New bird photography techniques using the Lumix G9II

[@BernhardSchwarz-xs8kp]

Marlene - you are sincerely one of a kind. I adore this type of teacher since they are not "educators" who treat people like little kids who have to listen. You are a true professional, one of the few sharing real personal knowledge.

[@ImageMaven]

Wow, thank you for the kind words. You made my day.

[@LazyJ-3000]

Thanks! Glad to see more videos from you lately, especially on the G9 ll.

[@ImageMaven]

Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words and generosity!

[@maryedwards3583]

Lovely to see you, Marlene, and your garden. You are a woman after my own heart. My favourite things to do are birding and gardening. Wonderful bird and duck photos with the G9II. I still plod on with my G9 and love it. Take care, enjoy the rest of the summer. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and photos.

[@ImageMaven]

Lovely to have you in the chat, Mary. I took the G9 on a holiday earlier this month and it was great - like an old friend. I am just taking a few short 2-day getaways this summer but mostly sticking close to my garden as summer is short here and I just love it, even doing my daily rounds picking the weeds before they get out of hand. Hopefully I'll have time to make a few videos too. Thank you for the chat!

[@michaelhawkins1173]

Nice to see you, Marlene. Thanks for your video. Always a treat.

[@ImageMaven]

Great to hear from my regulars like you, again too.

[@williambell3036]

Thanks

[@ImageMaven]

Thank you so much William!

[@petermartinka9274]

Oleee! Welcome back Marlene! Glad to see you.

[@ImageMaven]

Glad to hear from you too Peter.

[@petermartinka9274]

I look forward to more videos. 🙂

[@ליהלי-צ8נ]

Thanks Marlene for this wonderful video.Great shots and explanations. I love your attitude concerning jpeg and getting a better shot rather than editing later.I also switched lately from the G9 to the M2. Huge step up.Your videos are very helpful.Thanks.

[@ImageMaven]

Enjoy your Mark 2. I agree, a huge step up and I've barely scratched the surface of this camera.

[@katesavage2001]

Good to see you again. I am going to try your tip for the front buttons for AFS near/far. Thanks!

[@ImageMaven]

Thanks for watching Kate! Game changer for me. Been using it since I had my original G9. Works best with the Shutter AF set to Off, kind of like Back Button Focus where the focus and shutter press are independent of each other. You can set up BBF too. The three buttons are a great way to shoot stationary birds in various situations.

[@Greggie_D]

Best advice I got was to go somewhere and sit for 10 minutes as quiet as you can. It seems like an eternity. All the birds and animals that your approach had scared off (without you realising it) will slowly come back as they decide you are no longer a threat. So many people miss this opportunity. Good for your soul too!

[@ImageMaven]

Yes it’s very good for your soul to sit and be present in the moment - with or without birds. Thank you for watching.

[@clintjohnson5914]

Hi Marlene.. this is like my third or fourth time through this video.. and I think you and all the other micro four thirds bigs have swayed me to the point where I'm sending off my order for a G9 Mark II today! I've been relying on Olympus cameras hybrid autofocus.. and that's been great but I really like the video capabilities on the G9 Mark II.. and thanks for putting out a Leica monochrome video.. another big influence on me pulling the trigger. Thanks for all you do for MFT shooters!

[@ImageMaven]

Wonderful to hear this Clint! I hope you like the G9ii as much as I do! I’m still using the loaner G9ii camera so I should probably buy one for myself one of these days soon. I’ve got one other very cool Lumix feature I’ve been testing and I hope to have a new video on that sometime in September. Just need a very dark sky to get some more sample photos.

[@clintjohnson5914]

Can't wait to see what you've got planned. Geez.. maybe I should overcome my aversion to social media and "my face made for radio" syndrome and become a KZbinr... maybe I can score some of that loner magic!!

[@ליהלי-צ8נ]

Thanks Marlene. A very helpful video

[@laurentyarp514]

Mar-lene ! great to have a new video from you. Full of practical tips as usual. Those pictures of birds among branches is something I will try wit the G9. That far/near shift focus of the G9/G9 II is something unique that makes AF quite different with those cameras.

