Camera and lens for Wildlife and Sport photography

[SCraig]

... Most people say K-5 and E-3 is some of the best constructed bodies.

Most people? I've never heard it said, or read it said, or said it myself. I've never seen such a poll anywhere either. Perhaps you should have said "Some" people or "A Few" people or "Sony Users". Did someone start a poll that asked every photographer what the best constructed body is? Otherwise it's hard to believe that "Most" stated that Sony was.

And how can Nikon outpreform pentax and sony when they all use the same sensor?

The actual Sony-manufactured sensor is no more or less important than the rest of the entire system. All the actual sensor does is measure light amplitude on each pixel. The Bayer array, which may or may not be Sony, I don't know, processes the chroma information. The metering system, the exposure firmware, the image processing firmware, the body, the mirror and pentaprism / pentamirror system, the shutter system, and everything else are Nikon or Canon. Everything has to be designed to work hundreds of times on a small battery without recharging (and I might point out that the absolute WORST battery eaters I've ever owned were Sony cameras). The camera is designed to repeat everything hundreds of thousands of times, with absolutely repeatable accuracy, and without major failure.

That Sony-manufactured sensor is unquestionably important to the overall system, but it's nothing without everything else.

 

[table1349]

yeah i am wavering between thoes. I need 8FPS becouse i like the high rate to take some nice shots. And sappper6fd.. that was alot of bullcrap. Olympus and pentax make damn good camera bodies. Most people say K-5 and E-3 is some of the best constructed bodies. And how can Nikon outpreform pentax and sony when they all use the same sensor? And yes pro`s use canon and nikon becouse they where the big boys realy. And many of the pro`s cnat risk the change of brand and maby not get the same results as they got with the other system they used. So i ask for help not fake facts. So let people who have experience and have real facts answer please.

back to the topic. If i am staying out a whole day in the winter with a 7D and a lens. What can i buy/get to make the condition for the camera better?

Let me elaborate for you on your points since I have been shooting sports and wildlife (bears, cougar, wolves, elk, dear, eagles and hawks) for the last 35+ years.

Burst mode. You rarely need burst mode. It sounds cool, but in truth, one of the keys to a great sports shot is capturing the moment. Burst mode or Spray and Pray is a hit and miss at capturing the moment. Kind of like shooting a firearm. The good shots hit the target consistently one shot at a time. Spray and prey is just a hope. Good sports shots come from Knowing the game, the rules and the participants, their strengths, their weaknesses and their tendencies. When I am on the sideline shooting football at say OU, OSU, Texas etc. I have studied the starting lineup of both teams, offense and defense and can anticipate the action.

Bodies. Pentax and Sony make decent bodies as are the Nikon and Canon. In your price range none of them are all that for rugged.

Sensors. They do not in any way shape or form use the same sensors. Canon produces their own. Nikon sensors are made by Sony to Nikon's exclusive design. Each has their own sensor design and performance. Canon and Nikon Sensor generally out perform the others.

The big boys don't use Canon or Nikon cause we are "Big Boys" Sports is not a one lens game nor is wildlife. Here is my basic gear list for sports:

Canon Bodies:

1D MkIV
1D MkIII
40D

Zoom Lenses

Tokina 11-16 f2.8
Canon
16-35 f2.8
24-70 f2.8
70-200 f2.8

Prime lenses
Canon
24mm f1.4
35mm f1.4
50mm f1.4
85mm f1.8
100mm f2.8
135mm f2
200mm f2
200mm f2.8
300mm f2.8
400mm f2.8

Notice that there is nothing slower that f2.8 in the group. Two reasons. 1st, anything slower that f2.8 is fine in the sunshine but too slow under the lights indoors or out. Secondly one of the differences between a sports snapshot and a striking sports photo is good use of DOF. For most sports you want just enough DOF to capture the action in focus but have all the players etc in front of and or behind the action out of focus. That makes the action POP.

As for facts, well you might want to do some research. Sony & Pentax don't make the cut for sports for several reason. Their high ISO performance lacks compared to Nikon and Canon and that counts when you are shooting indoors or outdoors under the lights. Neither makes the range of lenses needed either. One quick example you can't find a 400mm f2.8 prime being made by either company presently.

