Best lens for Wildlife and Surfing

[Y Ddraig Goch]

Hi, wonder if anyone can help me, I’m relatively new to photography and use a Canon 400D, I have been looking at getting a nice new lens with around a 400-500mm zoom, I have about £600 to spend (but can go a bit higher) and want to use it for wildlife and sports events mainly surfing. I have been looking at 3 lenses the Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM, Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM and the Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 RF DG OS. Any advice on which is best if any would be most appreciated, also if you have a better lens in mind please let me know and any lens I get will need to be compatible with the higher range of canon cameras as I already find I want a few more advanced features that the 400D is lacking in.

[eeyore]

Any of those three would do the trick (tho i think you mean the 80-400, i'm not aware of a 120-400. There is a 120-300 f2,8 which is a very good lense but well out of your price range)

personally i would go for one of the 500mm just to get that little bit of extra range - and it might be wise to wait till the 150-500 has been out long enough to be reviewed etc before making up your mind.

Dont be tempted by the cheaper sigmas like the 170-500 and 1350-400 as although these are good budget lenses they dont have the hsm foccusing motor and will struggle to keep up with a high action sport such as surfing.

Camera wise i wouldnt rush to trade up as the 400D should give you most of what you need - I'd wait for the price of the 40D to come down - tho you could alternatively pick up a second hand 30 or 20D for a couple of hundred quid as it is good to have two bodies for sporting events - long lens on one , wide on the other - as this saves missing shots while changing lenses ( and keeps the sand and spray out of your camera)

[Y Ddraig Goch]

Thanks for the help

[Blackbrook Eye]

Crikey eeyore ! find me a 30d for a couple of hundred quid and I'll buy it tomorrow, and there will be a good drink in it for you too

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Blackbrook Eye

Crikey eeyore ! find me a 30d for a couple of hundred quid and I'll buy it tomorrow, and there will be a good drink in it for you too

mifsuds had one for a tad under 300 notes last months - camtech also had one for 275 not that long ago. 20D/350Ds are regularly found on both of these for arround the 2 tonne mark. - and both will negotiate on price , particularly if you are also buying lenses etc.

[GerryNick2]

Originally Posted by Y Ddraig Goch

Hi, wonder if anyone can help me, I’m relatively new to photography and use a Canon 400D, I have been looking at getting a nice new lens with around a 400-500mm zoom, I have about £600 to spend (but can go a bit higher) and want to use it for wildlife and sports events mainly surfing. I have been looking at 3 lenses the Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM, Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM and the Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 RF DG OS. Any advice on which is best if any would be most appreciated, also if you have a better lens in mind please let me know and any lens I get will need to be compatible with the higher range of canon cameras as I already find I want a few more advanced features that the 400D is lacking in.

I would recommend saving a bit more hard earned cash and going for the Canon EF 100-400mm L f4.5-5.6 IS, probably the best all round sports and wildlife lens and no doubt the most popular and affordable. Look on it as an ivestment they hold their price very well.

Gerry

[zan]

I wouldn't worry too much about the camera body for a while. the lenses you put in front of it will make a much bigger difference to you for the first wee while, adn teh 400d is more than capable of getting decent action shots if you get the hang of it properly. I don't have any experience with the lenses mentioned, but you want something with as wide an f-stop as you can get, and a good fast AF motor. I assume you'll be shooting surfing in the UK, so that'll be especially important for the greyer days. And unless you're getting in the water, a good long focal length is obv vital.

By the sounds of things, the 100-400mm would be a good place to start. Alternatively, something like a 300mm F4 combined with a 1.4x teleconverter might work quite well?

Zan

[Hobjob]

Originally Posted by GerryNick2

I would recommend saving a bit more hard earned cash and going for the Canon EF 100-400mm L f4.5-5.6 IS, probably the best all round sports and wildlife lens and no doubt the most popular and affordable. Look on it as an ivestment they hold their price very well.

Gerry

I'd second that

The image stabilization makes it worth the extra