OM-1 | Birds in flight | Image stabilization. ON or OFF ❓

Recently while out photographing birds in flight I have been trying to get the best shots I can possibly get with my OM-1 / Olympus 300mm F4 Pro set up. Now I have been taking birds in flight shots for years so feel I am relatively competent at getting good results but I am not afraid to move away from the tried and tested and always want to get better. I get many questions about whether having Image stabilization / vibration reduction on or off is the way to go. I always used to switch it off with my DSLR but leave it on with any mirrorless I used and still feel this works in most cases. However when photographing difficult small and fast birds I feel switching it off is beneficial and results in more keepers. Enjoy the video😀
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[@Carlos1180]

Subscribed! Love your presentation style and you give a wealth of information. Minimal waffling and just incredible shots. A real pleasure to watch

[@RichardCookphotography]

@@Carlos1180 Thank you so much. That's such a nice comment. Really appreciate it. 👍👍

[@susieboard3230]

Hi Richard, I could never fall asleep during your vlogs....I am in awe of your bird shots, something I haven't really conquered yet (too shake in the hands I think, not quite getting settings right too I'd say...). I love all your shots as always but the No 1 has to be the one you love with all the movement in the water, sensational!👌👏

[@RichardCookphotography]

Hi Susie. Thanks so much. Always look forward to your comment. Yes I also have shaky hands but try to make sure the shutter speed is fast enough to compensate. Have a great week😀👍🙏

[@susieboard3230]

@@RichardCookphotography thank you Richard, you too. I did get out a week ago to do some fungi shooting, didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped, my health issues caused me to pack up earlier than normal sadly. My camera is developing some issues but hey it's about 10 years old and been an absolute workhorse! I think the shutter button and focus are on the way out, I have 3 other cameras but the old d7100 is the bomb for me when I do macro stuff, just love it 😍😀

[@paulisraelsonisraelsonlaw654]

Richard: Thank you for explaining all of the specific settings and whether or not you think IS should be on or off. These pieces of specific information prove to be helpful in the field. PJI

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thank you Paul. Glad you found the video useful👍😀🙏

[@martynlea2044]

Hi Richard, I really loved the photo of the kingfisher in flight with his wings splayed out, also the first one you showed on the perch. I had a kingfisher come into my garden yesterday, a first for me.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks Martyn. Wow.. a kingfisher in your garden. Do you have a lake in your garden?😀😀

[@naturealbums]

Superb kingfisher shots I can only dream of getting, very well done.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks very much. Appreciate the kind words😀👍🙏

[@UrbaneHobbit]

Hi Richard, all the photos are great! I just wanted to say thanks for discussing not just the camera settings but also the location and how you thought about setting up the shot. Even just how you were able to fit a shoot into your schedule with the kids and whatnot. Most other channels discuss a more (shall we say) elaborate style of wildlife photography with all the gear and dedicated trips. It is great to know that this hobby, and all its benefits to mood and wellness, can be part of everyday life. Cheers, and I hope to see you on whatever forum(s) emerge after the DPReview apocalypse!

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks very much for the wonderful feedback. Appreciate it and hopefully see you somewhere soon🙏👍😀

[@EMOslaughter]

great tips of a stunning bird!

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks very much. Glad you liked the video👍

[@danieled.2583]

Fabulous shots, as always! Thank you

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thank you very much Daniele👍🙏

[@tim1398]

Hi Richard, thanks for sharing. I've used the G9+PL100-400 and the OM1+PL100-400. I've noticed "micro-blurring" when using the IS for BIF so I leave it off. The IS can't possibly help with rapid panning and shutter-speeds of 1/2000 and faster anyhow. I also use that same red-dot sight sometimes for things like Swallows in flight. When using that method, the IS *must* be off, otherwise the "bore-sight" can be of by as much as half a frame while shooting I have found. So calibrate the red-dot with IS off and shoot with IS off. I wish I had the 300 f/4 (or 150-400 f4.5!).

