Quyen, I am happy to try all the brands. It was fun trying out the Sony, Cheers, Duade

Thanks Woody, I liked that one also, thanks for the comment. Cheers, Duade

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback, Cheers, Duade 👍

Thanks Mick, I appreciate the feedback, Cheers, Duade

Thanks Rob, I appreciate the feedback, Cheers, Duade

Thanks Scooter, yes, I still get a high after all these years. Cheers, Duade

Thanks, yes they are helpful, Cheers, Duade

David, my pleasure, Cheers, Duade

Thanks for the feedback, Cheers, Duade

lol thanks Jordan, I just share my experiences and hope that helps others. Cheers, Duade

Thanks Robin, Cheers, Duade

Thanks Soumyabrata, Cheers, Duade

Thanks Forest, yes I have moved too quick many a time. Cheers, Duade 👍

Thanks Jorge, I appreciate the support, Cheers, Duade

Thanks Pauline, it sure was, Cheers, Duade

I have taken a number of photos with the lens in low light and it performed well. Hopefully I will show some in my next video. Cheers, Duade

G'day Justin, yes, I am fortunate. I agree, it is hard to go without the animal eye once you have used it. Cheers, Duade 👍

Thanks Lachlan, they sure are. Cheers, Duade 👍

Thanks Ryk, I appreciate it. Cheers, Duade 👍

Thanks mate, yes FNQ would have some nice yard birds ;-)

I will be sure to do some comparison shots. Cheers, Duade

Thanks David, I am very grateful for where I live. Hopefully the comparison will be ready in a few weeks. Cheers, Duade

that is great to hear, this lens is a distinct jump from the 150-600 which is good. Cheers, Duade

Thank you, it was a fun video to make, Cheers, Duade

G'day, the Nikon Lens is faster which is why it weighs a little more. Good luck with the new lens. Cheers, Duade 👍

Thanks Geoff, I appreciate your detailed response and that explains the eye ef well. What lens are you using with the A1 and how are you finding it? Cheers, Duade

@@Duade I have the 100-400GM, 200-600G and the 600f/4GM. I mostly use the 200-600 and 600GM for birds. I use my 100-400 for its closer focusing and semi-macro abilities. Obviously the 600GM is an excellent lens and if one is in the market for that type of lens then it is as good as any super telephoto I've owned in the past (EF 600II, Nikon 500E etc). The 200-600 is also an excellent lens and would be my recommendation for birds over the 100-400. The internal zoom and very short and smooth zoom throw are big plusses over the extending zooms. The IQ is excellent. It also takes the 1.4TC very well if you can deal with the f/9. I found on my A9, A9II and the A1 that the 200-600 performs really well. I did struggle with it on the A7RIV (which is widely reported). I overcame some of the A7RIV issues but still don't fully trust it on that body. But on the A9/A1 it is excellent AF.

Thanks Denise, yes, it is a learning process this whole KZfaq thing. Cheers, Duade

yes it is, a good affordable option for Sony, Cheers, Duade

Thanks Debmalya, This lens is great as it is light and the zoom can make it a bit easier. It really depends on the brand but the lighter the better usually. Cheers, Duade

Michael, I have no experience with hummingbirds but I assume it would work well. The VC modes do work well, I think I used mode 1 most of the time. Good luck, Cheers, Duade

@@Duade Thanks, Dude!

Thanks for sharing Erkki, yes, it makes a lighter option to the Sony which can be quite big and heavy at times. Cheers, Duade

Thanks Craig, yes, I too liked that shot. If I have time, I will try and compare the cameras as they are very similar. Cheers, Duade

Brian, I too would love some info on the R7, the R3 seems to have all the attention at the moment, we can only hope the R7 is next. Cheers, Duade

I'm glad you enjoy them, they are always fun to put in. Cheers, Duade

John, that would make a great video, I really hope to get that kit in the future, Cheers, Duade

Shahab, it performed very well, in saying that I don't really notice any blackout in the R6 in electronic either. Cheers, Duade

Elliot, I will be sure to take some comparison shots. Cheers, Duade

Nicolás, glad to hear it is therapeutic, I think my wife watches it to put her to sleep :-)

Thanks Stefan, Cheers, Duade

Bill, pretty close, maybe 3-6 metres which helps. Cheers, Duade

@@Duade Good to know, thanks. I appreciate you mentioning that you had been putting out worms for a few days. I like knowing I'm not the only one who has to work for a shot. Thanks Bill

Andy, congrats on the lens, it really is a wonderful lens for the price. I find Manual with Auto ISO is the best auto exposure mode for birds. Basically, set your Aperture and SS and the camera sets the ISO for you. If the ISO is too high then reduce your SS. Cheers, Duade

