Canon 400mm lens for bird photography in wetland hides

[joshg995]

Hi,

I am getting into wildlife photography, mainly around birds and also traveling to Africa in a few weeks.

My current lens isn’t good enough to capture good quality photos from far away and I’ve been seeing the Canon 400mm lens around. Would this be suitable for getting clear detail shots of individual animals from a distance say 100 metres from inside a bird hide?

Thanks! 

[Danny]

Thanks for joining the conversation, joshg995!

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Thanks and have a great day!

[joshg995]

Hi Danny, 

I am using an Canon EOS 750D.

thanks,

Josh 

[kvbarkley]

For an EF-S camera, like the 750D, I would recommend either the Sigma or Tamron 150-600's.

You get more versatility with the zoom, and a little more reach with the 600mm.

It is *barely* handholdable, a monopod is recommended.

[joshg995]

Are these compatible with a canon camera? Also do you know how much they would cost?

I am only just getting into this so don’t want to spend loads just yet.

[kvbarkley]

None of the more senior members will recommend a lens that is not compatible with your camera, for third-party lenses, just make sure to get the Canon EF version.

You need to be a little careful here: EF and EF-S lenses are compatible with your camera. Canon makes a newish line of mirorless cameras - the "R" series - that use a lens mount called "RF" that is NOT compatible with your camera.

These 150-600 lenses cost in the $900 range - I really haven't priced them lately - but you might be able to rent one from Lens Rentals for your trip, just make sure to tell them that you are taking it out of the country, and buy insurance from them.

[March411]

The 150-600mm is a great lens for wildlife whether you go for the Tamron or Sigma. Ebiggs1 will suggest going with the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 if you decide to go Tamron as it performs better then it predecessor. Side by side they are both good quality lenses with very good IQ. If you decide to go mirror-less in the future these lenses work great on R bodies with the Canon adapter but you will most likely have to update the lens firmware. When I made the change I had to update several lenses.

KEH

• Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2  like new for $927
• Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM C like new - $835

I went with the 60-600mm for the additional range but it is a beast and heavy. It is not a good travel lens but takes some decent images at 600mm. 

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Agree with the recommendations here.  150-600 or 60-600 Sigma or Tamron G2 are nice lenses offering good versatility for capturing wildlife on safari.  Not having to change lenses in dusty conditions is a good thing.  Bring plenty of extra batteries and storage media.  Also a rocket blower, air puffer.  A good mono pod as KVBarkley suggests will help to combat fatigue and help steady your camera between shots.  The guides will do their best and get you to the animals, but sometimes you have to wait between shots. 

[ebiggs1]

"... 400mm lens around. Would this be suitable for getting clear detail shots of individual animals from a distance say 100 metres from inside a bird hide?"

To answer your specific question, the answer is no. But not any of the above lens suggestions will either. 100 meters is a long distance and birds are tiny. However if the "individual animal" is an elephant or dinosaur then yes it will do the job.

The best thing you can do to get great bird photos is get closer, more like 10 meters. Get as close as you can. Of course if the wildlife is a lion or grizzled bear you may want to maintain that 100 meter distance.

Two more pieces of advice at no additional cost to you is shoot raw and get a photo editor like Photoshop or DPP4. DPP4 is free from Canon and selecting raw is free.

[Tronhard]

I spent decades photographing wild animals around the world, so I hope I can offer some valid advice to complement the advice of my respected colleagues.  There are a couple of considerations here: how close you can SAFELY get to any wild animal to get a photo, an the best lenses for reaching as far as possible.

If you are going to Africa, I hope you are going with a reputable safari company and they should be making sure you are as safe as possible - I strongly encourage you to follow guidance and safety measures.  Any wild animal can be dangerous if they feel threatened for themselves or especially for their young.  This applies not only to predators such a lions, but any animal.  
Water Buffalo on the watch 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1000sec, ISO-800 Wildebeest watching vehicle, 534mm, f/8, 1/125sec, ISO-200

Wild animals can get extremely close to safari vehicle if they feel comfortable: there are examples of lions sitting around the shady side of a vehicle, or cheetahs climbing onto roof of a vehicle to get a better view over flat plains. So, you need a range of focal lengths, and that suggests zooms.

Your camera, being what is called a crop-sensor camera, will make the images taken by any lens seem as if they were taken with a much longer focal length: in the case of a Canon camera the focal length on the lens can be multiplied by a factor of 1.6.

So, as far as lenses go, I would join the chorus of those who recommend something like the Sigma or Tamron 150-600 zoom lenses which with your camera will seem like you are shooting with a 240-960mm lens.  Also consider a much shorter focal length - your 18-55mm or 18-135mm kit lens should go along too to capture close-by animals, or wider scenic or herd images.  Africa is an amazing continent, with colourful and unique cultures, so you will want to take that shorter focal range to capture the locals as well as your tour experience.

Dugout canoe trip 40mm, f/7.1, 1/1000sec, ISO-200 Elephant herd 02, 435mm, f/8, 1/640sec, ISO-200

I strongly encourage you to study the wildlife that you will be seeing - the more you know of them the better you can anticipate their actions to prepare for a sudden burst of action, or warnings that they are threatening.  Watch documentaries (the Attenborough BBC ones are great, for example). 

Go to the zoo to practice shooting with your gear before you go with live animals - you need to become as familiar as possible with the controls of the camera and how to handle the lenses you will use (take your manual along as a PDF, using this link: .  Learning 'on the job' can be a frustrating experience, especially since trips to Africa are not going to be cheap.  You need to come to grips with precise focusing - the most critical thing to get in focus is the eye of the animal and dealing with contrasting light that may be a factor of animals in the dappled shade of trees.  So, get in a lot of practice with your gear.  Telephoto lenses are not light, so how you hold the camera and your endurance to keep the camera steady need to be considered.

Definitely shoot in RAW and JPG, and take a bunch of FULL-SIZE SD cards that are of reputable brands and from well known dealers, like B&H and Adorama.  Also take a bunch of batteries and your charger!  I recommend downloading the day's photos onto a computer and an additional external drive, then format the cards clean in the camera ready for the next day of shooting.

These images were taken by one of my students who went on her first safari, having no experience with a dedicated camera.   She followed the advice I have shared and practiced hard.