nikonlightbirding – lightweight bird photography

In our lightweight bird photography we always:

Use camouflage, try to recognise birds timely and not disturb them.
Use high quality Nikon (compatible) lenses maximal weight 1500 gram, preferably handheld.
Set camera in our “APERTURE Mode Birds“: hardly any camera reset required during actual photography.

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

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

night heron juvenile — Holland sun August 1924 Night Heron (Kwak) juvenile size 60cm distance 150m (!) D500 Nikkor 500mm F/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1050mm. Great example of the **excellent detail produced by Nikkor 500 PF**!

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

Holland cloudy Black-necked Grebe (Geoorde Fuut) size 31cm distance 40m Z50 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E eq. 1500mm

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

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

*Lesbos 2011 Monarch (Koninginnepage) distance 15m, Nikon D300, **optically 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 30m, Z7 II. **Stellar** **detail (oog, snorharen!) by** **Nikkor 500mm F/5.6E PF VR**

*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**!*

White-tailed Eagle (Zeearend) 1st/2nd year river Regge, size 80cm, sun, distance 75m **D500, Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1050mm**.

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.

Interested? Everything you need to know in a compact 6 pages workshop at this site:

WS 1 Reach (bereik) (camera’s, lenses, settings, optional tripod)

WS 2 Estimating reach (when photographing)

WS 3 Our APERTURE Mode, ISO, EXPOSURE TIME (light, contrast, Autofocus, colour)

WS 4 APERTURE (optimal depth of field)

WS 5 ISO (minimal noise & maximal detail)

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

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Legenda:

Some pages translated and marked “Dutch”, originals being marked “English”.
Distances up to 50 meter mostly measured, otherwise estimated.
All pictures created using tripod or tribike though often “handheld” when rightfully trusting modern Nikon VR lenses.
Contact: amevanbaren@gmail.com (Annemiek) or dikbaren@gmail.com (Dik).

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