I am sure the lens will work fine on the APSC E mount body. It really is a very sharp lens and works well. Thanks for the tips. Cheers, Duade

Lol they get looked after, yes the zooms will never dissolve the backgrounds like the primes, but they do offer focal length in an affordable package. Cheers, Duade 👍

Thanks Mick, I also had it pop up in some testing but took some time. Thanks for the info. Cheers, Duade 👍

Thanks Bruce, love the Gang Gang :-) Sigma stated they don't actually do loaners in Australia which may explain the lack of Australian content. I would love for this lens to come to the Canon and Nikon system, it really is a wonderful lens that is far cheaper then the RF100-500. Cheers, Duade

Theo, I can place the focus point on the eye, it just doesn't track the eye like the R6, I believe the A1 is the only Sony body that has full bird eye tracking. Cheers, Duade

Thanks Kiran, I will look at doing a processing video in the future. Cheers, Duade

Goutham, nice spotting and yes, I do as you say, I will look at doing a video showing how I do it in the future. Cheers, Duade

Thanks for that, I would love to try the A1, hopefully one day. Cheers, Duade

@@Duade Animal EyeAF works on birds with my A7iii but only when the bird is large in the frame, I would guess the same would be true for the A9ii

It seems Canon doesn't label theirs as "bird eye af" but it does a really good job at finding it, locking on it, and tracking it.

I don’t think animal eye af works as good on Sony. But I find I don’t really need it either. I switched form Sony to Canon. I’ve had issues with the Canon eye af but I can trust it a lot more than Sony

Thanks Jesse, I look forward to testing it one day, it appears to be the best affordable birding lens on the market. The Tamron is marketed as competing with the 100-400 as its a lot smaller in size. Cheers, Duade

Thanks for that, I have ended up using Zone AF a lot and tracking on a second button. I also use Spot occasionally as the Zone can get confused at times. Cheers, Duade

@@Duade definitely. I prefer Canon for birding and Sony for the Bison and Elk and Moose I usually shoot in Yellowstone

I have not had the chance to try any Panasonic gear to date but would like to try it out. Cheers, Duade

Zsolt, I don't have any further information about that, but this lens would be fantastic on the RF mount. Cheers, Duade

I have used that combo and it was excellent, I hope to use it again some day and make a video. Cheers, Duade

have you seen the Canon f/11 lenses :-) I think as ISO performance increases and the benefit of the AF on mirrorless there is a market for the slower and much smaller lenses. Cheers, Duade

Thanks Bill, that is good to know it wasn't me, I look forward to testing the A1 one day. Cheers, Duade

Thanks Johan, I think if you can afford it and size is not an issue the 200-600 is a great option. Tamrons marketing is all geared towards competing with the Sony 100-400. I don't think they want to compete with the 200-600 however that is the obvious alternative for birding. Good luck with you lens, I am sure you will get many wonderful shots. Cheers, Duade

Thank you, yes I would like to test on BIF but I don't have a reliable area close to me to do it. Yes the 100-400 would be an interesting lens. Cheers, Duade

Thanks Kenneth, yes that would be a good test, I will see how I go getting a shot in low light. Cheers, Duade

Thanks Kurt, Cheers, Duade

my pleasure, I will do a video in the future, Cheers, Duade

@@Duade Yeah It would be great to see a tutorial, please

I will do a video in the future about how I do the backgrounds. Cheers, Duade

@@Duade Oh, nice, thanks !👍

@@Duade The editing would be great as the shot at 10:48 to the final image goes from "it's a photo of a bird" to "it's a great photo of a bird" so it would be great to see how you edit these shots (as well as how you sift through, manage, delete or keep, thousands of shots per event).

Cesar, both cameras are very good and very similar, I prefer the animal eye AF of the R6 over the A9ii. I will have to look closely at some comparison shots to see the difference in the sensors. Cheers, Duade

I believe you can mount it, but I would not do that as you get a very large black vignette in the image as the opening is smaller on the EFS lens. You really need to buy the FF mount lens. Cheers, Duade

@@Duade Thanks!

Scott, I saw that, I might need to do some testing but yes it appears it will give you resolution for your R6. Cheers, Duade

@@Duade yes l realise it is not a direct substitute for megapixels in sensor but it is another tool in toolkit & will be interesting see what bit of testing comes up with but appears to make my images a little noisier.