[@ImageMaven]

Yes, give it a shot. Also try combining it with Back Button focus and/or take the AF OFF of the shutter button so that the focus doesn't jump around. I have a video on Back Button Focus of the G9 from a couple years back, but it also applies to the G92. Have fun.

[@laurentyarp514]

@@ImageMaven Yes, I recall that video. I understand how it works for you because Birds in weeds is something I can only dream of right now.

[@pedro-my8ql]

Thank you Marlene for this video and the useful advices.

[@ImageMaven]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching.

[@PeterJenkins-lr8tz]

Thanks Marlene - fabulous images!

[@sherice1730]

Bird photography is always fun! Nice photos

[@ImageMaven]

It really is!

[@brianwhiteside]

I see much improvement in your personal technique since you have first started. So much fun to watch and grow along with you.

[@ImageMaven]

Constantly honing my skills. I hope the same for you as well. Cheers.

[@LisaSaffell]

Great video Marlene! The technology in these cameras has improved dramatically over the past couple of years. It’s fun to be a photographer these days 😊

[@ImageMaven]

Thanks Lisa. It sure is fun! I've loved getting outside more to find the birds. And I've barely scratched the surface compared to other birders in this area. I just heard from a guide that migration is peaking next week around here. So that means a few more species to search out.

[@LisaSaffell]

You should check out the birdcast dashboard for your area to see what is expected. I check it every day during migration.

[@ImageMaven]

@@LisaSaffell Thanks for the tip! Never heard of that one.

[@ksgtokgo]

Nice to see you again. I also dislike editing if I can avoid it, so great tips. Thank you.

[@ImageMaven]

Great to hear from you again too, Kathy! Thanks for watching!

[@MrFirstdance2000]

So glad your back!! This will be fun, no doubt!

[@ImageMaven]

Great to have you back too!

[@MrFirstdance2000]

@@ImageMaven Btw, love the shirt/hat combo :)

[@lumixographer2185]

Marlene, it's always fun to follow you! Because Lumix took forever to finally update the G9 with PDAF and I had specific need for a compact kit for African safari, I made the jump from G9 with 100-400mm to Sony RX10IV with 24-600mm. Watching your video, I realize (again😊) what a great teacher you are! The techniques you demonstrate for wildlife photography can be used with any camera. While gear is important, you remind us that getting out and taking time to tune into the scene is what makes photography so rewarding!👍🙂

[@ImageMaven]

Yes techniques are basically the same - as you know all too well. But to get the click I need to mention the camera gear. 😉 Always great to hear from you.

[@allenoakley1799]

Welcome back :) Hope all is well. I find the AF-Near and AF-Far button set up is a great benefit also.

[@ImageMaven]

It was great to take a long break, that’s for sure! Yes I love the front button for AF!

[@CheikoSairin]

Watching your video from Singapore. My way of photographing birds is also the same as yours and most of the time I photograph in JPEG format with an Olympud EM5 camera attached with a 75-300mm lens. Thanks for sharing your photography techniques. A big LIKE for the video. Have a nice day. Happy birding!

[@ImageMaven]

Nice kit and nice to have you along for the journey. Are there lots of birds in Singapore? Happy birding to you too.

[@CheikoSairin]

@@ImageMaven Yes, In Singapore, there are around 430 species of birds recorded. Thanks!

[@sutv6754]

GREAT ADVISE AND LESSON.THANK YOU AGAIN MARLENE.

[@bitwise2832]

I have a G9Ii with the 100-400mm lense also. I shoot raw+jpeg. The raw allows me to edit in camera, especially lighting, adding in iDynamic and bringing up the shadows in situations with bright backgrounds and dark birds. Should I shoot with sharpness maxed out? I normally shoot in Natural. I will reset my front buttons to be Near and Far Focus. Good idea. Thanks!

[@ImageMaven]

I would not edit your raw with sharpness maxed out. You might get weird edge artifacts. When doing your raw edits in-camera it’s very hard to judge the effects of sharpening as the screen is so small. I would recommend editing raw files on your computer, unless it’s a quick and dirty photo for social media. Have fun birding!

