Marseilles South of France 2017

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Folks,
An update from the South of France at the end of October.
Today we have a lo of 10°C and exceptionally a hi of 25°C but with a strong mistral wind from the north, blowing down the Rhône valley into Marseilles.
I have found 2 Two-tailed Pasha caterpillars near to home. Both of course on Strawberry trees:
Caterpillar 1:

Its context :

Caterpillar 2:

Its context, not far from the previous:

They remain in caterpillar form over the winter. I will keep an eye on them and report as and when.

Here is a fresh Clouded Yellow female, form helice. She is nectaring on remaining Inula viscosa:

(its a good idea if possible to photograph 'yellows' back-lit to reveal their characteristics.)

And this is a rather fresh male Cleopatra:

Photos taken with new FZ1000 instead of previous FZ150.
Chris

[David M]

Judging by the Cleopatra image, I'd say your new 'toy' captures images with sharper detail, Chris.

I may well follow your lead if your results remain at this standard!

[Andrew555]

Lovely Clouded Yellow Chris.
How are you finding the fz1000 ?

[Goldie M]

Love the Helice ab, I like the way the light shines through her wing Goldie

[Chris Jackson]

Hi David and Andrew,
I'm still discovering the FZ1000.
The "P" setting on the FZ150 was very versatile with plenty of depth of field, however with the FZ1000, "P" gives less depth of field and with a slant shot of a butterfly, the extremities can be out of focus. If you use the "A" setting with F8, the depth of field is fine but the shutter speed is quite slow and the sharpness is not guaranteed. Otherwise, the larger sensor means that after cropping there is still some flesh on the bones.
The optimum setting for what I need with relatively close up non-perpendicular subjects may be "A" 5.6 or 6.3 - some experimentation will be necessary.
The view finder is a major improvement compared to the FZ150. Function key F3 gives direct access to the main sélections. Maximum mechanical shutter speed with "S" is higher than with the FZ150 (1/2000 => 1/4000). Sometimes the auto focus on the FZ1000 seems to be more chancy than with the FZ150 and yesterday I missed a perfect shot of a Nettle Tree Butterfly, and I'm still biting my lip for that one. The difference in price with earlier versions (FZ150, FZ200 etc.) is significant. I love the swivel screen, as with the FZ150 - it is very practical in some situations. All in all, I have no regrets. The main advantages for me are viewfinder quality and sensor size.

Thanks for your comments, Goldie. On the continent, back-lit shots of the yellows are very interesting for ID purposes.
Looking forward to seeing your Favourite Photo postings.

Here are a couple of photos from yesterday, in Marseilles.
Two Lang's Short-tailed Blues on Inula viscosa:

LSTB male uppers:

Geranium Bronze in my garden, probably profiting from a neighbour's geraniums :

A fresh RA, still in my garden. It is attracted by rotting grapes that another neighbour has left on the vine.

Cheers,
Chris

[Goldie M]

Love the Bronze in your garden Chris, what a great variety of species you see over there Goldie

[Andrew555]

Thanks Chris, I agree achieving satisfactory depth of field can be tricky.
I'm always walking the tight rope between aperture and shutter speed,
and often use exposure compensation to give me a little helping hand in that area.
You can of course get pleasing shots without having the whole subject in focus.
I try to get a preferred area of the butterfly in focus and if I get more than that it's a bonus.
Good luck with your continued learning.

Nice to see some different butterflies, I do like that Geranium Bronze.

Cheers

[Chris Jackson]

Hi Goldie and Andrew,
That Geranium Bronze was on a dead leaf 1 inch above ground level. Without the swivel screen of the FZ1000 I would never have got a perpendicular shot. My nose would have been in the dirt - impossible .
Chris

[David M]

Thanks for the feedback on the FZ1000, Chris. My current equipment is now over 7 years old so I am entering that phase where I increasingly wonder whether I should invest in something more modern. Reports like yours help to inform me whether I should (or not).

[Charles Nicol]

Glad you are enjoying your new camera ! Looking forward to more Continental pics