Lens options for Wildlife / Bird Photography for Canon 60D

[theskyblue]

Hello Experts,

Hope you all are doing good. I am now ready to jump into the wildlife/bird photography arena, and I need your expert advice in suggesting me the right lens for the same.

The thing that matters to me the most is IQ, and hence I am thinking of going for a used lens with good IQ and good condition.

I will be most of the time using Canon 60D for shooting birds and wildlife, but rarely I may use Canon 5D Classic (Mark I) that I have. Having a crop sensor on Canon 60D will give me edge on the telephoto side with the focal length multiplied by 1.6x.

Hence, considering above factors I have thought out few options:

1) Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM + 1.4x TC (Teleconverter)
2) Canon EF 300 F4 L USM (Without IS) + 1.4x TC
3) Canon EF 200 F2.8 L II USM (Without IS) + 2x TC
4) Canon EF 70-200 F4 L USM (Without IS) + 2x TC
5) Sigma 150-500 f/5-6.3 APO DG OS
6) Canon EF 100-300 F5.6 L MACRO (Is it possible to use 1.4x TC with this lens?!? This is a very old lens!!!)

Please advice which option should I go for to retain the highest IQ pictures.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

[RedYeti]

If IQ matters a great deal then you should be trying to avoid the teleconverters, especially the 2x since it will degrade the IQ quite noticeably. Additionally, with the 1.4x on a f/5.6 or slower lens or the 2x on a f/4 or slower lens, your widest aperture drops to f/8 or worse and you lose autofocus on the 60D (you need a 5DmkIII or a 1-series body to be able to AF at f/8). If you do decide to go with a TC, try to splash out for the mk III versions since they are visibly sharper than the mk Is and mk IIs.

Have you considered the 100-400L? It is an old lens and not as sharp as some of the lenses you've listed above, but it is very versatile and will give you the reach you need without a TC. It will also outperform many of the above lenses once you put a TC on them. I've been using the 100-400 for years and have managed to get many excellent and sharp shots with it. Zooming back a fraction from 400mm and stopping down the aperture can make a noticeable difference.

Another alternative is the 400L prime which is sharper than the 100-400 but is less versatile and doesn't have IS.

Have a play with the various options on here, you can see for yourself how sharp many of the above lenses are both with and without a TC: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...meraComp=736&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=7&APIComp=3

One problem you might hit when trying to get the sharpest & most accurate focus is that the 60D doesn't support microfocus adjustment. That means if the lens and body aren't a perfect match then you may have to send the combination in to Canon to get them calibrated for each other.

 

[Ember42]

If IQ matters a great deal then you should be trying to avoid the teleconverters, especially the 2x since it will degrade the IQ quite noticeably. Additionally, with the 1.4x on a f/5.6 or slower lens or the 2x on a f/4 or slower lens, your widest aperture drops to f/8 or worse and you lose autofocus on the 60D (you need a 5DmkIII or a 1-series body to be able to AF at f/8). If you do decide to go with a TC, try to splash out for the mk III versions since they are visibly sharper than the mk Is and mk IIs.

Have you considered the 100-400L? It is an old lens and not as sharp as some of the lenses you've listed above, but it is very versatile and will give you the reach you need without a TC. It will also outperform many of the above lenses once you put a TC on them. I've been using the 100-400 for years and have managed to get many excellent and sharp shots with it. Zooming back a fraction from 400mm and stopping down the aperture can make a noticeable difference.

Another alternative is the 400L prime which is sharper than the 100-400 but is less versatile and doesn't have IS.

Have a play with the various options on here, you can see for yourself how sharp many of the above lenses are both with and without a TC: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...meraComp=736&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=7&APIComp=3

One problem you might hit when trying to get the sharpest & most accurate focus is that the 60D doesn't support microfocus adjustment. That means if the lens and body aren't a perfect match then you may have to send the combination in to Canon to get them calibrated for each other.

Agreed, the OP missed the two best contenders in the 400 zoom and the 400 prime.

As far as I know there is no Canon lens that will let you AF past 400mm with a 60D (with extenders) that does not break the 4k mark. (you would need a 400 f4, 300 f2.8 or 200 f2 to get past 400 mm with f5.6 with extenders).

If you are just getting into Birds, etc and that is not all you want a telephoto for, the 100-400 is much more versatile than the prime. I use it on my 60D all the time. Get a monopod - it will help as well.

 

[Peter too]

For photographing birds one of the Canon super telephoto lenses would be best but they cost a fortune. Apart from that the 400mm F5.6 is probably the sharpest and fastest focussing lens that is long enough to capture birds. In several years of use on a 30D and a 7D I have very rarely found I needed a lens shorter than 400mm to capture birds in the wild. If the bird is stationary I sometimes add a 1.4X multiplier and hand focus. In zoos and wildlife parks the birds are much closer and I then use a 70-200 F4 IS.

