What zoom to buy?

[Norm53]

I put up a bird feed at the edge of a woods about 80 feet from my lunch table behind a french door. My Canon EOS Rebel T3i with EF 75-300 mm 1:4-5.6 will not bring into focus the birds, large and small.

What lens do I need to buy that will do the job? Cost is no object.

Thanks, Norm

[Waddizzle]

"I had forgotten about the trigger, which is important because I can then fire away all day and sort through the results later on my computer. "

The phrase "camera AC adapter" just ran through my head.

[Norm53]

"The phrase "camera AC adapter" just ran through my head."

Canon has a remote switch RS-80N3 that is supposed to work with the 7D. $42.

Norm

[ebiggs1]

"Sigma 600mm lens $1090 (B&H)<---- Your choice, consider the dock if you choose the Siggy.  Requires a lot of work! 

Don't understand why. See below for setup."

The Sigma dock allows you to adjust auto focus to your exact camera.  No other lens company offers this.  A lens and camera must be shipped to the manufacturer for this service.  You can also update the firmware yourself.

"MT055X tripod $249 (B&H)<---- fantastic.
gimbal head $185 (B&H)<---- Great for the Sigma super tele but not so good for normal camera shots with the 17-55mm.

Don't understand why. See below for setup."

Gimbal heads do not wirk well with short lenses.  Consider a ball head, too.

electronic trigger ??? <---- Almost unnecessary.  I doubt you will like it and therefore will not use it.

Need to know why. Won't disturb the camera when I press the shutter button. Seems like a natural for my setup."

This all depends on how good you want your photos to be.  You are spending a lot of money to settle for so-so photos.  Cameras do not take pictures.  Photographers do.  The best way to learn is by experience.  But a less expensive way is to listen to people that have actually done this.  And this guy says a trigger is a waste of time and money.  Good pictures require a good photographer.  If you want a remote, triggered, set up go buy a game trail camera.  Or perhaps you could set up your iphone out there!  So which will it be?

You can't do this with a trigger!

[Norm53]

"Sigma 600mm lens $1090 (B&H)<---- Your choice, consider the dock if you choose the Siggy.  Requires a lot of work! 

Don't understand why. See below for setup."

The Sigma dock allows you to adjust auto focus to your exact camera.  No other lens company offers this.  A lens and camera must be shipped to the manufacturer for this service.  You can also update the firmware yourself.

Don't know what "dock" means. Are you saying that I cannot just screw the lens onto the camera and shoot away? That I have to send the 2 pieces to the mfg. (Japanese) for this? If so, then this system isn't for me because I will want to replace the 600 with the 55 when I go to the beach on occasion and then switch back to the 600 when I return home.

"MT055X tripod $249 (B&H)<---- fantastic.
gimbal head $185 (B&H)<---- Great for the Sigma super tele but not so good for normal camera shots with the 17-55mm.

Don't understand why. See below for setup."

Gimbal heads do not work well with short lenses.  Consider a ball head, too.

You are not reading my setup correctly: The camera w/600 goes on the tripod. The camera w/55 goes in my bag to the beach or field. Does this change your opinion?

You are spending a lot of money to settle for so-so photos.

First you use the word "fantastic" for this purchase and now the money is for "so-so" photos. Seems I'm going downhill fast.

Norm

[RobertTheFat]

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@Norm53 wrote:

"Sigma 600mm lens $1090 (B&H)<---- Your choice, consider the dock if you choose the Siggy.  Requires a lot of work! 

Don't understand why. See below for setup."

The Sigma dock allows you to adjust auto focus to your exact camera.  No other lens company offers this.  A lens and camera must be shipped to the manufacturer for this service.  You can also update the firmware yourself.

Don't know what "dock" means. Are you saying that I cannot just screw the lens onto the camera and shoot away? That I have to send the 2 pieces to the mfg. (Japanese) for this? If so, then this system isn't for me because I will want to replace the 600 with the 55 when I go to the beach on occasion and then switch back to the 600 when I return home.

"MT055X tripod $249 (B&H)<---- fantastic.
gimbal head $185 (B&H)<---- Great for the Sigma super tele but not so good for normal camera shots with the 17-55mm.

Don't understand why. See below for setup."

Gimbal heads do not work well with short lenses.  Consider a ball head, too.

You are not reading my setup correctly: The camera w/600 goes on the tripod. The camera w/55 goes in my bag to the beach or field. Does this change your opinion?

You are spending a lot of money to settle for so-so photos.

First you use the word "fantastic" for this purchase and now the money is for "so-so" photos. Seems I'm going downhill fast.

Norm

---

To find out what a dock is in this context, just Google "Sigma dock".

If you adjust a lens to a particular camera, it may not work as well on a different camera. But it has no effect on how the camera works with a different lens.

If your camera has autofocus microadjustment, you can usually do the adjustment in the camera (which can often keep track of a dozen or more lenses) instead, Then you don't have to make changes to the lens that may affect how it behaves on other cameras. Your 7D Mark II will have AFMA; your T3i doesn't.

