bird lens

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JJuLLiAAn
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bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

I just mad an account on the field herp fourms and I am going to get the Nikon D3100 mabay to day, and then I am going to buy a lens I am wanting a telephoto in the price range of about $500 any suggestions would be great, and any pictures taken with any lenses that you suggest would be great.









Thank you
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ksuglennj
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Re: bird lens

Post by ksuglennj »

The best bird lens for your buck is the f4 300mm. Now it does run about $1100 new, but maybe you can find a used one in your price range. I had the 70-300 (a cheaper lens), but it was not near as good. I wish I would of saved my money and just bought the 300 to start with. Maybe Sigma makes a good bird lens that others know about. Below are some old examples of the 70-300.

Hooded merganser
Image

Tufted titmouse
Image

Fox sparrow
Image

One of my best ones with this lens, barred owl
Image

Worked decent for a night football game
Image

Glenn
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

I just looked on adorama.com and it was $1149 used and I make around $100 a month but I can't wait around a year to get a good lens, but thanks for the advice.
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

also it dosen't have to be a bird lens I am just looking for something with a good zoom range something like 200mm or 300mm.
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ksuglennj
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Re: bird lens

Post by ksuglennj »

The 70-300 seems to be pretty good out to about 250 and then it drops off in a hurry. It is so slow out around 300. This is a link to some photos shot with the f4 300 for comparison: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3996. I know money is always an issue and a tough one to get around. Maybe others have some good ideas, but I would highly recommend shopping around for some used ones. The old manual lenses are still good glass and can save some cash.

Glenn
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Nir
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Re: bird lens

Post by Nir »

I love my Canon 70-300mm IS USM!

The birds have to be pretty close for good shots, but I still get good shots (IMO) often enough. It is not an expensive lens.

Here are some examples I took with it

Image

Image

Image

Image
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

Canon only makes lenses for Canon camaras,and I am geting a Nikon but Thanks for the advice those pictures do look good.
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

Ok I think I am going to save up a little bit more money and buy the Canon T1i.
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Nir
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Re: bird lens

Post by Nir »

Sorry, I did not realize you were looking up Nikon. If you go for canon, the lens is great. With Nikon, I have a friend who used the AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm which is basically the equivalent of mine and he did great shots too of those same birds.
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

I was going to get the D3100 becuse it is a cheep starter DSLR but I want Canon I was going to get Canon when I was older and I could get a job becuse Canon is more expensive but I am just going the canon T2i now and not later.
J-Miz
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Re: bird lens

Post by J-Miz »

At this point, just about any DSLR can give you excellent results. More important than exact model of the body is what system (Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, etc) you want to dive into. I think Canon is an excellent choice as there are many cheap secondhand lenses available. I would recommend buying a used camera and used lens...save yourself some dough by buying from a place like fredmiranda.com or photography-on-the.net. Register to view the buy/sell ads. Check your local craigslist. I'm seeing Canon 40D's going for $400-$450 regularly...and that's one helluva camera! Canon T1i's will be at around the same price (saw one for $350 last week with a kit lens!). At $400-$450 you can get the Canon 70-300mm IS. For the price, it is hard to beat...as you can see by those sample photos above.

Just remember that when you buy your DSLR, you are buying into a system. Don't choose a Pentax DSLR if you like Nikon lenses...vice versa, etc. FWIW I chose Canon and have never regretted it.
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

What websites do you see those 40D's on.
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

I just looked on adorama.com and thay had one for $650 used but it only has 10mp and the T2i is only $700 new without the kit lens so i think I am going to get the T2i.
J-Miz
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Re: bird lens

Post by J-Miz »

Register on the sites I listed above. I won't have internet access other than on my phone until Thursday...but I will try and remember to find you some good deals then. Another camera that is super cheap but stillba.florid is the 30D. Often about $300.
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

Those old camaras just aren't really up to date compared to the T2i or the D3100.
J-Miz
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Re: bird lens

Post by J-Miz »

Unless you want video, there isn't a whole lot a T1i or T2i brings to the table that a 30D/40D doesn't have. You will get much better results investing more in your lens selection than in camera body selection. As well, camera bodies lose value quickly while lenses more often retain much of their value. For example, 1d Mark III's were priced at $3500+ a few years back but now you can grab 'em for as low as <$1300. Meanwhile, lenses of that caliber like the 500/4 IS have gone up in value.
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Nir
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Re: bird lens

Post by Nir »

I agree with J-miz. The lenses are much more important than the body. For exemple, the photos above were taken with a 5 year old Canon Rebel XTi... Unless you want video, the T2i will probably not give you better photos than a 40D. So far, I've invested more money in lenses and I do not regret it... I intend to buy a new body once I'm done buying more lenses...
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

10mp's dosen't seemm like enough to me, J-Miz what camara do you youse and what lens do you youse the most.
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jason folt
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Re: bird lens

Post by jason folt »

10mp is more than enough believe me. Listen to the advice you are getting.

