www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi all

i am new to the forum, i have been interested in butterflies for a while but never really had time to progress. I would like to take my own photos to help learn identification. I have a P900 that was mainly used for other types of photography (mainly shipping and birdwatching)

Just wondered if anyone else used this model and any thoughts for butterfly photos.

thanks

Wally

Welcome Wally. Shame no one else has replied but the forums tend to get a bit weak during the active butterfly seasons. The chat tends to increase in the quiet season.

Sorry I can't help about that camera but I am sure someone will be able to.

Jack

Since Jack has broken the ice, I'll offer a bit of 'chat', although I can't speak from experience of the P900.

This camera is a 'bridge camera', which is a type widely used, very successfully, by butterfly photographers. The main thing to bear in mind is that these cameras use a very small sensor, which works best in good light. Since butterflies like sunshine this is often not a problem!

I recommend keeping the ISO setting down - around 100 ISO - for best image quality. This means that you will need to keep an eye on shutter speed, to avoid blur, and on aperture, especially at longer zoom settings, for sufficient depth of field to keep all parts of a butterfly in sharp focus.

While your very long zoom may be useful for 'record' shots of elusive tree-top species, it is usually best to use 'field craft', to get closer to your subject, rather than relying too much on the zoom.

The best way to learn is by taking photos! With a digital camera, there's no cost in making mistakes and you soon find out what works and what doesn't. I'll look forward to seeing some of your results in these forums

Mike