And if you don't know what autofocus microadjustment is, Google that before you ask. You'll understand our answers better if you don't go into every subject blind.

[Norm53]

"By connecting a Sigma Art, Contemporary, or Sports lens to a computer with the SIGMA USB DOCK, photographers can update the lens firmware and adjust focus position and other parameters. Exclusive SIGMA Optimization Pro software makes customization easy. It is possible to select the autofocus speed and adjust the focus limiter and Optical Stabilizer (OS) function."

This is beyond what a novice needs to understand and be concerned. (We are talkng 7D, not T3i.) Therefore, back to my question: Can I easily screw my 600 onto my 7D easily, and can I unscrew the 600 and screw the 55 onto the 7D easily, and can I reverse the process easily?

"Gimbal heads do not work well with short lenses.  Consider a ball head, too."

This should be no problem because the short (55) lens is used out of the house w/o a tripod. Only the 600 will be on the camera when it is on the tripod. Now I suppose you want me to research to the difference between "gimbal" head and "ball" head.

Norm

[Waddizzle]

---

@Norm53 wrote:

"The phrase "camera AC adapter" just ran through my head."

Canon has a remote switch RS-80N3 that is supposed to work with the 7D. $42.

Norm

---

I wasn't referring to remote triggering.  I was concerned about battery life if you spend several hours shooting.  You may want to have spare batteries on hand, or even use an AC adapter to run the camera off of line voltage.

[Waddizzle]

---

@Norm53 wrote:

.....     ......

"Gimbal heads do not work well with short lenses.  Consider a ball head, too."

This should be no problem because the short (55) lens is used out of the house w/o a tripod. Only the 600 will be on the camera when it is on the tripod. Now I suppose you want me to research to the difference between "gimbal" head and "ball" head.

Norm

---

This is a gimbal head.  Some heads do not allow enough clearance below the camera mount to clear the base of the head when the gimbal is swung forward, which tilts the camera upwards.  The camera body will bump into the base.

Below is a ball head.  Both the ball and the above gimbal incorporate Arca-Swiss style, universal mounting plates.

This head includes many desireable features.  It uses separate knobs for horizontal panning, ball friction, and ball control.  Ball friction is highly desireable because it allows you to move the camera/lens setup around without it flopping all about.  The panning base has a degree scale, which is viewed on the other side through a window.  Some bases have a printed scale all the way around the base, which I prefer.

If you purchase a ball head, be sure to purchase a fairly robust one.  Less robust heads have a tendency to shift slightly when you fully tighten the ball.

[ebiggs1]

Norm, You need to read this carefully.

"This all depends on how good you want your photos to be.  You are spending a lot of money to settle for so-so photos.  Cameras do not take pictures.  Photographers do.  The best way to learn is by experience.  But a less expensive way is to listen to people that have actually done this.  And this guy says a trigger is a waste of time and money.  Good pictures require a good photographer.  If you want a remote, triggered, set up go buy a game trail camera.  Or perhaps you could set up your iphone out there!  So which will it be?

This reply only refers to a remote trigger.  Did it not?

Yes you can bolt the big Sigma on your new 7D Mk II.  Yes it will unbolt and you may install any other lens you wish.  Simple!

I am going to repeat this statement as it also pertains to the Sigma "Global" lenses.  The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens for Canon EF is one of the new Global lens line from Sigma.  It is the only lens line up that allows auto focus in the "lens" and not just in the camera.  If you are satisfied with the way it performs right out of the box, you don't need the dock.  If you want the utmost IQ, you may need it.  Make sense?

A gimbal head, which is best for big tele's is not the only way to go.  A gimbal head doesn't work well with short lenses.  If you don't care, just get the gimbal head and forget it.  Otherwise, a ball head can do either long or short lenses.  You will be giving up a lot of potential use you can get from such a nice tripod.  I use a Manfrotto 501 head on my big 3046. I use a gimbal head on the 55 Pro.

The really great thing about DSLR gear is, you can make it what you want.  I don't know what your goal is in photos.  I would surely assume you want better than the squirrel.  Correct?

You have a lot to learn and what is suggested in the list will get you well above most novices right from the gate.  That list can go as far as you will ever want it to.  Or, it can do hardly nothing......that part will be up to you.

[Norm53]

If you purchase a ball head, be sure to purchase a fairly robust one.  Less robust heads have a tendency to shift slightly when you fully tighten the ball.

Thanks for saving me some reseach time. How about the head below. Robust enough?

Manfrotto 468MGRC2 Hydrostatic Ball Head with RC2 Quick Release

Manfrotto MT190X3 Aluminum Tripod with 468MGRC2 Hydrostatic Ball Head and RC2 Quick Release

Norm

PS. I sometimes receive this error message: "Your post has been changed because invalid HTML was found in the message body. The invalid HTML has been removed. Please review the message and submit the message when you are satisfied."

S/w then clears the problem, but I don't know exactly what I'm doing wrong.