As a photographer who shoots wildlife themes, he especially likes to photograph wild birds, and walks in the wild for many years to carry out "wild photography". I'm also a contracted photographer with Panasonic and I'm focused on using Panasonic's M43 system. At present, the DG 100-400mm f4-6.3 Power O.I.S lens and the DG 200mm f2.8 Power O.I.S lens (plus TC20 multiplier lens) of the Panasonic M43 system can reach a focal length of 800mm, and its lens volume and weight are very light, enough for me to improve shooting efficiency and achieve wonderful pictures in the field.
I really like panasonic's G9 camera, and since its release in January 2018, I have been the first to buy it, when the G9's shooting performance is very powerful, allowing me to cope with multi-scene shooting. After several upgrades of the G9 firmware, it added very useful features such as animal recognition and far and near focus shortcut key assignment, which made my shooting in the wild like a tiger. What's more, the current price of the G9 is much cheaper, which is definitely the best price-performance moment to start.
The DG 100-400mm f4-6.3 Power O.I.S that I have been using is a very good lens, which I have purchased and used since its release in January 2016, and has also helped me take many great photos, it is equivalent to the focal length of 200-800mm (35mm format), can freely zoom composition in photography, and its focus speed and image quality are also excellent enough. However, with the release of the G9 in January 2018, the DG 200mm f2.8 Power O.I.S lens was also officially released, accompanied by the TC14\20 two multipliers, this lens can also reach 800mm (equivalent to 35mm frame) after adding the TC20 multiplier lens, and its aperture is also f5.6, and the picture quality is obviously much better than the 800mm end of the DG 100-400mm f4-6.3 Power O.I.S.
Panasonic G9 with DG 100-400mm f4-6.3 Power O.I.S, DG 200mm f2.8 Power O.I.S (TC14\20 multiplier mirror) is what I think Panasonic M43 system is currently the most suitable for shooting wild animals, especially wild birds equipment combination, this machine two-mirror combination in the premise of taking into account the image quality, lightweight, portable, plus excellent stabilization and three-proof function, These are some of the reasons I want to highly recommend them to my friends who love wildlife photography.
Let's take a look at some of the pictures I took with different combinations of the above equipment!
(1) Panasonic G9, DG 100-400mm f4-6.3 Power O.I.S
When shooting the white-naped crane, the scene version and close-up version can be achieved through zoom composition.
White Pillow Crane Environmental Edition G9+ DG 100-400mm f4-6.3
Parameters: F/4.8 1/800 sec. ISO-200
The wonderful freeze-frame of the green heron catching fish.
Green Heron Catch G9+ DG 100-400mm f4-6.3
Parameters: F/5.1 1/1000 sec. ISO-640
In the long distance, the small peacebird shoots the small peacebird, in fact, sometimes the scene is filmed to better explain the living environment of the birds.
Small PEACEBIRD G9+ DG 100-400mm f4-6.3
Parameters: F/6.3 1/200 sec. ISO-200
(2) Matsushita G9+DG 200mm f2.8 Power O.I.S
Black-tailed gulls like to fly with the boat in the sea, if the frontal flying focus, this combination is too fast, Panasonic has the fastest single focus, plus the pre-continuous shooting function, you say there are still some scenes that can not be shot.
Black-billed Gull G9+ 200mm f2.8
Parameters: F/2.8 1/6400 sec. ISO-200
Capture the loach that the egret has leaked through the mouth, and the focus speed is also leveraged, which is very good.
Egret G9+ 200mm f2.8
Parameters: F/2.8 1/1250 sec. ISO-400
A Far Eastern pecked a bug in a tree trunk, and for such a fast and small bird, the continuous shooting speed of the G9 is a key factor in ensuring the freeze-frame picture.
Far East G9+ 200mm f2.8
Parameters: F/2.8 1/4000 sec. ISO-800
(3) Panasonic G9+DG 200mm f2.8 Power O.I.S+TC14 multiplier
With the addition of the TC14 multiplier, the focal length reaches 560mm and the aperture reaches f4, but the picture quality has little effect.
A pond heron stood on the tree, and the flowers on the vine bloomed, attracting bees to collect honey, so the pond heron shot out and took three pictures in a row.
