Nikon P900 Advanced Settings for Bird Photographers

[WalkerC]

This is intended for a guide to authoritative sources who are NOT just saying, "Here's a nifty-keeners picture I took of a bird," but rather are really knowledgeable in fine-tuning the settings on specifically the Nikon P900 camera for bird photography.

I've just purchased my P900, and although I have my own preferences for my Canon SX50 for bird photography, the Nikon unfortunately is such a spectacular camera that it does seem to attract a great many people who simply want to shout about it. That is fine and dandy, but I thought there might be a few people—myself included—who would enjoy a quieter, more thoughtful reckoning of the camera as a tool for birding.

P900 specific, please.

So far I have found Stephen Ingraham's Birds in Flight (so-called BIF), which might be called "Stephen Among the Alligators" and is a very good source. http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3998522#forum-post-57692954

It will be helpful if we can add settings suggestions for bird photographers in the forest, in bad light, working against the odds; using the Nikon P900 as a tool for photographing an Empidonax flycatcher or some other tiny ethereal creature; capturing a momentary few inches of feathers in a thicket, a bird in sight for three seconds and then gone.

Any takers? Thanks for sharing.

 

[357mm]

This is intended for a guide to authoritative sources who are NOT just saying, "Here's a nifty-keeners picture I took of a bird," but rather are really knowledgeable in fine-tuning the settings on specifically the Nikon P900 camera for bird photography.

I've just purchased my P900, and although I have my own preferences for my Canon SX50 for bird photography, the Nikon unfortunately is such a spectacular camera that it does seem to attract a great many people who simply want to shout about it. That is fine and dandy, but I thought there might be a few people—myself included—who would enjoy a quieter, more thoughtful reckoning of the camera as a tool for birding.

P900 specific, please.

So far I have found Stephen Ingraham's Birds in Flight (so-called BIF), which might be called "Stephen Among the Alligators" and is a very good source. http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3998522#forum-post-57692954

It will be helpful if we can add settings suggestions for bird photographers in the forest, in bad light, working against the odds; using the Nikon P900 as a tool for photographing an Empidonax flycatcher or some other tiny ethereal creature; capturing a momentary few inches of feathers in a thicket, a bird in sight for three seconds and then gone.

Any takers? Thanks for sharing.

The real beauty of the P900 for still birds is the scene mode "Bird-Watching" - go figure. Nikon's programmers came up with a winner for zero-ing in on birds, whether in bright sunlight or deep in under the canopy.

Slight PP to the jpeg for cropping/contrast/saturation/brightness/sharpening to taste and you're done.

I know you're eager for more settings customization, but it really is this simple.



[ATTACH alt="Northern "Texas State Bird" Mockingbird pointing to the sky."]1291421[/ATTACH]
Northern "Texas State Bird" Mockingbird pointing to the sky.




Mallard hen posing for a portrait.




A Cattle Egret in Breeding colors deep in the rookery forest.




Even really big birds are easy to capture using Bird-Watching scene mode.

--

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dodge_rock/

 

[Augustin Man]

Wonderful images, I'm mostly impressed by the details of the taking off jet! Although I'm not a fan of the SCN Mode, I'll try the Bird-Watching after seeing those images

Happy shooting,

Augustin

 

[Ailton1]

the focus point click is scarring the birds away. Is there a way of doing away with that noise it makes when I half press the shooting botton?

 

[p900learner]

the focus point click is scarring the birds away. Is there a way of doing away with that noise it makes when I half press the shooting botton?

Ailton -

Go to MENU then the WRENCH

Scroll until you see - Sound Settings - you can turn either or both the button sound and the Shutter sound.

I always keep both Off - to me both sounds are just irritating.

Ev

 

[Augustin Man]

the focus point click is scarring the birds away. Is there a way of doing away with that noise it makes when I half press the shooting botton?

Regarding the other old thread (2015!) in which you're complaining about your P900 not correctly focusing at the telephoto end, I'm sorry to say that actually could be a defective camera, because there are here a lot of excellent images shot to that FL:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/59839103

All the best,

Augustin

P.S. The small sensor hasn't any connection to the focusing, it's a drawback for action/low light shooting only.