If you are budget shooter for sports and wildlife and want to concentrate on sports I am going to suggest you look at a 70-200mm f2.8. It will give you the speed you need, although it will lack a bit of reach. I am going to suggest Canon or Nikon for the reasons listed above.

Keep in mind that a lot of the same reasoning goes for wildlife photography as well. The golden hours are some of the best times to shoot a lot of wildlife, not the middle of the day under the noon day sun. You need faster glass and good ISO performance unless you are actually looking to mostly shoot birds.

 

[MLeeK]

yeah i am wavering between thoes. I need 8FPS becouse i like the high rate to take some nice shots. And sappper6fd.. that was alot of bullcrap. Olympus and pentax make damn good camera bodies. Most people say K-5 and E-3 is some of the best constructed bodies. And how can Nikon outpreform pentax and sony when they all use the same sensor? And yes pro`s use canon and nikon becouse they where the big boys realy. And many of the pro`s cnat risk the change of brand and maby not get the same results as they got with the other system they used. So i ask for help not fake facts. So let people who have experience and have real facts answer please.

back to the topic. If i am staying out a whole day in the winter with a 7D and a lens. What can i buy/get to make the condition for the camera better?

Pretty sure I said a few times a weather sleeve.
For rain you can use the cheapies, but if you are worried about REALLY FRIGGIN COLD then a good sleeve/storm jacket with some hand warmers. Vortex Media SJMY Storm Jacket Cover for SLR Camera SJMY

 

[stened91]

yeah i am wavering between thoes. I need 8FPS becouse i like the high rate to take some nice shots. And sappper6fd.. that was alot of bullcrap. Olympus and pentax make damn good camera bodies. Most people say K-5 and E-3 is some of the best constructed bodies. And how can Nikon outpreform pentax and sony when they all use the same sensor? And yes pro`s use canon and nikon becouse they where the big boys realy. And many of the pro`s cnat risk the change of brand and maby not get the same results as they got with the other system they used. So i ask for help not fake facts. So let people who have experience and have real facts answer please.

back to the topic. If i am staying out a whole day in the winter with a 7D and a lens. What can i buy/get to make the condition for the camera better?

Let me elaborate for you on your points since I have been shooting sports and wildlife (bears, cougar, wolves, elk, dear, eagles and hawks) for the last 35+ years.

Burst mode. You rarely need burst mode. It sounds cool, but in truth, one of the keys to a great sports shot is capturing the moment. Burst mode or Spray and Pray is a hit and miss at capturing the moment. Kind of like shooting a firearm. The good shots hit the target consistently one shot at a time. Spray and prey is just a hope. Good sports shots come from Knowing the game, the rules and the participants, their strengths, their weaknesses and their tendencies. When I am on the sideline shooting football at say OU, OSU, Texas etc. I have studied the starting lineup of both teams, offense and defense and can anticipate the action.

Bodies. Pentax and Sony make decent bodies as are the Nikon and Canon. In your price range none of them are all that for rugged.

Sensors. They do not in any way shape or form use the same sensors. Canon produces their own. Nikon sensors are made by Sony to Nikon's exclusive design. Each has their own sensor design and performance. Canon and Nikon Sensor generally out perform the others.

The big boys don't use Canon or Nikon cause we are "Big Boys" Sports is not a one lens game nor is wildlife. Here is my basic gear list for sports:

Canon Bodies:

1D MkIV
1D MkIII
40D

Zoom Lenses

Tokina 11-16 f2.8
Canon
16-35 f2.8
24-70 f2.8
70-200 f2.8

Prime lenses
Canon
24mm f1.4
35mm f1.4
50mm f1.4
85mm f1.8
100mm f2.8
135mm f2
200mm f2
200mm f2.8
300mm f2.8
400mm f2.8

Notice that there is nothing slower that f2.8 in the group. Two reasons. 1st, anything slower that f2.8 is fine in the sunshine but too slow under the lights indoors or out. Secondly one of the differences between a sports snapshot and a striking sports photo is good use of DOF. For most sports you want just enough DOF to capture the action in focus but have all the players etc in front of and or behind the action out of focus. That makes the action POP.

