Purple Rumped Sunbird

[Deepak Mistry]

Nikon D3300 F/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO-400, +5 step, 150-600 mm @ 600mm, handheld
20% crop

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Lovely colours of the male. It perches so relaxed but patently alert to take off any moment. Nice details. Thanks for sharing. SaktiWild

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Where was it clicked? This is the challenge we face with the male bird. The eye/brow area is dark with white feathers in the belly. So invariably the eye area is underexposed and the details there are missing. So it is important to get with light behind your back. There seems to be some movement so that bird is not sharp. These are very agile birds. However, they stop for a moment and if you click during that moment the image comes sharp even at lower shutter speed. Fortunately these birds can come close to you if you stand near a flowering bush. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Deepak Mistry]

Thanks Sabyasachi. I clicked this from my balcony. It suddenly appeared on a tree relatively close to me. I had to rush to get the camera and snap the pic. I didn't get the time to mount it on a tripod or monopod, hence handheld. Also it was windy hence the shake. Light was diminishing too. It was on the branch for 10 sec or so changing positions constantly. Hope I managed the correct settings in the short time I got.

NB: I think they're building a nest in a fig tree. I see the pair constantly making rounds in a particular branch.

[Deepak Mistry]

One question pls. What difference would a Nikon D7200 have made in this pic against my current D3300 ? I plan to upgrade soon.

[Mrudul Godbole]

Nice sighting. Since you know it is frequenting the tree, next time you can be ready with a tripod, so you can get better details and avoid shake. I see there is slight noise due to the crop. You could have used a further higher ISO like 800, to get a better shutter speed and more details.

There are some differences between Nikon 3300 and Nikon 7200. Some of the notable points are -


Nikon D3300 Key Specs

•ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)
•3″ Fixed Type Screen
•5 fps continuous shooting
•430g. 124 x 98 x 76 mm - This is lighter
•Number of Focus Points 11


Nikon D7200 Key Specs

•ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 102400) - wont affect much for regular photography
•3.2″ Fixed Type Screen - larger display
•6.0 fps continuous shooting - slight better for capturing bursts
•Built-in Wireless
•765g. 136 x 107 x 76 mm
• Number of Focus Points 51 - 40 more focus points

[Deepak Mistry]

Thanks Mridul. Yes I'm ready now. Trying to capture the bird on the nest itself. That'll be some picture. Hope they complete the nest.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

As far as upgrading camera bodies are concerned, I would always suggest people to first upgrade their lenses. Lenses depreciate less ie the lenses retain their values for a long time. Where as the camera bodies are launched every few years and the features are improved. Though I do use professional bodies, however it is for high ISO as well as for rugged use in tough conditions including bad weather. I have seen too many people using the burst mode to keep on firing even when the bird would have moved out of the frame or the tiger would have turned and only the tail would be visible in the bush. If one is aware of animal behaviour then he/she can anticipate better and pull the shutter at the right time. I rarely shoot beyond 2-3 frames at a time.

And one should always practice handholding to refine technique. That really helps.

[Deepak Mistry]

Thanks Sabyasachi. I have just recently upgraded to Tamron 150-600mm. That's the best my budget could afford atm. I was just wondering if a D7200 would improve the results. I am working on my technique and believe I'm improving on it with help from you all. Thanks again.