lenses/ camera (1 Viewer)

shrek48 · Jan 19, 2015

If you had about 1,000 pounds uk to spend on a lens what would you buy.
it will be used for birding and distance is a main goal.My last lens was a sigma 50-500. Would a named, ie nikon or canon lens like a 400 be better?

What reasonable camera body would you use? not expensive top of the range, but good used allrounder! maybe 500 pounds uk max.

My aim is to save some more money and get a dslr and lens for birding, for walking around and hide work. Like taking distance shots too. Weight is not a problem for me.

gandytron · Jan 19, 2015

You can pick up a new closing-out Canon 7D for GBP 600 with WEX at the moment. Stick on a 400mm f5.6 or a Tamron 150-600mm (those will both cost you less that GBP 1000 new, but both can be picked up for about 700 quid used).

shrek48 · Jan 19, 2015

Thanks,

Amarillo · Jan 19, 2015

Canon 7d and 400mm 5.6 definitely

shrek48 · Jan 20, 2015

Thanks, I went to a nikon p600 bridge and it was ok, struggled with the focus often, but was good enough for now. Sadly some kind chinese person, climbed 9 floors of a building on the outside mind you, broke in through a window and stole my new camera and 500 pounds in cash. Happy days, hence the need to get a new camera. Because of the focus issues and lightness of the p600 I will save more and go bACK TO
DSLR. Good starting point sounds like a good 400 lens and a 7d, always liked Nikon best, maybe a change to a canon will do me good. What Nikon would anyone suggest?
In the furture I want to get a really big lens as weight is really no issue for me, like the look of the new sigma 150-600 or maybe a nice 800 when i hav ethe money and a good used one comes up ;-)

ikw101 · Jan 20, 2015

If you check the used market you'll be able to buy a Nikon D300s plus a Nikon 300mm f4 and Nikon 1.4x teleconverter for circa £1000. This will give you an excellent 420mm f5.6. Camera lenses are investments aim to keep the the lens for as long as possible. Camera bodies come and go ideally aim to upgrade the D300s to a higher resolution body within a year or two.
If you choose the dark side the 7D and 400mm f5.6 is a very good, tried and tested combination.

Zackiedawg · Jan 21, 2015

Hard to imagine bargain-wise having a much more flexible, variable, good-IQ, and reasonably sized and priced lens than the Tamron 150-600mm at this point - for around $1,000 US it's a very good deal and IQ is quite good - in my experience with it, a fairly good step up over the Sigma 50-500, plus with more reach. The Sigma 150-600mm looks good too - but larger, heavier and twice the price - in the price you mentioned, the Tamron would fit perfectly.

Camera wise, the 7D if you want to go used, or Nikon D7100 might be within reach used...both should be quite good. Step up to the 7DII or D750 when you have more money and want to step up. On the Sony side, the A77II looks quite good, and fast - and quite reasonably priced - paired with a Tamron 150-600 it would be a good, light, and capable combo. Just a few ideas. Either way, I think the Tamron 150-600mm is hard to beat as a general purpose, highly flexible wildlife lens to cover all bases, and in your price range, until you build up more money to pop for some specialized and expensive primes.

shrek48 · Jan 22, 2015

Thanks, that is great info, just what I need. I have done some research and to my suprise the Canon 7d beats the Nikon d300 in every test I have read, mainly on clarity of the picture at a higher iso range, all double dutch to me sadly.The 150-600 sounds ideal and again only yesterday briefly looked at it, I loved my bigma 50-500 and as I said weight really is nor barrier for me.
I think as a starting point something like the Tameron 150-600 would be a good investment and do what I want, in a few years I will be looking for a specialised big lens just for distance.
Any more suggestions on the camera body, so far its the 7d, but always having a Nikon I will compare the d7100 as suggested.
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.

paulst · Jan 23, 2015

Re the Nikon D300, I have one of these and have been more than happy with it, paired with the 300mm f4 lens and 1.4TC. However you are correct about the noise issue at higher ISO. After much deliberation (anybody who owns a D300 will understand) I bought a D7100 to complement it. To be honest I haven't used the D300 since, the IQ (of the D7100) is definitely better. You will hear stories about the small buffer being an issue on the D7100. This may be an issue to some people but hasn't worried me, yet.
Both cameras are very capable.