@@isotechimages.9130 Thanks Scott

Thanks for the Detailed comment Michael, I have followed Marks video to setup the camera and I am using the zone/wide on one button and tracking on the other. I have found myself going to the spot at times as I find the zone af sometimes goes onto something else or has a habit of going on the body and not the head of the bird. The zebras are a good option for sure and have had them on. I am getting more used to it the more I use it. Out of curiosity what are the sony users thoughts around advantages over the Canon R5/6 in regards to birds? Cheers, Duade

@@Duade Cost, weight and customization are the big pluses of the A9 over the R5 or R6. A Sony A9 (not the A9II) and the Sony 200-600mm lens combination is fantastic for birding and a lot cheaper than any R5 to R6 with the Canon 100-500mm lens (last time I priced them). I was surprised how good the Sony 200-600mnm was, coming from a Canon 600mm F4. The gap is closing between telephotos and super telephoto primes, but the lighter weight is a big plus. The IQ is superior on the primes but the price point costs you an “arm and a leg” (Sony or Canon). Plus, the Sony 200-600mm does not start at F11 like the cheaper Canon RF 600m and 800mm. I often shoot in low/poor light and F11 is too much of a compromise. The weight and price are appealing, the starting aperture a big negative. The Canon R5 has better cropping because of the megapixels but not much else, for me. The crop mode in the A9 gives a 10-11 meg file, but if the image is well exposed you still get a superb image. It took me a while to realise this coming from a Canon 1DX and the 600mm F4 (which I still have but hardly ever use). I can crop far more aggressively on the A9 combo, if needed. Sony gives many more options to customize, while that was challenging early on, once I learnt the cameras features, I became addicted. I now configure the camera how I use it and not have a camera engineer tells me how - very liberating and damn handy. The A9’s AF is outstanding, while the A9II is better it was not worth the upgrade price for me. I have now used a Sony A1 and it is a significant upgrade to both the A9 and A9II. I never thought I would say the A9 is slow (compared to the A1). Canon has nothing to compete with the A1, so far. People are deceiving themselves saying the R5 can - the A1 is in a class of its own. The A1 is an evolutionary and revolutionary upgrade to the A9II. Very few photographers need an A1’s features, like all flagships (Canon, Nikon or Sony) it is a niche product. The upside is that Sony is quick to roll out new features to lower end models. That will mean Canon must do the same. The issues you are having with the A9II on AF, I do not have. I did in the early stages but as I better understood the AF modes and function, it went away. It seems to be a customisation or technique issue. Going from a Canon 1DX to a Sony A9 was a big step, it is not for everyone. Perhaps the biggest plus was the A9 opened up all these new photo opportunities, where I could go into the field and try new things or pick the decisive moment I want, things I knew the Canon 1DX could not do, or not do as easily. It revitalises your love of photography.

Lee-Anne, I recommend watching my friend Jans video on setting up your camera. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Y9SehdSYvdubgX0.html The R6 will be very similar for AF and back button focus. I don't think it is you, the AF can be tricky at times. The key is trying to get the subject partly in focus and then engaging the Eye AF. Sometimes I have to manually turn the focus ring to bring the subject into focus so the eye af can see it. I did a video here showing how to deal with some of the focus issues kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gpZmnrCEvtSqf2g.html Good luck, Cheers, Duade

Thanks Glen, I have never tried any of the fixed zoom cameras for birding. It would be interesting to see how they perform. Cheers, Duade

Thanks Mick, I appreciate the warning. I have shot this way for some time and not had an issue as the viewfinder on the mirrorless gives you immediate feedback if your exposure is not right and I can see the ISO setting. Cheers, Duade 👍 Yes I would love to try the 200-600, Cheers, Duade 👍

and thanks for the feedback, the shooting in short bursts was a habit born out of necessity after using Canon DSLRS for so long which had terrible buffers. Nikon have always had far superior buffers which is great. My Canon R5 has the 1.6 crop mode but I prefer to capture the entire image and crop in post just in case the bird does something, I would hate to crop a wing or miss something whilst in crop mode. I would like the feature I think olympus has in that I would like the viewfinder to be in crop mode whilst shooting but capture the full image. Cheers, Duade

Kristoffer, if you have the money the Sony 200-600 is the best birding lens for its price and I would highly recommend that lens. If you want something lighter and smaller the Tamron is very good, in fact I was very surprised with its performance. You do lose the full FPS on the faster Sony bodies using the Tamron. Cheers, Duade

@@Duade thanks for the input mate. Cheers.

G'day, unfortunately I no longer have the lens so I am unable to do a video. The Sony is the better lens and offers a bit more reach however it is a lot bigger and the MFD is worse. If you want a smaller lens then the Tamron is a great option, if you want maximum reach then the Sony is the better lens. Dustin Abbot did a review of both here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/buCPlaSWppfMc6M.html&ab_channel=DustinAbbott Cheers, Duade

Yes I believe this lens is superior to the 150-600 for AF, it was very fast and consistent. The Sony 200-600 is another excellent option but is bigger and heavier. Cheers, Duade

I have not tried it but I would assume it would work fine on any emount. Cheers, Duade

Thanks Mikel, yes at the time I was so used to mechanical shutter I liked to have the audible sound. But with skittish birds going silent is very handy. Cheers, Duade

G'day Kevin, I may do a video but my initial impression is the Canon is slightly better however the gap is nowhere as big as the 150-600. The more I use it the more I am impressed given its cost. Cheers, Duade 👍

Kurtis, it can be a challenge getting the exposure bang on, I guess I have a hangover from the old days when we blew the whites very easily so I have a tendency to underexpose slightly when I have a bird with white. Thankfully the new cameras are so good that the difference in a stop is pretty minimal at lower ISO. I do think each camera will be slightly different in its metering. It sounds like you are doing everything right. Cheers, Duade

@@Duade Appreciate the reply, cheers!

