Wildlife photography.
Discussion
Hoping to buy myself a digital SLR in the new year, and am lucky to live close to some quite decent countryside, (Crowthorne / Sandhurst / Broadmoor etc) and quite fancy the idea of trying to "get back to nature" and photograph some of the local nature and wildlife.
I am assuming I will need some sort of long lens, but how long?
I am assuming I will need some sort of long lens, but how long?
MeOnAnotherThread said:
I have two Nikon lenses. Firstly we'll look at my 18-200mm "super zoom". Brilliant range of focal lengths for rapid composition. It's a GREAT travel lens as it replaces so many other "prime" lenses. BUT image quality (things like sharpness) IS compromised. Trade-off.
This is 18mm
This is 200mm
You can see how that would be handy in a range of situations.
I also have an 80-400mm lens. It's big ( not as big as dobbo's
) and heavy but you can get closer to the action with it:
80mm
400mm
So if you are trying to capture the elusive wildlife that won't let you get close you can see that 400mm would be helpful. More would be better frankly but once again it's a trade-off.
This is 18mm
This is 200mm
You can see how that would be handy in a range of situations.
I also have an 80-400mm lens. It's big ( not as big as dobbo's
) and heavy but you can get closer to the action with it:80mm
400mm
So if you are trying to capture the elusive wildlife that won't let you get close you can see that 400mm would be helpful. More would be better frankly but once again it's a trade-off.
For wildlife I think it's hard to beat the 7d at the moment. 8fps, 1.6 cropper for reach but 18mp to give you decent scope for copping the output image.
The Canon range of lenses is a little (imo) better for wildlife too. You could get the 100-400 L with a 1.4 or x2 converter and have a fairly decent quality 800mm for around £1000 (worth noting the 100-400 won't AF on a 7d with the x2 on)
The Canon range of lenses is a little (imo) better for wildlife too. You could get the 100-400 L with a 1.4 or x2 converter and have a fairly decent quality 800mm for around £1000 (worth noting the 100-400 won't AF on a 7d with the x2 on)
Depends what your quarry is, 300mm should be close enough for most wildlife (on a cropped sensor camera), 500mm would get you close enough to even the most timid beasties. The only time I can see you needing anything longer is to shoot distant rare birds that due to their size you probably want a 200-500mm zoom + 2x Teleconvertor.
I was in the same situation 18 months ago and went for a Canon 400D - just because it was £180 in PC World and went around with a 80(ish) to 300mm zoom lens just because I inherited it from my Dad who passed away.
I got some reasonable shots but you will find that at the lower levels of lens your shots are simply not sharp.
In September I splashed out and spent £400 on ebay for a mint Sigma 50-500mm lens.
It absolutely knocks spots off the cheaper Canon lens in terms of sharpness and the extra reach is really useful. The only thing is with a lens that size you need strong arms!
If I am waiting in the same spot for a 'target' I will put it on a tripod which makes things a lot more easy, but I do sometimes use it handheld.
In good light, you can get the shutter speed up enough so that shake is not noticable. Indeed, if your subject is a small bird, they move so fast you need the shutter speed up the hundreds anyway.
My advice would be if you have a limited budget to spend on the lens. By situation has proven a good lens on a cheaper camera can still get great results. However a £800 camera and a £200 lens for wildlife will always disappoint. I think you would have to spend well into four figures to get anything significantly better than the Bigma in terms of a lens, and will stand you in good stead for whatever camera you have now and also if you upgrade in the future.
I got some reasonable shots but you will find that at the lower levels of lens your shots are simply not sharp.
In September I splashed out and spent £400 on ebay for a mint Sigma 50-500mm lens.
It absolutely knocks spots off the cheaper Canon lens in terms of sharpness and the extra reach is really useful. The only thing is with a lens that size you need strong arms!
If I am waiting in the same spot for a 'target' I will put it on a tripod which makes things a lot more easy, but I do sometimes use it handheld.
In good light, you can get the shutter speed up enough so that shake is not noticable. Indeed, if your subject is a small bird, they move so fast you need the shutter speed up the hundreds anyway.
My advice would be if you have a limited budget to spend on the lens. By situation has proven a good lens on a cheaper camera can still get great results. However a £800 camera and a £200 lens for wildlife will always disappoint. I think you would have to spend well into four figures to get anything significantly better than the Bigma in terms of a lens, and will stand you in good stead for whatever camera you have now and also if you upgrade in the future.
If money no object, a Nikkor 200-400mm f/4 with a TC-17E, then add a 600mm.
On a budget end, have a look at a 500mm catadioptric. You can pick up a secondhand Nikkor or Tamron for not too many £££s in comparison to the new big telephoto - big compromise, but might be a useful starter.
I would be wary of secondhand, early Nikkor lenses. The AF-I series are quite good, but if autofocus packs up - that's it, kaput. Not even a hope of getting the parts to repair.
There is a lovely manual lens that I would just love to try - the manual focus 500mm f/4 AI-P. It has electrical contacts to communicate aperture with the camera body, even though manual focus, so not a lot to go wrong. But they command silly money on the secondhand market.
There is also the possibility (although this will be something to research very carefully, since Nikon documentation will automaticaly say "not compatible") of mating an old manual telephoto with a TC-16a and getting limited autofocus facility with some bodies. Not a lot of people know this trick, but as I say, you will need to check very carefully. If you go this route you could get reasonable results at low cost.
Of course the other route is a telescope and adapter - that might be the more sensible "low-cost-option".
On a budget end, have a look at a 500mm catadioptric. You can pick up a secondhand Nikkor or Tamron for not too many £££s in comparison to the new big telephoto - big compromise, but might be a useful starter.
I would be wary of secondhand, early Nikkor lenses. The AF-I series are quite good, but if autofocus packs up - that's it, kaput. Not even a hope of getting the parts to repair.
There is a lovely manual lens that I would just love to try - the manual focus 500mm f/4 AI-P. It has electrical contacts to communicate aperture with the camera body, even though manual focus, so not a lot to go wrong. But they command silly money on the secondhand market.
There is also the possibility (although this will be something to research very carefully, since Nikon documentation will automaticaly say "not compatible") of mating an old manual telephoto with a TC-16a and getting limited autofocus facility with some bodies. Not a lot of people know this trick, but as I say, you will need to check very carefully. If you go this route you could get reasonable results at low cost.
Of course the other route is a telescope and adapter - that might be the more sensible "low-cost-option".
RobDickinson said:
I've just bought a 7D and wil be adding a 400mmf5.6L to it at some point soon for wildelife/birds/sports.
The 400mm F5.6 L is reckoned to be one of the best "birds in flight" lenses. I love mine and although lacking IS, it's light, very fast-focussing and produces excellent image quality.Ed_P said:
RobDickinson said:
I've just bought a 7D and wil be adding a 400mmf5.6L to it at some point soon for wildelife/birds/sports.
The 400mm F5.6 L is reckoned to be one of the best "birds in flight" lenses. I love mine and although lacking IS, it's light, very fast-focussing and produces excellent image quality.Lack of IS isnt too much of an issue for BIF as you need fast enough shutter speeds to capture the movement anyhow. For other uses it may be. What gets me more is it isnt weathersealed!?!?!
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