What Lens For Wildlife Shots

12 years 11 months ago #3284 by beachboys
I have been considering wildlife photography, what would be a good beginners lens for this?


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12 years 11 months ago #3286 by Dutch
My first suggestion would be a Canon 24-105mm. What camera do you have?


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12 years 11 months ago #3814 by wildlightphoto

beachboys wrote: I have been considering wildlife photography, what would be a good beginners lens for this?


There are many ways to photograph wildlife so this is a difficult question to answer. The two biggest technical problems in wildlife photography are getting close enough, and keeping the camera steady so your pictures aren't spoiled by blur from camera motion. Then there's the cost of good-quality equipment too. Only you can decide how to balance these factors in your purchase decision.

Orthodox technique is to use as long a lens as you can manage (cost and weight) on as sturdy a tripod as you can afford and are willing to carry, but stabilizing technology such as Nikon's VR, Canon's IS, or Sony's Super Steady Shot can be helpful if you want to avoid using a tripod. I use a shoulder stock combined with a monopod, which is inexpensive, can be used with any lens that has a rotating tripod collar, and provides a good combination of light weight, portability and stability. Getting close enough can be accomplished with long focal lengths, or by learning enough about the animals that you can get physically close to them without endangering either yourself or the animals.

The choice of lens involves many factors: cost, optical quality, handling, convenience features, focal length and maximum aperture among them. I can't tell you what will be best for you, but most beginners find that a 400mm or longer focal length and f/5.6 of faster aperture will be a good basic lens


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