I am interested in taking nature photos, and I recently got my first decent dig SLR (Nikon D80, 80-200mm F4.5 VR), but I am having problems. I am not stupid, just have very little free time. I cannot wrap my head around how to manage these things below all at once:
- I want a long zoom, usually full 200mm or (would like more)
- I am not always in bright environments (lots of birds under the canopy, overcast days)
- I don't want grain associated with too high an ISO
- I don't want blurriness (I use the VR function, but it seems to not help for birds in flight/action)
- I want the largest slice in focus as possible
Do you guys either 1) use a tripod or 2) use a faster (expensive) lens? I just have a problem finding the right marriage of the items above to make photos I am ok with.
An example:
<img src="http://chrisevans3d.com/temp/lj/zoo_06_01/zoo_02.jpg">
In this shot I would have wanted more of the iguana in focus, not just his nose.
I guess the forum strips html embedded photos out unless you are a member, the image above is here: <a href="http://chrisevans3d.com/temp/lj/zoo_06_01/zoo_02.jpg" target=blank>http://chrisevans3d.com/temp/lj/zoo_06_01/zoo_02.jpg</a>.
You are asking what I call the classic questions. You are discovering that a 200mm lens is not long enough for bird photography. You are learning the importance of fast lenses. That's good. The bad part is you don't yet know what it's going to cost to get the kinds of images you want. Think of long lenses as a triangle. In one corner is "FAST," in another corner is "LONG", and in the third corner is "CHEAP." You can have any two of the "corners" in one lens, but NEVER all three. Nikon makes at least one lens that will likely do what you want. It's the 300mm f2.8 VR lens. It is LONG. It is FAST. Want to take a guess if it's cheap?
For birds in flight, NIkon's best lens is the 300mm f4 S. It's a good compromise. Finally, most of the time, I use a very high quality tripod myself, even though I have the Nikon 80-400mm VR lens. Think of a tripod as a triangle, in one corner is SOLID, in another is LIGHT, and the third is CHEAP...........
I'll add that I too use a D80. It's cheaper than my lens and is actually cheaper than the tripod I use too.
Kent, I really like your triangle things, that is a very good way to make the point. Chris, there is a lot of old big good glass out there for sale. No VR, no auto anything but the stuff is tack sharp and a lot less bucks than the new high fangled stuff. You can hunt you down a 3.5 400 MM lens for a grand or so or you can go out and buy a 2.8 400 MM for just about what a small car will cost. Both are great lens. Either one needs to sit on a rock solid tripod and I do love the Wimberly head for birds. $$$$$$ Long range photography is never cheep. Now give some thought as to what you can do to close the range. Can you build a blind in a tree? Can you feed the bird to move it closer to you? Good luck ! That albino red headed woodpecker in my avatar was shot with a 800 MM with a 1.4 from a big tripod with a full Wimberly head with 25 pounds of lead shot on top of the lens and an extra 10 pound steel bar hung under the center post of the tripod to nail the sucker to the ground! The bug bit me a long time ago!
Kent, that was great! CE when you're photographing birds in flight VR and IS is not going to be much help. You need to use high shutter speeds. VR and IS only helps mitigate vibrations in the camer/lens. It will not mitigate motion blur from a fast moving subject. Only high shutter speeds will help with fast moving subjects.
To get more of the subject in focus you need to use small lens apertures for maximum depth of field. This doesn't necessarily go hand in hand with high shutter speeds and birds in flight. When you photograph avian subjects you have to make, and accept, a lot of compromises.
Finally, it takes a lot of practice and experience in the field to get good avian images. I spent $8,000 on my birding rig but that did not make me an instant bird photographer. Going out and shooting at every opportunity and learning as much about the birds as I can before I photograph them is as much a part of bird photography as the equipment.
I know the feeling...I have a 70-300mm Nikon lens (N80) and it's just barely long enough to get any decent wildlife shots, let alone birds. There are shoulder tripods (hold kind of like a rifle)...never used one...also the panning technique from a tripod, though it takes lots of practice, is another way to stop motion of animals moving. If you're really interested in taking wildlife shots and stopping motion, you probably won't be disappointed in getting a long fast lens...but it is expensive. On the D80 your lens, I think, at length 200mm on standard 35mm is really a 300mm on a digital camera...the 1.5x difference...so you can get a lens that isn't so long and it will give you more magnification such as up to a 400mm would be a 600mm on digital camera. So the 80-400VR lens mention above is a 120-600mm on a digital SLR...that's a nice range for wildlife. Hopefully this info is correct...that I've understood my conversions to digital.
Discussion
7 replies- I want a long zoom, usually full 200mm or (would like more)
- I am not always in bright environments (lots of birds under the canopy, overcast days)
- I don't want grain associated with too high an ISO
- I don't want blurriness (I use the VR function, but it seems to not help for birds in flight/action)
- I want the largest slice in focus as possible
Do you guys either 1) use a tripod or 2) use a faster (expensive) lens? I just have a problem finding the right marriage of the items above to make photos I am ok with.
An example:
<img src="http://chrisevans3d.com/temp/lj/zoo_06_01/zoo_02.jpg">
In this shot I would have wanted more of the iguana in focus, not just his nose.
Thank you for your time,
CE
For birds in flight, NIkon's best lens is the 300mm f4 S. It's a good compromise. Finally, most of the time, I use a very high quality tripod myself, even though I have the Nikon 80-400mm VR lens. Think of a tripod as a triangle, in one corner is SOLID, in another is LIGHT, and the third is CHEAP...........
I'll add that I too use a D80. It's cheaper than my lens and is actually cheaper than the tripod I use too.
KEnt in SD
To get more of the subject in focus you need to use small lens apertures for maximum depth of field. This doesn't necessarily go hand in hand with high shutter speeds and birds in flight. When you photograph avian subjects you have to make, and accept, a lot of compromises.
Finally, it takes a lot of practice and experience in the field to get good avian images. I spent $8,000 on my birding rig but that did not make me an instant bird photographer. Going out and shooting at every opportunity and learning as much about the birds as I can before I photograph them is as much a part of bird photography as the equipment.
Best of luck.
Cynthia Spence
www.geolightphoto.com
The short answers to your questions are:
1) ye$
2) ye$