 

[BIGTEE]

I have owned both the 400f5.6L and the 100-400L. the prime will give you excellent IQ and fast focus the zoom will give you IS close focus capability. forget about the idea of a teleconverter, you will loose AF and IQ with any of those combinations. you can pick up a used or refurb copy of the 400 prime for around $1000. I do use the 70-300L for birding but do find myself wanting for more reach often. I plan on getting the 400L prime again in the near future. there are some long zooms from Sigma and Tamron but the IQ at the long end just doesn't excite me.

 

[rickpoole]

When I was looking for a similar lens I compared the 70-200L f2.8 + 2X to the 100-400 (the MK II hadn't been released). With both stationary and moving subjects the 100-400 focused much quicker and produced noticeably sharper results. This was using a full frame body that would auto focus with the 2X. When I tried the same thing with my 7D I lost auto focus using the 2X so it was not near as easy to use as the 100-400. Even with careful manual focusing (via live view) the 100-400 still produced sharper results. From what I've read the MK II is quite a bit sharper, even with a 2X and can almost match the sharpness of the 100-400. But, the 100-400 will still win in focus speed compared to any lens with an extender.

 

[R2D2]

Hello Experts,

The thing that matters to me the most is IQ, and hence I am thinking of going for a used lens with good IQ and good condition.

Of all of the combos you list, I think that the 300 f/4L + TC would probably provide the best IQ. There are some Very sharp copies floating around (even sharper than the IS version). However keep in mind that this is an old lens and any repairs (if possible) would be $$$.

That said, I'd still have to agree with the others that it'd be very worth your while to save up some more cash and spring for the 400 f/5.6L Prime (my choice) or the 100-400 (more versatile).

Best of luck,

R2

 

[NancyP]

Those are the two best choices for wildlife. The 400 prime works well for birds, but if you want to shoot fairly large mammals, the 100-400 zoom is the more versatile choice.

I shoot mostly birds, and have the 400mm f/5.6L on 60D. This lens can be had refurbished by Canon for ~$1,100.00.

The 300mm f/4L is a killer lens for large insect near-macro, dragonflies and the like, because its maximum magnification is 0.29 X (cf. 400mm f/5.6 mm 0.12x).

 

[theskyblue]

Thank you very much to you all experts for your suggestions. I have made up my mind. I have finally decided on two options in the priority order mentioned below.

1. Canon 400 mm f/5.62. Canon 300 f/4 L USM + 1.4x Kenko 300 PRO TC

Thank you once again for all your help. I really appreciate all your help.

 

[SHood]

Tamrom will be announcing something next week.

http://www.canonrumors.com/2013/10/tamron-to-announce-new-tele-zoom-next-week/

My guess is that we will see the lens from this patent.

http://translate.google.ca/translat...arch?q=tamron+150-600mm&sa=X&biw=1680&bih=820

 

[olmail]

faced with this decision myself a few years ago, I ended up with the 300mm f4Lis+kenko1.4 tc and have no regrets whatever. I do think I will eventually add a 400 f5.6 to my bag. and, if birds were absolutely my only interest, I think it would be my first choice. the 300 f4 adds more versatility. great close-up lens for dragonflies and such. and there actually are times 400 mm is too much reach.

 

[WilbaW]

1. Canon 400 mm f/5.6. 2. Canon 300 f/4 L USM + 1.4x Kenko 300 PRO TC

An f/5.6 lens (like the 400) will AF on your 60D with that Kenko TC, but it will only be reliable with the outer AF points. I think it's worth it if you really need all the focal length you can get, your subject is still or slow moving, and it suits to use an outer AF point.

 

[Peter too]

If the bird is stationary it is possible to autofocus a 400mm F5.6 with a 1.4X multiplier at F8 on a 7D using live view. The same may well be true with the 60D.

 

[BirdShooter7]

None of those lenses are at the top of my list for birding lenses though I think from your list I think the EF 300mm f/4 w/1.4x TC would be my first choice.

It looks like you are on a serious budget. My suggestion would be to try out the EF 400mm f/4L IS USM. It is a great lens for birding and in my opinion the best value in tele lenses in the EF lineup.

Here are some of my sample images from the 400

http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/canon400mmf56

I also have shared some of my thoughts about the Sigma 150-500 OS here:

http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/sig150500

Best of luck!

Greg

 

[BirdShooter7]

Some great advice here for sure. I would offer my experience with the 1.4x II vs the III as it seems to be a bit different from yours. I own both TC’s and in my experience on my 7D with my 500mm f/4L IS USM and 300mm f/2.8L IS USM I can’t see any difference in sharpness between the two.

Greg

 

[SHood]

Tamrom will be announcing something next week.

http://www.canonrumors.com/2013/10/tamron-to-announce-new-tele-zoom-next-week/

My guess is that we will see the lens from this patent.

http://translate.google.ca/translat...arch?q=tamron+150-600mm&sa=X&biw=1680&bih=820

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