Looking for a lightweight (by DSLR standards) setup for bird photography. (Looking to upgrade from my superzoom). Want at least 750mm (35mm equivalent) magnification with good high ISO images in JPEG. I'm thinking a compact DSLR body (e.g. Nikon D3100 or 5100 or Canon Rebel) together with a 100-300mm zoom telephoto with a 2x teleconverter might be the way to go?
This is for my personal enjoyment and ID shots. Don't want to go over $2500 (less is better). The image quality of the Nikon looks good, but I'm concerned by the lack of an external ISO button. Sony has some lightweight quasi-DSLR's that look promising (e.g. the new SLT-a35) except they are supposed to have very aggressive noise reduction which isn't good for feather detail obviously.
Any setup recommendations? Would a teleconverter be the way to go vs. a 400mm max zoom lens?
Jim
This is for my personal enjoyment and ID shots. Don't want to go over $2500 (less is better). The image quality of the Nikon looks good, but I'm concerned by the lack of an external ISO button. Sony has some lightweight quasi-DSLR's that look promising (e.g. the new SLT-a35) except they are supposed to have very aggressive noise reduction which isn't good for feather detail obviously.
Any setup recommendations? Would a teleconverter be the way to go vs. a 400mm max zoom lens?
Jim
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