, 2004, 124 Posts, 2503 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on January 9, 2012 at 6:20 PM

This is an absolute beauty Brad.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on January 10, 2012 at 7:26 AM

A striking image. All elements of this photo work well for me. Interesting use of some new equipment.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments