Help

[porshiepoo]

OK, this is for advice.
I have a couple of Blue tits nesting in my bird box in the garden (smack next door to Eagle Owls :eek:) and I just can't get a decent photo. Can someone help.
If i use my point and shoot I can get a half decent image, as long as it's when they're headed back out or their backsides as they go in.

I have an Olympus E500 and I've spent hours today changing settings and fiddling and still getting nothing that's remotely in focus. I can get a perfectly focused image of the stupid bird box but the birds themselves are not sharp.
What settings do I need?
I should know this but I've never attempted wildlife before and it's got me soooo mad now.

[Deemac]

Is there a "Sports" setting? If so try that.

[grumpyhippo]

Sounds as though it might be the auto focus on the E500 locking onto the box .

Try switching to manual focus and pre focus on the hole the birds go in and out of. As Deemac suggests try sports setting (if you've got one) but will usually default to a fast shutter speed unfortunately this means a wide aperture and a shallow depth of field which again limits acceptable focus.

Why not go fully manual, check what exposure your E500 wants to use(or has used in a test exposure) and work from that.It will always be a compromise between depth of field (aperture) and reducing movement of the wee birdy (shutter speed). Just give it ago you've nothing to loose and we can all look forward to your pictures.

[porshiepoo]

I'll give it a go and see what happens.
The camera does have a sports setting and I've used that but I just don't seem to get any joy.
We also have loads of house martins diving down to our huge pond to grab water and I'd love to get some decent photos of them, especially when they bring the youngsters out.
I also have an Olympus C750UZ which I find easier to use and get some half decent results with but I really want to get used to the E500. I've had it a while now but I always reach for the easier of the two.

[North Light]

porshiepoo,

I agree with grumpyhippo, I would suggest that you use manual focus, and pre-focus on the hole, as high a shutter speed as you can use while keeping an aperture of around f11, I would use an ISO setting that allows you have a shutter speed of 1/250 to 1/500.

Good luck