Jim B Posted November 22, 2022 Share #121 Posted November 22, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) On 11/11/2022 at 8:36 PM, Photoworks said: I was experimenting AF tracking, or just AF runner setting with face AF. Lots of hit and miss. but I got all the Winners of the mens race. 90-280 on SL2 Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! It would have been interesting to what if you made adjustments to the tracking setting and if so what they were. Nice captures. On 11/13/2022 at 9:47 PM, telyt said: I added the Sony 600mm GMaster to the kit and it has become my primary lens by a huge margin but the AF of the a7rIII had some weaknesses. This goes to my point. It’s the lens, it really is and you aren’t going to get images like this with a zoom. Leica does not have anything in this focal range, so it kind of puts an end to the discussion.. . Period end of story. Beautiful captures and a hallmark of quality BIF photography! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 22, 2022 Posted November 22, 2022 Hi Jim B, Take a look here Leica SL2 on Sports & Wildlife Photography. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
BernardC Posted November 22, 2022 Share #122 Posted November 22, 2022 9 hours ago, Jim B said: This goes to my point. It’s the lens, it really is and you aren’t going to get images like this with a zoom. Leica does not have anything in this focal range, so it kind of puts an end to the discussion.. . Period end of story. It's hard to beat one of those $12,000+ exotic telephotos from Canon, Nikon, or Sony. You really can't compare them to Sigma and Tamron zooms that retail for less then 1/10th of that amount. Leica used to sell similar lenses for the R system, but I'm sure they lost thousands on each unit. Sigma has a few exotic telephotos for SLR cameras, but they aren't offered in mirrorless mounts. They were "prestige lenses," not "profit lenses." I would be surprised if Sony's two exotic telephotos weren't prestige lenses as well, given that there's a $9,000 gap between their 400/2.8 and the next most expensive Sony lens. Nothing wrong with that from a photographer's perspective. We are getting a relative bargain, even if such lenses almost require a dedicated "pro" body. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share #123 Posted November 23, 2022 On 11/22/2022 at 10:36 AM, Jim B said: Ok Boys….IMHO the sharpest pictures of birds in flight have been taken more often than not on a Nikon with their 500mm lens. I think it comes down to the lens, and no your not going to get the same image quality with a sigma zoom. Not at a subject distance that would require 500-600mm, and the same thing goes for the Sony zoom they arn’t comparable to Nikon’s super telephoto primes. Well if your logic makes sense then all Nikon, Sony & Canon prime lenses cannot make it comparing to the superiority of German made Leica lenses designed and manufactured with much higher standards. You seem to only concerned with GAS and have lost the simple pleasures of Wildlife Photography. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
malbooth Posted November 23, 2022 Share #124 Posted November 23, 2022 On 11/18/2022 at 1:33 AM, jaapv said: Electronic shutter? 1920-ies wheels😁 Yes, I used electronic shutter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 23, 2022 Share #125 Posted November 23, 2022 😉 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercurox Posted February 12, 2023 Share #126 Posted February 12, 2023 Hi, For the last 5 years I have been shooting with Fuji, Sony, Leica M and the last 18 months with SL2. Coming from analogue camera where film and processing was expensive, I generally shoot 1 frame at a time. BIF had never been of interest to me until recently where a number of my friends got me interested in it and finding it quite a challenge, particularly using Leica but I am always keen to meet challenges and wanting to find out whether SL2 can shoot BIF or not. In my very limited experience, I found that it is no doubt not the best set up for BIF but it can be done particularly if the subject is not very fast moving and not too erratic. The attached was shot with SL2, Sigma 100-400mm @400mm f/5, 1/1600s ISO400 with Lightroom edits. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 12 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/324829-leica-sl2-on-sports-wildlife-photography/?do=findComment&comment=4682234'>More sharing options...
