Marine mammal/wildlife question

KieraJane said:

Hello! I am looking into purchasing a camera and a lens, I am somewhat new with camera terminology so please bare with me... Long story short, I am a marine biologist and will be using the camera as part of my job (primarily photographing marine mammals). I am looking into buying the Canon EOS R7 and pairing it with the sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 sport lens (both of these have been chosen because of the reviews) but I am unsure whether they will actually work well together or if there are better options out there for wildlife photography. I know that an adapter is needed to pair the camera to the lens, I am just unsure exactly what adapter at this stage. I am happy to purchase second hand and by budget is up to £2000. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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You may want to pose this question over in the Canon R Talk forum , surely someone there may have tried this combo.

KieraJane said:

Hello! I am looking into purchasing a camera and a lens, I am somewhat new with camera terminology so please bare with me... Long story short, I am a marine biologist and will be using the camera as part of my job (primarily photographing marine mammals). I am looking into buying the Canon EOS R7 and pairing it with the sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 sport lens (both of these have been chosen because of the reviews) but I am unsure whether they will actually work well together or if there are better options out there for wildlife photography. I know that an adapter is needed to pair the camera to the lens, I am just unsure exactly what adapter at this stage. I am happy to purchase second hand and by budget is up to £2000. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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Wildlife photography often requires long lenses. Long lenses with wide apertures tend to be very expensive. When handheld, long lenses are more susceptible to blur from camera shake so you need faster shutter speeds. Between these two, you need to get a lot of light on your subject.

One thing that can help is image stabilization. This can be implemented in the camera body, the lens, or both.

I am not familiar with the Sigma lens you are looking at. However I would suspect that matching a Canon lens with Image Stabilization with a Canon body that has image stabilization, will give you the best results.

Another advantage of having the same brand lens as the body is that the body can have specific knowledge of that lens. When I use a Canon lens on my Canon body, the body can correct for lens vignetting and any pincushion/barrel distortion.

You may want to consider the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM Lens. It's not quite as long as the Sigma, but you get better integration between the camera and the lens.

Michael Fryd said:

You may want to consider the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM Lens. It's not quite as long as the Sigma, but you get better integration between the camera and the lens.

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That is a very good lens when used with the R7. It is noticeably better in the center than the edges, but with the R cameras you only record the center of the image. I have had astonishingly good results from it when I could immobilize the camera.

With the Sigma lens you might also consider the Sony world, e.g., the A6700. I don't know a lot about it, though.

KieraJane said:

Hello! I am looking into purchasing a camera and a lens, I am somewhat new with camera terminology so please bare with me... Long story short, I am a marine biologist and will be using the camera as part of my job (primarily photographing marine mammals).

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Hello and welcome to the DPR forums.

KieraJane said:

I am looking into buying the Canon EOS R7 and pairing it with the sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 sport lens (both of these have been chosen because of the reviews) but I am unsure whether they will actually work well together or if there are better options out there for wildlife photography. I know that an adapter is needed to pair the camera to the lens, I am just unsure exactly what adapter at this stage. I am happy to purchase second hand and by budget is up to £2000. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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The Sigma Sports is a large & heavy lens. It will not be easy to use handheld. A quality tripod or monopod will stretch an already thin budget and may not be easily used on a boat. The Sigma Contemporary is light enough to be used, handheld. It would also need to be adapted for use with the R7. There are options that would not require use of an adapter.

Either version of the Sigma lens could be paired with a Canon 7DII or an 80D. Both are EF mount SLR bodies. The Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD GII is another handholdable option available in Canon EF mount.

In Nikon's SLR F-mount system, the D500 is arguably the best APS-C SLR ever made for sports, action and wildlife. If paired with the Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E VR or F-mount versions of the already mentioned Sigma or Tamron lenses, you'd have a very capable kit.

If you'd prefer to go mirrorless, they're are several systems worth considering but few that will fit the camera and lens, together, within your budget:

• CANON: R7 with 200-800mm f/6.3-9
• NIKON: Z50II with 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3
• SONY: A6700 with 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3

If you pair the above cameras with shorter zoom lenses, you'd have a more compact, portable & handholdable kit that may fit better within your budget.

• CANON: 100-400mm f/5.6-8
• NIKON: 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 (more expensive than the 180-600)
• SONY: 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS (more expensive than the 200-600)
• SIGMA: 100-400mm f/5-6.3 (Sony E mount)
• TAMRON 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 (Nikon Z mount, Sony E mount)
• Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 (Nikon Z mount, Sony E mount)

Good luck with your purchase decision.

This thread discusses the EOS 7 vs. the A6700 - https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4773870

You don't need the Sigma sports lens. The contemporary version is much lighter and much cheaper and it should be fine for marine mammals.

Given the current disdain for DLSRs you would be able to get a much better deal for a used Canon 90D or Nikon D7200 (My current tool for wildlife pictures.) It has been said above that the Nikon D500 is the best choice for birds in flight, but marine mammals move much more slowly. My only hesitation for a Canon system like the 80D or 90D is it only has a single memory card slot not two as the Nikon does.

