Good lens for birds/wildlife? (1 Viewer)

Hi,

I am looking to buy my gf a lens for Christmas. I haven't a clue about photography unfortunately.

She has a D3000 and likes to photograph birds and wildlife. She only has the lens which came with the camera (18-50mm??) and from what I gather this is not suitable.

I have been researching for the last 2 days and come across the following 2:

Nikon 28-300mm VR
Nikon 80 - 400mm VR

My budget is up to £1000.

Would either of the above two be suitable? Is there a more suitable lens in the same price range?

Also, how would the above 2 compare to the Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 for example?

Thanks in advance :t:

I'm not to up on exchange rates and UK prices, but the Nikkor 300mm f/4 AFS should be on your list. Partnered with the 1.4x teleconverter, it is a very capable wildlife/birding setup for a crop sensor camera like the D3000. Any of the long lenses you are considering really benefit from good support, so a nice stiff tripod should also be under consideration.

The other thing to keep in mind with regard to the 300 f/4 is that the rumor mill is cranked up that this lens will be replaced next year with a new lens with VR (image stabilization). This will probably be a super-nice lens, but will move the price up significantly, I would guess.

I haven't used any of the lenses you mention, so cannot give specific recommendations. The 28-300 is more of a travel/do-all lens, and it's great for that, but may not be the best solution for dedicated wildlife and bird photography.

regards and Merry Christmas,

Jim D.

I think the D3000 only focuses with AFS lenses, which rules out the older (non-AFS) 80-400 and the newer model is out of your price range.

I wouldn’t get the 28-300. That zoom range is a real compromise and for birding the lens will be set at the 300 end most of the time.

I can’t comment on the Sigma, but I would heartily endorse the recommendation from Jim D. above to consider the 300mm f4 (which comes within striking distance of your budget see http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/Nikon/Nikon-FX-Lenses/Nikon-AF-S-300mm-f4-ED-IF-Lens ). You or she could add the 1.4 converter afterwards. They are a stunning combination.

Bill

gvca1 said:

The other thing to keep in mind with regard to the 300 f/4 is that the rumor mill is cranked up that this lens will be replaced next year with a new lens with VR (image stabilization). This will probably be a super-nice lens, but will move the price up significantly, I would guess.

Click to expand...

I predict the updated 300 f/4 lens will be way higher in price, but aside from VR/image stabilization advantages, it will offer an almost negligible improvement in image quality over the current model. At f/4 in a head-to-head comparison, the current 300mm f/4 was hard to distinguish from the f/2.8 VR lens costing over 4 times as much. See "Compared to Nikon 300mm f/4.0D AF-S'' on this page:
http://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-300mm-f2-8g-vr-ii/5.

Nonetheless, I'm sure a lot of people will upgrade to the newer more expensive lens when it appears, and then there will be lots more used copies of the current lens available. I agree with Bill: You will eventually want to add the 1.4X teleconverter at some point. And the 300mm f/4 lens is so good that it will sort of outclass the D3000 body, so someday you may also want to upgrade the body. And consider adding a monopod for added stability (to make up for the lack of image stabilization). But all of those things can wait until you are ready.

Happy Holidays!
--Dave

bill123 said:

Hi,

I am looking to buy my gf a lens for Christmas. I haven't a clue about photography unfortunately.

She has a D3000 and likes to photograph birds and wildlife. She only has the lens which came with the camera (18-50mm??) and from what I gather this is not suitable.

I have been researching for the last 2 days and come across the following 2:

Nikon 28-300mm VR
Nikon 80 - 400mm VR

My budget is up to £1000.

Would either of the above two be suitable? Is there a more suitable lens in the same price range?

Also, how would the above 2 compare to the Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 for example?

Thanks in advance :t:

Click to expand...

The Sigma 150-500 OS is a very good choice as a starter birdwatching lens and would match well with the D3000. Yes it can be bettered but for the money it is the cheapest reasonable bird lens.

I would support the 300/4 AFS lens too. I great lens and easy to handle. Add a nikon 1.4x and you're away.
Neil.

Might be above your budget but when the tamron 150-600 is available may be a superb option. Apart from that I would suggest the 300/4 Nikon plus a 1.4 tc.

I've heard US$1,500 mentioned for the new Tamron 150-600mm. That seems awfully low for a decent lens with (one would hope) some form of VR/IS, so if correct one has to doubt the quality.

Otherwise both the Sigma 150-500 and Nikon 300/4 (with either the x1.4 or x1.7 not the x2.0) are great. I'd go with the Nikon for the weight saving for your GF.