[@davewebster6945]

Hhhmm now im going to have to try birds in flight without image stabilisation with my D500, 300mmpf and 1.4 tc to see if things improve 😁. Nothing like a bit of experimentation😊 fingers crossed. Excellent pics again Richard 😎. And yes a vid on setting up and using a dot sight would be most welcome 🤗.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks very much Dave. Yes experimentation is always good....I'm constantly changing things/settings.. Noted about the dot sight video 👍🙏😀

[@laurencearnold5822]

Fantastic shots Richard, the one’s flying like a dart are stunning. Will be doing the same soon with the same set up , the dot sight looks a helpful device.👍

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thank you Laurence. The dot sight really helps...I only use it for Kingfishers really but it makes a huge difference 👍😀🙏

[@RichardCookphotography]

Hi guys. If you just want to see the photos.. they are in the second half of the video😀👍🙏

[@tonigenes5816]

Great test, Richard. I always had the feeling IS will lower the keeper rate, but I kept it ON in order to have the image stabilized in the EVF. On the previous models of Olympus cameras, the electronic shutter had also some impact on the image IQ. But OM-1 has a much faster sensor and probably the impact of the electronic shutter is negletable.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Hi Toni. Thanks for the feedback. Yes having the EVF stable is definitely a good reason to keep the IS on... And I do in most circumstances.. It's just in the small case of when I photograph flying Kingfishers and other really fast birds. Little terns will arrive in Okinawa in the next few weeks and I will try it with them too as they are also super fast!😀🙏👍

[@markooksman3679]

Good stuff, Richard. Greetings from Finland.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks Marko. Are you the same Marko as Instagram / DP Marko?

[@markooksman3679]

@@RichardCookphotography yep :)

[@RichardCookphotography]

@@markooksman3679 Great. Thanks for popping over. Appreciate it 👍😀🙏

[@duhaalhashimi9191]

beautiful. thanks so much. i had the 300 mm f4 since 2017 and when i got the om1 it fell down and lost its sharpness at f4. so now using the 100-400 f6.3. not bad here ad its always sunny in jeddah.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Great Duha. Thanks so much for stopping by👍😀🙏

[@petereyres1050]

Hi Richard, incredible inflight shots of the KingFisher. I'll experiment with IS off. Have you done a video or willing to share your favoured Bird in Flight settings, like what target area and some of the more nuanced C-AF settings? I gather you use SH2 for the 50fps with your pro lens

[@RichardCookphotography]

Hi Peter and thank you. With these kingfisher shots I think I was at 1/4000 f4 auto iso. Evaluative metering, 50 or 20 FPS. Maybe small or mid box..not large or all in this occasion. No limiter..I think that is about it. Anything else.. Just let us know and good luck👍😀🙏

[@brianlemke6017]

Terrific shots, great topic. Most “experts” - Steve Perry excluded - seem to take IS/IBIS for granted these days. Since getting my OM1 + 150-400 4.5 TC combo for birds and wildlife, I’ve been leaving it on but I’ve been wondering. I’ll start experimenting like you.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks Brian. Give it a go... If it doesn't work no biggy😀🙏👍

[@narinthip3058]

Thanks Richard for the great tip. Already having issue with which ones to delete with IS on :-). Cheers.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Haha. Yes there are alot of keepers either way👍😀🙏

[@chickadeecentral]

Amazing shots, man! Your videos are mesmerizing and for that I will subscribe 👍

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks so much. Really appreciate it😀🙏👍

[@ScottRitchie-bw9ls]

