Monarch butterfly slow motion video

JThe subject distance was 3-5 feet from the front of the lens, roughly. The most difficult task is to focus accurately before the insect moves on to another spot. I've been practicing nearly every day for the last few weeks, so I am getting better at it.

I am amazed at how much magnification I can get from this lens/camera combination. I tried using an external 7" monitor instead of the viewfinder to get a better view of the focus but there is no HDMI out signal at this frame rate, so I will continue with the evf.

I may try the Sony A1 with a Tamron 150-500 zoom but I don't think the close focus limit is anywhere near the small sensor Olympus setup. The codecs and resolution might be better, not sure yet. If not, the Olympus setup is certainly good enough for grand kid entertainment quality nature videos. And it is very portable.

Late model camera/video gear is really good for us amateurs with some time available to learn how to use it! I'm getting there. Thanks for taking a look.

This was very nice. I have three comments, not so much for you but for anyone pursuing this interesting subject:

1. I do not see that we learn a lot from very slow motion for butterflies or bees. Their action is pretty clear. Half speed seems revealing enough, and that permits shooting at 60 fps and 4K, with high resolution that brings out the very interesting details of these insects.

2. Perhaps your views are sometimes a bit too close up, with the full butterfly sometimes cut off.

3. With a crop camera that crops even more at 60 fps, like the Canon R7, one can use a small telephoto with no extenders. In this case, a 18-150 zoom, be 3 feet away and get plenty of closeups of butterflies and bees. The camera has fast AF, needed for catching the fast appearance of these critters.

Here is an example at 4K 60p slowed to 30p with a short telephoto zoom:

In many cases I could have come closer but I chose not to for aesthetics.