Swallow In-Flight Challenge

I have just seen a whole bunch of in-flight shots of Tree Swallows by Jody Melanson...they are incredibly good, something to use as a standard of excellence.
Which reminds me that we should soon have a POTN challenge on Swallow BIF photography.
I have a whole bunch of half decent shots from the last summer, but right now I am not about to undertake a new project until I get my 1D MkIII.

So all the aspiring POTN BIF shooters, start practicing. Yeah, you too Rob and Wayne.
These are some of my better old shots.

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A couple more.

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Looking at your pics Peter, I had better start practicing, nicely done on these little zig zag rockets.

Trevor, I think you've got a good lens for the job. However, with the XT you may have to develop some special/alternative techniques because I think that camera's Servo AF is not up to the task. However, there are ways....

liv2trip wrote in post #3238888
oh I don't know about that Peter I think the XT can get the job done ,,,

Wayne, I am talking Servo AF tracking of the bird in full flight, not a single shot of a bird which is fluttering or alighting on a perch, etc.

ohoh, looks like the challange might start early!

I dont use servo much Peter, the lens is actually the slow link, the AF doesnt cycle through the full focus range fast enough for servo on most of the smaller birds. I just focus and follow through.

Can I borrow a 400L?

PetKal wrote in post #3238895
Wayne, I am talking Servo AF tracking of the bird in full flight, not a single shot of a bird which is fluttering or alighting on a perch, etc.

Actually pops this bird was in full flight , I have probably tried about 50 inflights of this species ,,, my keeper ratio is pathetic somewhere around 6% , but i have been able to track a few sucessfully , this one was with a borrowed 100-400 , I have a few with my 200 as well

canonloader wrote in post #3238919
Can I borrow a 400L?

Yeah, Jody uses the 400 f/5.6 (and MkII).
I am happy to use any of these three lenses ; 300 f/4, 200 f/2.8 and 135 f/2.0.
In fact, I believe the camera is much more critical here than the lens. The XT/20/30D AF system simply can not see the fast approaching small bird, let alone latching onto it. The MkII(N) can do it but it's kinda marginal. I am hoping the MkIII is better.

How did the old original 1D compare with the Mk II? That's probably the only one I'll ever be able to afford.

canonloader wrote in post #3239055
How did the old original 1D compare with the Mk II?

I can not tell....never had the old battlehorse. But I expect well preserved MkII's to be dropping under 2k$ soon.

liv2trip wrote in post #3238963
Actually pops this bird was in full flight , I have probably tried about 50 inflights of this species ,,, my keeper ratio is pathetic somewhere around 6% , but i have been able to track a few sucessfully , this one was with a borrowed 100-400 , I have a few with my 200 as well

Don't get me wrong, son, that's an excellent shot of yours, just that I never managed to get my 20D AF servo working on these kinda shots, so I am assuming that the XT can not be much better.

PetKal wrote in post #3239084
Don't get me wrong, son, that's an excellent shot of yours, just that I never managed to get my 20D AF servo working on these kinda shots, so I am assuming that the XT can not be much better.

oh it's not better in fact it sucks but it can be done , just not in great #'s ,,, Ive seen Jody's inflights of swallows , there nothing short of brilliant , but then Jody is an inflight master and he certainly gets the most out of his setup ,,, I don't know of anybody other than jody that produces such high quality inflights , so if he's the stick you want to be measured against , you have the bar to high

I'd suggest to people who are interested in this sort of photography to check the FM Forum "Nature&Wildlife", and on page 2 there is Jody's thread "Tree Swallows In Flight".