Richard & Caroline's Blog

Modern high end digital cameras tend to have a focus button on the back.  Grab any DSLR and by default it will focus when you press the shutter button.

Most people do not configure the rear focus button and if they try it out you find that it is difficult to work that way.  The people that do use that method swear by it and in fast action shooting being able to focus and shoot independently is a definite advantage.

It took me a while to get used to it, so I forced myself to only shoot that way for over a year, I recommend you give it a try if you shoot action, but it will take a while to get the hang of it.

This weekend I will get out and shoot some wildlife.

So after a long day at work a bit of prep is in order.  First of all equipment, a Nikon D800 and a 300mm f/2.8 lens, cleaned set up and ready for action.

Generally I have the focus set to the focus button and not the release.  I’ll also be shooting in aperture priority, with, if the light allows, stopped down one stop, i’ll be using auto iso and configure it to not allow the shutter speed to drop below 1/800, that should freeze everything except birds in flight.

Lastly check out the memory cards, format them in camera and ensure the batteries are full charged.

As well as checking your camera equipment the other important part of this is the photographers clothing and footwear.

Standing outside in winter waiting for a shot can show up the extremes of the British weather.  It could be a warm +10 C or -10 C, sometimes back to back in this changeable climate.

The D200 was a watershed camera for Nikon, after inventing the digital single lens reflex camera they quickly lost their lead to Canon.  This was the camera that marked Nikon’s comeback.

It had a DX crop and was up there with the very best and in a number of key areas bettered anything that the competition out.

It was quickly followed by the D300 and D300s, as well as the full frame Nikon D3 and D700.  Nikon was on a roll and after a few missteps from Canon they truly had the best range of DX and full frame DSLR cameras out there.

Nikon then fell back into their old ways and left the DX cameras to the consumer range and stopped the high end DX, so a D300(s) replacement never came, until this year the announcement of the D500.

Nikon have now announced that the Nikon D500 is delayed in America, it seems Nikon are underestimated the popularity and are struggling to get enough bodies into shops.  Due to the way that US consumer law operates all dealers have to be treated in the same way thus all have to get the same  number of bodies and if there in short supply then things are going to have to be delayed.

Here we are charging into February and a part from reading up on the new Fuji x series, the new Olympus Pen-F and the rather nice Nikon D5 and Canon 1D, its been all theory and not photography.

I have now cleared next weekend so subject to the weather I am definitely going out and shooting some wildlife.

Last year I did not manage to get out much for wildlife photography, so this new year I made the resolution that I would definitely get out.  Well its now February and I have still not managed to get out for my first wildlife shoot of year, maybe next weekend i’ll finally be able to get out!