Redwing & Starling Portraits

The local fields at the west end of Ashton  on the A394 were busy with flocks of Redwing numbering into the hundreds today,  All were busy predating on an abundance of worms close to the surface due to the levels of recent rain,  They were a bit skitty and all left when I first arrived armed with a new 2x Nikon Teleconverter but given time when they returned I was able to work close enough for several full frame portraits,  I also completed a few portraits of a squadron of raiding Starlings that just had to get part of the action in the same field.

Nikon 2x Teleconverter,

I was lucky enough to find a Nikon 2x Teleconverter in my Xmas Stocking this year,  I have tried them before with various Nikon flagship cameras and always been disappointed with the results and sold them on but I heard some reports from photographers using them on the Nikon D5 body with increased success due to the cameras excellent ISO capabilities,  The increase in focal length doubling to a 1000mm certainly has its place with distant subjects and smaller one at closer distances too,  The first two images below show ariels installed on a water tower 380m from my home using the 500mm on the first and 500mm +2x converter on the second

For small subjects closer in I have worked with a female Blackcap,  All images were taken at ISO 6400 in poor light levels to achieve shutter speeds above 1/200th sec with max aperture of F4 on the straight 500mm and a max of F8 available with the 2x converter,  The first un-cropped image below was taken the straight 500mm lens and the following two are un-cropped with the 2x converter added

I am certainly more impressed with this 2x converter when used in combination with the Nikon D5 body than I have been on previous cameras especially bearing in mind the poor light levels prevailing today but it is early days yet and I look forward to seeing what might be improved upon during the New Year