THE OM SYSTEM GUIDE TO
You enjoy observing birds and you love photography. Discover useful tips on this page, whether you are a beginner or an experienced field photographer.
Your backyard is the perfect place to begin to learn your equipment and also bird habits and actions! Put up bird friendly bushes. Setup a blind (a place to hide away from the sight of the birds in order to watch them behave more naturally). A tele or a tele zoom lens with a focal length of 300-600mm (35mm equiv.) is recommended.
Photograph early in the morning or later in the afternoon
The light is typically better during these times creating a nice soft light or even golden hue during the “golden hour”. Birds are also usually more active during these times of the day.
Photographing birds in flight
Be aware of shutter speed – know if you want to freeze action or show movement. Did you know that you need a shutter speed of minimum 1/1600-1/2500s to stop the wings movement? The smaller the bird the faster shutter speed is needed.
Learn your camera
Birds can be photographed with an entry level to mid range camera, provided the user learns the equipment and knows how to work around the shortcomings.
Guide and email series available in German.
Our mirrorless OM camera systems are up to half the size and weight of other 35mm format flagship camera systems. For bird photographers this gives them more flexibility, more energy, and more shooting time in the field to get the perfect shot.
Lousy weather often takes you by surprise. The OM Series and our PRO lenses have you covered. They’re splashproof, dustproof and freezeproof (down to 14 ̊F / -10 ̊C), so there’s never a need to carry protective gear.
Let the OM Series set you free. Our compact mirrorless cameras and small lightweight lenses boast the performance of pro DSLR systems. You'll have greater freedom of movement to take better bird photos and the near silent operation to avoid disturbing your subject or other people in a hide for example.
Our time machine-like Pro Capture Mode ensures you nail the best shot. Press the camera's shutter button halfway to start buffering a running series of images. Once you see the precise moment you want to capture, fully press the shutter to capture that image plus the previous up to 70 frames all at once. Perfect for images of birds taking off!
The continuous shooting speed of the OM-1 blows away most DSLR cameras. Capture an astounding 120 frames per second with S-AF and 50 frames per second with C-AF using the silent electronic shutter. It's easy to keep up with fast-moving subjects.
Photographing birds in flight requires a responsive and fast autofocus system. The OM-1 features all Cross Quad Pixel AF that blanket the image sensor. Together with the AI Detection AF that recognizes birds makes the OM-1 the best option for capturing those difficult bird in flight shots.
Leave your tripod behind! Our industry-leading 5-Axis Image Stabilization allows you to shoot tack-sharp photos, all handheld. With up to 8 shutter speed steps of compensation for tripod-like stability, you have more freedom for better results.
YOU DON'T NEED A LOT OF GEAR TO