[@bitwise2832]

@ImageMaven Thank you!

[@MakaryKowacki]

Marlene is back ! What a pleasant surprise!

[@ImageMaven]

I thought I'd pop by for a quick video and say hello to everyone!

[@tomvince1963]

Beautiful photos !

[@ImageMaven]

Many thanks!

[@ammadoux]

beautiful shots and clips, thanks so much.

[@ImageMaven]

Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for watching.

[@ProbablyAnAmateur]

its awesome you also have got better at bird photos, i have yet to fine-tune with my GH5ii but i have gotten better too. probably because the weather at times i did do birding were in better light. even got close, relatively close to an adult starling perched on our garden bird feeder, at least 2 metres or 2 and a half away. gave me an advantage for my 100-300 😁

[@ravineelakantan6417]

Beautiful video...even with my G85 + Lumix Leica 100-400mm Combo ,I could get sharp snaps at 1/250 ss for a bird sitting still and if the light is low, i get way with 1/60 ss in burst mode to keep the ISO low...I shoot Jpeg +Raw and this slows down the Frames per second but gives me the option to process the Raw image with DXO Photolab Elite which has a fantastic Lens correction for sharpening the image according to the camera + Lens combo , and also superb AI Demosaicing/Denoise (Deep Prime XD) that cleans up High ISO noise ...and it does not take time to edit raw images and coupled with NIK collection it offers a big step up to get the snap as vivid as we wish it to be....I am thinking of upgrading to the Lumix G9 II and am interested in your views on the step up that this would offer in terms of image quality (on account of increased resolution, dynamic range,etc)...Thanks

[@ImageMaven]

You should definitely notice a step up between your camera and the G9ii. I sure did from the G9. I have a few other videos in the G9ii so hopefully you’ve had a chance to watch them. Look for the pigeons 😉

[@ravineelakantan6417]

@@ImageMaven Thanks very much...Yes, I have watched all your Birding videos (as well as the excellent tutorials on Lumix cameras)...Look forward to more Birding videos ...Best Regards.

[@mediamannaman]

Gorgeous pics! Thanks for the focusing and exposure tips. The grackles and doves have been hogging all the bird food until lately. Starting to see more variety of small birds - sparrows, titmice, chickadees, and most beautiful is the painted bunting. Also medium size birds like cardinals and red winged blackbirds are coming back, and I finally got a couple of bluejays coming by. I haven't been out birding, just shooting what comes to my house. Maybe someday I'll have the patience to go out and look for them.

[@ImageMaven]

I say, enjoy what you can, where you can! I’ve enjoyed watching nesting birds in my yard over the years, and it’s nice to watch from the comfort of a cozy chair.

[@Laura-pu5bt]

So helpful! Thank you

[@ImageMaven]

You're so welcome!

[@gordon3988]

Glad to see you back and with a great video! Didn’t recognize that bird at 3:56 though 😊Just back from a trip to the BC interior; think a desert,river and wonderful surrounding trees. Everyday was full of bird calls. Next week off to Dinosaur Park AB hoping some of the same.

[@ImageMaven]

Haha. That’s a ‘wooly tiger bird’. BC sounds wonderful! As it happens, I’m heading out to Dinosaur Park tomorrow! I’ll just miss you.

[@PartisanZoya1941]

Thanks for the video. Have just bought the G9 Mark II so am trawling though the Internet to view setup and use. I see you used a powerbank to internally recharge your one and only battery for tge G9 II. Please can you tell us what powerbank that is?

[@ImageMaven]

I have a Tough Tested Solar 16,000 mAh Powerbank, but there are many to choose from. You can charge your camera and your phone with it, or any small USB device. I used it camping as well when there was no AC power available.

[@PartisanZoya1941]

Thanks for that information

[@letni9506]

I'm itching to get this camera. Don't know if i really need it or not but i want it 😃 Bird photography is the majority of my photography. Should i treat myself. I have a G9 and GX9 currently.