Insect Catching Pond Heron G9+ 200mm f2.8+ Multiplier × 1.4
Parameters: F/4 1/320 sec. ISO-640
In the hot summer, even the smallest birds can't help but come to the small pond to bathe en masse, and no, the brown-headed crows come together. I need to know that the continuous shooting of the G9 is really not very loud, only enough for me, the photographer, to hear, so that I can shoot this bath scene at a close enough distance.
Bathing Brown-headed Jay G9+ 200mm f2.8+ Multiplier ×1.4
Parameters: F/4 1/800 sec. ISO-800
(4) Panasonic G9+DG 200mm f2.8 Power O.I.S+TC20 multiplier
For the red emerald in the low light environment, it is simply a piece of black, I used the maximum aperture, plus ISO800, 1/60s to take this photo, G9 tolerance is OK, I can finally ensure the cleanliness of the picture through the post, and make the bird's eye still relatively bright.
Red Emerald G9+ 200mm f2.8+ multiplier ×2.0
Parameters: F/5.6 1/60 sec. ISO-800
The large woodpecker hides in the bushes and is not very exposed, but with the blessing of the double teleconverter, the G9's animal recognition focus still finds it.
Large woodpecker G9+ 200mm f2.8+ multiplier ×2.0
There is a black-winged kite resting on a branch nearly 100 meters away, and although not much detail has been preserved after the later cropping, there is still no problem with the photo as an environmental version.
Black-winged kites G9+ 200mm f2.8+ multiplier × 2.0
Parameters: F/5.6 1/640 sec. ISO-800
A black-winged sandpiper catching insects in the water in the wetland is very satisfied with the focus, focus, continuous shooting and picture quality.
Black-winged sandpiper
A group of cute photos of red-faced blue-tailed plovers, three of which are hair-level photos, including the one bathing in the water, and the water is stained with feathers to give you a clear count.
Red-tailed Blue-tailed Plover Side Photo 1 G9+ 200mm f2.8+ Multiplier ×2.0
Parameters: F/5.6 1/60 sec. ISO-1250
Red-tailed Blue-tailed Plover Side Photo 2 G9+ 200mm f2.8+ Multiplier ×2.0
Red-tailed Blue-tailed Plover Bath G9+ 200mm f2.8+ Multiplier × 2.0
Parameters: F/5.6 1/160 sec. ISO-1600
The scene photo of the red-billed blue magpie, Panasonic's color is really comfortable, and I like this color feeling.
Red-billed Blue Magpie G9+ 200mm f2.8+ multiplier ×2.0
Parameters: F/4 1/400 sec. ISO-400
An ordinary tern spotted me in the distance, presumably with its nest nearby, so it immediately pretended to be injured lying on the ground to attract my attention in order to ensure the safety of its nest. The 800mm focal length allows me to keep enough distance from wild birds without disturbing it too much.
G9+ 200mm f2.8+ multiplier × 2.0
Parameters: F/5.6 1/1000 sec. ISO-320
A flock of Mandarin ducks took off in the reservoir, and although I was on a yacht that was bumping with the waves, I was able to capture the beautiful moments of the Mandarin ducks taking off through this device.
Mandarin Duck Swarm G9+ 200mm f2.8+ Multiplier ×2.0
Parameters: F/5.6 1/1250 sec. ISO-1250
Let's not forget that the Panasonic G9 also has very powerful video features, and with the DG 100-400mm f4-6.3 Power O.I.S, this big zoom lens can shoot great videos. I didn't have much exposure to video, but in the past two years I've also started experimenting with wildlife documentaries, and I've mostly emerged as a producer. However, some of the wildlife material in some documentaries, I will also shoot, this is not, I take wild bird photos, occasionally shoot some material, edited a small video of crested eagles visiting the red-bellied squirrel living in the woods, very short, but you can see the Panasonic G9, DG 100-400mm f4-6.3 Power O.I.S shooting with ease.
Finally, I would like to say that panasonic M43 system equipment is the equipment I often use to shoot wild animals in the wild, I think Panasonic will never give up the M43, which is a mature system that can both take pictures and shoot videos, in May this year, Panasonic just released the GH5 mark ii, and also announced the research and development of GH6, I think Panasonic if it can do something on the ultra-telephoto lens, it will really play its own world on the road of ecological photography. Panasonic M43, the future can be expected.