attempt at getting close to hummingbirds

[MJSfoto1956]

I was trying out some old Leica lenses to see which ones were "keepers" and which would be for sale and I decided to see how close I could get to those hungry hummingbirds we have in our yard. What I did find is that the 200mm was "too close" for comfort but that the 280mm and 400mm were "just right". I suppose if I kept at it they might get used to the equipment and flash and noise and I might actually be able to do a 1:1 one of these days (probably have to shoot for the eyeball -- these guys move fast!

Anyway, here's some of my attempts:



and



equipment: Nikon D7000 @ ISO 800 @f8 @ 150th sec + YN560 flash bounced on a white piece of foamboard. Leica Visoflex 280mm f/4.8 on Leica R bellows + Kenko 1.4x teleconverter.