Looking to buy first Digital camera for Wildlife

Otter Spotter · #1 (**permalink**) 31-08-2009, 06:54 PM

Hi,
I am looking for some advice, i am really keen to start taking pictures of the various animals and birds I watch. I am looking at upgrading and I am not sure wether to go for a DSLR or someting like the Fuji camera all in one job.

the main animals i am lookig to photgraph are Otters and Birds

I am looking to spend around £500 or so.I am looking to take this very seriously and so I am swung more towards the DSLR as i can upgrade when finances allow.

Also any books you would recommend me to read.

Huge question I know, but any help would be most appreciated.
Many thanks
Take care
Andy

foxydave · #2 (**permalink**) 31-08-2009, 07:04 PM

hi Andy , in the same position as you two years ago ,read loads of books and decided to get a canon 5d and a sigma 500mm lense brought them off ebay second hand ,they done me great for a year then the bug really got to me so i up graded to a canon 40d, canon 100-400,mm, and sigma 150mm macro, hence i dont go up the pub a lot now, but i love every minute of wildlife photography.regards Dave

Otter Spotter · #3 (**permalink**) 31-08-2009, 07:08 PM

Thanks for your reply. i am really keen to get snapping and I know its best to buy the best you can afford an upgrade when I can.
Can i ask what books you have found most useful?
Thanks again

foxydave · #4 (**permalink**) 31-08-2009, 07:31 PM

hi andy ,one i found very good was Bird Photography by steve Young, but there is a great website which found excellent for tips,www.ophrysphotography.co.ukhe is a superb bird photographer and has some great tips .regards dave

Otter Spotter · #5 (**permalink**) 31-08-2009, 08:42 PM

Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for your prompt replies, they have been very useful.

I take on board your comments regarding DSLR being more expensive but I think that this will be the more rewarding route in the end.

I have looked at a number of bridging cameras and they are indeed very good but I am coscious that I might outgrow them very quickly.

I am going to have a good look around and see what I can find.
Thanks again for all your help.
Take care
Andy

squishy · #6 (**permalink**) 31-08-2009, 09:07 PM

yes, £500 wont buy you an entry DSLR and a good lens. for long lens photography, if you are lucky you could just scrape a used sigma or like for £500ish, but that's without counting the body.

i can vouch for bridge cameras, they give you a fair focal range, usually around 300-400mm at the top end, and down to good wide angle.

i use my fujifilm S9600 for macro mostly, sometimes with a raynox DCR 250 to increase it to 1:1 and closer, but i have had a few good shots with it bare. (first 2 taken with just camera, second 2 with raynox)

Otter Spotter · #7 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 07:15 AM

Thanks Squisky, great pics, I can see the difference the Raynox makes.

This may sound like a stupid question but if you want to print your pics out,how do you get the best results and quality. I am just used to taking my pics to Asda etc and picking them up later or am I living in the dark ages and should I be printing my own out.

Also,do you know if its possible to get lens extenders to increase the zoom power for the Fuji or panasonic bridging camera ranges.Just thought I could then use them for the longer distance shots.

Sorry to bombard you all with these questions, you have been great, thank you!!

Jethro Tull · #8 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squishy

yes, £500 wont buy you an entry DSLR and a good lens. for long lens photography, if you are lucky you could just scrape a used sigma or like for £500ish, but that's without counting the body.

i can vouch for bridge cameras, they give you a fair focal range, usually around 300-400mm at the top end, and down to good wide angle.

i use my fujifilm S9600 for macro mostly, sometimes with a raynox DCR 250 to increase it to 1:1 and closer, but i have had a few good shots with it bare. (first 2 taken with just camera, second 2 with raynox)

Hi,
I have just bought Raynox 250 for my Fuji S100fs, Haven't had a chance to test it yet though. Do you have any tips on using the raynox with the Fuji ie manual or auto-focus? macro or super macro setting etc. i took some dragonfly shots recently using the S100fs macro + digital zoom (lens set at 200mm) and took shot around 6ft away, I was amazed at the quality especially as most people say digital zoom is xexexexe but the 2x on the Fuji is excellent.
Cheers
Brian

Hobjob · #9 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 01:24 PM

Look back at some of the similar threads over the last couple of years - its a
recurring theme this one.

