Robin in Fresh Snow, Boulder, Colorado, April, 2013 (Nikon D90, a 12MP camera, with 70-300mm f/5.6 Nikkor lens at 280mm, f/5.6, 1/2000sec, ISO200, heavily cropped, raw file processed in Adobe Photoshop Elements and Color Efex Pro plug in)
A Request
I recently received the following message from a good friend:
“I have started doing a little photography with my young son and we use a Canon Rebel T1i with a 55-250mm lens. I’d like to have a lens with better reach–can you recommend something economical?”
He included a sample image of a bird that was actually quite good.
So, what would be the advice?
First, I am absolutely not a wildlife photographer.
But, there are some basic principles that apply, so I offered up these thoughts… along with a few lens recommendations.
Some Suggestions
–Use the camera and lens you have until you have milked absolutely everything out of it–that is, until it becomes frustratingly clear that your equipment is the limit and not simply your technique or knowledge of the camera.
–In terms of equipment, it will likely be the lens that is your eventual limiting factor rather than the camera (as you have noted!)–unless you are trying to capture, say, birds in motion in which case the camera’s autofocus system becomes very important.
–Study your subject. Learn the habit patterns of the wildlife you want to capture. When and where are they active? What are their daily and seasonal migration/living/nesting/grazing patterns?
–Work on your ability to “stalk” your subject in a safe and ethical way.
–Learn the various techniques to separate your main subject from the background, such as using larger apertures (smaller f-stop numbers) and choosing a distraction-free line-o’-sight.
–Don’t get too hypnotized by your beautiful subject in the viewfinder. Look elsewhere in the frame also, with the goal of eliminating distractions. For example, check the background, do a ”border patrol” around the rectangle, and shoot in favorable light that avoids extreme highlights/shadows (unless that’s the artistic effect you want).
–If you don’t have the reach with your lens, consider wider “environmental portraits” showing your critter surrounded by its typical (or atypical!) habitat.
–Try to catch wildlife in flagrante delicto, that is, in the act of actually doing something. Record that interesting behavior.
–Digital doesn’t use up your film, so don’t hold back. Take a lot of pictures–you can always delete the losers when you get home. Consider using burst mode to catch that bird just as it takes off or lands–one frame is bound to be decent.
–If you are trying to freeze action, consider bumping up your ISO so you have an adequate shutter speed, which is usually at least 1/250 to 1/1000 depending on what you are shooting, which way it is moving, and how far away it is. Hummingbirds require some super high shutter speeds to freeze, so Google is your friend if you are dropping down that rabbit hole.
–Consider deliberately not freezing the action for a different, more abstract, effect. Or, you could pan along with the animal thus blurring the background.
–Remember that you can use cropping in post-processing to effectively make your lens “longer”. Obviously, if you wanting to print large this has limitations, but for web-sized images this can be a useful option.
–Shoot in raw so you have more latitude to tone down excessive highlights and bring up detail in the shadows. (Editing software: GIMP is free, Adobe Photoshop Elements is about $100 and is very, very capable.)
–Those who get super serious about wildlife photography will usually end up spending some big bucks on lenses. Those fast (f/2.8) 300mm to 600mm lenses can cost as much as a nice used car, and a solid tripod almost becomes a necessity.
–Finally, its fine to try copying what others have done as part of the learning process, but eventually try to come up with your unique personal vision as you travel the photog journey. That way, you can create interesting images no matter what camera/lens you happen to have–yes, even an old Brownie box or a plastic Diana!
OK, having said all that, yes, you will probably want to eventually splurge on something in the 300mm-600mm range. If you want to go budget, consider a second-hand lens from a reputable dealer (B&H, Adorama, KEH, Ritz), and even look at off brands such as Tamron or Sigma. Buying a fast f/2.8 lens with lots o’ reach is bank busting, so consider the f/5-5.6 max aperture option until you go full pro.
Some “budget” telephoto lenses that seem to have a good reputation (as of this date):
Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 $650 new (Canon or Nikon mounts)
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Sport $1,850 new (Canon or Nikon mounts)
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Contemporary $900 new $800-900 used, in excellent condition (Canon or Nikon mounts)
Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 $2,400 new $1,700-$2200 used, in excellent condition (for Canon)
Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 $1,600 new $1,000-1,300 used, in excellent condition (for Nikon)
Generally, the wider the zoom range, the more flexibility you have, but at a cost. The Tamron, for example, is inexpensive, compact, easy to hand hold, and has a very, very useful range, but you’ll sacrifice some image quality. That might be fine if you just post to the web, but if large prints are your goal you may notice the degradation. On the other hand, the Canon and Nikkor options are more expensive and are heavy bricks, but image quality is very good.
It’s all about your priorities… and compromise.
Whichever you choose, a really solid tripod may be your next priority purchase to maximize the potential of all of these lenses (turn off stabilization when on a tripod).
Here is a good [updated 2023] link for more basic info on choosing glass for birds/wildlife: 2023 Best Lenses for Bird Photography
Oh, yeah, one last thing… you could use a 1.5x or 2x teleconverter to increase your range. This is a cheaper option, but at a cost of an f-stop or two and a slight decrease in image quality. It might be a reasonable interim solution to get used to longer focal lengths until you can spring for that new lens.
Barcelona “wildlife”
An example of what passes for “bird photography” here in the city. Might this be an example of an “environmental portrait”? : )
Hotel W, #11, Barcelona, 2020
These strange creatures are more common in the city, thus an easier-to-find-and-photograph subject. Another “environmental portrait”?
Handstand on the Med, Barcelona, 2021
Occasionally, I’ll catch a bird in the field o’ view as I collect images for my “Structures” portfolio. In fact, I TRY to include at least one such ex-dinosaur if possible as well as other sky elements:
Hotel W, #5, Barcelona, 2021
Finally, a pair of Barcelona human beans at rest while the ships await their turn to enter the port:
Awaiting Port Entry, #2,, Barcelona, 2020
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