Re: Super cheap telephoto (and camera) for bird photography
That is a great price for a 7D! The 7D was my first DSLR and is still the camera I use today…so I’m probably biased, but I think it’s a great choice.
That Kalimar mirror lens is probably of very poor quality—just about any of the other lenses that you’ve found or that folks have suggested to you will almost certainly be better. If you want the cheapest lens possible, I’d go for the Tamron 400mm f/6.9 or Tamron 60-300mm you linked in your first post (plus adapter) before a generic mirror lens like that Kalimar. If you want a mirror lens, spend a little more for one made by Tamron or Nikon (plus adapter). And if you’re willing to spend more and are open to lenses other than mirror lenses, a Canon EF-S 55–250mm STM or Canon EF 70-300mm IS USM is going to be tough to beat. But any 300m f/4.5 in your price range (e.g. Nikon or Olympus + adapter) or any version of the Tokina 400mm f/5.6 (with adapter if manual focus) is probably also worth considering. And while I doubt it’s the highest-quality option that fits your budget, the Tamron 200-400mm is probably a better choice than that Kalimar mirror lens too (at the least, it’s a stop faster and has autofocus!).
Re: Super cheap telephoto (and camera) for bird photography
That is a great price for a 7D! The 7D was my first DSLR and is still the camera I use today…so I’m probably biased, but I think it’s a great choice.
That Kalimar mirror lens is probably of very poor quality and will not fit on the 7D without an adapter. Just about any of the other lenses that you’ve found or that folks have suggested to you will probably be better. If you want the cheapest lens possible, I’d go for the Tamron 400mm f/6.9 or Tamron 60-300mm you linked in your first post (plus adapter) before a generic mirror lens like that Kalimar. If you want a mirror lens, spend a little more for a Tamron or Nikon model (plus adapter). And if you’re willing to spend more and are open to lenses other than mirror lenses, a Canon EF-S 55–250mm STM or Canon EF 70-300mm IS USM is going to be tough to beat. Any version of the Tokina 400mm f/5.6 is probably also worth considering.
Dec 02, 2023 at 11:16 AM
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