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Northern Flicker (4 imgs)

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brandrx

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I love the Northern Flicker and in all the years I have been shooting digital (since 2001 I think), this is the best of the images I have ever gotten of one. These were shot using the Pentax K-5 II + Sigma 50-500mm APO HSM OS, at 500mm. Images one and two were at f8, 1/1600s, ISO3200. Images three and four were at f8, 1/400s, ISO 1600 (I forgot to turn on the OS for images three and four). I ran these images thru NeatImage for noise reduction. I printed images one, two, and four out at 8x10 inches and they don't look too bad. They are good enough for my grandnephew's collection.

Northern Flicker - Image #1

Northern Flicker - Image #1

Northern Flicker - Image #2

Northern Flicker - Image #2

Northern Flicker - Image #3

Northern Flicker - Image #3

Northern Flicker - Image #4

Northern Flicker - Image #4

FWIW: I am seriously considering having this Sigma 50-500mm APO HSM OS attached permently to a K-5 II with the K-5 II setup for AF-C and Expanded Area AF set at all times. This lens is one heluva fine all around lens. It focuses fast, tracks birds in flight very easy, can be used to do catch-in-focusing, and the dang thing can be handheld with ease IMO. The specs of the lens state, Minimum Focus Distance 1.64' (49.99 cm), Magnification 0.32x, and Maximum Reproduction Ratio 1:3.1. That is damn impressive IMO.

I will buy whatever Pentax comes out with for the K-5 II replacement or I will buy another K-5 II for use with all of my other lenses.

Cheers.

Ron

--
Ron - 'We don't have time to go take pics this afternoon Carl.'
Carl - 'What do you mean? It will only take 1/1000s.'
'Keep your eyes looking forward. However, glance back now and then to see where you've come from. It will put a smile on your face.' ~ brandrx
 
Northern flickers are tougher than they look -- I've never gotten a shot as good as any of those, though I've spotted many of them (and heard hundreds).

(What's worse is red-breasted sapsuckers... never got a single photo.)

--
Q with 02 zoom and Nikkor 180/2.8 ED for birding
K10D, Sig 17-70, DA 55-300, FA 50/1.4 "billy bass"
discards: DA 50-200 "zipper", F 100-300, Sigma 135-400 "piglet", M 400/5.6 "the Great Truncheon"
 
Last edited:
Number 2 is the one I like best. Does the K5II SR work well with the lens? That min focus distance is impressive, is it constant to 500?
 
Wow! Really nice shots Ron. We have the Northern Flciker too. You are getting good use out of the K-5II. I was considering the K-5IIs but based on the IR and DPR reports I cannot see enough difference to replace my K-5. Spent a lot in the last 18 months on cameras and lenses (all primes) so I will back off for the time although I would like to have the DA55 f1.4
 
paulkienitz said:
paulkienitz wrote:

Northern flickers are tougher than they look -- I've never gotten a shot as good as any of those, though I've spotted many of them (and heard hundreds).
Click to expand...
I would dearly love to catch one of these Northern Flickers in flight but I know that would be an almost impossible task with the Pentax system.

Cheers.

Ron
 
Petroglyph said:
Petroglyph wrote:

Number 2 is the one I like best. Does the K5II SR work well with the lens? That min focus distance is impressive, is it constant to 500?
Click to expand...
Yes, the SR works OK with this lens. I havn't compared it to the OS myself but others write that the OS works best. There is two positions for the OS switch. Position 1 stabilizes both horizontally and vertically. Position 2 stabilizes vertically only. Position 2 is for panning.

MFD at 70mm is 1.64 feet (0.5 meters), 1:4.8 macro

MFD at 100mm is 1.64 feet (0.5 metes), 1:3.8 macro

MFD at 135mm is 1.68 feet (0.51 meters), 1:3.4 macro

MFD at 200mm is 2 feet (0,6 meters), 1:3.1 macro

MFD at 300mm is 2.8 feet (0.9 meters), 1:3.4 macro

MFD at 400mm is 4.2 feet (1.3 meters), 1:3.0 macro

MFD at 500mm is 5.9 feet (1.8 meters), 1:4.5 macro

Cheers.

