Newbie with Questions about Proper Equipment for Birding

[WingMan71]

Hello. Newbie here.  Just bought a Canon EOS Rebel T7 with two lenses: an EFS 18-55mm and an EF 75-300mm.  Yes, I realize that this is entry level equipment, but I had a purpose in mind that I thought it would be sufficient for.

Was hoping that the 75-300mm lens would be sufficient for getting some good close-up shots of my backyard birds, which are numerous. My bird feeders are about 20 yards from where I can stand to take the shots without spooking the birds.

Turns out the 300mm lens is just not getting me the magnification that I want.  I can get closer-up shots with the camera in my Samsung Galaxy S23.  (Yes, I realize that the cellphone camera uses digital zoom and clarity suffers, but I never plan to actually print any of these pictures.)

So, the question is: What do equipment do I need to get closer shots of birds about 20 yards away?

Before you answer, I bought this equipment used from a well-known camera shop in the area.  So, my budget is limited.  Do I look for another lens, say a used 100-400mm Canon lens from the same shop, or is that not even enough?  Do I get a used teleconverter from the same shop?  If so, which power teleconverter?

Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks!

[ebiggs1]

"What do you think about that lens for birding at anywhere from 15 to 20 yards?"

There isn't anything wrong with that tele zoom it is the yards that is the problem.  However, you need to start thinking feet and not yards even a 600mm tele isn't going to be much better if you are 20 yards from subject.

I had one of those tele zooms and it is a nice lens not as sharp as the newer Sigma 105-600mm C or S tele zooms of today but certainly useable. They are really nice lenses. I still have the Sigma 150-500mm super zoom which a very sharp lens.

Feet not yards! 😁

[Waddizzle]

“ My bird feeders are about 20 yards from where I can stand to take the shots without spooking the birds. “

I think it’s also time to rethink your plan of action.  You’re not going to have much success walking up to take photos, nor just standing around waiting for one to land.

I suggest that you pull up a chair, put the camera on a tripod, and pre-focus the lens on the feeder.  Preferably, you want to be somewhere out of their direct line of sight, of course.  But, I have sat on a park bench near a watering fountain for birds and captured some decent photos.  Got some good reading in , too!

[johnrmoyer]

20 yards will be difficult for a small bird, depending upon how much you are willing to crop. I often sit outside in a lawn chair and photograph birds when they perch before going to the feeder. The feeder is about 20 meters from my office window and even though the window distorts the photo, I will make photos through the window especially if it is an unusual for my house bird. The gets me a good enough photo to document the sighting on ebird.  The  birds that come to my feeder every day recognize me and will come as soon as I put seed in the feeder. These birds are comfortable with me sitting in a chair within 15 meters so long as I do not move much.

The EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM seems to me a very good lens for the price.

On my web server at: https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2024Oct30_birds_and_cats/2024oct27_bluejay_IMG_2196c.html

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) on a Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) vine in Norman, Oklahoma, United States on October 27, 2024 ; EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM ; Focus Distance Lower 12.46 m ; Focus Distance Upper 15.12 m

When I go to the wildlife refuge where the birds are more wary, the distances are greater. https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2024Oct22_Salt_Plains/2024oct22_killdeer_IMG_2135c.html 

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, United States on October 22, 2024 ; EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +2x III ; Focus Distance Lower 18.82 m ; Focus Distance Upper 24.09 m

And for a lower budget example, before I got the EF 100-400, https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2017Mar15_birds_and_cats/2017mar14_phoebe_IMG_2229.html 

This worked in live view mode only. EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM + Kenko Teleplus HD C-AF 2X DGX teleconverter , EOS 80D , F/16 , 1/664 second , 600mm, ISO 1250. Gimp with GMIC plugin was used instead of Canon DPP Digital Lens Optimizer because DPP does not recognize the Kenko. Distance reported by camera is half the actual distance.

Phoebe, Mar. 14, 2017 ; The reason that the focal length is listed as 600mm for a 300mm lens is that a Kenko Teleplus HD C-AF 2X DGX teleconverter was attached. This was taken hand held while sitting on a chair in the shade. The gimp gmic plugin Richardson-Lucy deconvolution was used to remove small aperture diffraction blur. F/11 is wide open for this combination of lens and teleconverter. F/16.0 give greater depth of field. Focus was manual. After cropping and resizing to 50%, an unsharp mask was applied.

[Ron888]

Wow what a massive difference. The 100-400L II is razor sharp while the 70-300+TC is terrible

[johnrmoyer]

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@Ron888 wrote:

Wow what a massive difference. The 100-400L II is razor sharp while the 70-300+TC is terrible

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There are differences other than the lenses.

• The 3rd party teleconverter is much less expensive than the Canon and produces less contrast at edges. There is greater acutance with the Canon teleconverter but the canon cannot be used with that lens.
• Over the years my skills have improved.
• There is much more small aperture diffraction blur with the Kenko than with the Canon because F/16 vs. F/11 and the Canon software likely has better information about the point spread function than does the GMIC Richardson/Lucy deconvolution. ( R/L in GMIC assumes circular aperture and gaussian spread ) ( I might have done better with F/13 instead of F/16 if the biggest problem were diffraction and not focus )
• The distance is greater between camera and bird with the Kenko which results in more distortion caused by varying air densities, out of focus insects in the air, and dust in the air.
• I used manual focus with the Kenko and possibly the focus was not as accurate as it might have been.
• I had better light for the Killdeer than for the Phoebe.

[TomRamsey]

I had done birds with a 300 lens for years, it’s not easy but it can be done.  A lot of techniques involve trying to get closer, and learning about the behavior of the birds.  A teleconverter can be a big help, but probably not with that lens.  It’s not the season right now, but migrating birds can be easier to get closer too.  They migrate mostly at night, and when they come down in the mornings they need food and are a little more tolerant of people.  But migration is only a few weeks of the year, and if you are not near a migration hotspot you may not find much.  So I think the longer lens is an appropriate next step.  I rented a Sigma 50-500 years ago and it was pretty good, but those are pretty old now, they haven’t produced them for years.  If the orice is low enough to take a chance OK, but not serious money.  Just a few months ago I bought into the R system so I could buy an RF 200-800, even with that 20 yards is a long way for a small bird, but I can crop and get good details.  I have a friend in Australia that regularly shoots birds very close from a window and has excellent results, unfortunately my windows have screens and I have a cat that would go right out.  
I have also done the suggestion here of setting a chair up which works with some of the birds.  Carolina Chickadees will come with in a few feet (when I don’t have a camera!), stealth and slow movements can help.  In the woods I’ve often held the camera close to my face, because I’ve seen birds flush when you lift the camera to shoot.  Lots of little things you find out, but anyway, go for the longer lens, an good shooting.