Beginners Bird Photography Setup - What to get?
- Thread starter Maltese
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Low budget photography - Nikon solution: look for the following used equipment
D70 (D70/s) + Nikkor 500/4 P lens.
2nd priority purchase - a good 1.4 converter (Kenko Pro or modified TC14E/E II)
The D70 is about the lowest cost dSLR body available today. This does appear in B&S every now and then.
The 500/4 is a manual focus lens with electrical contacts; ie you will get metering with the D70 - no need for guesswork on exposure. Expect to pay about $2k+ for them. The last piece that was sold on B&S closed at $2.3 or thereabouts. I think I have seen a copy lying around in TCW? too
Practice like crazy the manual focusing. Practice to get it sharp and fast using your eye to judge, don't depend only on the focus indicator. You probably lose more shots due to OOF, but what to do :dunno: this is bird photography on a tight budget. Check and change new spectacles if you need them
Next, get a good tripod and head combo. The 500/4 needs a good tripod. Look at Manfrotto for good set of tripod. (good starting point will be the 055). Get a good ballhead. If Arca Swiss is out of the budget, may look at the Arca Swiss copies - that Kangpinr** (I never know how to spell or pronounce that brand
) or Benro (I have not used either of these before, I have just touched them in the shops, feels OK, but I don't know about actual field use - any peculiarities)
This is bird photograhy on $4k+ vs bird photography on > $10++ k, in which you get a 500/4 or 600/4 af lens, highend to pro body, good tripod and head setup ($1.5k CF tripod + AS head or even Wimberley gimbals)
D70 (D70/s) + Nikkor 500/4 P lens.
2nd priority purchase - a good 1.4 converter (Kenko Pro or modified TC14E/E II)
The D70 is about the lowest cost dSLR body available today. This does appear in B&S every now and then.
The 500/4 is a manual focus lens with electrical contacts; ie you will get metering with the D70 - no need for guesswork on exposure. Expect to pay about $2k+ for them. The last piece that was sold on B&S closed at $2.3 or thereabouts. I think I have seen a copy lying around in TCW? too
Practice like crazy the manual focusing. Practice to get it sharp and fast using your eye to judge, don't depend only on the focus indicator. You probably lose more shots due to OOF, but what to do :dunno: this is bird photography on a tight budget. Check and change new spectacles if you need them
Next, get a good tripod and head combo. The 500/4 needs a good tripod. Look at Manfrotto for good set of tripod. (good starting point will be the 055). Get a good ballhead. If Arca Swiss is out of the budget, may look at the Arca Swiss copies - that Kangpinr** (I never know how to spell or pronounce that brand
) or Benro (I have not used either of these before, I have just touched them in the shops, feels OK, but I don't know about actual field use - any peculiarities)This is bird photograhy on $4k+ vs bird photography on > $10++ k, in which you get a 500/4 or 600/4 af lens, highend to pro body, good tripod and head setup ($1.5k CF tripod + AS head or even Wimberley gimbals)
skf said:
One of the best piece of of practical advise, glad to here from you skf. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I have taken flight shots using S2 Pro and also superfast flight shots using manual focus before and this as what skf has mentioned its just a matter of practise, practise
I will post some images to show some example of using manual focus as well as using not so fast camera
This series was taken using manual focus also
While equipment is important and will here tremendously, working around the limitation of the equipment and budget can get you good result, as skf has very well put it.
Cheers
While equipment is important and will here tremendously, working around the limitation of the equipment and budget can get you good result, as skf has very well put it.
Cheers
Hi skf,
I'm also a newbie interested in bird shooting.
Just wanna know if the 500/4 P lens you mentioned abt, works on the D1H?
And do you mind telling me the full model of the lens?
Thanks
I'm also a newbie interested in bird shooting.
Just wanna know if the 500/4 P lens you mentioned abt, works on the D1H?
And do you mind telling me the full model of the lens?
