Bird watching - What camera would you recommend?

[Overread19 7]

Nobody asked what you are going to do with the photos. I suggest you might want to spend more if you are trying to sell to a publication than if you will just archive them on your computer for personal use.

Eh I don't see how if you're professional or not really has any effect.
If you have the money to spend and can justify the cost to yourself and won't leave those dependant upon your earnings suffering then by all means get the best kit you can afford. Doesn't really matter if you're putting the shots in national geographic or on your desktop background or facebook profile - get what you can afford and do your best with it

 

[huntsman]

Great answer, Overread - thank you.

baturn, this is purely for personal use...but I won't turn a job down either!

 

[huntsman]

Take a look at this site. The photographer there use Canon equipment and should give you some idea. Camera body, lens and settings info are listed below the photo. So you know what those equipment are capable.

Uccelli: Varie by Juza [JuzaPhoto]

Of course, Nikon, Sony, Pentax or Olympus should be able to do the same.

Just spent some time on the site. Absolutely wonderful!
Thanks!

 

[Dao]

Take a look at this site. The photographer there use Canon equipment and should give you some idea. Camera body, lens and settings info are listed below the photo. So you know what those equipment are capable.

Uccelli: Varie by Juza [JuzaPhoto]

Of course, Nikon, Sony, Pentax or Olympus should be able to do the same.

Just spent some time on the site. Absolutely wonderful!
Thanks!

I assume after browsing that site, you may notice the key elements for those beautiful images are the lenses and the photographer. Some of those photos were taken with a Canon 350D or 20D which announced back in 2004. So if you have a limited budget, spend more on the lens instead.

 

[table1349]

This will do nicely.
Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) 5253B002 B&H Photo

Pick a lens...
Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Lens 4412B002 B&H
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Telephoto Lens 5125B002 B&H Photo
Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens 2746B002 B&H Photo

Don't forget support....
Gitzo GT3541L Series 3 Mountaineer 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod
Wimberley WH-200 Gimbal Tripod Head II with Quick Release WH-200


You're all set.

You are a very cruel fellow, g99..! :lmao:

Actually, other than the body I suggested, the lenses and support are on the money. Wildlife photography is only slightly less demanding on equipment than sports photography. Since my main focus is sports one of my bodies is a 1Dx.

Long reach for low light is expensive and good support is a must.

 

[huntsman]

Dao - point is well made. My only concern from one camera to another is that some are simply not able to do - physically - what others can do. ISO ratings, ability to add a TC and so much more.

I'm trying to ensure that I get the best camera for my buck, but fully realise that lenses will make the difference. I'm also entering my twilight years (53) so holding a longish lens is not easy for me so a tripod might well be worth looking at - more expenditure. Of course, if I go for the 100-400mm, it has IS which might negate the tripod need, so much planning is still needed and this thread is very helpful.

That said g99's last sentence sums up what I plan to do: Low light, long range...

 

[CheepShot]

I recommend a D7100 with a used Sigma 150-500 OS and a DGX 1.4x TC for general birding. The Sigma is much lighter than a 300/2.8. For low light, any stabilized 70-200 with the TC. For long shots, a Pentax Q (5.5x crop factor) with the 50500 OS does a great job, YouTube videos are available. The D7100 will autofocus with tc's up to F8.

The D7100 offers a good enough buffer in cropped mode to shoot 25 shots or better before filling up. The 51 AF points and the ability to autofocus with a TC even on a cheap 70-300 makes it a gem for amateur wildlife photography. I also recommend a good car window tripod and use the car as a blind.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Gavjenks]

For around the $1100 that the OP said he has, starting with zero equipment, and preferring Canon, I would suggest:

Body: A halfway decent CROP sensor body like the Rebel T3i (~$700). For two reasons: 1) you can't afford much else, 2) Crop sensors are wonderful for bird watching, since everything you shoot will be at long focal lengths. Crop sensors are MORE cost effective than full frames at long focal distances (you rarely get close enough to fill a full frame with a bird at your budget, so you'd only be paying for pictures with more leaves in them if you bought a full frame)

Lens: Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (~$500) Absolutely fantastic lens. Why it is not "L" I have no idea.

Total = $1200, and can take some killer bird shots. I don't have exactly that rig, but with a very similar one:

Sorry it's not a bird, but you get the idea. Taken from about 5 feet away, handheld, oh a whim while passing by some milkweed on the way to work.

The only bird I have on hand from that lens is a teensy bit blurry, but this is literally the first bird I ever shot with it, and it was also un-prepared, on a whim, on the way to work (I didn't stalk the hummingbird for half an hour or anything to get it just perfect). Note that the non-perfect motion capture is intentional, for artistic effect. On a bright day with f/5.6, it would have been trivial to completely freeze the hummingbird in motion.

Also from ~5-7 feet away.

 

[Gavjenks]

Note: if you can find a camera body that has a higher framerate (shots per second) than that one with the allowed budget, that might be preferable. I think shots/second is probably your #2 priority on camera bodies (after crop sensor). Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of options at that price, and I didn't see anything dramatically faster. T3i is ~4 shots a second, and 34 in a row without stopping to buffer. A 7D by comparison can do 8 per second and about 100+ in a row, but also costs a massive $700 more and leaves you no room in your budget for a lens

 

[huntsman]

Thanks for the input fellas - I think I am going to have to get great glass for whichever camera I choose, but the budget stated is really just for the body, so I can manage the 7D secondhand.

Lenses are another story, and I will certainly not manage both before Christmas, but I have no problem getting the camera and putting it away whilst I save for a good lens.

Lovely pics, Gavjenks!