Eos 20D - Wildlife Lense? (1 Viewer)

Eos 20D - Which Lense?

Hi,

Hoping to take possession of an Eos 20D later this week.

Ideally i'd love the Canon 100-400mm IS lense (wouldnt we all?...lol) but ive stretched my budget already... :eek!:

So basically, im looking for a lense/teleconverter setup that will enable me to get some half decent bird shots. A t/converter doesnt have to be a part of the suggestion.

This is such new territory to me, so any ideas will be gratefully received...

Thanks

Tom

Hi Tracker

I use the Sigma 135-400mm lens & i`m guite happy with it,I do have a 1.4tc this however does give you an f8 aperture & sometimes the lens will hunt.I do know that a few people on BF use the 50-500mm Sigma with good results.I think at the end of the day it depends on how much you have to spend.Also with 8mp of the 20D you will be able to crop the image a bit more & still have plenty of detail.Hope this helps i`m sure more experienced users will be able to offer more advice.

Regards Steve.

Tom,why not ring around the dealers and see if you can find a used 100-400 ,I did,people sometimes change their complete set up,eg Canon to Leica and then their lenses are incompatible,and one can buy at discount.

Steve, thanks for the suggestions you made. Ive just been looking at those lenses. Gives me an interesting option.

Christine, a cool idea. Im in town tomorrow, so may check out the local camera stores. Thanks.

Btw, how are things going with your 20D? You seeing the benefits?

Tom

Like Stevo I also have the Sigma 135-400MM and I am well pleased with it. Bit cumbersome but then so is the Canon 100-400MM. Warehouse Express (again) had the Sigma on offer at a bargain price of £299.0.

Off to your gallery now, Geoff...... **Hmmm, seems to be empty??**

Thanks for the recommendation.

Tom

Dont forget compatibility if your thinking of buying Sigma, or any other 3rd party Lens manuafacturers !!!

As the EOS 20D is very new there may be some issues as to if older Sigma Lenses will actually work with the body !, so try before you buy, or visit the Sigma website to see which do and dont work properly.

The only reason I mention this is I currently use a Canon EOS 50e, and I have a Sigma 300mm f4 APO HSM which works perfectly, I am planning to go Digital in the new year, but I really need to know if my existing lens works or not, If not then I'm adding at least another £1000 to my non existant budget !!!!!

Regards

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the considerations.

I have a feeling that the above lense recommendations are already being used by 20D users, but i will double check. Thanks.

Tom

Out of interest, why do so many of you use/want a zoom lens for bird photography?

I bought a 300mm and a 1.4x converter, AND an 80-200mm zoom, and I have never, ever wanted to use the zoom for bird photography. In fact, I kinda wish I'd not bothered with the zoom at all, and used the money to buy an even longer, faster tele.

I guess it sounds like a versatile instrument, but it'd be interesting to hear from all of those who bought (for example) a 100-400 zoom, how many shots they take at the 100mm end of the range?

It seems to me that the zoom feature reduces the speed and quality of the lens, and increases the bulk and weight, for little practical benefit (in bird photography).

To answer the original poster's question, I reckon it depends on how you organise your days out. If you're setting out specifically to take pictures, then get the longest, fastest lens you can afford, and the best tripod to go along with it. Spend any change on hiring a porter to carry it all for you.

If, like me, you normally go out birding but would like to take some pictures of anything interesting that you see along the way, then size & weight are a big consideration, and I'd recommend the 300 f4 (IS) +1.4x conv. It's a great compromise between bulk, performance and usability. The IS means that you CAN use it hand-held in good light. I also find that the perspective & magnification is approximately the same as my 8x32 bins, so I know that if I see something well through the bins, I'll get a reasonable photo.

I'd also get a Lowepro 'Minitrekker' backpack (around £50 I think). Scope, beanbag, eyepieces, bins, camera body, 300mm+1.4x, bits&bobs AND lunch will all fit in easily, and it's easy to carry around.

I'm also experimenting with a good monopod at the moment, rather than carrying a bulky tripod. Seems to work well - I use a beanbag in hides, and the monopod outside.

To be honest, I know that shots taken in anything less than bright sunlight are never really that interesting - they never have the 'wow factor' that everyone keeps banging on about. It doesn't seem worth the extra THOUSANDS of pounds to buy equipment that allows shots to be taken in dull or flat light.

Cheers,

Al

Al, thanks for a very thorough reply.
This area of photography is very new to me. So any advice offered that enables me to broaden my knowlegde base is always considered.
Ive heard a lot of positive comments being made regarding the Canon 400mm fixed lense. This will ultimately feature on my shortlist, as will the addition of a 1.4x converter.

I am very much a casual birder come photographer, always eager to take a shot when the opportunity arises. So, no spare change here for a porter....;(

Ive considered the monopod idea too, and also appreciate the backpack recommendation.

The whole venture of where to begin and what accessories, lenses etc is rather daunting. But, you gotta start somewhere....

Thanks for the ideas,

Tom

Scott67 said:

Dont forget compatibility if your thinking of buying Sigma, or any other 3rd party Lens manuafacturers !!!

As the EOS 20D is very new there may be some issues as to if older Sigma Lenses will actually work with the body !, so try before you buy, or visit the Sigma website to see which do and dont work properly.

The only reason I mention this is I currently use a Canon EOS 50e, and I have a Sigma 300mm f4 APO HSM which works perfectly, I am planning to go Digital in the new year, but I really need to know if my existing lens works or not, If not then I'm adding at least another £1000 to my non existant budget !!!!!