Thanks
The 500 f/4 P skf is referring to should be the AI-S 500 f/4 P, metering will work, but focusing is manual.stinkyfoot17 said:
MF tele is very recommended for those who wanna shoot birds and on tight budget. but u will take "some" time to master it...
and i mean the learning curve is very tough... shooting birds is the same as shooting sports... very intense and high action.. (flight shots and landing..)
that standard is possible to achieve, but like i said. takes time....
if you are patient. save up abit more get a AFS 300 F/4 and stack, or if not a AFS VR 300 f2.8.
and if u do not wish to spend too much annd get good performance, the longest range and a auto focusing lens. this maybe recommended. although lens is old. but it performs!
a) AF-I 500mm F/4
b) AF-I 600mm F/4
c) AF-I 400mm f/2.8
its rather cheap to get it in US thou... 3k++ USD to get a used copy, theres recently a used AF-S I of a 500mm F/4 at a very attractive price too.. condition wise, acceptable, but i dunno about the lens and mechanisms internally...
and i mean the learning curve is very tough... shooting birds is the same as shooting sports... very intense and high action.. (flight shots and landing..)
that standard is possible to achieve, but like i said. takes time....
if you are patient. save up abit more get a AFS 300 F/4 and stack, or if not a AFS VR 300 f2.8.
and if u do not wish to spend too much annd get good performance, the longest range and a auto focusing lens. this maybe recommended. although lens is old. but it performs!
a) AF-I 500mm F/4
b) AF-I 600mm F/4
c) AF-I 400mm f/2.8
its rather cheap to get it in US thou... 3k++ USD to get a used copy, theres recently a used AF-S I of a 500mm F/4 at a very attractive price too.. condition wise, acceptable, but i dunno about the lens and mechanisms internally...
i dunno what his nick is, but Arthur, pls show your face here. I've met him once or twice and he used to shoot superb photos with a FZ10 and raynox adaptor. Comparable with us using super teles. I'm sure many can attest to that. He's now using a d50 and a tamron 200-500 i think and the shots are still superb. Know your kit, thats probably the best advice anyone has ever given me.
On an aside, i think most of us who shoot birds will be able to tell u, there's never a lens long enough. I personally use a 800mm f5.6, but then i start shooting subjects that are at 1200mm range. Previously, i shot a 400mm and i thought 800mm would solve my problems. Its easier to learn bird behavior and proper camo techniques and then just work on getting in closer. a 300mm is brilliant for flight shots, and with a 1.4/1.7x, good enough for perched shots.
On an aside, i think most of us who shoot birds will be able to tell u, there's never a lens long enough. I personally use a 800mm f5.6, but then i start shooting subjects that are at 1200mm range. Previously, i shot a 400mm and i thought 800mm would solve my problems. Its easier to learn bird behavior and proper camo techniques and then just work on getting in closer. a 300mm is brilliant for flight shots, and with a 1.4/1.7x, good enough for perched shots.
i dunno, i think his full name is arthur chng. That said, i could be way off. I'm not very good at this names thing. Either how, his fz10 with raynox 2.2x was close to 800mm. I hardly call that small arms....
Am no expert, but here's a interesting article I picked up while surfing:
http://www.nikonsportoptics.com/digiscope.php?group=15&subgroup=152&num=1
http://www.nikonsportoptics.com/digiscope.php?group=15&subgroup=152&num=1
szekiat said:
and his luncheon meat lens hood.... :bsmilie: :bsmilie: the best DIY lens hood i seen....
anyway digiscoping is a budget system if u dun wanna burn ur pocket big time..
but i tell you.. the quality u get is for documentation purposes only. not really possible for you to take, print and appreciate it... even for digiscoping, the lens will cost abit. but why not save that abit and aim for something better to use with DSLR ? or a SLR ?
not really recommended i must say... but if really wish to go into birding. its better to save up like me... a AFS 300 f/4 would suffice for some birding.. but better to save up...
birding is about reach. AF is 2nd. pple dump MF to go for faster lens. because of how simple it is to shoot with AF. with MF it will take a while before you master your lens.
birding is about the biggest glass you can afford. i am not joking. you see the pro birders.. all using 500 / 600 lenses. even for amatuers.. they use the same setup!
i used to shoot with 70-200 stacked. but get limited success...
save up.. i must say...
nothing beats a slr or dslr with a prime super tele on..
skf said:
like skf said. MF need to practice like crazy... so i hope u get wad i mean.... learning curve is very big.... takes time...
take some time and save up... get a AF lens and u will be extremely happy with your purchase.... 14-15k(lesser in states or HK) for a 600mm is worth it.. if u are willing to save up!
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