Good glass costs

squishy · #10 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 01:50 PM

right tips for the raynox:

do not use auto focus, use manual.

my favoured technique is to set it on aperture priority, at as small as i can and keep sharp (f/8 usually, but larger if i need faster speeds), set the manual focus as close as possible on macro mode then out just a bit, zoom at around 200mm (large enough to remove vignetting, but small enough to keep some kind of DoF) and move the camera in and out on a tri/monopod. the hardest thing is getting the right part in focus, as the DoF will be very small, it can be really tricky getting it right, but i'm just improving with practice.

about the zoom, i dont want to invest in them particularly, as for a good screw on converter you can pay quite a lot, but again, raynox do a few, though i'm not sure about the quality. in general though, you will struggle to get good photos of further away subjects without paying alot more for a DSLR and good zoom

its just a fact.

Morph · #11 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 05:03 PM

I use a Raynox 2025 HD pro 2.2x teleconverter on a Panasonic FZ50 and found it very good, it gives you the reach of a Sigma. The main problem with is the the cameras inbuilt stabliser can't cope with the extra zoom, so a monopod or tripod is a must. I bought an extendable shooting walking stick/monopod which has a rest like a fishing rod rest in on the top which can be screwed off and used as a conventional monopod. With the rest in place you can quickly rest the lens on it and fire away, its been a godsend and a better use than its intended.
But having said that it is not up to the quality of the considerably more expensive option of DSLR + large lenses.
Click the link below and have a look thru my website most of the British bird pics were taken with the lense attached.

Otter Spotter · #12 (**permalink**) 01-09-2009, 05:28 PM

Thank you so much for your posts I have learnt so much already.

my Dad has a Fuji which I was very impressed with but its 10X Zoom is no where near enough for what i want and like you say to get good glass costs, but I have to make a decision if it is worth spending a lot of cash now or getting a cheaper option and learning the craft and then going for the full monty later.

I am going to have a good luck around and E Bay could be a good place to get a bargain at the moment. I do fancy a DSLR but its just wether I will be disapointed with the results until I can get a big chunky lens on it?

You have all got some great pics and I am even more desperate to get out and get snapping!!!

I may have some more questions later if thats ok

Thanks again
Andy

Geoff F · #13 (**permalink**) 31-08-2009, 07:30 PM

To my mind, you have started off with some contradictions here.

If you are thinking about a 'real' DSLR then £500 will just about get you a body, without any lenses. And you are talking about photographing distant and difficult subjects which will mean expensive lenses.

If we assume your fieldcraft is excellent and you can sneak close to the subject you may get away with with a 300mm lens and there are some quite good zooms in the 50-300mm range, very approx figures, for around £500.

Serious birdies would consider a 400mm lens to be the minimum and we are talking about £700 to £1000 plus here.

You may be able to get some secondhand equipment, especially now times are getting hard, which will reduce the price.

Alternatively some of the better fixed lens cameras, sometimes known as 'bridge cameras' can have a good zoom range and will take reasonable photos when conditions are good. They are considerably cheaper and are a lot easier to carry around.

Personally, if you are really serious about getting excellent photos I would recommend the expensive DSLR route but expect to keep spending all your spare cash for a few years. And that is before you get side tracked into other areas like insects etc. £2000 can soon disappear. And don't forget to allow something for extras like a good tripod.

Just a note of what I have, so far: Canon 40D with 28-135 Canon lens (general use and landscapes); Canon 70-300 lens (closer wildlife and some landscape/general use); Sigma 150-500 (birds and other small or distant wildlife) Sigma 180 Macro lens (insects, spiders etc).

I only started with a secondhand Canon 10D and added extra items as I could afford them.

So it's up to you to make a decision about which basic road to take. Then we can start to give some more specific advice about which brand of equipment to consider; and after that, which model of body/lens etc.