Is that a good look or a bad look ;-) Yes, Tamron reached out to me and asked if I would like to test the lens, I was very happy to try it. Cheers, Duade

@@Duade It's not bad definitely, It's more off 'I wonder what is this tiny squarish thing in my hand' look imo...haha!😅 that was the first thing that came to my mind when I hold a sony camera for the first time! Cheers man! Stay safe and happy shooting in the lockdown!

@@Duade Also I'm glad to hear that brands are now looking for you to feature their products. You’ve come a long way in just few months and you've done a good job there!

that is a really good question, the 100-400 will become a 140-540 f8 meaning you have less light at the long end. Teleconverters will always impact autofocus speed as well. For sports I think the faster autofocus and faster glass of the Tamron would be of more benefit. Cheers, Duade

Alex, I do agree with you, 500mm is a little short as your main birding lens on a FF body. The Sony lens does appear to be the best affordable birding lens and I look forward to trying it out. I got the RF100-500 as it is a good second lens to my prime, I suspect I would struggle if it was my only lens. I do think if Canon release an R7 that can go to ISO6400 then it would be great paired with the RF100-500. Cheers, Duade

In this scenario they were pretty close maybe 5-8 metres. Cheers, Duade

Paul, no sorry, I have not tried that camera, Cheers, Duade

@@Duade This is the combination I have struggled with. I sent you an email and an example.

@@paulclarke4571 G'day mate, I sent you through an email. Cheers, Duade

@@Duade I have done some more work and found that I can successfully focus in manual but auto is still a bit off. I will keep working. Thank you for your support.

Good morning, at this stage I will be keeping my R6 and 500mm lens. Cheers, Duade

John, unfortunately not, I'm not sure why it jumps like it does, the RF lenses are far smoother and you can shoot video handheld. Cheers, Duade

The 150-600 G2 (and all Tamron SP lenses with VC) has a hidden stabilization mode for video that can be accessed with the TAP-In console. It's called viewfinder capture priority and does a much better job at being more fluid, with less jump and tilt. It is the precursor to the even more refined mode 3 on the 150-500, here, called "framing priority." I'd recommend trying handheld video with mode 3 turned on vs mode 1 on the 150-500. Superb video, mate. I suspect this lens will surprise a lot of people as the reviews come out.

Frank, I suspect they will as it is a very nice lens. It is much sharper wide open by the looks then the 150-600 so it maybe more suitable in darker conditions. Cheers, Duade

Lossy, when using electronic shutter the mechanical shutter does not operate so you do not need to get the camera serviced. I don't think many people use a mechanical shutter on the Sony. Cheers, Duade

Thanks, yes we are waiting to see what Nikon comes up with. Canon and Sony seem to be leading the way. Cheers, Duade 👍

Jose, that would make a great video, I suspect the 200-600 is the superior birding lens as it is quicker and gives more focal length. It is a lot bigger and slightly more expensive. Cheers, Duade

If you use a tripod then yes it would be excellent for video and the size and MFD make it a very versatile lens. The Sony 200-600 is very large and the MFD I believe is 2.4 metres. The Sony is a better lens overall and will likely take sharper shots so it really comes down to the size and MFD. Good luck, Cheers, Duade

@@Duade yea 2.4m does seem pretty far from my subject. This also seems like a better choice for a newbie like me who’s just getting into wildlife videography and doesn’t wanna break the bank on a lens. Thanks for your advice!

I will check with Tamron as I am unsure how to know for sure. Cheers, Duade

G'day Davo, I'm guessing you shoot Canon lol. Yes they would be onto a winner if they released it for Canon and Nikon mirrorless. Cheers, Duade 👍

Alphonsus, thanks for that info, I was not aware of that. Yes, I need to invest in a 1.4 RF at some stage to go with my 100-500. Cheers, Duade

Thanks Duncan, Cheers, Duade

@@Duade I just buy this lens I not try it out yet👍👍

Bryan, this lens is a step up from the G2, the AF is much better, it is sharper wide open and the MFD is improved. I would highly recommend this lens over the G2. Cheers, Duade

It was an error on my part, and I cannot update once the video is live. Cheers, Duade