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Canon ef 70-300 IS L for bird photography?

Started Jun 21, 2021 | Discussions thread
dgumshu
dgumshu Veteran Member • Posts: 4,623
Re: Canon ef 70-300 IS L for bird photography?

gh172 wrote:

I know that 300mm isn't an ideal amount of reach for bird photography, however, having only just dipped my toes into bird photography I'm not keen on spending a crazy amount this early. I have been shooting with a EF 70-200 f2.8 IS II which is a great lens however requires too much cropping for birds At this stage I'm using a Canon eos rp so the 70-200 is quite front heavy. I have the opportunity to pick up a second hand EF 70-300 IS L for less than half the original cost and only two years old which is considerably shorter and lighter than the 70-200 and offers an extra 100mm . Ideally I'd prefer the 100-400mm but that's a lot heavier and more expensive. I've also never bought second hand so that makes me a little nervous. Is it worth spending money for the 70-300 or save up and eventually get the rf 100-500mm or the Tamron 100-400mm?

The 70-300L is an excellent lens, but quite short for birding.  I hardly every use mine.  A starting point is 400mm... and even 400 is short.  If you’re budget is tight, you may want to consider the Canon 400 F5.6 which you can find used for about the price of the 70-300.

However, you’re using a FF, so you may want to consider using something like the Sigma 150–600 which is also in the same ballpark used.

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