bird lense

[art_kramer]

what lense should i get for taking bird shots??? i can't afford the

fast tele's, so i was thinking to 300 F4 nikon for my D70 and also

the 80-200 f2.8. with the 1.5 factor on my camera that would give me

a slow 450mm or a real fast 300mm. don't really want to add a

converter because that just slows down an already slow lens. i know

most of the people here have huge lenses, but i can't spring for one

of those.thanks

[mark_chappell]

Hi, Art. Given a choice, I'd definitely pick the 300/4 over the 80-200/2.8 for birds, especially

if you have or can get a good 1.4X converter. For daylight bird photography, you don't really

need a superfast lens. One of the favorite lenses for Canon users is the 400/5.6, which is

about the same as what you'd get with a 300/4 + 1.4X. With your D70, the latter

combination would have a field of view equivalent to about a 630 mm on a 35mm film

camera. Not bad at all.

[pradeep banavara]

The 300 mm would be a tad too short for birds even with the 1.5x factor depending on what size of birds you shoot. Buy the 300 f4 plus the 1.4 TC or buy the 80-400 VR. The 80-400 VR is not fast enough for shooting birds/action is what users say.

[greg s]

I love using a 300mm f/4 with a DSLR... really a nice combo.

 

Every photo in this folder was taken with that lens on a Fuji S2. For some I used a Kenko Pro 1.4x TC. That was my tele prime for the Australia trip because I wasn't in the mood to deal with the 500mm.

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=529326

 

I've been contemplating an 80-400 VR (or Sigma equivalent) for a long time, but have not bought one yet.

 

Cheers, -Greg-

[art_kramer]

most TC's won't work with a lens too slow, right??? i had one that wouldn't work on my zoom because it was too slow. the lens wouldn't focus, the auotfocus went nuts.

[klix]

If it's within your budget, do yourself a favor and get the AFS version of the 300/4. Also, add a TC-14E converter. On your D70, you get the same angle of view as a 630mm and f5.6.

 

That should give you enough reach. Tracking birds in flight would still be iffy since the D70's AF module may not be fast enough, but that's a different thread.

 

KL

[greg s]

The Keno Pro 300 1.4x TC works quite well with the orig Nikon 300mm f/4 AF... and that's being driven by the Fuji S2 lowly CAM-900 focusing gizmo.

 

There have been many conversations and spirited debates about what the CAM-900 will and will not do, but I can tell you from lots of experience that it can do more than one might think. That sugar glider pic was taken at night using a flashlight so I acquire focus. I have a spider pic taken in pitch dark with only myself holding a flashlight.

 

My point is that the 300 + 1.4x TC is not a totally marginal combo in terms of usability. Stunning in-flight shots = generallly doubtful. Sharp, in focus shots of subjects that aren't moving much (pick your moment) = generally no problem.

 

That's been my experience. -Greg-

[chris_leck]

Very nice images, Greg.

[hayward]

Art, you have one of those unsolvable riddles: how to get a bird lens that has decent speed and AF and doesn't cost a boatload. I've used the very sharp Nikon 300 f/4 AF (not AFS) with and without a Tamron SP 1.4x TC on a D70. Without the TC, 300mm is too short. With or without it, the AF is too slow. The 80-200 is too short with or without a TC and the AF is too slow, unless you have AF-S. I have the 70-200 VR AF-S, which is fast-focusing, but too short for birds.

 

I shoot birds with a Sigma 50-500mm, which has its limitations, but has the reach and fast AF needed. The max. aperture is too small, but that was a trade-off I could live with. The sharpeness is pretty good, but not as good as the 70-200 VR.

[keith turrill]

I use the Tamron 200-500 f4-5.6 USM with a Canon 10D for birds. The camera is a 1.6X sensor and most of the time I need the full 500mm focal length.

[dennismk]

You know guys, there is no free lunch hunting for a good bird lens. The 300 AFS with a telaconvter sounds like the closes thing. I have the Nikon 80-400 VR lens and love it for lots of things. But for bird on the wing it is tough to get to focus. I was down in Homer Alaska a few weeks ago shooting Eagles on the beach feeding and I went through a 1 gig flash card and came back with about 40 shots that I put in my portfilo here on PN. Some of them are pretty good some are a bit soft. But the lens sure did hunt a lot for on the fly. Cacthing a Eagle at rest it was very sharp. The shots in my wildlife Portfilo were all shot with the Nikon VR as well. All were hand held and maybe next time I will try a monopod. I was also shooting the eagles at 800iso which was a bit to high for eagles in flight on 13x19 paper. That big glass just costs to much money!