[@ImageMaven]

Yes! Definitely! The G9ii is very much worth the upgrade. Keep the others as backups or sell the G9 but keep the GX9 for every day carry, or sell the GX9 as they are hard to come by and there’s a good market for them. But personally, I’d keep it!

[@letni9506]

@@ImageMaven oh yeah I'd definitely keep the GX9. With the 14-140 or 12-32 it's a fantastic compact setup.

[@RayMi9se]

Thanks a lot for the video. Am thinking of going from the G9 to this one. The autofocus improvement however is very important to me. Would you say it is usable in full area animal eye autofocus mode? What are the negatives you experienced in this mode? Thanks a lot.

[@ImageMaven]

Is this for photo or video? I tend to use smaller focus areas for birding. And those work for me. But in low light no camera is perfect. Check out Mike Lane’s channel. He’s done extensive comparisons between the G9, G9ii and OM1 cameras. I’ll try to find a video of his for you and post it in the next comment.

[@ImageMaven]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rn-cg3qMZZ6Vos0si=A0o2M25Y4u3hKMel Mike is definitely biased towards the OM cameras but he does do realistic comparisons.

[@RayMi9se]

@@ImageMaven Thanks for your answer. I mean for photo. Right now I use small areas on my G9, because otherwise it just wont pick up the birds. One reason to go for the G9ii would be being able to use a bigger area for more creative control. But I can not really find information about how usable a bigger or full area autofocus is on the G9ii.

[@ImageMaven]

@@RayMi9se It really depends on the light. A bird with a clean background is no problem with full area. But a bird in the trees, where it's busy and dark, would be more of an issue. That's why I use AF:ON near and far on those front buttons. But in low light every camera will struggle.

[@RayMi9se]

@@ImageMaven Thank you, this helps a lot for me.

[@mikesphotography7185]

Nice one Marlene 👍

[@ImageMaven]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@rayjenkins2754]

Glad your back Marlene. On my G 9 when shooting animals - or kids - I use AFF & it works fairly well. It's only when the creature starts moving & the camera senses this that " it " switches to Continues Mode. It's like you say, a good part of the time the critter is fairly still & in AFF the G9 sees this & picks AFS. Does the G9 II have an AFF setting ?

[@ImageMaven]

Hi Ray. I'm happy to see you again too. Yes, indeed The G9II does have AFF. I haven't used it much but on your nudge I shall give it another shot - or two - or 100! ;)

[@rayjenkins2754]

@@ImageMaven Please, allow some spare time for . . . eating !

[@highwayman1224]

Another great video! I live in Arizona and we have a couple of Cactus Wrens who took up residence in our backyard and built a big nest in one of our trees and I've been having so much fun photographing them running around all day hunting. They find so many bug's in our backyard! Fun fact, they rarely need to drink water as they get most of their liquids through the insects they catch.

[@ImageMaven]

How fun for you! Nothing like a little local bird action to keep us occupied for weeks.

[@scoutprime]

Does the G9II have the extended teleconverter setting internal like the G9? Thanks

[@ImageMaven]

Yes it does!

[@nadinesmoske8831]

Isot me 40-150 f2.8 pro by Olympus..(heavy!) NEED some HELP …using it w thene G9ii. Set it up one night to try to get some full moon pix..i could not focus ! I should be able to use face detection? How would you set up the camera?

[@ImageMaven]

I would focus manually for night sky photos and use focus peaking.

[@redmanblue]

Marlene thanks for the video and all the details. I tried to switch from the OM-1 to the G9 II(w/pl 100-400). After months I gave up because my hit rate using CF and subject detect was terrible. Many times I couldn't acquire the bird at all let alone track it. Did you have such issues? I appreciate how all your adjustments to focus settings help you but I'd much rather "set it and forget it" so I can concentrate on the subject, framing etc. I find that with the OM-1 I can use full area/CF/subject most of the time. Whereas with the G9II i had to change the focus point etc. I don't want to miss a shot of a stationary bird that takes off. I like the ergonomics of G9 and all Lumix more but I'm only using it for landscapes etc. Again thank you for the suggestions.

