birding-aus

Digital SLR for bird photography

To:
Subject: Digital SLR for bird photography
From: David Stowe <>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 21:28:39 +1100
Bob,
Don't forget that you won't get autofocus if you use a teleconvertor on a lens with a max aperture of f5.6 or worse.
(unless you buy a Canon 1 series body).
All the mid range/lower end SLRs only focus to f5.6. Adding a 1.4X takes it to a max aperture of f8
(2X = f11).
Sorry this relates to Canon - have no idea about Nikon but assume it to be similar...Alistair or Paul???

Cheers
Dave Stowe

PS- i agree with the comment about getting better glass before a better body. Digital cameras (SLRs included) are like computers and get outdated/better every year. A good lens will last a lifetime. And forget the twin lens kit with the Canon! The longer lens in that kit is crap and i know a few people who have ended up getting 100-400 in the end anyway due to the disappointment in the performance. It is cheap in the kit because it is cheap.



On 09/12/2008, at 6:54 PM, Bob Cook wrote:

Russell

Yes, I think that for bird photography, the lens appears to be the key. The just above entry level bodies, either latest or nearly latest, seem now to
be excellent for supporting a variety of suitable lenses, either good
quality zoom or up to the 500mm high quality better aperture lens. And it appears that using a 1.4 or 1.7 teleconverter is OK, as long as it is a good
quality converter, but you do lose one f stop.

It is interesting to conclude that $3000 to $4000 is the cost to get to that
"better than entry level" with one good lens.

Then, one day, we can dream about the $25,000+ setup that the pros use.

Bob Cook

-----Original Message-----
From: Russell Woodford 
Sent: Tuesday, 9 December 2008 6:22 PM
To: 
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Digital SLR for bird photography

Hi Bob

Thanks for posting that summary so birding-aus readers can keep up
with the info you've been collating from around the web.

Much appreciated - I'm also thinking of heading down that path myself.
I have access to a Canon 400D at my school and I've enjoyed using it -
was even allowed to take it to Cairns for a holiday break! BUt of
course it goes back to the AV dpt once I'm back at school, so it would
be nice to have my own :-)

Apparently the 450D is a reasonable step up from the 400D. Canon
introduced the 1000D as its entry level "cheapie" so now there is the
choice of 3 levels before you get into the really expensive ones. From
what I've gathered from friends, it is worth spending as much or more
on the lens as on the camera. The canon 400 lens is a very nice unit,
but I wouldn't want to be carrying it a long way!  I've only used the
kits lens 75-300 at school but another birder let me try his 400IS and
it really was very nice to use.

Anyway ... just a dream at this stage, but it's good to have the info
- and of course important that this sort of data gets added to the
birding-aus archive!
That's birding-aus, not Oz!

Cheers

Russell

Russell Woodford


Learning Technologies Coordinator
Sacred Heart College Geelong
An Apple School of Excellence
http://www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/

On 09/12/2008, at 6:06 PM, Bob Cook wrote:

Thanks to you all!!

Much appreciated, excellent information has been forthcoming. And
the issues
I should consider.

It seems that for my needs / desires (budget) the way to go is with
the one
generation ago body, i.e. Canon EOS40D or Nikon D80 together with the
100-400 IS or 80-400 VR lens.  Still likely to be just over the
$3000 and
without any spare battery, filter, tele-converter, bag, etc.

Comments I have seen on the Nikon 80-400 VR lens is that it is slow to
focus.  Many user reviews have mentioned this.  Is this the same
with the
Canon 100-400 IS?  Any experience?

Regards
Bob Cook


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