GX8 Can Not Shoot Birds in Flight! Really? You Decide

I keep reading the many comments on this forum stating that the Lumix systems DFD is not all that great. That the Lumix cameras can't shoot birds in flight in particular. Sony gets all the press with a series of images of a boxer in the ring bobbing and weaving and the cameras ability to follow focus? Good gravy, if you want to test a cameras ability for C-AF, look to the world of nature. There's no human in the boxing ring that can come even close to a powerful bird in flight, coming straight at the camera.

Lumix GX8 with Leica 100-400mm zoom

This gallery of a whopper swan coming in on the wing were all shot the GX8 in C-AF with multi Custom Multi AF sensor selection. Lens was the new Leica 100-400mm and I started at 250+mm (500mm equivalent) and zoomed out as the bird approached, one of the huge benefits of a tele-zoom you can't get with fixed focal length telephoto. I included every frame of the burst, all in sequence so you can see I did not cherry pick the frames, right to the end when I couldn't swing with the swan any further.

I think this is just one of many examples that prove Panasonic is getting AF nailed down and I can only imagine what we will see in the next version of an updated GH4. One more shot for inspiration below. You can't shoot birds in flight with Lumix cameras? You decide.

GX8 with Leica 100-400mm zoom. --

Daniel J. Cox
http://www.naturalexposures.com
http://naturalexposures.com/corkboard/
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