[@ImageMaven]

Funny that! I tried the OM-1 and found the opposite of you. Whatever works. Just happy that we can all find something that works for us.

[@hVF8KZuQPeCc8u]

Glad to see you are getting to use a G9II! Does the phase detect meet your expectations? I got a Fuji XT-4 a while back to go with my G9 but Fuji's autofocus isn't the greatest. Have fun with your birding and gardening! Summer is almost here!

[@ImageMaven]

Hi Steven! Great to hear from you again. Yes I’m very happy with the G92 and PDAF especially for birding in challenging situations. But so many new things to learn too. Especially with the video functionality on this camera. Definitely out of my wheelhouse. Will keep me busy for another 5 years I’m sure. Thanks for stopping by to chat. 😊

[@mrychel]

Hi Marlene, I noticed you are not using the lens hood, I was always taught to use them . What is your reasoning?

[@ImageMaven]

There is a shorter built-in lens hood on this lens and I use that all the time. As for the big one, I find it makes the lens too bulky. I used to be a die hard tube shape lens hood user. But sometimes you get mirage with the temperature difference between the air in the lens hood and the air in your scene. Especially when shooting photos of birds from a car window. That mostly happens in the colder months though. I have birding photo friends who, in winter, sit in a freezing cold car with the windows and sunroof open so they don't get those mirage issues.

[@AprilClayton]

I captured some footage of a heron being harassed by redwing blackbirds. He kept ducking as they dove. So fascinating. I got some photos of a baby swan and some geese. Have you ever seen geese attack humans? I’m Leary of them.

[@Colm1173]

Hi Marlene Quick question. Because the G9 ii is released , the G9 is good value second hand. I have the GH6 but would the G9 be better for photography?

[@ImageMaven]

Definitely use your GH6! It will work great for photography. I think it has newer phase detection AF too, which isn’t in the G9. Save your money for lenses.

[@sue.Hoo123]

I was so pleased to see you’d posted a new vid, made a nice cup of tea and settled down to watch. I’m still finding my G9ii a massive improvement on the original, although unlike you I’m leaving it mostly in AFC for the Phase detect AF, recommended by LUMIX Rep. I was recently at a local hide and heard a Cuckoo across the water on the opposite shore, I got photos, handheld from a distance of 150 metres at dusk! They aren’t the greatest, but they are recognisable. Interesting I then took some FHD footage and it’s really quite good. I’m still shooting jpg, quality/colour is great. I did try raw the other day, but then discovered Apple haven’t yet added the G9ii, so couldn’t upload them to my Mac. Your garden looks good, do you have a pond?

[@ImageMaven]

And I'm so pleased to hear from you Sue! I need to research the PDAF a bit more as I haven't heard that it was only available in AFC. I shot nearly exclusively AFC when I first started birding with this camera and I wasn't always getting the shot, so when I switched to AFS, I had better results. That might be because of the change of seasons and better light at this time of year than in the winter when I got the camera. Yes, I did some tests a couple months back and could not open G92 raw files on my iPhone - and still can't. But no issues on the Apple computers - even my older one. I don't have a pond in my garden. Not much space, plus we're on water restrictions here, so they discourage water features - even fountains are limited. Luckily I have a natural creek nearby which is on my daily walk route, and a lot of birds and wildlife hang out there all year round.

[@williambell3036]

Hi again Marlene purchased g9 2 having problems with raw files pixelating on laptop and can’t view them when transferring over Wi-Fi to iPad and I phone. Is this a known problem. ?

[@ImageMaven]

Maybe you’re transferring jpgs. Check the app to make sure you’re transferring raw files. But, my last tests showed problems with iPhones and raw files from the G9-2. All I got was a white square. So it could be an Apple issue. Not a camera issue.

[@williambell3036]

@@ImageMaven Thanks Marlene that’s the same issue I have on Apple devices.A similar problem exists on Microsoft Photo app where picture displays then pixelates. Eased my mind thought I had a problem with camera as no one seemed to have highlighted this. Thanks again you deserve a coffee.