Many of the photos on this site are taken with Canon 20Ds, 30Ds, 40Ds, etc.

I shoot with a Nikon D200, probably 5 years old now, 10mp. I also keep putting money into glass and have just repaired my camera a couple of times. I don't really have any justifiable need for a better body (but the new ISO capabilities would be awesome). I will ride this one until it falls apart.

Jaosn
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

The 40D is only $50 less then the T2i and I think it would be a better deal to get the T2i.
J-Miz
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Re: bird lens

Post by J-Miz »

I use a couple cameras...my go-to herp camera is a 10mp 1d Mark III. I have used/played with the xti, t1i, 30D, 40D, 50D, and 7D as well. I don't like the rebel series as much as the xxD series bodies personally. Regardless, if I had, say, only $1000 to spend on my complete setup, I would probably own a 30D and spend the rest on lenses.
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

The 40D only has 3200 ISO this also this is going to be my first camara so I have to be able to youse it and I just think that the t2i is better.
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jason folt
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Re: bird lens

Post by jason folt »

It sounds like you mind is made up. Go with your gut.

That said, I doubt you will be shooting at ISO 3200 or more all that much. A camera not having ISO > 3200 will not at all prohibit you from using it. Have you shot with an SLR before?

Jason
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Kevin Price
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Re: bird lens

Post by Kevin Price »

The 40D is only $50 less then the T2i and I think it would be a better deal to get the T2i.
Why? Have you held both in your hands to compare how they feel? Do you know the differences between how the two cameras operate? Megapixels are only important if you print large sized images or you shoot commercially and need large sizes for what your client requires. A 6MP camera can print a 4x6 image just as well as a 21MP camera can, and at that print size you would not be able to tell the difference between the two, I guarantee it. Megapixels are primarily marketing hype to make you think "More is better".
Those old camaras just aren't really up to date compared to the T2i or the D3100.
Can you give examples of what you mean? I shoot with a 40D and can explain why I prefer it over a Rebel series camera. It's about how it feels in my hand and how the controls are set up, it's about the ease of use in shooting it in manual mode compared to a Rebel, it's about a myriad of other reasons that have nothing to do with how new it is. I have thousands and thousands of dollars invested in Canon equipment, primarily all lenses, and the advice you've been given about buying into a system is very important; heed it.

I've been following this thread since you first posted it and it appears that you are fairly new to photography. That's great; this is one of the best places on the web for advice and help no matter what your skill level is. Never stop learning. But you need to know that there is more to photography and making quality images than buying certain types of cameras or the lenses that others are using. The camera is just a tool, and honestly the camera is less important than good quality lenses. Camera bodies are very similar in their performance and how they render a digital image, but it’s the lens that makes the biggest difference. It’s the lens that allows for more or less depth of field in an image, not the camera. It’s the lens that allows you to shoot in low light with a lower ISO setting (though that is changing). It’s the lens that you sought when you first posted this thread about a bird lens.

Ask yourself these questions:
What do I want out of a camera?
What do I want to do with it?
What type of photos am I looking to shoot?
If I buy a Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, and so on, am I willing to stay with that system?
Does the brand I like have enough equipment for me when I want to expand my photography and skills?

It sounds like you are like the rest of us here; short on cash all of the time. It’s important to know what you want and how you’ll use it and then spend your money accordingly. It’s OK if you don’t know the answers to all of those questions, the answers to some of them will always change based on your experience and the photographic style you will tend to gravitate to. Don’t buy something on a whim because you'll wind up wasting your money. The advice here on buying a used camera is good, regardless of what manufacturer you choose. Work with that camera and develop a good basic understanding of photography. Soon you will have a very good idea of what you want and don’t want, and why.

As for ISO, have you seen an image printed at 3200 ISO? Have you taken an image at 3200 ISO, and if so why? I have only gone beyond 800 ISO once, it was during an evening jazz concert I was photographing in available light. My fastest lens with me at the time was a 70-200 f4, and as the light faded I ran out of shutter speed to keep from getting blurry images. I had to raise my ISO considerably and paid for it by a loss of image quality. Have you envisioned when you would need ISO over 3200? Similar to megapixels, there is a lot of hype regarding ISO ratings. Only the most expensive DSLRs have good quality images at very high ISOs, but even then the photographers using them understand the limitations of it and work around not having to use such high ISO's in the first place.

