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Archive 2016 · Bird lens choice for Colombia

  
 
dorian
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


Hi Folks

It looks as though I will be heading to Columbia for ten days next month. Right now I am armed with my 7D2, 400/5.6, 500/4 v1, and 1.4x III

I am trying to figure out what, if any lenses might augment or substitute for these two, specifically for birds.

I feel that without IS, the 400/5.6 will be relatively useless. I will probably leave it at home.

The 500/4 v1 is my baby, but its big and heavy enough that I might not want to carry it around all the time. The trip is more birding- than photography-centric.

So, as I see it there are 3 options, all with IS to substitute for 400/5.6, and all smaller and more mobile than 500/4.

1) 100-400 II (could add my 1.4x in a pinch though f/8 in tropics is sssssslllllllloooooooowwwww)
2) 300 2.8 v1 (could use with my 1.4x and also pick up a 2x III - most birds will be stationary so slowed AF with 2x might not be a huge loss)
3) 400 DO II - the best, but by FAR the most expensive option.... (Could use with the 1.4x, don't think I'd need 2x with this)

I should say that I think the 400/4 II + 1.4x III would get quite a bit of use from me, possible even in place of my 500/4 much of the time. I travel quite a bit otherwise, and getting close to birds in SoCal isn't the issue, its getting the hell away from the people that presents more problems!

As I am waffling on what to do, any input would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Dorian


Edited on Feb 11, 2016 at 09:24 PM · View previous versions



Feb 11, 2016 at 12:33 AM
lowside67
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


The 7D2 + 300 2.8 + 1.4x is such a nice package. Decent reach, manageable size and weight, and for me, the option to get down to 2.8 in the early morning and late day buys you some extra time to shoot with some of the most forgiving light. I love the versatility of the 300 2.8, I don't use it with the 2x but it's almost as good with the 1.4x on as bare, I'm a big fan.

Hope that helps,
Mark


Canon 7D2 / 300 2.8 II @ F2.8, 1/250s, ISO1000.



Feb 11, 2016 at 01:41 AM
Tapeman
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


I like to travel heavy! I have spent considerable time & thought on how to carry a stupid amount of gear.(According to my wife.)

I'd bring the 500, 100-400, 17-40, 1.4X, and a tripod, minimum.
Make sure you have insurance and leave the 500 in your hotel when you don't want to carry it.

I normally carry more than that and lug it around all day in a backpack and another bag. (Basically all that the airline will allow on my flight with a tripod in my checked luggage.)








Feb 11, 2016 at 01:44 AM
bvphotos
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


It's a tough one, something I think about periodically myself. I have the 7D2 and the 100-400 II. Although I have no immediate travel plans to the tropics for birding, I've been considering a few different options (including Colombia) and know that the 100-400 will be inadequate: very slow under thick jungle canopy with the 1.4x. The zoom is nice, so I will take it. But will want to take one of the following:

- 400 DO II: light, bright, etc. but i wonder if you'll get one before you leave, given that they're in short-supply.
- 500 II: lighter than your ver 1, but perhaps not light enough to interest you? this is the one i'm considering seriously. a good compromise solution. good reach with the 1.4x and brighter, of course.
- 300 II with 1.4 & 2x: light, bright, great IQ. but you'll be often using it with the 2x, which would overlap with your 100-400 with 1.4x. Yes, it would be 2 stops brighter for the same FL, but perhaps in the jungles that's enough to tip the balance in its favor?



Feb 11, 2016 at 10:01 AM
arbitrage
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


If you can swing it that 400DOII looks to be an ideal lens with TCs as needed. Could easily replace your 500 unless you use the 500 with 1.4TC a lot.

Both B&H and Adorama have it in stock right now...stock never seems to last very long.



Feb 11, 2016 at 04:34 PM
mudlake
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


Have you considered the Sigma 150-600 f5-6.3 C? For a $1,000 you get a very good lens which has IS and only weighs a little over 4 pounds. It may be a great single lens solution for a trip where you want to keep things light and easy and get a 600mm to boot.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1516/24391474591_3ea2846418_b.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1588/24770388592_29153685d0_b.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1643/24520690149_bf8e122c9e_o.jpg



Feb 11, 2016 at 05:49 PM
Ziffl3
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


do you mean colombia? as in South america - Colombia?


Feb 11, 2016 at 09:20 PM
dorian
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Bird lens choice for Colombia




Ziffl3 wrote:
do you mean colombia? as in South america - Colombia?


I am a moron. Thanks for the correction!



Feb 11, 2016 at 09:25 PM
David Garcia
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


The 100-400 II is very nice, but the 400DO II is so much nicer when using a 1.4 iii or 2x. With the 1.4, and your 7d2, you're at 896mm... 640 without. The performance of the lens with the 1.4 attached is very fast while still retaining your focus points. The F4 on that lens provides options. I haven't used my 500 f4 II since getting the 400 DO II. I have a 1.4 iii attached most of the time and the image quality is very good. The 500 stays as I'm sure I'll get to using it more as soon as I get the 400 DO II out of my system. They are pricy and often hard to get, but you tend to forget about that when you start using it.