First time I've seen you mate and you know it's gonna be good when you start off with a beer. That's one way to stabilize an image anyway, I thought your kingfisher images were excellent and I am impressed. That's all I can say I'm gonna give it a go. My camera is a canon R5 and I usually have the auto focus image stabilization on. It's also good to see you using the PGD tracker Dot site. I've been using it for sometime and it just makes locating a bird in the frame so much easier. However, I find that my auto focus because you're not looking through the camera viewfinder you're not sure whether or not it is focused on the bird. And sometimes you just get a bunch of soft shadows of a bird. I try and pre-focus in the area where the birds likely to be flying as much as possible. Anything that you do to improve your keeper rate with dot sites? Really enjoyed your stuff.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks alot Scott. Appreciate it. I'm the same as you regarding the dot sight. I don't align it properly and sometimes end up with blurred missed shots..I think the best thing to do is properly align it up using a tripod but the chance of me doing that is close to zero😀💪🙏

[@bobr7773]

I am considering purchasing a dot sight. I’d like a review of options and a how to use video.

[@RichardCookphotography]

I'll see what I can do Bob.😀🙏👍

[@brucegraner5901]

Having had few opportunities to see a king fisher, let alone get close enough to photography one, I thought you did a great job with these photos. I was disappointed to hear these results were much better than the ones you took with your Lumix 100-400mm since I own that lens and a G9 but I'm still impressed with what you achieved in just a few hours.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks Bruce. I'm not sure if they were much better I just got more keepers. Also the zoom is at 800 rather than 600 so that is also a factor in terms of being more difficult. Nothing to be disappointed about, the PL100400 is a great lens. Get out and enjoy it😀🙏👍

[@johnmoffvideos]

great shots really ! Please share your AF / tracking settings , thanks.

[@RichardCookphotography]

I was using mid and bird detection SH2. Thanks for stopping by👍😀🙏

[@klackon1]

Hi Richard, cracking images again. What mount are you using to attach the red dot sight to the camera hot shoe, please? I have been mulling over purchasing a red dot sight for some time, but have never got around to it. I tend to use ProCapture for small birds, so it hasn't been a priority.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Hi Pete and thank you. The mount I got is this one but it was from Amazon Japan, so not sure if you can find the same one.. Must be something similar on the amazon where you are?. This works out at just over 10 us dollars. www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/gp/aw/d/B07FKNL7MH?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

[@rreichar1]

Nice shots! I have tried shooting with and without IS. I was never able to get enough hits on small, erratic birds to judge the effect of the IS on my keeper rate. Here in Central Texas the Hummingbirds just returned a couple of weeks ago. I am going to try shooting them with IS off. The Barn Swallows also just showed up as well so I will try those as well. I shot for about 8 months using just the PL 100-400 and only got the 300mm F4 a couple of months ago. Like you I definitely have a higher keeper rate with that lens for BIF.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks Rob. Yes the swallows will be the test. They haven't arrived in numbers yet but when they do I will also be out testing the lens. Let us know how you get on 😀👍🙏

[@tim1398]

I expect that the lens that support the SH2 50fps also have faster focus motors which helps on BIF.

[@AguilaDeOnix85]

Hi Richard. I already talked about how much I liked the shit with the balls of water. The background lighting you end up with is phenomenal, too. I don't have the 300 but found I might have a lot of success with the 40-150 pro because the belted kingfishers here sometimes get close for a second before they realize you're there. I've been using the PL 100-400 on my G9 and getting decent results for other smaller birds and of course ospreys/eagles. Cheers!

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks so much Blaine. Glad to hear you are having success with your Panasonic set up. Yes the 40-150 should do great if you can get close enough. Enjoy the rest of your weekend😀👍🙏

[@allanc803]

Hi Richard, just found your channel and have started binge watching. I have just upgraded to the EM1X and the oly 100-400. Do you recommend the same stabilizer has you use with the OM1, as I am a bit shakey in the hand dept?

[@RichardCookphotography]

Hi AJ and welcome. Yes I think so. At least give it a try. I also have very shaky hands so IS on for nearly everything except small fast birds. Let us know how you get on! 👍😀🙏

[@allanc803]

@@RichardCookphotography Thanks for your reply and will let you know.

