What SLR for wildlife photography?

[Carl]

Hey all
I want to get into wildlife/nature photography and i don`t know which camera to choose, i want a (d) SLR, and i want to be able to produce good quality shots with good amount of detail on them,and i want to be able to take photos of like kestrels hovering,and also bats (in the dark) and to be able to have these with a good amount of detail,
Also i want one that you can upgrade the lens to/with and also my budget is £300 maybe £350.
But the main features/er i want is to be able to produce good (crisp) clear photos from quiet a distance with good detail on them and also really close up say like on a fungi on a tree.

Cheers

Carl

[camo]

Originally Posted by Carl

Hey all
I want to get into wildlife/nature photography and i don`t know which camera to choose, i want a (d) SLR, and i want to be able to produce good quality shots with good amount of detail on them,and i want to be able to take photos of like kestrels hovering,and also bats (in the dark) and to be able to have these with a good amount of detail,
Also i want one that you can upgrade the lens to/with and also my budget is £300 maybe £350.
But the main features/er i want is to be able to produce good (crisp) clear photos from quiet a distance with good detail on them and also really close up say like on a fungi on a tree.

Cheers

Carl

Hi Carl

You seem set on a DSLR however you should not dismiss a good Bridge Camera. I have a Canon DSLR and carry a sack full of equipment round with me but sometimes I wish I just had a single camera with lens. The latest Bridge Cameras are within your budget, have optical zoom upto 25x (equivalent to say 400mm) operate at high ISO (in dark conditions) and now can have upto 3frames per second burst. If you defently go for an entry Canon and Nikon both do entry level cameras but you will probably have to add a telephoto lens. Even an entry Canon 1000D plus a Sigma 70-300 Telephoto will stretch your budget. the other alternative is to buy second hand, I know Ebay are selling Canon 350's for about £200 however you should be cautious about buying from anyone but a reputable dealer.

Sorry to be a bit glum but a Bridge will probably do everything you want and even if you move onto anything it will still have some use.

Roy

[Carl]

Ok m8 thanks alot.Yer i am/was set on a SLR because they seem more professional plus with the lenses you can upgrade them.
So what "normal" digi cam would you recommend/what specifications would i need to look out for?

Cheers

[momji1971]

Purely my opinion but, , if you truley have your heart set on nature photography go for a Dslr and save the pennies for a lens.

It maybe more expensive inthe short term, but, , a lot cheaper than buying a compact and then realising the quality isn't quite there and then opting for a dlsr.

Only saying this because I had the same advice and ingnored it. Bought a £300 bridge then saw the quality difference between it and a dslr and bought my first nikon dslr.

If only I'd have listened! It all depends on if you have the patience to get the cheapest price for your kit and save for it. It would be worth it in the long run IF, , nature photography is your passion.

happy shooting.
Stu.

[muckshifter]

I have a "bridge" camera, the Fuji 5700 (£150) ... a good camera. I have taken some good quality pics.

I recently baught the Sony a200 DSLR (£300 inc 4GB card) ... some say one of the best "entry level" DSLR one can get today ... I am exceedingly please with it, however, I need another lens, one more suited for gettin close to the action.

It didn't take me long to see the differnce in quality between the two.


I'm savin the pennies hard.


Mucks

[Carl]

haha Stu, don`t great minds think alike lol that`s percisely why i want a (d)slr because i want the upgrade ability factor, i know that to see things really close up from far away you`d need a good quality lense.
Where as with a compact you can`t upgrade it your just stuck with the built in one.
I haven`t got into WL photography before or you could say i have lol i used to just use my phone and an old compact that couldn`t zoom out that good, all i could see with both compact and phone was just a dot of a bird,but now i really have a passion for it.
I don`t mind carry the equipment, i just want one with good clear crisp detail pictures,I mean i can praps go to 400 if the quality is really there.I just don`t want to do what you did spend so little or so much on a camera and it`s rubbish.I`ve learnt my lesson lol.
I would also be using it for other things but mainly outdoors photography animals trees etc.

[camo]

Hi Carl

One of the recent cameras on the market is the FUJI FinePix S100fs this sells for about £350 and is the equivalent of a DSLR with a lens of 28mm to 400mm.

I agree with Momji that if you are set on a lifelong hobby then the quicker you can buy a DSLR and lens the better but you may be surprised that there are a number of Site members posting excellant photographs using Bridge cameras. The Bridge has improved enormously over the last few years and is now capable of producing quality pictures in all conditions.

So often you will read on this web that it is better to spend money on the glass (Lens) rather than the body and the problem with your current budget is an entry camera with a kit lens will barely allow you to take anything.

I would recommend further opinion from a number of people and also suggest you read some of the earlier threads on this subject.

Roy

[Carl]

Originally Posted by muckshifter

I have a "bridge" camera, the Fuji 5700 (£150) ... a good camera. I have taken some good quality pics.

I recently baught the Sony a200 DSLR (£300 inc 4GB card) ... some say one of the best "entry level" DSLR one can get today ... I am exceedingly please with it, however, I need another lens, one more suited for gettin close to the action.

It didn't take me long to see the differnce in quality between the two.


I'm savin the pennies hard.


Mucks

Hi mucks
You got any pictures with that sony camera, as i have thought bout sony.But if that quality in the pic is there then....maybe

Hey camo
Thanks mate, (please do not moan at me about jobs as i keep getting from other forums, and i`m looking for a part time one) i`m at college atm, so get ema, £120 a month and there still june-sep, but it`s my 19th b day in april so...that`s why i`m on a budget, but i`m thinking more bout the long term then the short.My heart just says SLR so........props go with that but i`ll go into jessops and see if there let me take a lookski at the SLR and compacts.

[camo]

Hi Carl

Don't worry I am not going to moan at you about anything and as long as you consider everything before making your decision then that's great.

As I said I have a DSLR and have upgraded both camera and lens and I enjoy their use but I have spoken to lots of people in your position and they have often opted for the Bridge alternative and have not regretted it.

What ever your choice I look forward to seeing your photographs.

Roy

[muckshifter]

Yes Carl, I have ... I have non as yet posted here and I'm not sure if I'm permitted to link to an off-site.

I have only had the Sony for a couple of weeks, but in that time I have already goten to grips with DSLR features.

Why I chose the a200 is quite simple ...

I can hold it

Has in-body-stabilisation ... and it works.

Price ... I bought mine here at an independent camera shop, £269.99 incl 2 year warranty ... a well known shop wanted £289.

Don't let me twist your arm over the a200 ... I agree with others when looking for your first DSLR ... go to a shop and play with them all ... is what I did also ... the Sony ticked all my boxes.

It's take me nearly 8 months ... but I am well chuffed with my choice.


Mucks