"Super Lens" for the Birds

[rich1833]

Can you see witch photo has the Canon EF 2X iii Extender on it?


Camera=Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Lens=Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM
ISO=100
f/5.6
1/800


@ 200mm



@ 200mm



@ 400mm

 

[ChadHahn]

I got the Tamron 150-600 to take to Africa. I was happy with the decision. Some of my shots were soft but a lot of that was probably shooting resting the lens on a beanbag draped over a half rolled down window.

Here are a couple bird shots.

Chad

 

[DiploStrat]

Rule of Thumb

The old rule of thumb is that bird lenses don't start until 500mm and go on from there.

That said, Sigma has just upgraded their line. (http://www.sigmaphoto.com/150-600mm-f5-63-dg-os-hsm-s) This was taken with the older model BIGMA, before they added magic glass and stabilization. It used to be the least expensive way to get to 500mm.

To the question of length - this is a big bird, shot at 500mm, and it still had to be cropped. (The link is to a less than full res JPEG, but you can get a sense of the quality.)

Enjoy!

 

[kpredator]

check out www.birdsasart.com. a lot of go information.

also Nikon is making a 200-500 for around 1400.00.

good luck
kp

 

[Pathfinder]

For anyone else reading this thread, don't rule out Canon's 70-300 f/4-5.6L IS

All metal, Great IQ, the IS works well w/ 300mm at 5.6

Shorter, wider, lighter that the other big glass, making it a good carry.

Picked mine up 3 years ago from Canon's refurb site - currently on sale for $1079

Great reach on a crop sensor and doubles as a portrait lens w/ my 6D @ 70mm.

Sample image, interior - 6D shot @ 200mm f/5 1/40 sec, handheld inside a cathedral in France ISO3200, unedited jpeg:
View attachment 326266

Sample shot, blacksnake - 6D @ 300mm f/5.6 1/100 sec handheld, outside shot ISO200, unedited jpeg:
View attachment 326268

I've used the Canon 70-300 f4-5.6 IS L for wildlife in North America and Africa and the Galapagos Islands. I do like it a lot. It is small, lightweight ( relatively ) easy to handle and quite sharp, and not too expensive for a good wildlife lens. It will NOT accept a Tele extender though, and folks need to know this because if they are thinking they can use a TC, they will be quite disappointed. Like a lot of cheaper long tele lenses, it is pretty slow in aperture which means shooting at higher ISOs, AND that you may loose AF ability shortly after the sun sets. In good light it is quite a nice lens, easy to hand hold. It reached farther with a crop body than a full frame like all lenses.

300mm can be quite useful, but as Diplostrat mentioned, a lot of bird shooters really prefer a minimum of 500mm lens for birds. That said I've gotten more than a few birds in flight with the 70-300mm IS L.

Here is an arctic tern photographed in Iceland - terns are not slow in the air like eagle or raptors. A light short fast handling lens can be an advantage if the light is adequate.

The lens is great for bigger animals as well - like elephants on the dry lakebed in Amboselli