Although the very light 500mm f/5.6 PF has replaced it for many shooters, and the 400mm f/4.5 in an attractive alternative for Z-mount users, it is still lest costly than both (especially used), and so it is worth considering if you need quality in a very small package. In fact, this lens is only 775g, which is almost twice as light as the Olympus 300mm f/4 lens for micro four thirds, and this is a full-frame lens! On the other hand, if you like to shoot when the sun is almost down or even set, f/5.6 is a little slow even with todays amazing sensors. And feeders, offering . Personalized Recommendations Show All AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR AF-S Nikkor 600mm f/4E FL ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR The linear stepping motoris blisteringly speedy and practically silent in other words, exactly what you want for birding. The opening in the lens that allows light to pass through. Interestingly, it is 3.25kg, which is not much heavier than the 2.9kg of the 300mm f/2.8. A full set of weather seals is incorporated, and a fluorine coating on the front element helps to repel moisture and fingerprints. In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide. Its tripod-compatible VR offers up to 4 stops of Vibration Reduction. Neutral Color NC Filter and Circular Polarizing Filter II have been specially crafted for this lens. longer. It's pretty much the same weight as the Sigma and Tamron 100-400mm lenses for full-frame cameras. Theres more, however, with the construction boasting an upgraded lens construction. Its main advantage over the 600mm f/4 is its weight and its length. View at Amazon. 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. Quick Answer - The Best Lenses for Bird Photography. The one thing I would not use this lens for is birding. New York, I have a personal sweet spot for the 200-500 mm for its versatility as well as sharpness as also for the 500 mm PF for its lightweight as well as sharpness. The Nikon 600mm f/4E FL ED VR is one of the company's longest focal length lenses available, and with a price tag that's nudging five figures, it's squarely aimed at the professional sports and wildlife photographer. DDSSM (Direct Drive Super Sonic Motor) autofocus is super-fast and comes complete with customizable focus-hold buttons mounted around the barrel. It really depends on the types of subjects that you shoot. Starts with the 70-300, but ignores the 200-500 or new 100-400s also ignores all the pf lenses .. the 500pf being one of the best wildlife lenses out there. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. It also has a dust- and moisture-resistant rubber gasket on the mounting plate, although it lacks the additional weather seals of the Sports lens. See sample zoom photography (View in a lightbox) View the COOLPIX P1000 Product Tour . It's tough to do, especially when photographing moving birds. Usually, hobbyist photographers are happy with a good bird in natural surroundings. Lens Weight: Heavier lenses are challenging to use without tripods. This lens has a fixed aperture of f/11, and many birders might consider that rather too narrow, while others might be unimpressed that you cant alter the aperture. Dont worry, this article will be updated in October! This large lens, when coupled with the DX-format sensor, gives him the optical equivalent of an 18x binocular. The maximum effective focal length stretches from 600mm to around 900mm when shooting on an APS-C camera. Canon premium: Canon EOS R3. The lens is light and compact, making it easy to carry it around when scouting for wildlife in parks and wildlife spots. The second edition of the lens has a more typical twist-action zoom ring and a host of upgrades. A Nano-crystal coat and fluorine coat cut down on all reflections. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Sony premium: Sony 1. (Libor wrote a separate article on why thats his favorite budget combo.). Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary, 15. It comes at half the price of a decent 300mm prime. When youre ready to invest a big budget in your bird photography, the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm will help you take your photos to the next level. The construction involves 3 ED glass elements, minimizing chromatic aberration and achieving super sharpness. The 400mm f/2.8 lens is ideal for situations where even an f/4 lens would be too slow. These include a refined optical path with fluorite and Super UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) elements and high-tech Air Sphere coating. Pls. My super favorite lens is the AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR. This is especially true with mammals, which like to come out during such times. 7 Best Camera for Bird Photography. VR: Vibration Reduction is essential in unforgiving conditions. The Silent Wave Motor further boosts this ability, helping create stable and dramatic images in the wild. The 5-axis stabilization mechanism will keep shots sharper towards the far end of the zoom range, and while the f/5.6-8 is limiting in low light conditions, you can't argue with the lens's performance overall especially given its price. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. It is an upgraded version of the earlier lens. Let us know which is your favorite lens for bird photography. 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For Z-mount users, the Nikon 100-400mm seems far more attractive at 1.4kg, and the 500mm f/5.6 PF is a great alternative if you are mostly at 500mm. Fortunately, your camera offers a neat solution: Auto White Balance, also known as AWB. A major plus point is that the aperture rating of f/4 is relatively fast, compared with most zoom lenses that drop to f/5.6 or f/6.3 at a similar focal length. Autofocus is fast and image quality is impressive in all respects, making this lens great value for an own-brand Nikon. But no matter what camera system you use, we've found the best lenses for bird photography. I have in fact met some people using this lens on a monopod. But it is only half part of the story. Impeccably turned out, the XF100-400mm looks and feels a high-quality item Looks arent deceiving either, as the internals include a super-fast autofocus system based on dual linear stepping motors, and a high-performance 5-stop optical stabilizer. Get the best camera deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable photography news and more! And you'll also find lenses for Sony, Fujifilm, and Olympus cameras. It is a massive lens for a reason its large aperture of f/2.8 requires huge glass elements to transmit so much light into the camera. If one plans to use the camera hand-held, it is better to look for lighter lenses while compromising slightly on the range. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. PL provides various digital photography news, reviews, articles, tips, tutorials and guides to photographers of all levels, By Nasim Mansurov 305 CommentsLast Updated On January 13, 2023. Read the full Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C review (opens in new tab). The Nikon AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm is a great introductory telephoto lens for bird photography at a very good price point. All of these can be used on Z-mount cameras with the FTZ or FTZII adapter, and since some of these do not yet have Z counterparts, they are worth a look whether you shoot a Nikon DSLR or a Nikon Z mirrorless camera. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Our readers often ask us about lenses for nature photography, and while I have already written about which Nikon lenses I consider to be the best for landscape photography, I have received numerous requests to write about lenses for wildlife photography as well. If you want to get into wildlife photography on a tight budget, the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E VR AF-P is the lens you want to get. Find out more about how we test. Among other notable features are a lag-free switch from automatic to manual focus. If you love birdwatching, visit our best bird feeder camera (opens in new tab) guide! However, this lens is fairly hefty, so it will add some weight to your pack, which is something to consider if youre going on a long adventure in the backcountry. A lens of a fixed focal length that cannot be zoomed. In particular, its much easier to use a 1.4x teleconverter with this lens, turning it into a very reasonable 560mm f/6.3. But there are still good values to be found, and I hope that this article can point you in that direction, too, if thats what youre after. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Canon felt that it would be hard to improve on the image quality of the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM so opted to extend the focal range even further with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM. The NIKKOR 200-500mm also features an autofocus system that you can override by turning the manual focus ring. The autofocus is extremely fast, thanks to an internal focus element, and you can easily override the autofocus if you want manual control. Nikon AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR A good option zoom lens for bird photography and it comes at a reasonable cost. This is 1.4 stops faster than the Nikon 400mm f/4.5 and thus will perform much better than slower lenses, both in terms of light-gathering and autofocus. Without a doubt, wildlife photography is a very expensive hobby to have (unless you are so good that you can sell your pictures and make good money), especially once you add up all the gear and travel costs.