Lens for wildlife photography

[DanielHolloway]

Hi All,
I'm new to Wild About Britain and need some advice on which lens to buy for wildlife photography. I have a Canon 450D DSLR.

Contenders I've been considering are the Canon 100-400mm tele-zoom, the Canon 300mm F4 prime and the Canon 70-200mm F4 with 1.4 extender. All are L-series lenses and I'm trying to get the fastest lens possible within budget of around £1000-£1400.

I figure the 100-400mm enables better composition for a beginner like myself but its heavy and not very fast. The 300mm F4 is a good compromise on speed vs price and is lighter but its a fixed length so composition is harder. The 70-200mm F4 is another good lens, reasonably fast and versatile for vacations etc as well but I feel just doesn't have the focal reach.

I'll mostly be using this for deer, squirrels, some birds etc and am planning a trip to Kenya next year.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

DH

[larachmor]

Hi Daniel – I have the Canon 100-400L. I’d love to have the 70-200 as well (and the 300mm F4 too) but if I had the choice of just the one it would have to be the 100-400. Excellent for wildlife. The 1.4 extender is excellent, but personally, I prefer not to use them.
As you say, it is a bit on the weighty side, but I wouldn’t be without it.
Enjoy your trip to Kenya. We were there in 2005 – some info and photos on the link ……

Strathspey Wildlife

[DanielHolloway]

Hi Bill,

Thansk for the reply. I'm concerned that the 100-400L is not that fast. I'd be much more interested if it was F4. have you had any issues with this? How do you find the sharpness of the image? The focal length is ideal just thinking about the speed for low light, DOF etc

Thanks,
DH

[slimrbp]

Hi,

I have rented the 100-400 a couple of times (mainly for airshows) and it is a great lens, very versatile due to the zoom.

Personally I use the 300mm f4, often with a 1.4x extender (giving a 420 f5.6)attached and get good results.

I generally find for most UK wildlife shots 300mm is the minimum I would use and quite often the 1.4x is on all of the time. However bearing in mind your upcoming trip to Kenya I personally think the zoom might be a better option to give you more freedom as I guess you won't have the option to get out of the jeep and move further away if you are too close for the prime

[larachmor]

Originally Posted by DanielHolloway

Hi Bill,

Thansk for the reply. I'm concerned that the 100-400L is not that fast. I'd be much more interested if it was F4. have you had any issues with this? How do you find the sharpness of the image? The focal length is ideal just thinking about the speed for low light, DOF etc

Thanks,
DH

I’ve been extremely pleased with the results (Examples on my Africa diary 2010)
As Richard says, with regard to a safari in Kenya, the versatility of the lens is a great bonus. If you’re in a vehicle, you’ll be getting photo opportunities when 100mm is just right, and there’ll be occasions when you need the other extreme. Also, using an extender in those situations, it’s not really a great idea unless you’re packing a separate body. You need to keep changing lenses to an absolute minimum in such dusty conditions, and that is where the versatility is a great bonus.
Like Richard too, I’ve used mine for the recent RAF Leuchars Airshow, and I was made up with the results. Get it right (I did on occasion) and you can read the pilot’s name written beneath the cockpit!

[nigel_b]

I think you need 2 different lenses, one for the safari and one for back home. That's just my view. I'd forget 70-200 for wildlife. Personally I use a 300mm f4 (Nikon) with 1.4x TC.

[squishy]

Originally Posted by DanielHolloway

Hi Bill,

Thansk for the reply. I'm concerned that the 100-400L is not that fast. I'd be much more interested if it was F4. have you had any issues with this? How do you find the sharpness of the image? The focal length is ideal just thinking about the speed for low light, DOF etc

Thanks,
DH

If it was f/4 it would be the size and price of a nikkor 200-400mm (which is a fabulous lens, but quite a long way out of a £1000-£1400 budget)

And f/5.6 is no slower than your other options. (the 1.4 would lose 1 stop of light, so the 300/4 becomes a 420/5.6 and the 70-200 would become a 98-280mm f/5.6).

[DanielHolloway]

Thanks everyone for all your responses and suggestions, looks like the 100-400L is the most versatile while still being affordable

Thanks!
DH