So, back to your original question about a bird lens. You need to know what brand camera you want and then prepare to stick with that system. If you want Canon then buy Canon, same for Nikon, Sony, and so on. A little understanding on why you prefer one camera over another will go a long way. Once you decide on the camera body, the lens choice becomes mostly one of cost and how much you are willing to spend.
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

This is going to be my first camara I have never yoused a camara besides a cell phone camara so I really don't now what would be the best camara for me and yes I am gong to invest in the lenses alot more then the body, and do you now of any other places to buy a used 40D I want to get good lenses and the cheaper I get the body the more I can spend on the lens Thanks
J-Miz
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Re: bird lens

Post by J-Miz »

Another thing to consider might be your hand size. If you are female (I take it, as your name seems to indicate "Julia") you may actually be more comfortable with a smaller rebel series camera. If that is the case, you may want to look at an XS or XSi if you do not need video. Regarding video, I do have a camera with video capability...but in order to process/edit you'll need a decent computer with some RAM and a video editing program. I haven't starting working with video as of yet...maybe someone else can chime in there.

Here is a sample image I took the other day with a 10-megapixel Canon DSLR. PM me with your email address if you want a full-size version, so you can see how large a 10mp image really is (and thus seeing how little you really need any more megapixels).

Resized image:

Image

More important than camera body for acquiring this image was lens choice (Sigma 180mm macro) and external flash (Canon 550EX). An old Canon Rebel XT would have given me similar results, but an 18-55mm lens would not have cut it in this case.
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Nir
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Re: bird lens

Post by Nir »

I thought I'd post this.

First is the original picture (no crop) resized at roughly 800x600.

Second is the original picture that I cropped to show full picture (not resized but cropped).

It goes to show that megapixels (10.1 in this case) are not very important.

Image

Image
J-Miz
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Re: bird lens

Post by J-Miz »

Ah, this is what I was looking for!

I played around with a 30D which I bought in a package deal off ebay (I really wanted just the lens; the packaged price was excellent). Anyways, I did play around with the 30D and decided it was a stellar performer. I only took a few shots, but loved the way it felt in my hands...like 40D's little brother. Here is a shot taken with the 30D (8.2 megapixels...plenty!):

Image

Since I like Nir's idea of showing the uncropped, resized image and then depicting a 100% crop, here is my take:

Image
American Toad in my backyard, shot with Canon 30D, Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX HSM Macro, Canon 550EX external flash

As you can see, the 30D (a "mere" 8.2 megapixel camera) produces quite well. Used copies can be had for $275-$375; I just found an excellent condition copy with less than 5000 actuations for $350. Score!

Again, if you want the full-size jpeg of this toad image to see what an 8.2 megapixel camera can do, just send me your email.
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

No I am not a girl but I am a bit younger so smaller would be better and I think I want the T2i, but this post is about what lens to get so it would be great if you had any suggestions.
J-Miz
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Re: bird lens

Post by J-Miz »

What is your total budget? You mentioned $500 for a lens, but how much OVERALL? What do you want to acquire with this budget? Obviously you need a camera body, but what next? Are you mostly looking for a telephoto for birds (Canon 70-300 IS is a goodie for a decent price)? Are you looking to shoot herps (macros are popular, from 60mm-180mm, and non-Canon brands are just as popular)? A nice walk-around short telezoom in the 17/18-50/55mm range (Canon 18-55mm IS is best for a budget, Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 non-VC is popular if you can swing more)? Medium telezoom (Canon 55-250mm IS good for the price, Canon 70-200mm f/4 non-IS even better but more expensive)? There's a million ways to build a system...everyone has their own interests/priorities. For me, I shoot wildlife. The next guy might shoot weddings, and so on.

Here's some links to check out:

http://the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ (awesome buy/sell forums)

http://www.fredmiranda.com/ (again, awesome classifieds)
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

I am looking for a good lens for wildlife shots it dosen't have to be a bird lens just something that I could take pictures of pretty far away animals in the price range of about $500 becuase I have a very limited budget to make $500 it would take me around 3-5 months but I am willing to save.
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Owen
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Re: bird lens

Post by Owen »

You may want to look at the Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD. It's supposed to be very sharp and it does have the vibration compensation (anti-shake). For shooting birds, I prefer something that goes out to 400mm of 500mm. I have a Tamron 200-500mm zoom and Sigma makes a 150-500mm. Both are available under $1000, but not by much, so maybe a bit out of budget.

You can still get decent shots with 300mm if your subject is close enough. I took this eagle with a 70-300mm Sony zoom on my 12MP Sony. It was circling around overhead and got close enough for some decent pix.

Image
JJuLLiAAn
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

I am starting to wonder if I should get a macro lens.
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

I'm not going to get a macro lens but I am going to get the Nikon D3100 becuase my brother is going to get Nikon but I like Nikon to.
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

how do you put pictures on FHF?
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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

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Re: bird lens

Post by JJuLLiAAn »

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