A challenge I set for myself today was to sit out in the yard and be very still in an effort to take some handheld pics of the hummers in flight. Initially when I would move the camera into position the birds would fly away but after awhile they seemed less fearful of my presence. In fact, I think some of the birds were taking advantage of my presence to scare away the competition.
Shooting a fast moving target as small as this was not easy. Getting the focus quickly and maintaining it almost proved too much for me but I kept at it. The fast aperture of the SAL-135F18Z was good for stopping action. the focal length was pretty restrictive, though. That being said, I think it would be an even bigger struggle zooming in and out in the time you have before they fly away.
These are the results of my initial efforts:
I’d say mission accomplished!
Pretty good catches! Good photos!