[@garywilson1533]

Please tell us more about dot sights.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Hi Gary. Am working on a video👍

[@eljayr4669]

Nice set of pictures Richard and quite informative. I am on the cusp of getting an OM1 and your tips are very helpful. I am absolutely hopeless at technology but have met a guy who said he would help me set an OM1 up. Fingers crossed.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thank you Eljay. I too am useless with technology. When I get a new camera I like to try and do it myself even though I don't know what I'm doing.. That means I can find what I think are the best settings etc and therefore not relying on someone else but I definitely look online/ KZbin etc for some pointers! Must be excited about getting your OM1?🙏👍😀

[@laurencearnold5822]

Hi again Richard does the dot sight come with a hot shoe mount for camera as the are sold as rifle accessories? Thanks

[@RichardCookphotography]

The one I have was a cheap rifle sight off Amazon I also bought the rail separately so it can fit on the camera. The combined cost was about 40 us dollars. You can buy dot sights specifically for cameras from Olympus and Nikon but they are night more expensive. Maybe in the future I might get one but for now this one does the job.🙏👍😀

[@laurencearnold5822]

@@RichardCookphotography Thank you Richard I’ll do some research 👍

[@chrismc2090]

Hi Richard, Interesting about switching the IS off. I now have the OM1 and using it with my Panasonic Leica 100-400 lense that we discussed in comments on other videos of yours. I am getting some great, clear, sharp images with it and so far, early days but really impressed with the set up. Far better quality than when I use it on my Panasonic Lumix G9 for example. Might try switching the IS off on the 100-400 and testing it. Just one question, have you tried any of the Kingfisher using Pro Cap SH2 ? I used it today to capture some very fast, small Sand Martins entering and leaving their nests, really hard buggers to capture, but using ProCap SH2 I did manage to get quite a lot of good images. Just a thought! Thanks Chris

[@RichardCookphotography]

Yes I have tried a little but the birds are not always clearly visible in whichever perch they choose so I have no idea in which direction they are diving.. Also I don't use a tripod. If the birds always returned to the same perch I would definitely consider it but they go from perch to rock to tree so sometimes difficult to predict where they are going but yes I have tried and when an opportunity presents itself I'm not shy to try pro cap because it can be so useful. Thanks for the tip🙏👍😀

[@chrismc2090]

@@RichardCookphotography No problem Richard, just thought I would ask to see if you have tried it. BTW I never use a tripod either, but it is easier when you know what direction the birds are coming from ;)))

[@scotttilleyphotography]

Lovely images Richard. I have toyed with the idea of switching to Olympus, I do like the idea of pro capture! How do you find it performs in low light (for low light I mean Britain😂) Cheers👍👍

[@RichardCookphotography]

Cheers Scott. I think it does pretty well. It's not going to be as good as a full frame but does surprisingly well. Also with dxo and topaz it can make it a bit of a non issue nowadays. 😀🙏👍

[@MarcRoss]

Thanks. I have C1 program for birds not in flight and C2 for birds in flight. I will remove stabilization on C2 and see what I get.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Sounds like a great set up. Let us know what your findings are with the IS? Thanks🙏👍😀

[@paul--b]

What do you think the actual reason for the improvement is? Do you get more out of focus shots with IS on? Can the lens IS be disabled in the menu so I could save it to a custom mode or would I have to use the lens switch each time? Keen for a dot sight vid!

[@RichardCookphotography]

As with dslrs I think panning can work against the natural motion of the IS and they grapple with each other and it takes a little time for them to sync / align and by switching it off this problem is eliminated. I don't get lots of bad shots with IS on, just get more critically sharp shots with it off. You can switch is off on the control panel on the back of the screen.. In bed now but well check tomorrow if you can set is on /off to a custom button. Goodnight 👍😀💤

[@tim1398]

@@RichardCookphotography You can set the IBIS on or off in a custom mode, but the lens switch will still control the *lens* IS at least for the PL100-400 and Oly100-400. So annoyingly when I have the "*" button mapped for my C1 BIF mode in hurry, I still need to remember to switch the lens IS off (and back on later).

