Fungi and Birds: A 3 second camera question! (1 Viewer)

Hello there!

I want to buy a quality digital camera (DSLR or not) to take pictures of both Mushrooms and Birds. I generally get within 20-30 feet of the birds I wish to photograph (mostly warblers). I manage to get quite a bit closer to my fungi subjects (!!!). My budget is under 1000usd, and I'm leaning towards the 300D (Eos Rebel) but I don't want to have to buy two lenses just for macro and birding.

OK. Think three seconds and give me your gut feel opinion (please)!!

THANKS!

jarrod

Jarrod,
Most zoom lenses include macro capability, so if you got a lens like this, you'd be all set for both telephoto and macro usage. I looked at a review of the Rebel "Kit" and the lens it comes with (18-55mm) doesn't seem to have a macro mode (at least it doesn't say "macro"), but I'm sure that other lenses have it.

Another option is to get something like an Olympus C-750 or C-765 (or any of the many other high-end non-SLR digicams nowadays with big zooms) which have a nice zoom lens and also macro capability.

Most zooms that offer a "macro" function don't offer true macro use, but they generally get reasonably close to 1:1 at the long end of the range.

Thanks, guys!

I was thinking quite a bit about the Canon S1 IS. As i mentioned, I wasn't focusing on the non-slr cameras, but I think that this is a good option. I will try to hit my local electronics store and try it out. I'll also try the Olympus cameras and let you know. Thanks again, and look forward to everyone else's comments.

jw

try the sigma 100-300, which has a macro feature.

regards,
JOb

Just stuck camera (Panasonic FZ1) against window to do test picture to show how much of frame warbler-sized birds would fill on camera with a ca 450mm lens (35mm equivalent) at about 25feet. To cover meself, better mention house sparrows are dull but not generally considered vermin in this part of the world :hippy: I'm assuming the 1.6x factor would apply to the lens Job recommends, but maybe someone could confirm.
Guess you'd need to go DSLR route if you aspire to something like A2 prints with reasonable detail. But then, image stabilised long lenses become prohibitively expensive and heavy if you hope to take hand-held pictures of birds. Don't forget to check out the Panasonic FZ series, now up to 5MP with the FZ20. And how about this for a rave review for the baby of the series, the FZ3 (probably a rival to the Canon S1 you mention) :
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz3/page9.asp
Happy hunting.

P.S.
Just saw this at dpreview site :
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0409/04091603nikoncp8800.asp