Ron
 
Very interesting info. Still not bad at 500 I think the Canon 400/5.6 is about 3 meters. Thank you sir.
 
brandrx said:
brandrx wrote:

I love the Northern Flicker and in all the years I have been shooting digital (since 2001 I think), this is the best of the images I have ever gotten of one. These were shot using the Pentax K-5 II + Sigma 50-500mm APO HSM OS, at 500mm. Images one and two were at f8, 1/1600s, ISO3200. Images three and four were at f8, 1/400s, ISO 1600 (I forgot to turn on the OS for images three and four). I ran these images thru NeatImage for noise reduction. I printed images one, two, and four out at 8x10 inches and they don't look too bad. They are good enough for my grandnephew's collection.

Northern Flicker - Image #1

Northern Flicker - Image #1

Northern Flicker - Image #2

Northern Flicker - Image #2

Northern Flicker - Image #3

Northern Flicker - Image #3

Northern Flicker - Image #4

Northern Flicker - Image #4

FWIW: I am seriously considering having this Sigma 50-500mm APO HSM OS attached permently to a K-5 II with the K-5 II setup for AF-C and Expanded Area AF set at all times. This lens is one heluva fine all around lens. It focuses fast, tracks birds in flight very easy, can be used to do catch-in-focusing, and the dang thing can be handheld with ease IMO. The specs of the lens state, Minimum Focus Distance 1.64' (49.99 cm), Magnification 0.32x, and Maximum Reproduction Ratio 1:3.1. That is damn impressive IMO.

I will buy whatever Pentax comes out with for the K-5 II replacement or I will buy another K-5 II for use with all of my other lenses.

Cheers.

Ron

--
Ron - 'We don't have time to go take pics this afternoon Carl.'
Carl - 'What do you mean? It will only take 1/1000s.'
'Keep your eyes looking forward. However, glance back now and then to see where you've come from. It will put a smile on your face.' ~ brandrx
Click to expand...
Here's one, not often seen in their nests high in the trees.



0aa887be0d234ce38a115b4751081859.jpg

--
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www.flickr.com

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Jim Beverlin said:
Jim Beverlin wrote:

Wow! Really nice shots Ron.
Click to expand...
Thanks Jim.
Jim Beverlin said:
We have the Northern Flciker too. You are getting good use out of the K-5II. I was considering the K-5IIs but based on the IR and DPR reports I cannot see enough difference to replace my K-5. Spent a lot in the last 18 months on cameras and lenses (all primes) so I will back off for the time although I would like to have the DA55 f1.4
Click to expand...
IMO the K-5 II is worth it to me just for the Expanded Area Auto Focus for tracking birds in flight. This Expanded Area AF really does work. I had asked over and over again in this forum about this and no one would answer me, so I decided to buy my own and check it myself. I settled for the K-5 II because I didn't want to mess with any possibility of moire and I figured I can sharpen my K-5 II images to a pont that will please me just fine. Overall, I am very pleased with the K-5 II and my K-5 will still get a lot of use as it too is a fine camera.

Cheers.

Ron
 
Nice shots, Ron. Those are not easy birds to photograph, as they are very skittish.

We've had a pair return to our yard for the past 3 or 4 summers, and we've noticed several more joining them this year. They are easily the most beautiful birds we have naturally here in central PA. Ours are yellow-shafted. It's hard to tell from your shots, but I believe you tend to have the red-shafted out west, yes?

Do yours spend much time on the trees? Even though they are woodpeckers, ours spend most of their time on the ground eating ants and other bugs.
 
math guy said:
math guy wrote:

Nice shots, Ron. Those are not easy birds to photograph, as they are very skittish.
Click to expand...
Thanks Joe. They are very difficult to photograph.
math guy said:
We've had a pair return to our yard for the past 3 or 4 summers, and we've noticed several more joining them this year. They are easily the most beautiful birds we have naturally here in central PA. Ours are yellow-shafted. It's hard to tell from your shots, but I believe you tend to have the red-shafted out west, yes?
Click to expand...
Yes, ours have the red shafts. There are actually quite a few differences between the eastern and the western flickers. I was reading about them at All About Birds.
math guy said:
Do yours spend much time on the trees? Even though they are woodpeckers, ours spend most of their time on the ground eating ants and other bugs.
Click to expand...
I don't see them very often but when I do they can be on the trees or on the ground.

Cheers.

Ron
 
Lovely looking bird Ron, beautifully executed. :D
 
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