Regards

Click to expand...

I have a Canon EOS50E and bought a 400HSM lens earlier this year at a reduced price. I phoned Sigma straight away and they were able to take the lens in and re-chip it ( they asked for the lens receipt but they didn't require a receipt for a new Canon body).

I've not been able to try it on either a 20D or 10D yet, but I did have the opportunity to try a 1Ds and it worked fine on that!

I would contact Sigma now and talk to them -they're very friendly - to see if your 300mm is still re-chippable.

Hi Al

To try & answer your question on buying a zoom as opposed to a fixed lens,when I was looking at lenses then yes I would have liked to buy the Sigma f4.5 500mm fixed lens,or indeed the Canon equivelent but at the end of the day it came down to money.True I hardly ever use the shorter end of the zoom range,I hope to upgrade to the Sigma 50-500mm in the not to distant future & if I win the lottery(well that`s a different story!)

Regards Steve.

A 50-500mm zoom??!! Why??? Quality across a range like that MUST be compromised, and why on earth would anyone want a 50mm lens that's three feet long, and three stops darker than a normal standard lens??

Don't do it! Save for a bit longer, and get the Canon 400 f5.6 (or the 300 f4 IS) and the 1.4x converter. Much more compact & light, and MUCH better quality than any zoom which covers such a daft, enormous range. It's the proper tool for the job.

Cheers,

Al

I purchased the Canon 100mm-400mm IS lens earlier this year and am very pleased with its' results. I have, on occassion had to pull the lens back for bird photography - examples include Leach's Petrel at New Brighton and more recently, Black-throated Diver on Tynemouth Boating Lake (see images on my website, some were taken at approx 200mm + 1.6x mag from 10D camera body).

An advantage of the 100-400 is that it is very portable - the lens can be retracted for when not in use - I dump mine in a small backpack. With the 1.6x magnification of the 10D (and 20D), it is essentially a 640mm lens when it is at full focal length, with an aperture of F5.6 - so autofocus is not usually a problem. The lens can be used handheld, but I most often use a tripod.

Take your time in choosing a lens, and try various ones' out if you can. (I tried a 600mm IS recently.... and, erm... am now saving for one!!)

All the best

John

Hi John,

Ive just been looking at your website. Some excellent shots there.

Looking at, for example, the BT Diver, Goldcrest, Pied Wheatear and Masked Shrike, how close were you in order to get those shots? (were they all taken with the Canon 100-400mm IS? )

I used to use a Sigma 75-300 APO lense about 6-8 yrs ago, with a Minolta Dynax 500si, and i always felt it just didnt reach enough. Does the 100-400 make much difference, regarding pulling in the subject?

Thanks,

Tom

Answer to Al's question has one ever used the 100-400 at the 100 length.Yes,albeit not for long distance birding.A friend I met who was walking his dogs,asked me to take a couple of quick pics.I only had the 100-400 lens with me,his dogs were large and close by,I took several pics of them with the lens obviously only on 100,and they were great.Also birds very close up which suddenly appear in front of one.I just think it is very versatile,but find it is great for myself due to the fact it has the IS .Very important.
No,Tom,have not really practised a great deal with the 20D,weather etc,but it is the last camera I will buy,and I think it is a couple of notches up from the 300D,and am quite happy with it.I am waiting until you use yours,and you have sorted the settings,then I can ask for advice!!!

tracker said:

Hi John,

Ive just been looking at your website. Some excellent shots there.

Looking at, for example, the BT Diver, Goldcrest, Pied Wheatear and Masked Shrike, how close were you in order to get those shots? (were they all taken with the Canon 100-400mm IS? )

I used to use a Sigma 75-300 APO lense about 6-8 yrs ago, with a Minolta Dynax 500si, and i always felt it just didnt reach enough. Does the 100-400 make much difference, regarding pulling in the subject?

Thanks,

Tom

Click to expand...

Tom

Yes, all the images on the website are currently taken using Canon 10D/100-400mm IS. The BTD was, on occassion a few meters away to maybe a maximum of 12 meters away, Goldcrests were only a few feet away (I would not have been able to photograph them with say a 600mm lens - too close), the Pied Wheatear was between 5 and 10 meters away and the masked shrike was a little more distant - perhaps 7 - 18 meters away.

One of the many great things about digital photography is that you can either crop your images to highlight the main subject of the picture...or if it is not large enough, increase the resolution of the image in photoshop to enlarge the subject.

All the best

John

Thanks for those details John.

Is there an element of disappoint experienced when a person moves from digiscoping to DSLR bird photography? Im sure expectations could be dashed. I get the feeling when using a DSLR for bird shots, a person needs to be rather close and personal to the subject, is that right?

Tom

Hi Tom

With DSLR photography when you photograph small birds IE bluetit goldcrest then you do have to be fairly close to your subject,certainly more planning has to go into shot making.What I would say though is the sense of achievement is brilliant when it all comes together.As John Malloy has pointed out the ability to crop an image is of great benefit,there is a thread on BF somewhere where NigelBlake shows the cropping potential of the 20D with a photo of a Little stint.

Regards Steve.

Hi Steve,

Yes i think i saw that thread when he first posted it. It really is a fine example of the potential to crop well using the 20D.

LOL....as im writing this, the 2OD has just been delivered. So im off for a peek. Thanks for your reply.

Tom