This should be under the canon forum but i need feedback from bird photographers in this forum. I have a 20d with a 70-200 F4L and 1.4x TC. I find this inadequate for bird shots. I prefer to handhold my shots and like shooting birds in flight. What lens would you recommend?

For hand holding, the 100-400 L IS is very versatile and quite sharp, especially when stopped down a bit. The 400 5.6L is sharper wide open and is faster focusing for fliers, but without IS it's not as hand holdable as the 100-400 in low light. The 300 f4 L IS is not long enough for Philippine birds.

If budget is not a concern, you can get the 300 2.8 L IS (works well even with a 2x TC) or a 400 f4 DO. The 500 f4 IS can be hand held (as I always do), but you need to be insane enough about birds to punish your body with such a heavy beast....:)

Romy

hi romy,

thanks for the advice. would bumping up the iso compensate for the lack of IS of 400 5.6L?

hi romy,

thanks for the advice. would bumping up the iso compensate for the lack of IS of 400 5.6L?

Yes, upping the ISO would help at the expense of more noise and less dynamic range. Also, you can bump up the ISO for an IS lens and shoot in even lower light. Really, a tripod is a bird photographer's best friend. Except for flying birds, the best quality bird pics you'll see from ace shooters used a tripod, or a beanbag/monopod + IS.

Romy

hi romy,

do you foresee any problem, putting a 1.4x TC on the 100mm - 400mm IS? this would make it exceed the 5.6 limit. Does that mean i have to focus manually?

hi romy,

do you foresee any problem, putting a 1.4x TC on the 100mm - 400mm IS? this would make it exceed the 5.6 limit. Does that mean i have to focus manually?

If you use a non-reporting TC (like the standard Tamron 1.4x), AF will still work at f/8 with the 30D/20D/350D/300D. Focusing is not as fast as using the bare lens, but it's decent enough. The downside is EXIF data won't be correct as far as reported Av and focal length are concerned.

Note though that zooms are generally not as sharp as primes (with the exception of the Sigmonster, the only prime-like zoom I've come across) and using a 1.4x TC on the 100-400 will result into a drop in IQ. Whether the resulting quality is good enough depends upon your personal standards. To me, it's good enough as long as I can fill the frame with the subject.

Romy

Hi Romy,

i guess i need a really good tripod. which tripod and head would you recommend?

is the Sigma 80-400 OS overkill? how much is it in manila?

How about for nikon? I've read the 80-400 vr isn't that fast focusing, but i haven't tried one.

What would you recommend to someone who'd like to get into birding with a tight budget? :)

is the Sigma 80-400 OS overkill? how much is it in manila?

No Jon not at all, in fact, in this type of photography, the longer the reach, the better. If you're considering the Sigma 80-400, I would suggest the Bigma 50-500 + 1.4X TC or the Tamron 200-500 + 1.4X TC and a sturdy tripod. If you're a Canon user and don't like to deal with the extra weight of carrying a tripod like myself, the 100-400 IS + 1.4X TC is a good setup. But I have to admit, I'm still drooling for that 500 f/4 L IS.

how much is the 80-400 sigma and the 50-500? and rough ideas?

how much is the 80-400 sigma and the 50-500? and rough ideas?

I don't have Manila prices but here's a link to B&H current pricing.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&b=23&a=696_6146&a=700_6185&mnp=0.0&mxp=0.0&cmpsrch=&cltp=&clsgr=&shs=&ci=8429&ac=&Submit.x=7&Submit.y=8

Hope this helps. Good luck.

how much is the 80-400 sigma and the 50-500? and rough ideas?

based on the price listing of JT PhotoWorld which I got 2 weeks ago ...
50 - 500 / 4-6.3 EX DG = P57,500
80 - 400 /4.5-5.6 EX OS = P69,000
you can contact the shop at 899-5018 ...

note: OS (optical stabilizer) is Sigma's version for anti-shake (counterpart of IS and VR of Canon and Nikon, respectively) ...

Hi Romy,

i guess i need a really good tripod. which tripod and head would you recommend?

