Need help choosing a wildlife lens

[dave wyman]

<p>I'm late to the party. I think Cynthia made a great choice, because it will give her the most flexibility. </p>

<p>I think, too, she will find herself more often closer to 200mm than 400mm, at least in Yellowstone. It's just too easy to come close - not too close! - to many animals in the park, from ground squirrels to bison. I say this having been to the park at least once a year for the past 17 or so years.</p>

<p>Without a doubt, in the past few years that I've had my 18-200mm lens, that's the lens I've used the most. After that it's my 400mm prime. Although I have a 70-300mm lens, I've left it home some years. </p>

<p>It's great to be able to fill a viewfinder with the eyeball of a bison or a bear, but some of the most affecting photographs of animals can put them in their surrounding environment, too.</p>