Archive 2014 · Best system now for wildlife

40Driggs
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Best system now for wildlife

I was a canon user in the past who had to sell my gear during a move.

Since then I have bought an a7 and manual glass and am satisfied with that combo for general shots, but it isn't the best option for wildlife. Since I am not tied to a system, I am looking at the best path to "start over". Here is a list of my thoughts with pros and cons for each.

Nikon
D7100 and new 80-400

Pros-
Great lens
High dynamic range sensor
Nice super tele options available for upgrades

Cons-
Small buffer
Ergonomics inferior (in my opinion) to 7d style

Canon 7D mark ii and 100-400
Pros-
Nice "bang for your buck lens"
Great ergonomics
New AF system

Cons-
(Likely) inferior sensor
Lens not quite as good as other options in the range. No update known to be in the works.

Sony a77 mark ii and 70-400G
Pros-
Ability to share lenses with a7 via adapter
High dynamic range sensor
70-400 superior to canon version optically

Cons-
SLT light loss
Dim viewfinder in bright light
Slide show effect for high speed shooting
Limited longer tele options (too expensive)

Pentax k3 and da 300 with new TC

Pros-
Option to shoot at f4
Light weight
Better buffer than d7100
Nice price for the body (considering features)

Cons-
Very limited longer teles (too expensive)
Difficult to find used lenses
Have to use TC to reach 400mm

What option would you choose in my situation and why? I am a hobbyist and will be generally shooting shore birds from a kayak.

Sep 14, 2014 at 11:04 AM

tshore
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Best system now for wildlife

Any would be great. As a Canon shooter, my vote would be for the Canon system, assuming the AF of the 7D is all that is hoped for. Focus is the biggest challenge in wildlife photography in my experience, particularly for birds. If you are shooting in reasonable light I don't think the sensor of the 7D ii will be an issue for you.

Sep 14, 2014 at 11:30 AM

Phantom Medic
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Best system now for wildlife

You cant go wrong with any of those setups.

Im currently shooting:

Canon 6D and Bigmos: great for portraits, static subjects and closeups
Canon 7D and 400mm prime f/5.6: great for BIF subjects and some static subjects as well.

My Bigmos copy is quite sharp but Im still on the fence about getting a Tamzooka for my 6D. So many irregularities with this lens have kept me away. Im waiting for all the noise to quiet down, perhaps next year.

Sep 14, 2014 at 11:46 AM

ggleason
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Best system now for wildlife

I have the D7100 and the new version of the Nikkor 80-400 (much better than the previous version at 400mm with quicker focusing). I'm not a fan of the small buffer when shooting RAW, and I wish that Nikon would bring out a successor to the D300 with the D7100 sensor. That said, I've gotten some very fine wildlife photos with the setup I have now, and the ability to crop is very useful.

Sep 14, 2014 at 02:05 PM

surf monkey
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Best system now for wildlife

Best system now?
There is no Canon 7D ii available right now.

If you mean available soon, then you might consider the new Canon with the upcoming Sigma 150-600 Sport.

Sep 14, 2014 at 05:12 PM

40Driggs
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Best system now for wildlife

ggleason wrote:
I have the D7100 and the new version of the Nikkor 80-400 (much better than the previous version at 400mm with quicker focusing). I'm not a fan of the small buffer when shooting RAW, and I wish that Nikon would bring out a successor to the D300 with the D7100 sensor. That said, I've gotten some very fine wildlife photos with the setup I have now, and the ability to crop is very useful.

I agree about the need for updated buffer. When I first got into photography I wanted the d300, but couldn't afford it and went with a 40D. I still think that camera was a winning formula.

Sep 14, 2014 at 06:36 PM

40Driggs
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Best system now for wildlife

surf monkey wrote:
Best system now?
There is no Canon 7D ii available right now.

If you mean available soon, then you might consider the new Canon with the upcoming Sigma 150-600 Sport.
That lens sounds great, but it's awfully heavy. If the IQ is really great it would be tempting.

Canon 7d ii should be announced tomorrow. If they are smart they won't sit on it for long...

Sep 14, 2014 at 06:39 PM

Imagemaster
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Best system now for wildlife

40Driggs wrote:
That lens sounds great, but it's awfully heavy. If the IQ is really great it would be tempting.

Canon 7d ii should be announced tomorrow. If they are smart they won't sit on it for long...

If you are going to be doing mostly handheld wildlife photography, Sigma is a poor choice weight-wise compared to Canon 100-400 or Tamron 150-600.

Sep 14, 2014 at 06:56 PM

mogul
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Best system now for wildlife

A good list that you put together...the quibble I may have is with the 77mkII. The viewfinder is fine in bright light and the slideshow is minimal, both improvements over the original 77. At noon the other day shooting swallows, I had no problem following and shooting at 8fps and 12fps.

Sep 14, 2014 at 09:46 PM

40Driggs
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Best system now for wildlife

mogul wrote:
A good list that you put together...the quibble I may have is with the 77mkII. The viewfinder is fine in bright light and the slideshow is minimal, both improvements over the original 77. At noon the other day shooting swallows, I had no problem following and shooting at 8fps and 12fps.

Thanks for the report. I have only used the a7, so my evf knowledge is based mostly on user reports. How is the mark ii iq?

Sep 15, 2014 at 03:31 PM


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