Any tripod with at least 6 - 8 kg capacity would be good enough for a 400 5.6L or 100-400 IS. Island Photo at Makati carries some Manfrotto stuff, and you can choose either aluminum or CF, depending on your budget.

I'd recommend a ball head for these medium range lenses - buy the biggest one you can afford to lessen "creep". I use a Manfrotto 468RC4 (also bought from Island), and even if the head is tightly locked, there's still a bit of tiny movement once I snap on TCs to the 400 5.6L.

Romy

is the Sigma 80-400 OS overkill? how much is it in manila?

Hi Jon,

Personally, I'd choose the Bigma (50-500) over the 80-400 OS because of the former's HSM focus motor, which is faster at fliers. I'd also have a bit more range, plus it's cheaper. Of course, I'd need to use a tripod in low light.

Romy

How about for nikon? I've read the 80-400 vr isn't that fast focusing, but i haven't tried one.

What would you recommend to someone who'd like to get into birding with a tight budget? :)

I'm not too familiar with Nikon long glass, but if I were on a tight budget, I'll probably get a Bigma (50-500) or a Tamron 200-500. The Bigma has HSM and a wider zoom range, while the Tamron is a tad lighter and a bit cheaper. IQ are both equally decent wide open, and very good at about f/8.

Romy

I'm not too familiar with Nikon long glass, but if I were on a tight budget, I'll probably get a Bigma (50-500) or a Tamron 200-500. The Bigma has HSM and a wider zoom range, while the Tamron is a tad lighter and a bit cheaper. IQ are both equally decent wide open, and very good at about f/8.

Romy

Thanks romy :) All these beautiful bird shots of yours are making me want to do some birding :)

Any tripod with at least 6 - 8 kg capacity would be good enough for a 400 5.6L or 100-400 IS. Island Photo at Makati carries some Manfrotto stuff, and you can choose either aluminum or CF, depending on your budget.

I'd recommend a ball head for these medium range lenses - buy the biggest one you can afford to lessen "creep". I use a Manfrotto 468RC4 (also bought from Island), and even if the head is tightly locked, there's still a bit of tiny movement once I snap on TCs to the 400 5.6L.

Romy

Thanks romy. Will take your advice on the 100-400 IS/tamron 1.4x TC (sayang i already have the canon 1.4x TC) and get a heavy tripod also just in case. If anyone has price info on the items, your input would be appreciated. That will lessen my time to canvass.

I'm not too familiar with Nikon long glass, but if I were on a tight budget, I'll probably get a Bigma (50-500) or a Tamron 200-500. The Bigma has HSM and a wider zoom range, while the Tamron is a tad lighter and a bit cheaper. IQ are both equally decent wide open, and very good at about f/8.

Romy

@romy...
just checked the sigma 100-300 f/4 review here...http://www.naturephotographers.net/je1001-2.html
looks pretty good.

and yup, been trying to do some research and there's not much choice for nikkor long zoom glass beyond 300, just the 80-400 f/4.5-5.6 and 200-400 f/4.
altho there are the primes, 500 f/4, 600 f/4, 400 f/2.8, 800 f/8, 1000 f/11, 1200 f/11.
of these, per thom hogan, he rates the 500 f/4 as the
"near-perfect birder's lens (the perfect birder's lens would always be about 200mm longer than the one you brought)"

hmmm... Marton...check these out...
http://www.outbackphoto.com/reviews/equipment/Nikon_VR_80_400/Nikon_VR_80_400_TC_14A.html
http://www.flickr.com/groups/birdguide/discuss/72157594179178363/
note on this second link the post by darhawk...
the Nikon "FSA-L1 Digital SLR Camera Adapter" allows photography with Nikon F-mount digital SLR cameras and the line of Nikon Fieldscopes

atm, last but not the least...
http://www.digiscopingukbirds.homestead.com/Dslrphotography.html

Thanks Manny! :)

[quote=manny_illana]@romy...
just checked the sigma 100-300 f/4 review here...http://www.naturephotographers.net/je1001-2.html
looks pretty good.
quote]


Yes.... I highly recommend the 100-300 f4. Later, when you find that birding is your game, then you can invest in something longer...:)

Romy