It is quite a challenge to shoot these fast moving hummingbird hawk-moths jumping around in a field of flowers. It would be easier with better focussing gear than my K-70/ 55-300 PLM combo, though the difficulty is to get it into view. One trick sometimes is to focus on one flower and waiting on a visit of this moth. At least I know that over here soapwort is their favourite flower. Here a few of my attempts so far this season. https://flic.kr/p/2rerzvs https://flic.kr/p/2rerCGs https://flic.kr/p/2re7rib Henk

You did well, Henk. My K5 & HD 55-300 screw drive is hopeless, even for 'planes. Alan C On 11/07/2025 12:29, Henk Terhell wrote: > It is quite a challenge to shoot these fast moving hummingbird > hawk-moths jumping around in a field of flowers. > It would be easier with better focussing gear than my K-70/ 55-300 PLM > combo, though the difficulty is to get it into view. > One trick sometimes is to focus on one flower and waiting on a visit > of this moth. > At least I know that over here soapwort is their favourite flower. > Here a few of my attempts so far this season. > https://flic.kr/p/2rerzvs > https://flic.kr/p/2rerCGs > https://flic.kr/p/2re7rib > > Henk > -- > %(real_name)s Pentax-Discuss Mail List > To unsubscribe send an email to pdml-leave@pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and > follow the directions. -- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com

Have you tried "trap focus" or "Catch-in focus"? https://www.pentaxforums.com/articles/photo-articles/catch-in-focus-tutorial.html On 7/11/2025 8:08 AM, Alan Cole wrote: > You did well, Henk. My K5 & HD 55-300 screw drive is hopeless, even for > 'planes. > > Alan C > > On 11/07/2025 12:29, Henk Terhell wrote: >> It is quite a challenge to shoot these fast moving hummingbird >> hawk-moths jumping around in a field of flowers. >> It would be easier with better focussing gear than my K-70/ 55-300 PLM >> combo, though the difficulty is to get it into view. >> One trick sometimes is to focus on one flower and waiting on a visit >> of this moth. >> At least I know that over here soapwort is their favourite flower. >> Here a few of my attempts so far this season. >> https://flic.kr/p/2rerzvs >> https://flic.kr/p/2rerCGs >> https://flic.kr/p/2re7rib >> >> Henk >> -- >> %(real_name)s Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> To unsubscribe send an email to pdml-leave@pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >> follow the directions. > -- Vivere in aeternum aut mori conatur -- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software. www.avg.com

John I never used this as I thought this is only for manual lenses. The article confirms this. Only AF lenses with a MF switch can also be used. I did some experiments now with catch-in settings on the K-70 with 55-300 PLM and indeed the shutter only triggers after a second press if in focus. Moreover, for fast moving insects at a distance of about 1 -2 m there is a very small DOF and a final focus adjustment is always needed. My settings for insects (and people) are always AFS spot and back button only. Henk Op 2025-07-13 om 21:31 schreef John Sessoms: > Have you tried "trap focus" or "Catch-in focus"? > > https://www.pentaxforums.com/articles/photo-articles/catch-in-focus-tutorial.html > > > On 7/11/2025 8:08 AM, Alan Cole wrote: >> You did well, Henk. My K5 & HD 55-300 screw drive is hopeless, even >> for 'planes. >> >> Alan C >> >> On 11/07/2025 12:29, Henk Terhell wrote: >>> It is quite a challenge to shoot these fast moving hummingbird >>> hawk-moths jumping around in a field of flowers. >>> It would be easier with better focussing gear than my K-70/ 55-300 >>> PLM combo, though the difficulty is to get it into view. >>> One trick sometimes is to focus on one flower and waiting on a visit >>> of this moth. >>> At least I know that over here soapwort is their favourite flower. >>> Here a few of my attempts so far this season. >>> https://flic.kr/p/2rerzvs >>> https://flic.kr/p/2rerCGs >>> https://flic.kr/p/2re7rib >>> >>> Henk >>> -- >

Actually I was suggesting it for Alan to try since he said the screw drive was hopeless (too slow?). I understood it to work with holding the shutter button down & the shutter fires if something moves into the focus area. The focus on your hawk-moths seemed to be fine. On 7/14/2025 1:28 PM, Henk Terhell wrote: > John I never used this as I thought this is only for manual lenses. > The article confirms this. Only AF lenses with a MF switch can also be > used. > I did some experiments now with catch-in settings on the K-70 with > 55-300 PLM and indeed the shutter only triggers after a second press if > in focus. > Moreover, for fast moving insects at a distance of about 1 -2 m there is > a very small DOF and a final focus adjustment is always needed. > My settings for insects (and people) are always AFS spot and back button > only. > > Henk > > Op 2025-07-13 om 21:31 schreef John Sessoms: >> Have you tried "trap focus" or "Catch-in focus"? >> >> https://www.pentaxforums.com/articles/photo-articles/catch-in-focus-tutorial.html >> >> On 7/11/2025 8:08 AM, Alan Cole wrote: >>> You did well, Henk. My K5 & HD 55-300 screw drive is hopeless, even >>> for 'planes. >>> >>> Alan C >>> >>> On 11/07/2025 12:29, Henk Terhell wrote: >>>> It is quite a challenge to shoot these fast moving hummingbird >>>> hawk-moths jumping around in a field of flowers. >>>> It would be easier with better focussing gear than my K-70/ 55-300 >>>> PLM combo, though the difficulty is to get it into view. >>>> One trick sometimes is to focus on one flower and waiting on a visit >>>> of this moth. >>>> At least I know that over here soapwort is their favourite flower. >>>> Here a few of my attempts so far this season. >>>> https://flic.kr/p/2rerzvs >>>> https://flic.kr/p/2rerCGs >>>> https://flic.kr/p/2re7rib >>>> >>>> Henk >>>> -- >> > -- > %(real_name)s Pentax-Discuss Mail List > To unsubscribe send an email to pdml-leave@pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and > follow the directions. -- Vivere in aeternum aut mori conatur -- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software. www.avg.com