dpitt Posted February 12, 2023 Share #127 Posted February 12, 2023 Advertisement (gone after registration) On 9/27/2021 at 5:16 PM, sillbeers15 said: The fun is in the challenge as BIF is one of the most challenging aspects of photography. It has got nothing to do with SL series camera in terms of sharpness in pics. erhaps Perhaps you can enlighten us with your 'sharp' BIF pics? Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Great shot! Exactly my thought, the fundamentals are skills to use your equipment. Some people make it sound like you could not successfully shoot wildlife before all these fast systems were available. I am not very experienced in wildlife shooting, but I have seen countless perfect shots made even with manual focus gear. When using vintage stuff prediction is key when photographing any moving subject, and having your focus set before the subject is there will always be faster than any AF system. Animals did not change behavior so even manual focus could still work for skilled people. Other than success rate being lower I still feel most comfortable when using manual focus, or am I missing something ? Of course I feel AF would have done a better job sometimes, but when I try it in practice, I feel like missing more beautiful shots because of the AF acting up or fiddling with settings that I would not have missed with manual focus. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
helged Posted February 12, 2023 Share #128 Posted February 12, 2023 7 hours ago, Mercurox said: Hi, For the last 5 years I have been shooting with Fuji, Sony, Leica M and the last 18 months with SL2. Coming from analogue camera where film and processing was expensive, I generally shoot 1 frame at a time. BIF had never been of interest to me until recently where a number of my friends got me interested in it and finding it quite a challenge, particularly using Leica but I am always keen to meet challenges and wanting to find out whether SL2 can shoot BIF or not. In my very limited experience, I found that it is no doubt not the best set up for BIF but it can be done particularly if the subject is not very fast moving and not too erratic. The attached was shot with SL2, Sigma 100-400mm @400mm f/5, 1/1600s ISO400 with Lightroom edits. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Beautiful capture! Yes, SLx can be used for BIF. But after shooting with Nikon D5 etc. (now sold) and Canon R5 (presently in use), there is no comparison regarding tracking and (high speed) continuous AF. So I use R5 for BIF etc, and SLx for everything else. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercurox Posted February 12, 2023 Share #129 Posted February 12, 2023 Thank you Helged, I will have to agree with you, it is a struggle to acquire fast moving subject particularly with a heavy telephoto lens. Most of my friends use Canon for BIF and Wildlife. I borrowed the new Fuji XH2S + FX150-600mm for a little while, it had a dedicated setting for BIF, the eye tracking was amazing, almost 100% keep rate even in low light but there is a certain satisfaction in capturing a good image when you know that it is the patience and dedication instead of the technology that made the image. 🙂 This is another one captured with SL2+Sigma 100-400mm: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 12 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/324829-leica-sl2-on-sports-wildlife-photography/?do=findComment&comment=4683792'>More sharing options...
michali Posted February 13, 2023 Share #130 Posted February 13, 2023 7 hours ago, Mercurox said: Thank you Helged, I will have to agree with you, it is a struggle to acquire fast moving subject particularly with a heavy telephoto lens. Most of my friends use Canon for BIF and Wildlife. I borrowed the new Fuji XH2S + FX150-600mm for a little while, it had a dedicated setting for BIF, the eye tracking was amazing, almost 100% keep rate even in low light but there is a certain satisfaction in capturing a good image when you know that it is the patience and dedication instead of the technology that made the image. 🙂 This is another one captured with SL2+Sigma 100-400mm: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Great images. Fully agree, I get a sense of satisfaction when I'm able to capture images of BIF knowing that a part of this is down to honing my skills, through learning my camera settings, patience & also understanding my subject matter. It's not just the technology. (please click on images for better res.) Hand held, these are all tiny birds, except for the Egret in last image. SL2 & Sigma 150-600mm SL2 & VE90-280mm SL2 & Sigma 150-600mm SL2 & VE90-280mm 11 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
helged Posted February 13, 2023 Share #131 Posted February 13, 2023 Regarding c-af, for those finding such an option useful/desirable/a must: It will be interesting to see what the af technology in Sigma S5 II, and presumably embedded in Leica S3x, coupled to the new - and quick - focus motor in Sigma 60-500 (or with Sigma 150-600mm), is capable of... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschuette Posted February 13, 2023 Share #132 Posted February 13, 2023 I regularly use the SL2-S in combination with the VE 90-280 for wildlife shots. I think the picture quality is extremely good. I tested the Sigma 150-600 for a couple of weeks and was never really happy with the results as the lens is not very fast. I take a lot of photos at dusk. I even exchanged the SL2 for an SL2-S because the ISO performance is significantly better. Leica SL2-S with VE 90-280, brown bear near Khumo, Finland. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/324829-leica-sl2-on-sports-wildlife-photography/?do=findComment&comment=4684252'>More sharing options...
