@DoubleJoyner2 wrote:
Hi, I am wanting a lens to go on my T6 so I can get pictures of wild birds, lizards etc - Canon says 70-300 IS II is my best bet - will this lens get me close enough - does anyone know what is the X on this lens I can not find it anywhere?
Birds and lizards? Your needs are all over the place. I generally don't shoot birds, so I can't speak to that. But I do shoot in the California desert, the forests, and what we call "the backcountry," and anyone who tells you you need 300mm plus to shoot lizards is full of it. You need no such thing. I walk around with Canon's 18-135mm IS STM and it is perfect for my needs. I shoot lizards, snakes, tarantulas, desert tortoises, insects, wildflowers, and an occasional road runner. Talk about a challenge! Road runners don't move in straight lines and are very difficult to shoot, so for me, framing is the problem. The few decent shots I've got of them have been the result of luck, not skill.
This fall I plan to hike a bit of the High Sierra Trail and will carry the same lens. My hope is to encounter bears (I've frequently seen them in Cresent Meadow and you don't need 300mm). I've also been stalked by a mountain lion, which in my experience is far more unnerving than seeing one clearly from the trail. These two idiots last year had a perfectly beautiful view of a mountain lion perched on a ledge along the High Sierra Trail and what do they do? They film it with a Go Pro. You could have gotten great close-ups with an 18-50mm lens. Google "SLO hikers encounter mountain lion" to see what a wasted opportunity they had. Well, I digress, but suffice to say, be prepared and rest assured you don't need massive lenses in the field.
Anyway, when people speak of shooting wildlife, they usually mean birds. There is a lot more to "wildlife" than birds. But if that is your primary target, then the guys are right, 300mm won't cut it.
Especially if you are not right on top of them. A long FL lens like the 150-600mm super zoom is the choice because you can keep your distance.