As for facts, well you might want to do some research. Sony & Pentax don't make the cut for sports for several reason. Their high ISO performance lacks compared to Nikon and Canon and that counts when you are shooting indoors or outdoors under the lights. Neither makes the range of lenses needed either. One quick example you can't find a 400mm f2.8 prime being made by either company presently.

If you are budget shooter for sports and wildlife and want to concentrate on sports I am going to suggest you look at a 70-200mm f2.8. It will give you the speed you need, although it will lack a bit of reach. I am going to suggest Canon or Nikon for the reasons listed above.

Keep in mind that a lot of the same reasoning goes for wildlife photography as well. The golden hours are some of the best times to shoot a lot of wildlife, not the middle of the day under the noon day sun. You need faster glass and good ISO performance unless you are actually looking to mostly shoot birds.

Woah, Nice answer. So for about 3.5k what combo?

 

[stened91]

... Most people say K-5 and E-3 is some of the best constructed bodies.

Most people? I've never heard it said, or read it said, or said it myself. I've never seen such a poll anywhere either. Perhaps you should have said "Some" people or "A Few" people or "Sony Users". Did someone start a poll that asked every photographer what the best constructed body is? Otherwise it's hard to believe that "Most" stated that Sony was.

And how can Nikon outpreform pentax and sony when they all use the same sensor?

The actual Sony-manufactured sensor is no more or less important than the rest of the entire system. All the actual sensor does is measure light amplitude on each pixel. The Bayer array, which may or may not be Sony, I don't know, processes the chroma information. The metering system, the exposure firmware, the image processing firmware, the body, the mirror and pentaprism / pentamirror system, the shutter system, and everything else are Nikon or Canon. Everything has to be designed to work hundreds of times on a small battery without recharging (and I might point out that the absolute WORST battery eaters I've ever owned were Sony cameras). The camera is designed to repeat everything hundreds of thousands of times, with absolutely repeatable accuracy, and without major failure.

That Sony-manufactured sensor is unquestionably important to the overall system, but it's nothing without everything else.

Heard of Google? Try Google it. And you wil find something like Flickr: Discussing OT: 7D weather sealing in Olympus E-System Community

 

[Derrel]

I would buy a Nikon D3s. Not a D3, but a D3s. I would much rather have that body than a Canon 7D.

 

[stened91]

well yeah. but D3S + lens is more than 3.5k

So if i go with 7D what lens should i buy?

 

[Stevedevil]

Hello, Your budget will probably be a factor, All I will add is that if you can afford "Image Stability" in the Lens then im sure the camera does not really matter, as the lens is the important bit in sports photography, so the 70-200 IS Canon is awesome, as I have one and had a 350D now have the 7D, and I admit the 7D does handle it better

 

[stened91]

i have been reading on diffrent forums and 7D vs D7000 sites.. D7000 looks like a cool camera. Looks like its better with higher ISO than 7D.. but is it slower to focus than the 7D?

 

[Stevedevil]

Higher ISO just means its grainier at high end, Im probably the wrong person to ask as have the 7D and the Canon 70-200mm L IS lens, and do lots of Motorsport photography

 

[stened91]

yeah but now its between 7D with 70-200 IS I vs Nikon D7000 with 70-200 VR2

 

[Stevedevil]

If you can afford it, then your looking at 2 Pieces of kit that will both do the job very well, Just see how they each feel and how you like their actions etc, comfort and ease of control are important....

 

[stened91]

And then the question comes, becouse i just read something on a forum. Sony a77 with a 70-200 aswell or a zeiss 135 with TC.

 

[Stevedevil]

It will be you using the camera and lenses, forums just try and give their view, you need something to take the images, once you get the kit the fun starts, get what you feel good with, all companies are out there making the equipment, and all equipment has its plus and minus, reading Magazines doine tests on Lenses and bodies, will show that some are better than others in differing tests... Get what you can afford, then enjoy using it, then the fun really starts.....

 

[stened91]

But how whould a 135mm be for sports? and with a TC