You say your budget is $2600. Either the Canon or Nikon DSLR with the Sigma contemporary lens would be about $1600 used.







David

You should reconsider using a 3rd party EF lens with the R7. Check out Duade Paton on youtube. He has some videos on pairing adapted EF Sigma lenses on RF bodies (including the R7), and the autofocus can do this weird "pulsing" thing. He demonstrates some workarounds, but in the end you're better off using Canon EF lenses if you're adapting an old one (because it's cheaper than the new ones except the 100-400mm f5.6-8). The newer EF 100-400mm (I think there's 3? 2 at least...) is probably your best bet. The RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 isn't weather sealed, so that might not be ideal if you're on the water and/or in the rain. A 100-400mm lens on the R7 gives you 160-640mm effective, which is probably plenty. The RF 100-500mm is obviously the best for the R7, but beyond your price range.

KieraJane said:

Hello! I am looking into purchasing a camera and a lens, I am somewhat new with camera terminology so please bare with me... Long story short, I am a marine biologist and will be using the camera as part of my job (primarily photographing marine mammals). I am looking into buying the Canon EOS R7 and pairing it with the sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 sport lens (both of these have been chosen because of the reviews) but I am unsure whether they will actually work well together or if there are better options out there for wildlife photography. I know that an adapter is needed to pair the camera to the lens, I am just unsure exactly what adapter at this stage. I am happy to purchase second hand and by budget is up to £2000. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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I wouldn’t be absolutely sure that you will need an adapter, but in any case, you would be better off with a lens that doesn’t require an adapter. Check out lenses that are actually intended for use on a Canon “Mirrorless” body.

Long zooms are rather a specialist type of lens that require advanced techiques. Initially, you might be better off with a shorter zoom (maybe 70-200mm) while you hone your skills.

Also note that images from shorter lenses can be cropped* to “zoom in” on the wildlife; sure, that will involve some loss of resolution, but this may still be acceptable.

BTW, it is possible to hire lenses, and Canon lenses are frequently taken on hire.

______________________

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cropp...emoval of,a photographic or illustrated image.

I think you need to give a bit more information before folk can give reasonable advice

What are you looking to do with the photos ? Print ? Show on large screens ?

Artistic or scientific photos ?

Video ?

At what distances are the animals ?

Is weather/waterproofing important ? Cold temperatures ?

Tripod based ? or handheld ?

Pictures from moving boats ? land based ?

Are we talking whales or something a lot smaller ?

Do you need high frame rates ? Top notch autofocus ?

New Wrycuda said:

KieraJane said:

Hello! I am looking into purchasing a camera and a lens, I am somewhat new with camera terminology so please bare with me... Long story short, I am a marine biologist and will be using the camera as part of my job (primarily photographing marine mammals). I am looking into buying the Canon EOS R7 and pairing it with the sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 sport lens (both of these have been chosen because of the reviews) but I am unsure whether they will actually work well together or if there are better options out there for wildlife photography. I know that an adapter is needed to pair the camera to the lens, I am just unsure exactly what adapter at this stage. I am happy to purchase second hand and by budget is up to £2000. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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I wouldn’t be absolutely sure that you will need an adapter,

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Yes, the R7 (or any R camera) absolutely will need an adapter with any 3rd party EF or Canon EF lens to fit it to the R7.

softmarmotte said:

I think you need to give a bit more information before folk can give reasonable advice

What are you looking to do with the photos ? Print ? Show on large screens ?

Artistic or scientific photos ?

Video ?

At what distances are the animals ?

Is weather/waterproofing important ? Cold temperatures ?

Tripod based ? or handheld ?

Pictures from moving boats ? land based ?

Are we talking whales or something a lot smaller ?

Do you need high frame rates ? Top notch autofocus ?

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These are important questions.

I assume that the OP is in the U.K. since she quoted her budget in sterling. The main marine mammal in the U.K. is the grey seal - I believe that the U.K. has 60% of the world's population. Grey seals give birth in the winter months so the weather is likely to be cold and wet. Weatherproofing might be very important, but both the R7 body and the lens are weather sealed. The seals might be relatively close so 150-600mm might be too long, especially at the short end.

The U.K. does have some resident porpoise and dolphin populations and occasional whales, so she might want to photograph them as well.

KieraJane said:

Hello! I am looking into purchasing a camera and a lens, I am somewhat new with camera terminology so please bare with me... Long story short, I am a marine biologist and will be using the camera as part of my job (primarily photographing marine mammals). I am looking into buying the Canon EOS R7 and pairing it with the sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 sport lens (both of these have been chosen because of the reviews) but I am unsure whether they will actually work well together or if there are better options out there for wildlife photography. I know that an adapter is needed to pair the camera to the lens, I am just unsure exactly what adapter at this stage. I am happy to purchase second hand and by budget is up to £2000. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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If you are buying an R7 you should try (rent) the Canon RF 100-400mm lens. If it is suitable that is definitely the way to go. It is way, way lighter than the Sigma. It does not require an adapter. It is not very expensive new. It will work perfectly because it is first party. The Sigma had to be reverse engineered. I have an R7 and the 100-400. I had the Sigma. It was a fine lens that was, unfortunately, unwieldy. I traded it in for the 100-400.