helged Posted February 13, 2023 Share #133 Posted February 13, 2023 1 hour ago, mschuette said: I regularly use the SL2-S in combination with the VE 90-280 for wildlife shots. I think the picture quality is extremely good. I tested the Sigma 150-600 for a couple of weeks and was never really happy with the results as the lens is not very fast. I take a lot of photos at dusk. I even exchanged the SL2 for an SL2-S because the ISO performance is significantly better. Leica SL2-S with VE 90-280, brown bear near Khumo, Finland. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Beautiful shot! I fully agree, SL2-S is now my working bear, pardon 'working horse' 😉, so much that I have sold the SL2. Similar image quality/characteristics in a body with improved af-c would be even better.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschuette Posted February 13, 2023 Share #134 Posted February 13, 2023 vor 2 Minuten schrieb helged: Beautiful shot! I fully agree, SL2-S is now my working bear, pardon 'working horse' 😉, so much that I have sold the SL2. Similar image quality/characteristics in a body with improved af-c would be even better.... Thank you! And yes, I am impatiently waiting for the SL3! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn30 Posted May 1, 2023 Share #135 Posted May 1, 2023 SL2 SL 100-400 Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/324829-leica-sl2-on-sports-wildlife-photography/?do=findComment&comment=4761883'>More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 1, 2023 Share #136 Posted May 1, 2023 On 11/22/2022 at 3:36 AM, Jim B said: Ok Boys….IMHO the sharpest pictures of birds in flight have been taken more often than not on a Nikon with their 500mm lens. I think it comes down to the lens, and no your not going to get the same image quality with a sigma zoom. Not at a subject distance that would require 500-600mm, and the same thing goes for the Sony zoom they arn’t comparable to Nikon’s super telephoto primes. It is not the camera, it is the photographer. There are plenty of BIF photographs taken with manual cameras I must look them up, but I have good work with an M8 and 135. mm Elmarit. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 2, 2023 Share #137 Posted May 2, 2023 To illustrate: Dancing in the Air: M8, Tele-Elmar 135 Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Touchdown: 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Touchdown: ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/324829-leica-sl2-on-sports-wildlife-photography/?do=findComment&comment=4762955'>More sharing options...
mschuette Posted May 5, 2023 Share #138 Posted May 5, 2023 Roedeer - SL2-S with APO Telyt R 280/4 und APO R 1.4x TC Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/324829-leica-sl2-on-sports-wildlife-photography/?do=findComment&comment=4764682'>More sharing options...
sillbeers15 Posted Thursday at 08:18 AM Author Share #139 Posted Thursday at 08:18 AM I have been out of action in the thread I started for a while. Two years in & out of the pandemic restricted international travel for me did shifted more of my interest into BIF photography. It started with me curious about 600mm & beyond primes instead of only third party zooms with no faster aperture than F6.3 if i were to continue with my SL2. Much in mirrorless bodies offering specific subject detection as Birds, Airplanes caught my curiosity even more. With the introduction of built in teleconverter primes at 400mm F2.8 & 600mm F4 in late 2022, I picked up a Nikor Z 600mm TC VRS when it became available in 2023. I've not had a single Nikon camera before. So pairing with the 600mm prime I picked up a Nikon Z9. Having only had experience in using a mirrorless Leica SL & SL2, I had to learn everything in the AF setting up from scratch. The Nikon Z9 & 600mm F4 prime lens (840mm F5.6 at a flip of a toggle switch on the lens barrel) did performed with easier picking up of the subject in frame due to the subject recogniction and stayed on the subject once focus lock triggered offering higher success rate at 20fps RAW shooting provided user does not loose subject out of frame over time. However there were still the same frastration of not being able to focus lock on subject against strong back light on less instances compared to SL2. So no magic pill from Phase Detect over Contrast Detect AF offered by SL & SL2. After comparing both AF detection methods, my conclusion is firmly on the much faster processor chip offered on the Z8 & Z9 over the SL2 and likely the SL3 as well since the Leica AFC continuous shooting frame rate with full AF still stays at 5fps. My comments are completely neutral & factual taking out emotions comparing what Leica limitation could offer in mirrorless bodies & AF lenses for wildlife photography although modarator may not like me saying so in a Leica camera forum (no problem for me to shut up and stay out,...). I still love the colour and rendering of images the Leica glasses could offer compared to the other full frame lenses in the available focal length range. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! IMG_6413.heic 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! IMG_6413.heic ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/324829-leica-sl2-on-sports-wildlife-photography/?do=findComment&comment=5218358'>More sharing options...
Markey Posted Thursday at 08:57 AM Share #140 Posted Thursday at 08:57 AM (edited) Interesting thread. I`ve been shooting Leica over 30 years and shooting equestrian subjects almost as long. Initially with an M3DS then Canon gear but as my first choice is Leica I switched when the SL2s came out. I`m afraid that I can`t claim the same degree of success with the SL2s . Sure it can hit the mark but not with the same consistency , is my experience. Lighting conditions seem to play a large part and the often flat light here in the North probably doesn`t help the AF system. Now that they`ve finally introduced phase detect the consistency may improve . Edited Thursday at 09:00 AM by Markey 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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