lens help

[Sledneck7]

I am just starting out taking pictures of wildlife such as elk and deer. My question is i am looking for a good lens that can help me achieve the best picture from far distances. I have a canon rebel T1i with a couple of different lenses with my biggest one being a canon zoom EF 75-300mm. I thought this lens would zoom out a lot farther and take better pictures but it don't. I really need some advice because i am just starting out and don't know much about different lenses. Also i am looking to spend anywhere around 600-1,000 dollars. Thanks

[bob_r]

I believe Canon's telephoto lenses are better than those offered by 3rd parties, but they won't fit in your budget. I have a 100-400, as do a number of other members of this forum, and it's a terrific lens, but exceeds your budget by quite a bit.

If you plan on hand-holding your camera, you'll need image stabilization with the longer telephoto lenses. Probably the best one that will fit in your budget is a Sigma 120-400 OS.
Here's a link to some images shot with that lens: http://www.pbase.com/russfz30/sigma_120_400

I know a number of bird shooters that use a Tamron 200-500, but you will need a tripod to use this lens since it has no stabilization. It is about the same price as the Sigma and offers more reach, but no OS and it's slower so requires better light. Here's a link to some images shot with this lens: http://www.pbase.com/cameras/tamron/sp_ ... 3_di_ld_if

Hope this helps and good luck with your search.

[Sledneck7]

hey bob_r thanks for your advice. Also do you know much about lens extenders? I have found some online and was wondering if that might be a better way to go with my 75-300mm lens? Generally I am anywhere between 50 to 250 yards away from the animals and just want a decent lens to help me get good pictures. I am lucky enough to have elk in my backyard year round and want to take advantage of it. Thanks

[bob_r]

hey bob_r thanks for your advice. Also do you know much about lens extenders? I have found some online and was wondering if that might be a better way to go with my 75-300mm lens? Generally I am anywhere between 50 to 250 yards away from the animals and just want a decent lens to help me get good pictures. I am lucky enough to have elk in my backyard year round and want to take advantage of it. Thanks

Canon teleconverters will not work with that lens, but some of the third party lenses will (not Sigma's). Canon and Sigma TCs can not be used because the glass elements protrude too far to allow them to be connected. Another problem is that the 75-300 is not a very good lens to start with and then when you add a TC, you're going to reduce the image quality even more. The results will probably not be satisfactory. Most lenses will suffer considerable image degradation with a 2X TC, but some work well with a 1.4X TC. When you add a 1.4X you lose one f/ stop and when you add a 2X, you lose 2 f/ stops. Once your f/ stop gets smaller that f/5.6, your camera will no longer auto-focus unless you're using a 1 series pro camera (there are some 3rd party TCs that don't report their existence to the camera that will AF). If you don't mind manually focusing, you can still use TCs, but you won't get as many keepers shooting wildlife because your camera's shutter speed will be considerably slower.

Here's a shot I took with a Canon 30D, a 100-400 and a Sigma 1.4x TC (I had to use manual focus). I also used a flash and a Better Beamer flash extender to increase the light.
1/250s f/8.0 at 560.0mm iso400


This is a shot with the same setup, except with a Sigma 2X TC.
1/250s f/11.0 at 800.0mm iso200

[Sledneck7]

hey bob_r your pictures are awesome. I got a couple more questions you have been a big help. I decided that i want to save my money and just get a good lens and save the hassle. I have been looking at the canon telephoto zooms lens and there is so many to choose from. I have a nice tripod I use for my spotting scope so I wouldn't mind having a lens that need a tripod or either way. I have figured if i save my money i can wait a while and extend my budget to around $1800. What lens do you think would best fit what i am trying to do? Also do you know much about the tamron AF18-270mm lens?

[bob_r]

The 100-400 should be perfect for you. If you were just shooting birds, a prime like the 400 f/5.6 would probably work and be a little cheaper, but for the bigger animals, I think a zoom works better.
You could also pick up a used copy if you wanted to save a little money. Adorama has 2 used ones on their site: http://www.adorama.com/

I have no personal knowledge of the Tamron lens, but here is a link to a review: http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/tam ... p3_vc_n15/

[aprillove20]

Stunning photos and with a Canon 30D. Good saturation.