The NIKKOR 300mm is not a zoom lens with a varied focal length. I make sure that you get the best articles about photography. If you like the idea of a 300mm f/2.8G II but in a zoom, this is your lens. If youre heading out into the backcountry, you might not want to lug around a heavy lens, but if youre only planning to hike short trails, that might be okay. Theres also lens lightness that helps them enjoy the process and learn the art of bird photography. 17. Fortunately, your camera offers a neat solution: Auto White Balance, also known as AWB. The lens is designed for Canon and Nikon DSLRs but is also an option for Canon RF and Nikon Z mirrorless cameras using a mount adapter. It has a tripod detection mode that helps minimize shutter release vibration, making it an intelligent VR workhorse. Learn more about the Panasonic Lumix S5 at Adorama, Amazon, and B&H. FUJIFILM's X-T4 is the only APS-C sensor type in our round-up. First, it is 0.63 stops faster, which although small, does make a difference in challenging wildlife conditions. Nikons 300mm F2.8 is fondly called a super-telephoto lens. After falling head over heel hooks for climbing in a gym in Boston, she moved to Golden, Colorado because the mountains were calling. Now Kate spends as much time as possible exploring the crags of the Front Range and beyond, usually with her camera in hand. B&H offers a good rundown of how to build your camera kit for birding, and a Nikon ambassador Moose Peterson shares his favorite setup to give you some ideas. I would say a much longer lens would be significantly harder to aim. The camera makes the images. See sample zoom photography (View in a lightbox) View the COOLPIX P1000 Product Tour . The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C (opens in new tab) is more manageable for long periods of handheld shooting, without the aid of a monopod or tripod, and easier to carrier around. Except that one. Canon EF 100-400mm IS II. It is capable of producing relatively good bokeh, especially on its longest end, although its sharpness performance also drops quite a bit at 300mm. Nikon ambassador Moose Peterson shares his favorite setup, If youre heading out into the backcountry, Best Lenses for Wildlife Photography of 2022, Best Tripods for Wildlife Photography of 2022, Best Point and Shoot Cameras for Wildlife Photography of 2022, Aperture Allows for Good Low Light Performance, Super Integrated Coating Reduces Lens Flare, Or Glare From The Lens That Can Show Up On A Photo, Electromagnetic Aperture Gives Good Exposure Control So The Lighting Level Doesnt Get Too Dark Or Too Light, Internal Focus Allows For Speed In Focusing, Provides Shallow Depth Of Field For Selective Focus, Tripod Mode Reduces Shake From Ground Vibration, Vr Image Stabilization Compensates For Camera Shake, Coating On Front Of Lens Protects From Water & Dirt. __CONFIG_colors_palette__{active_palette:0,config:{colors:{62516:{name:Main Accent,parent:-1}},gradients:[]},palettes:[{name:Default Palette,value:{colors:{62516:{val:var(tcb-color-4) ,hsl:{h:46,s:0.87,l:0.58}}},gradients:[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__, __CONFIG_colors_palette__{active_palette:0,config:{colors:{62516:{name:Main Accent,parent:-1}},gradients:[]},palettes:[{name:Default Palette,value:{colors:{62516:{val:var(tcb-color-4),hsl:{h:46,s:0.8692,l:0.01}}},gradients:[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__. The NIKKOR 70-300mm lens functions very well in daylight, but performance notably suffers in low light conditions, so youll want to invest in another lens if you plan to shoot often at nightfall. Its tripod-compatible VR offers up to 4 stops of Vibration Reduction. Very informative write up, What about 200-500 mm lens? They, however, are prone to more lens aberrations and vignettes. If you like our content, you can subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly email updates using the link below: Getting F-mount Lenses in a Z-mount World, Best Nikon Lenses for Landscape Photography, Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G DX VR AF-P Review, Best Nikon Lenses for Wedding Photography. The Nikon 70 300mm telephoto lens with f/4.5 -5.6 maximum aperture is best for Nikon digital SLR cameras. The best lenses for bird photography provide you with enough magnification to fill the frame with a feathery subject and have a fast enough autofocus to track it as it moves. The first is that the maximum aperture of f/5.6 on the long end doesnt let in as much light as an f/4 or f/2.8 lens, which also makes it harder to use teleconverters. View at Amazon. Many hobbyists are foraying into this field who start with a crop frame body. The equivalent lenses in full frame would be approximately 24mm f2, 45mm f2, and 85mm f2. Your prices on the three lenses are off by over $2000.! With birding, you will likely be using the lens with its built-in teleconverter all the time. Nature & Wildlife Photography Lenses | Nikon When photographing wildlife, whether capturing birds in flight or photographing bears in Alaska, one of the most important factors in choosing a lens is its focal length. Sharpness is very good at or near 600mm but less impressive towards the short end of the zoom range. I would suggest that for most people, this lens is a little bit short for wildlife, especially at $9500. For full compatibility with Canon EOS R and Nikon Z series mirrorless cameras, V2 or later firmware can be applied via Tamrons optional USB-linked TAP-in Console. The fixed zoom mechanism feels smooth throughout the entire range and is near silent, which is exactly what you want if you're stalking skittish wildlife and don't want to alert it to your presence. The Best Lens for Bird Photography - Birda This means that with the teleconverter switched on you have a 560mm lens. So get the best lens you can afford, then learn to use . The downsized build has been achieved by a modest f/6.3 aperture rating and a Phase Fresnel optical element, a technology thats commonly used to focus the beam in a lighthouse. Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, 9. Theres a more effective, triple-mode image stabilizer and the Mark II also gains weather-seals and fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements. As in the Sigma and Tamron lenses, this enables more consistency in rapid-fire exposures but, with older Nikon bodies, youll only be able to shoot at the widest aperture. Its also not quite as sharp, but it comes very close and its overall image quality is pleasing. Usually, hobbyist photographers are happy with a good bird in natural surroundings. It has a super-fast ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system, a highly effective optical stabilizer with switchable static and panning modes, dual switchable autofocus modes giving priority to either automatic focusing or manual override, and switchable custom modes that you can set up via Sigmas optional USB Dock. So you conclude with what you have- The article is intended for ALL.. judging and justifying availability with a Brand? I agree with all the conclusions, my thoughts are the same, why and how. The Nano Crystal Coat eliminates internal reflections and removes all chromatic aberration to provide the finest picture quality. Do you want a zoom lens that offers a focal range from up close to far in the distance? Theres no other difference between the two versions. Even so, the difference isnt particularly noticeable in practical terms and the Nikon lens has the advantage of a constant-aperture design, so f/5.6 remains available throughout the zoom range, rather than dropping to f/6.3 at the long end. Thus, if you are still using a Nikon 200-500 on an F-mount camera and are looking to transition to Z-mount, I would wait for this lens to come out, instead of buying one of the other Nikon Z lenses above. Similar to the Nikon 300mm f/2.8G VR II, it also works exceptionally well with all teleconverters, including the Nikon TC-20E III. The opening in the lens that allows light to pass through. I hope you enjoy the site . Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sport, 14. There are plenty of options available for everyone who has a good Nikon camera body in bird photography lenses. The main problem with prime is that it requires a photographer to observe the birds behavior and spots. That makes it easier to capture sharp, frame-filling images of birds. How to Photograph Birds If you are one of those, the best combination for bird photography would be something like the Nikon D5 or D500 + one of the above-mentioned lenses + 1.4x TC ( TeleConverter ), which will give you the best performance and reach. The Nikon 500mm f/4G VR works well with the TC-14E III teleconverter, giving an effective focal length of 700mm at f/5.6. The optical image stabilizer is effective on its own and even better when coupled with in-body stabilization, featured in later Sony Alpha A7 and A9 mirrorless cameras. I have the 500mm f4g VR, a crazy sharp lens. The lens is fully weather-sealed and features a fluorine coating on its front and rear elements. For example, the best 100-400mm lenses (opens in new tab) on a full-frame sensor will cover 150-600mm on APS-C and 200-800mm on Micro Four Thirds! These enable different behaviors in the autofocus speed and stabilization effect, as well as fine-tuning for autofocus accuracy for individual camera bodies, plus the application of firmware updates. For hobbyists, a zoom lens might be a better shot. Having VR is a definite plus when hand-holding the lens. It offers the quality and construction of Nikon, a top-notch auto-focus, and unparalleled versatility. One can also double their effective focal length using teleconverters. Due to its slower f/4 aperture, it is a much lighter lens than the 400mm f/2.8E VR. At 1,260g, its perfectly viable for long periods of handheld shooting, aided by a highly effective optical image stabilizer. Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports, 13. In addition to using the twist-action control ring, you can alter the zoom setting in a push-pull fashion. The Nikon 300mm f/4E PF is the smallest 300mm f/4 lens because of its phase-fresnel (PF) technology that has subsequently been used in the F-mount 500mm f/5.6 PF and the Z-mount 800mm f/6.3. And you'll also find lenses for Sony, Fujifilm, and Olympus cameras. Or do you want a high-quality prime lens with a set focal length? When done well, you can get some truly magnificent photographs. Auto White Balance requires zero input from you, the photographer. 1. Nikon bird photography lenses Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Rating: 8/10 Mount: Nikon F Autofocus: Ultrasonic (ring type) Stabilised: Yes (although it's labelled as "vibration reduction") Filter size: 95mm Minimum focus distance: 2.2m Weight: 2.3kg Cost: ~1250-1500 Pros: Great zoom range Lots of opinions why this and that lens is not on the list. Quick Answer - The Best Lenses for Bird Photography. This Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM super-telephoto lens for Canon EOS R-series full-frame mirrorless cameras gives phenomenal reach but is much smaller and more lightweight than competing lenses for DSLRs. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to look at some lightly used F-mount lenses, the E-versions of which are still optically outstanding. Diaphragm control via electric signals from the camera body provides reliable AE control. Hey Im Peter. It has fully professional-grade build quality with comprehensive weather-seals and a dust-, freeze- and splash-proof construction. It provides an edge-to-edge sharpness and compatibility with all Nikon teleconverters for greater reach.