[@richardfink7666]

I don`t understand why you only have 665 subscribers.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thanks so much Richard. A kind thing to say. Hopefully the channel will grow👍🙏

[@chrisrussell4951]

a video on dot sights yes please

[@RichardCookphotography]

Fun, positive comments on my videos....Yes pretty please!!🙏😃👍

[@maxiguppy]

thanks for video :). What AF size were you using for flight shots?

[@RichardCookphotography]

Hi I think I was using mid. Definitely not all as it can pick up other things instead! 👍😀🙏

[@pankajnjoshi9673]

I will surely try keeping IS off and look for an improvement. Thanks for the tip. I would like to know about your switch to OM-1 from D-500. Are you getting same image quality? How do you compare the sharpness and tonality of your kingfisher photos taken with the two cameras? If there is a difference, are you still satisfied with OM-1? Thanks.

[@RichardCookphotography]

I would say that D500 for moving shots still has the slight edge but that's because I spent alot more time with it and I could get closer because I was using 500mm pf. The more I practice though I think the OM1 will start producing more keepers... Especially because of the FPS. I haven't had that many sessions with the OM1 and moving kfs. Thank you🙏👍😀

[@kamilrakowski23]

Hej. I've been using om1 since launch (more than a year) Before that i had d500 and d4s. Pictures from the om-1 and 300mm f4 are much sharper, have slighty less color noise(not big difference) and from om-1 you can recover more highlights on higher iso. No big difference, but om-1 is much sharper. Even the 300f4 + mc14 seems to have better quality than the 500mm pf. Pro capture, 25-50fps vs 10fps. There is no comparison here. Hit rate higher on om-1. I have to say that om1 with the first firmware was not that good, especially when i used sync is. I remember my first air show with this camera and lens. I was really disappointed.

[@janvangastel6763]

Nice video again Richard. Thanks for sharing. You say that pictures are better with the Olympus 300 mm pro as compared to the Panasonic 100-400. Was that only the case when taking these pictures, or is that your overall experience for birds in flight (and other bird pictures) with these two lenses? I also have the OM-1 and the Pana 100-400, but thinking about buying the Olympus 300 pro lens, if it has a relevantly better sharpness.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thank you. Yes I think the 300mm is the better lens with better sharpness. With static birds you can get close so it's not always clear the difference but with birds in flight I think there is a difference. I will do a video comparing the 2 sometime.🙏👍😀

[@kamilrakowski23]

Is much sharper and most important afc is much better. And you can't shoot 50fps with panasonic.

[@briancampbell5243]

I will try shutting it off. Thank you. I have the on- mk1 and 100-400. I have been very frustrated with my keeper rate. I also have the 40-150 2.8 an 1.4 tc. I’m thinking of trading in one of these lenses for the 300 f4. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks for your time.

[@RichardCookphotography]

Hi Brian. I can give the 300 mm a big recommendation. It is such a great lens, I think you will see a difference between it and the 100-400. I think the 40-150 would be too short for most bird photography. Thank you🙏

[@dorisniklas5633]

Hello...interesting Video...do you have mor infos about your dot tool😅

[@RichardCookphotography]

Thank you. It was just a generic rifle dot sight... There are several on Amazon and then the adaptor rail to fix it to the camera. 👍😀

[@formermpc10]

IS off, Subject Detection off, burst off.

[@RichardCookphotography]

I wouldn't recommend switching burst off😀

[@winheiMR]

Hey , einige Fotodaten wären nicht schlecht gewesen, kann kein englisch.

[@RichardCookphotography]

I'm sorry. A few of these shots are on my flickr page. The details are there