shrek48 · Jan 23, 2015

Thanks Paulst, I will look for a lens first then a camera, hopefully a nice 150-600 Nikon fit will come up, then I can get a d7100. I think from what has been said here and the information /I can find online either option would surpass my skill level, so either would be great.
My goal is to have fun bird watching and taking their pictures and my ambition is to get at least one great shot that I can be proud of.
Some of the pictures on this forum are awesome and I would like one near that standard to be mine someday.
Right now bird watching in China is not good, there are very few birds anywhere here, I traveled 12 hours on a bus a few weeks ago and counted only a handful of birds on the route, much of the trip was through
countryside. Outside my school which has trees and scrub and wasteland, not developed there are a few pied wagtails, few sparrows and 2 blackcaps that I have seen in the last 5 months, a few magpies in the one park.

shrek48 · Jan 26, 2015

I can buy a Tamron 150-600 and a Nikon D7100 here in China for 1,440 UK pounds new, OE not copies, at that price it would seem crazy to buy used?
Would need to buy an sd card and a tripod ontop, think it's a good deal don't you?

Amarillo · Jan 26, 2015

shrek48 said:
Right now bird watching in China is not good, there are very few birds anywhere here, I traveled 12 hours on a bus a few weeks ago and counted only a handful of birds on the route, much of the trip was through
countryside. Outside my school which has trees and scrub and wasteland, not developed there are a few pied wagtails, few sparrows and 2 blackcaps that I have seen in the last 5 months, a few magpies in the one park.

I'm sure you know the area better than me, but you should try around Yangshuo. I stayed in the countryside there a couple of years ago and there were loads of birds.

shrek48 · Jan 26, 2015

Yangshou has a few birds but the Chinese have eaten or caught most of them, it is improving slightly here. I am sure there are many great places here but I have not researched where they are yet. My comments were a generalisation as here unlike other places I have been, bird sightings and songs are rare. eg as I said outside my school very few birds where as in comparison in my Thai school there were a lot more.

shrek48 · Jan 27, 2015

your opinion please, I can buy a new authentic D7100 with a 18-140 lens here for 400 uk pounds, very good deal?

Amarillo · Jan 27, 2015

shrek48 said:
Yangshou has a few birds but the Chinese have eaten or caught most of them, it is improving slightly here. I am sure there are many great places here but I have not researched where they are yet. My comments were a generalisation as here unlike other places I have been, bird sightings and songs are rare. eg as I said outside my school very few birds where as in comparison in my Thai school there were a lot more.

Yes I understand your point. Hopefully the Chinese will learn to appreciate their birds and other wildlife.

shrek48 · Feb 4, 2015

Still trying to buy a camera and lens, so many liars, cheats and fakes in China and it would seem no controls, so choosing a seller and paying them is a nightmare.
Trying to join the E bay equivalent here and its paying system, joined the site but taken a week to get alipay and still not done.....
Have decided on the Nikon D7100 and the Tamron 150-600

shrek48 · Feb 4, 2015

Finally after a lot of searching and heartache, lies, fakes and more lies I finally got my camera and lens. Nikon D7100 and a Tamron 150-600 all new, genuine, boxed at a reasonable price from a local shop.
Also got a 64gb card and a mono pod, also an extra battery.
Birding here I come ;-)

Frogfish · Feb 9, 2015

Congrats on your new set-up. It should do a fine job for you.

I have recently birded Yangshuo and it is far better than you give it credit for. I put a link up to my trip report in the China thread.

etudiant · Feb 12, 2015

Hi Shrek,
Congratulations on your new setup!
Please don't forget to keep us posted on your findings.
China is terra incognita for many of us, your images will help shed light.
So be generous, show us the people and the places as well as the birds.

shrek48 · Feb 17, 2015

Thanks guys, Not got to Yangshou yet with the camera butwas there a while back and seen virtually nothing. I have taken some advice given here and looked harder and I am finding some good stuff locally in Guilin.
Pictures, I cannot even get them onto flickr, i opened a new account there and it wont upload, cannot load onto fb either. how do you put them on here? please remember i am a complete idiot with a computer.

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