nikonlightbirding – lightweight bird photography

In our lightweight bird photography we always:

Use camouflage, try to recognise birds timely and not disturb them.
Use, preferably handheld, high quality Nikon (compatible) lightweight lenses (maximal 1500 gram).
Set your camera in special “APERTURE Mode Birds“: no or minimal camera reset during actual photography.

At this site we like to demonstrate not only birds’ beauty, but definitely also their living environment and behaviour: foraging, flying, fighting, singing, swimming, diving, displaying, mating, nesting, feeding young:

*Spain sun Bee Eater (Bijeneter), size 28cm distance 25m, equivalent 1250mm.* *Notice black feathers wing tops*!

Holland sun Common Tern (Visdief) size 35cm distance 40m, Z50 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1500mm. A few drops of water from the feeding bird sre still flying around in the air!

Holland sun in shadow, Little Owl (Steenuil) in our garden, size 22cm, **distance 15m**, *stretching wing*

night heron juvenile — Sun August 1924 extremely rare in Holland Night Heron (Kwak) juvenile, size 60cm distance 150m, D500 Nikkor 500mm F/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1500mm. Example of **excellent detail** produced by this lightweight top quality fixed focus **Nikkor 500mm PF**!

*Holland sun 2025, White Stork (Ooievaar), size 101cm, distance 65m, equivalent 1050mm. Caressing her like Storks do*

great white heron — Holland 2024 sun Great White Heron (Grote Zilverreiger) size 92cm distance 50m Nikon Z7 II Nikkor 500mm F/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1500mm

red kite — *Holland sun Red Kite (Rode Wouw), size 63cm distance 55m, equivalent 1050mm, D500 Nikkor 500mm F/5.6E PF VR*

goosander — *Holland 2024, sun, river Regge, Goosander (Grote Zaagbek), size 62cm **distance 60m**, D500 Nikkor 500mm F/5.6E PF VR.*

*Holland IJssel 2025 sun, Black Tern (Zwarte Stern), size 25cm distance 65m, Nikon Z7 II Nikkor 500mm F/5.6E PF VR*

back-necked grebe — Holland jun 2022 Black-necked Grebe (Geoorde Fuut) 45 meter cloudy tripod Z50 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E equivalent 1500mm

*Holland winter in our garden 2024 heavy overcast strong wind, Kingfisher (IJsvogel), size 22cm distance 25m*

LNBKFR01 Holland frost cloudy Kingfisher size LNBKFR01 Holland frost cloudy Kingfisher (IJsvogel) size 22cm distance 25m hazardous ice feathers D300 Nikkor F2.8 70-200mm equivalent 600mm

*Lesbos 2011 Monarch (Koninginnepage) distance 15m, Nikon D300, **excellent** oldtimer Nikkor 300mm F/4D*

Holland 2025 cloudy, Parasolzwam, splendid detail, Nikon Z7 II **our favourite lightweight Nikkor 500mm F/5.6E PF VR**

Holland 2025 sun, Hare (Haas) distance 25m, **Z7 II** **Nikkor 500mm F/5.6E PF VR** **stellar** **detail at this distance!**

*Holland 2025 cloudy, Squirrel (Eekhoorn) our garden, Z7 II **Nikkor F/5.6E 500mm PF VR**, equivalent 1050mm.*

*Holland **2020 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker** size 15cm, distance 25m, D500 **Nikkor 300 mm F/4E PF VR** up to 2020 regular guests in our garden! **Today alarmingly decreasing numbers**!*

Holland Common Tern (Visdief) size 31cm distance 45m sun Z7 II Nikkor 500mm F/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1500mm.

Everything about this lightweight bird photography in short 6 pages workshop at this site:

WS 1 Reach (bereik) (camera’s, lenses, settings, etc.)

WS 2 Estimating reach (during actual photography)

WS 3 Our APERTURE Mode, ISO value, EXPOSURE TIME (focus, level of light and contrast, grades of colour)

WS 4 APERTURE (optimal depth of field)

WS 5 ISO (minimal noise & maximal detail)

WS 6 EXPOSURE TIME (in-focus pictures, frozen action).

HOME (back to top this page)

Legenda:

Some pages translated and marked “Dutch”, originals being marked “English”.
Distances up to 30 meter mostly measured, otherwise estimated.
All pictures created using tripod or tribike though often “handheld“, rightfully trusting Nikon VR lenses.
Contact: amevanbaren@gmail.com (Annemiek) or dikbaren@gmail.com (Dik).

NikonLightBirding base version 31 aug 2024 updated through 29 august 2026.