Feb 11, 2016 at 11:34 PM
robbytres
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


dorian wrote:
Hi Folks

It looks as though I will be heading to Columbia for ten days next month. Right now I am armed with my 7D2, 400/5.6, 500/4 v1, and 1.4x III

I am trying to figure out what, if any lenses might augment or substitute for these two, specifically for birds.



It depends what kind of habitat you are going to be birding in. I have been to Colombia lots of times, sometimes with camera gear sometimes without. If I had enough luggage allowance I would take a 600 f4 and a 300 F2.8 with both extenders.

If you are in forests a lot, you will find a flash useful much of the time. There are times when you simply won't get any usable photos without one. I don't much like flash photos a lot of the time, and it's all extra weight to lug around too.

I would say the 300 is the ideal compromise between birding and photography. A big lens is going to limit the amount of distance you can cover, and slow things down a lot, even the simple act of getting your binoculars up to your eyes whilst walking along, so you will miss seeing stuff. A lot of the time in the neotropics you see birds only briefly, so this can be critical.

Anyway, whatever you take you will see some fantastic birds.



Feb 13, 2016 at 04:07 AM
big country
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


take the longest focal length you can. you will end up regretting if you don't. trust me.


Feb 13, 2016 at 06:47 AM
bvphotos
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


An alternative option is to carry a micro 4/3 body as a second body to get .4x additional reach for free (but at the loss of high ISO). There's a thread on the Alt forum on how the Metabones EF to MFT smart adapter can be used with long lenses on one of the small MFT bodies.

The following hand-holdable setup is worth looking into:

Bodies: 7DII and an MFT like E-M5
Lenses: 100-400II + 300 IS with 1.4x and 2x extenders

The 300 on the E-M5 will give you 600/2.8, which can alleviate the loss of high ISO performance on the MFT. Add a 1.4x on it, and you get 840/4 on the MFT. With the 2x, you get 1200/5.6, which can be used in good light conditions.

The light in the forest canopy will still be low, so you will need a better beamer-like flash system in addition to all this.



Feb 13, 2016 at 01:47 PM
robbytres
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


bvphotos wrote:
The 300 on the E-M5 will give you 600/2.8,


No, it will still give 300 2.8, but it will capture a smaller part of the scene.

Now that we have ff bodies like the 5Ds with similar pixel densities to some of the recent APS-C sensor cameras, it would be nice to get rid of this fallacy about crop bodies giving extra reach.




Feb 16, 2016 at 02:36 AM
tkstrong
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


big country wrote:
take the longest focal length you can. you will end up regretting if you don't. trust me.


I second this.
I recently did a trip to what little tropical rainforest Australia has and took both converters and the 600 prime.
A bit annoying to travel with but once there, I almost never took the 1.4x off the 600.

Nearly only took the 1-400mk2 and 1.4converter due to space on one of the flights (small plane). Extremely grateful to a friend who twisted my arm to take the longer lens.

Take the longest you have. Don't live with regrets.



Feb 16, 2016 at 06:04 AM
bvphotos
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


robbytres wrote:
No, it will still give 300 2.8, but it will capture a smaller part of the scene.

Now that we have ff bodies like the 5Ds with similar pixel densities to some of the recent APS-C sensor cameras, it would be nice to get rid of this fallacy about crop bodies giving extra reach.



Would you be satisfied if I'd worded it as "it will give you the full-frame equivalent of 600mm/2.8"?

As to your other point about cropping vs smaller sensor, the end result is the same as long as the lens has high enough resolving power to withstand a 50% crop and still leave enough details, and the sensor has enough pixels left over to play with. If so, yeah, it's another good option.




Feb 16, 2016 at 10:10 AM
AmbientMike
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


I'm using an old 300/2.8 Tamron Adaptall 2 on a m4/3. It's heavier than I'd like to carry, but it is possibly one of the lighter 300/2.8's out there. Adaptall-2.org lists it under 5 lbs.

Would love to have af, but if the bird is in branches, which is a lot of the time, it's useless anyway

At 600mm ff equivalent, it's often a bit short. But sometimes you need 2.8.

Usually I just get photos to identify the bird, or confirm a rare sighting. It's better than 7x binoculars imo, as far as getting close to birds.

A friend of mine uses a 400/5.6 Nikkor a lot, and it looks a lot smaller than my 300. Although, now that I think about it, it's the same fl on nikon aps as my 300 on m4/3. He uses a tc a lot, though.



Feb 16, 2016 at 10:24 AM
AmbientMike
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Bird lens choice for Colombia


Just read the other comments, my other birding lens is a 55-250 on a 30D. I get a lot closer with a 300 on a GH1 imo.

I know there's some issues with this comparison, but I might lean towards the smaller sensor, based on personal experience. The 55-250 is nice too, though, and very light. Same reach as 100-400 on ff.



Feb 16, 2016 at 11:21 AM





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