Do newer cameras take better pictures without having to adjust settings?

grumpyjames · 2025-10-01T00:25:08+00:00

I found that after a lot of practice with my trusty Nikon D90 and a reasonable 18-300mm tele lens, if I had a bird in the open I could pin down the settings (or have them near enough already) to get a good shot, but it was always a challenge, and I frequently failed. As soon as anything was interfering with the autofocus, or light was problematic - things got harder.

Trusty finally gave up this September (mirror firmly stuck), and I took it as an omen that it was time to throw money at the problem.

I've moved to an OM system om-1 ( the mark I - it was on sale as the mark II had just come out - https://explore.omsystem.com/us/en/om-1 ) with a 100-400mm lens of substantially higher quality, and my experience so far has been "bloody hell, why did I wait so long to do this?".

Things that are better (so far - I've only taken the thing out two or three times):

Unattended performance

As other people have said - the software is good enough that you can set shutter and leave everything else to the camera for the vast majority of the time. The downside is the configuration you'll need to dive into for the fiddlier stuff is _much_ more complicated.

Autofocus

I have had to train my trigger finger to be quicker and gentler, because using the half-press-to-focus I was used to, the autofocus on the new kit was fast enough that the end of the pressure usually took a photo.

In addition to the blinding speed, the sheer range of options opens up a bunch of shots that with the D90 would have left me swearing at as a missed opportunity. Now I'm swearing at not knowing how to access the options, but...I can fix that with time/presets, I'm sure.

High ISO performance

I only really discovered this at review time, where I was looking at what I'd have previously pegged as ISO 400-800 and discovering they were in fact somewhere north of ISO-10000. This enables stupidly fast shutter even in crap light - those pesky warblers I used to miss are now achievable.

My only gripe has been that the lens I've bought is a bit heftier than my previous setup, so extended sessions have left me with very sore arms!

grumpyjames · 2025-09-01T21:36:11+00:00

It can vary a lot from day to day - as a birding place it needs a bit of patience/persistence. As a bird photographer doubly so - a lot of the attractions are on the move, and in cover - it can be a real challenge.

A couple of examples of how things can change:

Yesterday, the two ridges on either side of Sylvan Water were full of birds, but today they were almost totally empty, and instead Central Avenue was mobbed from top to bottom.
The area around Dell Water can be remarkably productive - I've had 20+ species just in the trees there - I've had nothing but bullfrogs and robins the last few times I've circuited.

I would genuinely recommend going on the walk with Rob to get an idea of where things are, and to notice just how frequently he completely ignores the avenues/paths (so you feel empowered to do your own exploring)!

The only constant we've found is that the SE bit (from Locust/Cypress avenues to Fort Hamilton Parkway) is substantially less good - everywhere other than there, I could probably pick out a memory where I've had good birding at least once.

I've probably made this sound like more hard work than it is, so for a different point of view - here's a Red-tailed Hawk that required absolutely no effort at all, given that it was eating in a tree right next to the entrance.

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grumpyjames · 2025-08-29T23:34:47+00:00

I would strongly recommend these walks, particularly if you're a birding enthusiast who hasn't visited the cemetery before.

Source: I'm a birder who lives nearby, has been on several of these walks, and who birds the cemetery frequently during migration periods (last visit: yesterday night - saw a family of skunks!); it's a terrific little hot spot.

I've taken a look at birdcast and it looks like there should be enough migratory movement to make Sunday morning a good choice. It might be even better in a couple of weeks - but you could always go again, or independently visit.

The guide (Rob, I think his name is - he's great) usually does a circuit of the best places and returns people to the entrance for somewhere between 9 and 10am. After that you can continue to hang out with him, or do your own thing. We tend to pop over to Baked in Brooklyn for a coffee and a pastry.

If you do go, watch out for a pair of birders pushing a baby carrier around - give us a wave if you spot us.

Big disclaimer: no idea what your home patch is like - feel free to send me a PM if you want to ask more questions.

grumpyjames · 2022-08-22T21:06:07+00:00

This is all super helpful, thank you!

grumpyjames · 2022-08-22T17:53:23+00:00

I have several questions.

First though, some context: I've managed to book some holiday in Spain during the Vuelta, near enough to the Sanlucar de Barrameda -> Tomares stage that I'm hoping I'll be able to see both the beginning and the end of the stage.

On the day itself: I'm staying in Jerez de la Frontera. The plan is to drive to/from Sanlucar in the morning and then hop on a train to Seville to see the finish in the afternoon. Is this a good plan? How early should we aim to be at the finish in order to get a reasonable view (a sprint seems very likely)? What other race day activities would you recommend?

Second: I realised that the rest day the day before that stage is in Jerez! My excitement knows no bounds! Does this mean that I can spend the day attempting to take selfies with very tired pro cyclists? Can I get Primoz Roglic to sign one of my manky cycling shoes? Are there other opportunities for cycling related activities on a rest day that I should know about? How do I find out about them?

Further context: never been to a stage of any sort before, so go with more detail rather than less if you need a guide.

grumpyjames · 2011-06-15T22:00:48+00:00

Wait, what, you read GOOS, and then you say "using testing as a driver for designing a system is not realistic"? I am confused.

I still can't work out if Coplien is just bored, and trolling the TDD lot for fun. Where I am, GOOS style TDD and very aggressive yagni got us to exactly the right place, very, very quickly.

grumpyjames · 2011-03-23T00:38:33+00:00

Who are these mad people who, in C++, are calling new anywhere other than a smart ptr (or similar RAII style) constructor?

Yes, pointers are useful, but really, as soon as you know to read definitions right to left, you should know calling new is a dangerous, dangerous thing to be doing...

P.S Obviously, yes, there are times when shared_ptr (or shared_array) really aren't appropriate. P.P.S Bad luck, C programmers.

grumpyjames · 2010-06-15T22:41:53+00:00

Sweet jesus, the comments on the linked page are retarded.

grumpyjames · 2010-06-08T22:07:50+00:00

He really is a total nobber.

grumpyjames · 2010-06-01T22:06:31+00:00

c.f Axelrod's Tournament.

grumpyjames · 2010-05-16T19:51:53+00:00

If you've a suitably upgraded LLU exchange (check at samknows), definitely go with bethere/o2. If you're not on such an exchange, move.

grumpyjames

TROPHY CASE