Nature & Wildlife

Perfectly equipped for observing and capturing mother nature

Natural Well Being

Observing nature is a wonderful activity that balances and renews us. Photographing it allows us to share and revive those sensations when we are stuck indoors. Olympus binoculars and the OM-D camera system share light weight, ergonomics and versatility, letting us enjoy wildlife observation and photography with the agility and speed we need to get great images.

Additionally to being lightweight, the advantage of taking handheld images in nearly any situation makes us even more flexible and helps to never miss a shot. The outstanding image stabilization of the OM-D camera bodies and lenses like the M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F4 PRO lens and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS make these our must-haves for nature photography.

To make the most of the technology even at low speeds, it is still important to have the camera set up correctly. The automatic stabilization mode we use in these cases is S-IS AUTO.

Capturing images of birds in flight really highlights the accuracy and speed of the impressive AF of the OM-D E-M1X. For action pictures, we like to use the following settings to get the best hit rate: the C-AF mode, the AF Scanner in mode1 and the C-AF +2 Sensitivity.

Another advantage are the 121 focus points, that are quickly navigated by the joystick. This makes our equipment an unbeatable tool when capturing moving subjects. A frequent choice for us is selecting the 5-point cross-focus option – try it out!

One additional tip: Also the silent L burst set at 10 frames per second (we have up to 18 in this type of burst) provides incredible results for fast moving subjects.

Portable power team to track and photograph fast moving subjects

For us, switching from binoculars to the camera is like a “réflex action”. The Olympus 10x50 S binoculars are great to use right from the beginning of the excursion – observing things closely in advance is vital to ensure you get the best results.

The wide angle of view makes subjects easy to locate quickly. An added benefit is their portability while ergonomics are superb and the rubber coating offers a great grip. The luminosity gives us a clear field of vision with minimal distortion while a large focus wheel is easy to access and operate. These features help us to track fast animals and we can clearly observe a goshawk’s favourite spot or the place where a small fox comes to drink – without being detected.

You might wonder about the preparation and planning time for these photo sessions, but good news! We can have all the equipment – from binoculars to our favorite camera set-up – available and ready at any time, because they are so compact and lightweight to even wear them around your shoulder the whole time.

So try it out, get outside and take a photograph ‘on the fly’ with great results! It also means that you don’t have to leave any lenses at home.

Because of their size and weight, they can all come along with the rest of the equipment safely stored in our versatile and functional camera backpack.

Why not photograph the sunset with our wide angle lens after a magnificent day of birding and photographing with our telephoto lens?

Luckily, with Olympus, you don’t have to compromise.

Don't give up anything, with Olympus it's possible.

Authors & Photographers: Marisa Martínez and Javier Parilla Pérez