New Wrycuda said:

I wouldn’t be absolutely sure that you will need an adapter, but in any case, you would be better off with a lens that doesn’t require an adapter.

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Why? The Canon EF-RF adapter works perfectly. It's just a spacer, and an EF lens will work just as well with an R camera as with an EF or EF-S camera.

For professional use, I would avoid adapters as they may have multiple points of failure:

1. Electrical connections

2. Physical strength - especially for big lenses

3. Compatibility issues

4. Compromised weather sealing

Bob said:

For professional use, I would avoid adapters as they may have multiple points of failure:

1. Electrical connections

2. Physical strength - especially for big lenses

3. Compatibility issues

4. Compromised weather sealing

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Nonsense. On the OEM devices the connections are robustly engineered, and they no more vulnerable than the connections on the lenses. They are just like the lens mount, and they are certainly are designed to hold big lenses. R cameras and EF lenses are definitely compatible with Canon EF-RF adapters. I can't swear that third-party lenses will work correctly, but they should if they are made correctly. The Canon EF-EOS R adapter is weather-sealed.

KieraJane said:

Hello! I am looking into purchasing a camera and a lens, I am somewhat new with camera terminology so please bare with me... Long story short, I am a marine biologist and will be using the camera as part of my job (primarily photographing marine mammals). I am looking into buying the Canon EOS R7 and pairing it with the sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 sport lens (both of these have been chosen because of the reviews) but I am unsure whether they will actually work well together or if there are better options out there for wildlife photography. I know that an adapter is needed to pair the camera to the lens, I am just unsure exactly what adapter at this stage. I am happy to purchase second hand and by budget is up to £2000. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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While other members have posted useful advise and questions, here are a couple of comments and suggestions:

1. Used DSLR gear is often cheaper than used mirrorless.
   
   
2. If possible, visit a physical store and get a feel for various camera & lens combinations.
   
   
3. Just about any camera manufactured in the last 10 years will produce high quality images. It does not matter if it is Canon, Nikon, Sony, or Panasonic. As you go further back in time, differences in AF may be significant amongst models & brands.
   
   
4. Visit the nature threads and search for the mammals you expect to photograph. The exif info from photos there will give you a sense of the many camear and lens options you can have.
   
   Check the Back Country Gallery fora. Lots of photos there with exif info. Plenty of threads on gear. Like DPR, you will find many helpful individuals ready to lend a hand.
5. Depending on any regulations your employer or locale puts on how close you get to your subjects, you could look at something like a Nikon D7200/7500 with either a 300mm or 500m PF lens.
   
   i) A D500 with either of the lenses just mentioend would be stellar option that you can also use for action or birds in flight if later on you want to try that kind of photography.
   
   ii) A Fuji with a 100-400mm zooms could be a nice light kit.
   
   
6. If you want the lightest possible kit, you could look at micro four thirds. Low light performance will not be as good as larger formats. When it comes to low light, full frame > APSC > m43. However, the latest processing software makes the gap narrower to some degree (though there are limits, even if the quality is of the lenses were theoretically similar).
   
   
7. If you need video, doing so with a mirrorless camera is easier, particularly if your subjects will be moving, especially towards/away from the camera. But at a certain distance, if any movement is mostly parallel to the horizon or due do minor panning, a recent DSLR will do fine if you set your focus prior to recording.

Bob said:

For professional use, I would avoid adapters as they may have multiple points of failure:

1. Electrical connections

2. Physical strength - especially for big lenses

3. Compatibility issues

4. Compromised weather sealing

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I have a similar view on all sorts of adapters…

”If you need an adapter, you are doing something wrong”

It seemed strange to me that the OP was concerned about adapters when contemplating significant new kit.

BTW, I also mentioned cropping as an option, and I note that the examples posted by DavidWright2010 seem to have been cropped to good effect.

Lots of seals and birds at Teesmouth.

New Wrycuda said:

Bob said:

For professional use, I would avoid adapters as they may have multiple points of failure:

1. Electrical connections

2. Physical strength - especially for big lenses

3. Compatibility issues

4. Compromised weather sealing

Click to expand...

I have a similar view on all sorts of adapters…

”If you need an adapter, you are doing something wrong”

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If you dispose of your best lenses, you are doing something wrong.

New Wrycuda said:

It seemed strange to me that the OP was concerned about adapters when contemplating significant new kit.

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Sometimes one contemplates the economy choice with third-party lenses.

New Wrycuda said:

BTW, I also mentioned cropping as an option, and I note that the examples posted by DavidWright2010 seem to have been cropped to good effect.

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I notice that the examples were with an APS-C sensor at 460-600 mm, AND they are cropped. That is the nature of wildlife photography. You typically need all the reach you can get.