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

[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]

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?

I've been listening and making notes, so your advice and that of the other pundits has not been totally wasted. Coming from a novice, I really don't see that the remote trigger has anything to do with quality. Just a matter of pressing the shutter on the camera or pressing it on the remote. The remote just means that I can concentrate on the scene and not move my eyes and hands to 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?

Makes sense for an experience user, but not for a novice. Later, if I become an experienced user, then I can use advanced features that give me better quality.

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.

With your advice and that of one of your colleagues, I selected the ball head.

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?

Immediatel goal is to experiment with photos of the backyard bird feeder. After that ... who knows?

Norm

[ebiggs1]

"Just a matter of pressing the shutter on the camera or pressing it on the remote. The remote just means that I can concentrate on the scene and not move my eyes and hands to the camera."

" "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." "

[Norm53]

Now that I've acquired a bit of knowledge from the forum pundits (and felt some of their slings and arrows), my current plan is as follows:

Buy the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens and the Manfrotto 468MGRC2 Hydrostatic Ball Head with RC2 Quick Release and use them with my T3i. Consider this a training mission. Put this gear through all the camera permutations to experience the IQ results. Then, buy and substitute the 7D Mk ii for the T3i. Compare the difference.

A good plan?

Norm

[RobertTheFat]

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@Norm53 wrote:

Now that I've acquired a bit of knowledge from the forum pundits (and felt some of their slings and arrows), my current plan is as follows:

Buy the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens and the Manfrotto 468MGRC2 Hydrostatic Ball Head with RC2 Quick Release and use them with my T3i. Consider this a training mission. Put this gear through all the camera permutations to experience the IQ results. Then, buy and substitute the 7D Mk ii for the T3i. Compare the difference.

A good plan?

Norm

---

I guess the only caveat is that if you have any focusing issues with the Sigma, you may have to spring for their dock, since your T3i doesn't have autofocus microadjustment (which the 7D2 does).

[Norm53]

I guess the only caveat is that if you have any focusing issues with the Sigma, you may have to spring for their dock, since your T3i doesn't have autofocus microadjustment (which the 7D2 does).

Suppose I buy the dock with the lens to be on the safe side?

Norm

[ebiggs1]

In an effort to save you some money and since you are in leaning mode, that sounds good to me.  Remember it is always the lens that makes the biggest difference.  Not the camera.

However, if you are solely just getting the big Siggy zoom, you may want the gimbal head.  Those two are made for one another.  If you do get the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens later, you cn always get a ball head.  Feel it out first.  Like you said you may never want to use the tripod with the smaller lens.  With that big lens, a gimbal head is by far the best choice.

It is always about the choices!

A word to the wise if you do decide to get the ball head, never, never mount it to the camera with that big lens attached. Always attach it to the lens.  That big lens will quickly snap the plactic lens mount right out of a T3i if you do.

One other point that has gone by the way side is a post editor.  You are going to need one.  I recommend Photoshop Elements. You got a free editor with the camera.  It is OK for starters but pretty limited on its ability to edit.  You are going to shoot RAW?  Correct?  And editor is a mandatory requirement.

[Norm53]

One other point that has gone by the way side is a post editor.  You are going to need one.  I recommend Photoshop Elements. You got a free editor with the camera.  It is OK for starters but pretty limited on its ability to edit.  You are going to shoot RAW?  Correct?  And editor is a mandatory requirement.

For the experience, I will shoot in all modes, including raw and raw+jpg. Although I have Corel Paint Shop Pro, it would be best if I used an editor that most people here use, so that when I run into problems, they can help me out. Which one is that?

Norm

[Waddizzle]

I see nothing wrong with using Corel.  If you're familiar with it, then keep right on using it.  Personally, I do not do a whole lot of post-processing on my shots, except for when I'm doing something special: i.e.; removing an unwanted object in the field of view; using masking layers to achieve a special effect; etc.

[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.