P3D hummingbird shots

[SHIELDS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I got my recent hummingbird shots back today:
Olympus OM-10, 50mm f/1.8 lens, Pentax beamsplitter, short cable release
to stay a little back from the feeder. Kodachrome 200, shooting in morning
hazy sun conditions, shutter speed running around 1/125, lens opening
f/5.6.

As a whole this was more successful than my flat shots two years ago.
The images aren't quite as strong detailwise since I was using an 85mm
lens and shooting full-frame then. But I was getting along a lot better
with the birds and had several "almost" shots. The best one is useable
and I think a lot of people will enjoy it although it isn't really great.
And unlike the one two years ago, it is in stereo, and of a bird in flight
instead of sitting on the wire.

I need to get a tighter shot with a longer lens. I'm going to try going at
least to 100mm, using my Franka splitter after I put the front-surface
mirrors in it, and modifying it to toe the mirrors out for telephoto.
I also got an auto winder for my camera, and it will be easy to make an
electrical remote trigger for it. Perhaps if I put the camera closer
and move back with the remote I can get by with an 85mm, especially
if I put sound insulation around the camera body to muffle shutter
and winder noise. The modified Franka splitter would work with that,
too.

One thing I didn't expect, although I have had it in the back of my
mind, was the difference in wing positions between the left and right
images, because the OM-10 has a horizontal cloth focal-plane shutter.
This isn't necessarily bad as it gives a startling stereo motion effect.
I think I would like to minimize it, though, by shooting in brighter
light with a higher shutter speed. I know there are vertical-running
shutters out there, including the Pentax, but especially after buying
the winder don't want to go for another completely different camera.

Mark Shields

   |\	   _,,,---,,_
   /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_
  |,4-  ) )-,_..;\ (  `'-'
 '---''(_/--'  `-'\_)
shields@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.netcom.com/~northws1/stmatt.htm
"Let the little children come to Me," Jesus said, "and don't keep
 them away. The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
  -Matthew 19:14