300mm limitations.....

puyjapin

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Ive just got the 70-300vr, which i am very pleased with. Its a nice lens. Im quite new to all this and I was hoping 300mm would give me some reasonable wildlife shots but even at 300mm I cant get close enough really. Only by zooming after thus losing sharpness. Whats the minimum realistically for wildlife/birds??
Also if i used a teleconverter would the VR still function ok?
 
Birds are usually supposed to be taken with 500mm, and I don't know. I would check by googling it.
 
Most people agree that 500mm is pretty much a minimum for birds and wildlife.

Take a look Photo.net's Bird Photography FAQs.

As for teleconverters, you can't use them with slow zooms like the 70-300 VR. For example, the 2x converter costs you two stops of light. This would make the lens an effective 140-600mm f/8 - 11, which is pretty useless, plus you'd have a lack of sharpness from using the teleconverter and using it wide open.
 
You need a Fixed 2.8 for TC use.
 
so fixed means the aperture is not adjustable at all? nut the focal length is adjustable?
 
No, what Alex is talking about...is a lens with a constant maximum aperture.

For example, your lens has a maximum aperture of what; 4.5 to 5.6? The maximum aperture changes as you zoom the lens.
A fixed/constant max. aperture lens would be something like the 70-200mm F2.8. It's maximum aperture is F2.8 all the way through the zoom range.

With either lens, you can still adjust the aperture smaller...but the maximum is the important part to take note of.
 
well u have enlightened me, sounds ideal, if i had the money!
 
I shoot with a 400mm prime on a film body (full frame), I generally try for roughly 30 to 70 feet from the subject with the occational 30 feet and under.

lol had a sparrow push me back about ten feet the other day, he was inside minimum focusing range :lol:
 
While you technically don't need a fixed aperture the 70-300 would not work well with a teleconverter. The 1 stop drop in light would cause autofocus to give up completely, and on top of that at 300mm this lens is far from what I would consider sharp enough to bolt on a teleconverter.
 
IMO, a TC on that lens is not a smart purchase. Even with a 1.4TC, the degradation is likely to only piss you off with regard to IQ and then add on to that the drop in aperture.

I do have a 300mm f/4 prime and a 1.7TC and the results are not that bad. But this is an apples and oranges comparison though.
 
If you do not have the funds to get a prime lens longer than 300mm or a 300mm prime and a teleconverter, then I would suggest practicing patience. Seriously! Try sneaking slowly and patiently or hiding and letting the birds and animals come closer to you.

I am a very impatient man, so I bought the 600mm f/4 IS and just in case I drank too much coffee that morning and am really on edge, I can slap my 1.4 teleconverter on. LOL
 
for wildlife (especailly birds) one can never have enough focal length. Of course many of the longer lenses are way too expensive for many people to go for - and even if you are keen to go for them they will take a good long while to save for.

So if your stuck with shorter lenses you have 2 options:

1) get closer to the animal.
Tracking an animal/bird is not easy and its a skill all in itself before you even think of the camera. Look up on hunting/tracking websites and resources since the basic method of getting close is the same for both activities (just that you shoot with a camera ;))

2) get the animal to come closer to you.
Again this is simlar to the above in that its also a hunting method, but this time around you are staying hidden in one spot and getting the animal to come to you - this can be done with feeders (bird feeders for example) and a hide - it will take some days for the animals to get used to the whole setup and to come to the feeders but once they do (if it is a safe place to feed) they will come more often. Note that if your using feeders in the leaner parts of the year (say autumn and winter) then you have to keep them filled for the animals - not just stop as things get rather cold for you as you have made a reliable food source for the animals and they will rely on that food (if you suddenly take it away they will suffer as a result).
Also try to keep some cover around the feeders and also (for birds) branches for perches = that way you can get shots without the feeders so the shots look "natural". This is a widly used method and used by "pros" as well as amateurs - I have even seen people do this (in wooded areas) on random field trips - just spread some seeds around a log or site and come back a few hours later to see what has been attracted (some camo gear from an army surplus store can be a good aid here)
 
IMO, a TC on that lens is not a smart purchase. Even with a 1.4TC, the degradation is likely to only piss you off with regard to IQ and then add on to that the drop in aperture.

I do have a 300mm f/4 prime and a 1.7TC and the results are not that bad. But this is an apples and oranges comparison though.

Just to add: Nikons TCs will not work with that lens, you'd have to buy 3rd party, but agree, NOT the way to go.
 

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