[@ImageMaven]

If I hear anything else, or if/when the issue is solved, I’ll post about it.

[@williambell3036]

Hi Marlene I have a G9 and followed you for a few years now and enjoyed your videos. Thinking of upgrading to M2 is there a great difference and is the upgrade expense worth it ?

[@ImageMaven]

For me it is worth it, especially if you’re a birder.

[@frankinblackpool]

Good to see your latest episode and you looking so relaxed.😀 I've also stopped using Topaz mainly for birds. I noticed that Topaz made the birds look strangely plasticky. I can't put my finger on it but the birds did not look convincing after the image went through Topaz's digital washer. I don't know about your version of the 100-400mm lens however with mine, I don't push it past 300mm and maybe 350mm at a push. I find that once I crank the lens all the way to 400, then the image becomes noticeably softer. I find up to 300mm to be the sweet spot for sharp photos.

[@ImageMaven]

Yes I often hold back the zoom reach as well. Usually around 350mm.

[@frankinblackpool]

@@ImageMaven What's the saying? Great minds think alike or Fools seldom differ.😂🤣

[@ImageMaven]

Let’s go with Option 1. 👌

[@NE_Pigeons]

So do you think you’ll buy the G9II for sure?

[@ImageMaven]

Yes! It will be hard to part with this loaner I’ve been using.

[@JoeMaranophotography]

So jealous! I'm so overdue the upgrade but I can't reach to it yet! :(

[@ImageMaven]

Joe, 90% of these settings will work for most cameras. So get out and experiment! 💪

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@ImageMaven Oh I'm just jealous you have a G9ii. The biggest single thing holding me back these last 5 years has been autofocus on the G9 and have been desperate for phase detect for the longest time!

[@ImageMaven]

Then you’ll love the G92. Price will continue to drop and one day you’ll be ready!

[@JoeMaranophotography]

@@ImageMaven I got the original for £599 when the lowest they were at that time was £899 so I really scored! Hoping for a similar deal!

[@sosomelodies659]

I've always shot jpeg myself. I really don't want to bother with raw and all the editing and manipulation and software issues that come with it. I like getting my shots in camera the way it ought to be.

[@ImageMaven]

It definitely makes you a better photographer!

[@fredyboyer4745]

Bonjour Madame, je dois vous faire un commentaire, non sur cette vidéo, mais bien plus j'ai réussi à découvrir le Paramétrage de l'AF On sur Lumix G9, grace à une vde vos vidéos. Je dois vous avouer que n'étant pas anglophone, j'ai un peu galérer pour avoir la traduction, mais une fois l'avoir plus ou moins comppris et utilisé depuis trois jours maintenant et sur trois boitiers, je crois que l'honneur revient à vous pour m'avoir aidé à comprendre l'AFON à 71 ans, Merci infiniment à vous, j'y teviendrai plus posément ultérieurement. Raphael Boyer de l'ile de la Réunion D.O.M 97-4. Merci encore infiniment.

[@ImageMaven]

Thank you for writing. This is great to hear. I’m happy the AF ON setting helped you. I use it all the time. Reunion island looks like a beautiful place to live and I’m sure there are many things to photograph.

Hasta hoy sigo disparando jpg y raw, pero mi educación me lleva a tratar de tener todo bien en cámara. Me molesta mucho por ejemplo en video la tendencia de los colores planos. 😢

[@ImageMaven]

I definitely need more practice with shooting video with the best settings. And video editing. But if video and photos match coming out of the camera, then it’s easy to combine them.

[@Peteryzhang]

I set my minimum shutter speed at 400/s under aperture priority mode.

[@ImageMaven]

Good plan!

[@natureredux1957]

At timestamp 5.14, which bird type is that.

[@ImageMaven]

That is a Female Western Tanager. I haven't seen any males yet this year.

[@natureredux1957]

@@ImageMaven Thanks, it's a cute bird. I think one was in my backyard a few years ago. I have had the Red/Yellow Summer tanager over years. I guess they are related.

[@ImageMaven]

Yes, definitely related. The males are super colourful. Hopefully I find one soon.