i'm new, and dont have a clue!!

[dunkyg99]

hi folks, sorry if this is a big question but i need advice on a good starter camera. my main purpose is to photograph wild birds in, well, the wild! i have no previous experiance of photography but i want to learn. i am at the moment a keen bird watcher and know a few tricks in that field, camouflage, wind, smell (im ex army so that helps!) but now i want to capture the wee birds to hopefully get other people interested.

so really lookin not to get too carried away with the cash at the moment but i really am clueless, do i need one of those big massive lenses u see on tv to capture birds? are the removeable? if so, do only certain kinds of camera take them? the list goes on but i thank you all very much in advance for any of your wisdom i can share.

Dunk.

[Dan Salter]

Hi and welcome.

The usual set up for birds is one of those "big massive" lenses attached to an SLR camera (single lens reflex....basically a proper camera not a point and shoot or compact).
But wether digital or film ...this is expensive kit.

Another good option to look at are the digital Panasonic Lumix FZ30 or FZ50 which resemble a "proper" SLR but are smaller and have a built in zoom lens ( not detachable)..however, adaptors can be fitted to the built in lens to further enhance the "zoom" feature for bird shots. Or a close up "macro" attachment for insects, flowers, bugs etc.

Ill let Matt XYZ or one of the other LUMIX masters fill you in a bit more.

but have a google of Panasonic Lumix FZ30 ( or 50) which both regularly win contests and awards for best all round wildlife camera ( for novice)

[GerryNick2]

Hi Dunk

I am afraid that if you want to pursue bird photography it does not come cheap. As a starting point I would go for a DSLR camera body and a zoom lens with a maximum focal length of at least 400mm. You can add to this as and when funds permit.

Canon would be a good choice and I would consider the 400D, new 450D, 30D or 40D. As for the lense I would consider the Canon 100-400mm 4.5/5.6 L IS which is probably the most popular wildlife lense. If funds are tight you could look at the Sigma equivalent.

Gerry

[Wild-Woman]

I'd keep your entry camera lightweight, simple to use(and that's not meant to sound rude) and economical. This way it's better to learn techniques that get you used to the capabilities of a camera without being disappointed or put off! That's why I haven't got a DSLR yet, even though my current camera, my third one, is as mentioned in previous posts, a Panasonic FZ50. That's taken me 2 years approximately! Hopefully,I'll step into the DSLR world in the summer.
Equipment for photography doesn't come cheap sadly and I'm sure the top-notch photographers on here will tell you that it's taken a good few years to aquire all of their gear, gradually upgrading.
Don't get put off though, as you get better at it-it does become addictive and you will be surprised by the great help you would get here on WAB!

Welcome onboard by the way!

[delros1]

hello dunkyg99,first decide how much you, wish to spend,take time to look at the bird Gallery,as this will give you an insight into what people are useing,and the end result.the choice and range of cameras is massive,so try and get it down to 3 or 4,then get yourself down to a shop,and handle them.get the feel of useing them,if pos try them with long lens on.if one of them feels at home in you hands,then find the best deal.canon,fuji,nikon,pentax,olympus and sigma are all good makes and the more you spend the better it gets.its a quistion of price-weight-easy to use-and end result.all the best.david

[zan]

What kinds of bird do you want to photograph? Unless you want to focus immediately on the very small ones, you can get away with a 300mm zoom to begin with quite easily. If you have a local pond\river\canal, there are usually plenty of birds there that will happily come close enough in for a lens that length to get excellent photos. You can practise in-flight shots on gulls a few feet away from you if you take a bag of bread with you.

If you have a garden, you can take a bit of time getting a feeder set up (you can disguise these quite easily to make them look more natural) and once the birds are happy with you, you can get fairly close.

I started photography with a Canon 400d (now £350) and a Sigma 70-300mm zoom (£120) and it was great for learning on. I now photograph mostly seabirds and most of my shots are taken with a 70-200mm because my 300mm is often too long. You don't need to spend a fortune to get started, and although you will probably end up down that road, you certainly don't need to start there!

Zan

[nightshade]

The Panasonics are very good and carry well.
I would suggest that you buy a DSLR body only and team it up with one of the long zoom lenses mentioned on the site

[chiglet]

Hi
Not done much bird photograpy..but a lot of aeroplanes. I evoved to a Nikon D70 [now about £300 ish on ebay] with a Nikkor 70-300mm zoon [£99 brand new....now about £50 on ebay]
This combo would be my reccomendation
Chas

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by nightshade

The Panasonics are very good and carry well.
I would suggest that you buy a DSLR body only and team it up with one of the long zoom lenses mentioned on the site

I would have suggested that too....a DSLR body and Huge Lense...Except the guy is a total novice and didnt want to spend lots of cash..so i suggested the all in one FZ series?!!

[big bill]

Hi Dunk like most have said here it depends on how much you have to spend,myself personally would go for a DSLR there are a lot of kits on the market at the moment from Canon and Nikon it just depends on your budget if you go the Dslr route once you become acustomed to to it and competant in your photography you can always go for a larger lens look for a kit with a twin lens kit the Canon 400D came with 18-55mm and 90-300mm lens which would get you started but it depends on yourself.
Shop around and ask to handle the camera to you get something your happy with best of luck but you will get plenty of help and advice here if you come across problems