Birding with the Olympus E-M1X

Bird photography is an increasingly popular genre that requires effective technical execution, specialized gear and incredible patience, the last of which I unfortunately lack in sufficient quantities. The excitement and fulfillment of bird shooting is not just about the photography, but also spotting and identifying the species, gender and origin of the birds. A huge part of the fun comes from the hunt itself, with photographers venturing deep into the forest or a hiking trail to spot the birds. While I admit I am not a pro bird shooter, I have been approached and asked several times about optimizing the Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera system for bird shooting. The requests are frequent enough to motivate me to pen down my recommendations and suggestions on shooting birds using the Olympus OM-D system.

Let me start by clarifying this article is not about recommending which gear is suitable for bird photography – I am merely sharing my experience using the Micro Four Thirds system. I fully acknowledge the pros and cons of using Micro Four Thirds for bird photography. A lighter and smaller camera system is a blessing on long hikes and extended shoots, but in situations requiring very high ISO (if the bird is under heavy shade and is not keeping very still, for example) the results can be unusable from even the best Olympus or Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras today. For each choice you make there is compromise so let’s not waste too much time debating this. Assume you currently own an Olympus OM-D camera and this article explores how you can optimize your setup for the best possible outcome.

All images in this article were shot with the Olympus OM-D E-M1X and M.Zuiko 300mm F4 IS PRO or 40-150mm F2.8 PRO. In some shots, the teleconverter MC-14 was used.

USE PRO CAPTURE MODE

Birds fly, so instead of just taking still portraits of birds, capturing them in some of the most dramatic poses like the moment when they take flight can add more impact to your outcome. One extremely useful feature for bird photography is the Pro Capture Mode in which the camera starts recording images to the temporary storage when you half press the shutter button. The images are stored in full RAW at 60 frames per second thanks to the electronic shutter. For example, while waiting for the bird to take flight, it is always difficult to predict the exact moment of launch.  Once the bird takes flight and as you press the shutter button, the camera will record the current shot and the previous shots (up to 35 frames before capture) and save them to the memory card. This means that even if you are half a second late in pressing the shutter button, you will be able to capture the “action”.

ACTIVATE ANTI-SHOCK

Shutter vibration is a common issue that exists in many cameras and can be exaggerated when shooting with long lenses. MT has previously reported the severe case of shutter shock during his use of the original E-M1 (since mitigated with a firmware upgrade) (article here). In that firmware upgrade, Olympus introduced the “anti-shock 0 second” setting, which is basically first curtain electronic shutter. In theory, this should eliminate shutter shock and has been the default setting on all my OM-D cameras ever since its release. I have conducted several photography walkabouts with local enthusiasts to the National Zoo as well as KL Bird Park, and have found that when dealing with long lenses (eg 75-300mm, or 300mm PRO) the anti-shock setting does make a significant difference. If you use an Olympus OM-D, I highly suggest leaving the anti-shock 0 second feature active at all times.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 5-AXIS IMAGE STABILIZATION

Micro Four Thirds isn’t great at handling high ISOs but the 5-Axis Image Stabilization can claw back a lot of ground by lowering the need for higher ISOs. I have observed that many bird shooters play it too safe by keeping shutter speeds as high as 1/200 seconds or more; just in case the bird moves. Yes the bird will always move, but there are also moments when the birds do stay very still and cameras these days respond instantaneously to the click of the shutter. By leveraging the powerful image stabilization on the Olympus OM-D, I managed to shoot hand-held using the M.Zuiko 300mm F4 IS PRO down to shutter speeds of 1/20th of a second, which in turn allowed me to use ISO800 or lower. Is there a risk of ending up with motion-blurred shots? Absolutely. But the hit rates are high enough to take the risk. The three “bird portrait” images shown above were all shot hand-held at around 1/20th to 1/60th. Obviously this is intended for stationary shots. Higher shutter speeds are necessary for birds in flight or in motion.

HAND-HOLDING TELEPHOTO LENSES

Perhaps the largest convenience of using Micro Four Thirds for bird shooting is not needing to use a tripod or monopod which allows for better mobility and reaction time. Not being weighed down by heavy gear is a plus point for adventurous hikes or long walks to find that elusive bird. While a tripod can guarantee stability, what happens if the bird appears behind you? Readjusting the tripod and camera is not an instantaneous process. To save even more weight, leave the tripod collar and hood behind. The tripod collars add 205g and 120g to the M.Zuiko 300mm F4 IS PRO and 40-150mm F2.8 PRO lenses respectively. The weight may not sound like a lot but hand-holding the lenses for a long period of time will strain your shoulders, neck and wrists.

OPTIMIZING C-AF SHOOTING – LOW BURSTS ONLY

I am no expert when it comes to shooting birds in flight but it is important to remember that Olympus Continuous AF (both C-AF and C-AF + Tracking) modes only work at low sequential burst modes in all Olympus cameras. For example, on the E-M1X and E-M1 Mark II, if you intend to shoot burst sequential shots on continuous AF, you must select the LOW burst speed (10 fps on mechanical shutter, 18 fps on electronic shutter). If you select HIGH speeds, C-AF will not work. This is the primary cause of many C-AF shooting failures experienced by camera reviewers and other photographers. Olympus hasn’t done a stellar job of communicating best practices and optimization of camera settings either.

For those intending to explore bird photography using the Olympus OM-D system, I sure hope these tips come in handy! If you do have more to share, I will be glad to hear from you in the comments section.

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Images and content copyright Robin Wong 2018 onwards. All rights reserved