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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dave Williams" data-source="post: 3337090" data-attributes="member: 53820">Much will depend on what kind of photographs and what kind of birding you want to do. If you are purely interested in taking a good walk and capturing record shots then a bridge camera is probably the answer.If you get hooked in to the photographic side then you will become more static, tend to seek out photo opportunities and start spending more and more money on equipment.Woodlands are by far the most challenging conditions as the sightings are often obscured and in poor light. If you want to practice find a suitable hide ( not necessarily a purpose built bird hide, a car, a building etc will allow closer contact with your subject) sit yourself down and wait. Using food to attract will help with lots of species.This kind of photography also means you can get away with less reach on your lens than might otherwise be possible but at the end of the day I think that somewhere around the 500mm mark is the minimum that you'll be happy with all the time. Consequently, a 100-400 lens on a 7D2 crop body, or a 500mm on a full frame and you are starting to get near to where you want to be.I don't know what lens(es) you have but an investment in glass is always considered the best way to go. Bodies are out of date almost instantly, the latest lenses will compete for years and years to come, particularly the prime L lenses. The latest Canon offerings for 400,500,600 lenses offer savings on weight more than anything else and you can buy a used 600mm Mk1 f4 for a third of the price of a new Mk2.</blockquote>

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