Question by : What is a good lens for wildlife photography?
I have a canon 500d and I really want a lens that can reach distances but is still sharp and not too expensive. I’m really into wildlife photography but I don’t have the right lens for my digital equipment.
Best answer:
Answer by ed
When shooting wildlife it’s important to get the biggest zoom you can afford. With the ability to zoom you can capture great shots without scaring the animals or putting yourself in danger of being attacked by more fierce creatures. Not sure what your budget is although I have found this 70-300mm lens in the link below to be pretty good!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=details_accessories&A=kitInfo&Q=&sku=397663&is=USA
What do you think? Answer below!
You need a long lens, 300mm and above really so you can sit from far away.
Canon’s 300mm f4L IS is an amazing lens, it’s relatively inexpensive compared to it’s competitors.
Alternatively the 100-400mm L is also an option, but I’m not a fan of the rather old fashioned push pull operation.
You also have the option of the Sigma 120-400mm and 150-500mm lenses, these are also inexpensive and useable all the way out if you need. Any 70-300mm isn’t really any use beyond 200mm, the construction means it’s just too soft wide open.
Your final choice is the Canon 70-200mm f4L + 1.4x extender, gives you the 70-280mm range, with no compromise in quality.
Basically without compromising too much on quality you’re options are:
Canon 70-200mm/4L + 1.4
Canon 300mm/4L IS (+1.4)
Canon 100-400mm L
Sigma 120-400
Sigma 150-500
For a little less than $ 1000 you can get the 150-500mm zoom lens by Sigma. 500mm is what I would consider to be in the mid range for wildlife. 300mm is fine if you can get close enough to your subject… not good enough for birds, though. The ideal would be an 800… but there are no good 800′s out there for less than $ 7,000. Stay away from mirror lenses… so the Sigma 150-500 would probably be your best bet for the money. It has very good reviews. I plan on getting one myself. It will be the only non-pro lens I’ll have for my Nikon D700.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_nowak/
The longer the focal length the better. Search around at sites like B&H and Adorama and see what they have. They have used equipment departments that you may find something there. Also don’t forget ebay. I’ve bought a few things there and it’s always worth a look.