Canon Vs Nikon also Lens Help

[Suffolkringer]

Hi there,

I am an amateur photographer.... I am looking to by a low end DSLR eith Nikon D50/70 or Canon EOS 350D... Reading a few bits and pieces aI am now leaning towards the Canon mostly because of the Mega Pixel rate etc. Is this a good decision to make?

Now next thing is lenses... Here I come a little unstuck... I already do digiscoping but with the camera I want to do some wildlife photography, mostly to try birds, please bear in mind here that I am amateur and want to stay that way. I dont want to break the bank, so from what I have read the best bet is either Sigma or Tameron lenses... What lenses will I need. Also is it a good idea to get a x2 convertor? Is this a good move? Do you have to put the camera on tripod when x2 conv. is fitted?

Basically the short is what size lenses are good for shooting wildlife photography at an amateur level?

Hope someone can help...

Jon

[baillieswells]

Hi there,

I am an amateur photographer.... I am looking to by a low end DSLR eith Nikon D50/70 or Canon EOS 350D... Reading a few bits and pieces aI am now leaning towards the Canon mostly because of the Mega Pixel rate etc. Is this a good decision to make?

Now next thing is lenses... Here I come a little unstuck... I already do digiscoping but with the camera I want to do some wildlife photography, mostly to try birds, please bear in mind here that I am amateur and want to stay that way. I dont want to break the bank, so from what I have read the best bet is either Sigma or Tameron lenses... What lenses will I need. Also is it a good idea to get a x2 convertor? Is this a good move? Do you have to put the camera on tripod when x2 conv. is fitted?

Basically the short is what size lenses are good for shooting wildlife photography at an amateur level?

Hope someone can help...

Jon

Canon and Nikon all have their fans, they are both good makes. Personally I prefer Canon, I have a 350D and am well satisfied with it. The price has come down recently, and will continue to fall as it has been replaced by the 400D. If you want a new camera that is the one to buy.As for lenses, Canon L lenses are almost certainly better than most Tamron or Sigma lenses but generally much more expensive. Tamron and Sigma lenses are usually better than Canon cheapie lenses. As for convertors a x2 will reduce the aperture by two stops and thus will almost certainly inhibit automatic focussing, also x2 will almost certainly degrade the image. A x1.4 is almost certainly better and will have minimal effect on the image, other than the reduction in one stop. However convertors will only fit on a few selected lenses.

For large wildlife ie game I use a Canon f4 L 70-200mm lens and a Canon 1.4 convertor. For small animals and birds I have a Sigma 170-500mm lens, because I cannot afford large Canon lenses. Other people will give you advice on what is best for birding. I am not really a bird photographer probably taking only one bird shot for every five hundred other photos.

[Binoculators]

Hi there,
I have the Canon EOS 350D which I am well pleased with (I bought it with bird photography in mind) and I am sure I am still not using it to its full potential.
If I were you I would check out the 400D which has just come out and doesn't cost a great deal more (you get a much bigger LCD screen, some more of those lovely mega pixels and a weird self cleaning system that I don't understand).

As fas as lenses go, if you are on a real budget Sigma do a 70mm to 300mm APO which is quite cheap, but some of these cheapies are not compatible with 2x convertors - so check this too before you buy.

I find the tripod mounting is required at these long focal lengths (unless you can afford a lens with Image Stabilisation).

Ideally I'd like a Canon 100mm to 400mm L series IS lens with a convertor but its way out of my budget.

Hope I have been of some help.

[postcardcv]

You'll be fine with either Nikon or Canon, both are good options (with pros and cons), so eth best bet is to try both and see which you prefer. Handling can be a big issue so spend soem time with them if you can, both cameras are capable of taking good pictures.

As for lenses, the best cheap(ish) long lenses are the Sigma 170-500 or the Tamron 200-500, both are excellent lenses for the money. While they will not deliver the same sort of image quality as expensive prime lenses, they are a lot cheaper.

As for a 2x tc, don't waste your money. TC's are really designed for use with prime lenses and tend to severely degrade image quality when used on zoom lenses.

[Keith Reeder]

Excellent advice so far.

Although I use Canon now (long story...) I'd like to put a few words in about the Nikons - specifically the D70.

That's the camera I started with last year, and it's a fine bit of kit.

Subjectively I prefer its handling, because I have large hands/thick gingers. The "feel" and ergonomics of a camera really can matter, and some people have made their final decision on that basis alone.

The image quality is unquestionably high, and I take the personal view that it loses nothing to the 350D due of its smaller sensor.

It is a robust piece of kit: the 350D always felt a "plasticky" to me, whereas the D70 feels like a proper camera.

So, even though I use a Canon 30D now, if I had to choose between a D70 and a Canon 350D, I'd still have the D70.

Lenses...

I started with a Sigma 135-400mm, and it is wonderful for the price.

These were taken with the D70/Sigma - all handheld at 400mm

I'd only owned the kit for three months when I took these, which gives an indication (if nothing else) that it doesn't have to be the steepest learning curve...

[postcardcv]

It is a robust piece of kit: the 350D always felt a "plasticky" to me, whereas the D70 feels like a proper camera.

While this is a comment that is often made about the 350D (and I do knwo what people mean about it's feel), I don't think it's a big issue. I've been using a 350D for over a year now and have never had any concern about it breaking. It may be a bit plastic, but is still robust.

[Keith Reeder]

Oh aye, Pete, it's subjective - that's why I made a point of saying that the 350D felt plasticky to me - and for me, it was an influence.

Point well made though - none of these cameras are going to fall to bits in the hand...

[gmax]

Oh aye, Pete, it's subjective - that's why I made a point of saying that the 350D felt plasticky to me - and for me, it was an influence.

Point well made though - none of these cameras are going to fall to bits in the hand...

Agreed Keith,
subjective feeling always plays a strong role when choosing a camera; in any case, the 350D is rather small, but its relative size may be not so important when it is used - as I do - mainly on a tripod; furthermore, adding a battery grip does improve its handling (which I suggest, given its battery's life, ca 600 shots)

Max

[johnruss]

I have a Nikon 50 with a Sigma 50-500 lens, I love the units mated together. When I was shopping I asked several times on BF which to buy. The lens that most folks suggested was the Sigma 400 mainly because of size. I am a big boy, I bend metal for a living, and seem to handle the weight well. I have yet to use my tripod. Point is get what your bank can afford. Be careful of the cheaper style of lens as the have plastic bayonet connections which could cause more monetary problems in an accident.
when I bought my Nikon 50 it was recommended for what I do but the 70S model wasn't out. The one I really want cost over 4,000 dollars which is to extreme for my bank. Buy what you can afford. Most package deals come with a 200mm lens and a 1.4 converter would enhance that very well. Then there is the program you would want for processing your captures. The basic adobe elements works well now but as my coffee can gets fuller I am looking at the complete package. A lot of shots that are done well in the right format can be zoomed in on and you will be surprised what you get.