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Which lens is best paired with Canon 5Ds for bird photography

limvo05
Rising Star

Hello,

 

Can anyone here give me some advice on which lens is best paired with my Canon 5Ds for bird photography?

 

I have with me a 70-200 F2.8 II and a 2X Extender Mark III. While it is manageable in terms of sizes, that combination is somewhat heavy to carry for any extended period of time. I was thinking of a CANON EF 400mm F5.6 L USM prime, however, I don't know if 400mm is ideal for birds photography? If I was to pair it with my 2x extender, the aperture would be doubled, rendering the combination useless. Lastly, I would like to keep the budget below $2000.

 

Thank you,

LV

22 REPLIES 22

"No one said that, Ernie."

 

Yes, yes they do. A statement doesn't have to be assigned to somebody in particular.  It is a general thought that seems to keep going around.  Particularly by the less informed and experienced folks.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


@ebiggs1 wrote:

"...the R as the prototype for Canon's serious mirrorless line. It's not something you'd buy now."

 

There is no way on God's green Earth I would trade a 5Ds for a R or much less a Sony!  Smiley Sad


I agree.  The buffering in the top-of-the-line Sony bodies is atrocious. A burst of 20 shots, which is easy to do at 20 fps.  It can take MINUTES to clear out.  Meanwhile, you are not able to take more shots until the buffer clears.  The R5 sounds promising!

 

----------------------------

 

"Anyway, what is your thought of 400mm f5.6 USM L lens? The reviews I have seen seem very positive. It's a prime lens therefore it is sharper than zoom lens. Also, it is not as heavy as the 70-200 f2.8 II or the 100-400 mark II."

 

All reports say that it is an excellent lens for wildlife.  I would prefer to use it on an APS-C body like the 7D2, though, so that I can get the "free" extra focal length from the cropping.  Shooting with a super telephoto prime is a very different experience from using more normal lenses.  There is a definite learning curve associated with using a super tele.  

 

You are viewing the world through a straw.  Some people can acclimate to it, while some can never get the hang of finding their subjects while looking through a straw.  As good as the lens is, I would still recommend a super telephoto zoom over the 400mm prime for that lone reason.

 

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

Thank you. I don't think I'll be rushing out to get the R anytime soon. In fact, I thought I heard there are the R5 and RP. Not sure why so many flavors. 


@limvo05 wrote:

Thank you. I don't think I'll be rushing out to get the R anytime soon. In fact, I thought I heard there are the R5 and RP. Not sure why so many flavors. 


The RP is to the R as the 6D was to the 5D (sort of). The R5 is to the R as the 5D Mk IV is to, say, the 5D Mk II. Get the picture?

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA


@RobertTheFat wrote:

@limvo05 wrote:

Thank you. I don't think I'll be rushing out to get the R anytime soon. In fact, I thought I heard there are the R5 and RP. Not sure why so many flavors. 


The RP is to the R as the 6D was to the 5D (sort of). The R5 is to the R as the 5D Mk IV is to, say, the 5D Mk II. Get the picture?


I am not sure where either the R or RP might fall in the current DSLR lines.  I think the semi-official word is that the R5 will be reflection of the 5 Series.  There is also talk of an R6 that is supposed to reflect the 6 Series of DSLRs.

--------------------------------------------------------
"The right mouse button is your friend."

"It's a prime lens therefore it is sharper than zoom lens."

 

This factor alone does not make it "sharper" than a zoom.  IQ or sharpness is only a single factor,  If you are using it as your 'end all' you are making another mistake.  Example you shoot a bird at 400mm but you have to crop it 50% in post.  Same shot with a 600mm zoom and you crop much less. Is the resulting photo sharper or not?  Perhaps not.

I love the ef 400mm f5.6L.  I have had two of them still have one.  But for birds I will goto my 150-600mm Sigma zoom.

 

You mentioned tripod?  If you use a tripod why is weight a concern?

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

Is the Sigma 150-600mm smaller and weigh less than the Tamron 150-600mm as mentioned by others? I have not looked into these. Thanks

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

Yeah you are getting some things wrong for sure.  The 5Ds is fine for birds and wildlife. Some claim it is one of the best DSLR's ever made. Maybe it is.

 

This concerns me, "...that combination is somewhat heavy to carry for any extended period of time."  I am afraid if you want to do birds heavy is going to be part of it.  The gear to do it right is heavy. If this is a problem perhaps you need to select another hobby. But all is not lost we can relieve it somewhat. For instance a Black Rapid shoulder strap will ease the felt weight quite a lot. The strap mounts to the lens and balances very well.

 

Now for the EF 400mm F5.6 L USM prime, it is a dandy very light lens.  With the 1.4 tel-con you will have 560mm and a f8 aperture.  Possible for sure.  There are two factors here.  Either have a lot of FL or get closer to your subject.  Birds are small and they will remain small if you don't get close.  No matter how much FL you have close is best.

 

Another choice I like a lot and most folks don't know about is the EF 300mm f4 L IS lens.  With the same tel-con it gives you a 420mm f5.6 lens only now you have IS.  Win, win!  These are probably the lightest options for you while maintaining top IQ.

 

400mm is probably the least amount of FL you ever want for birds.  However 600mm is very much preferred and way, way better. That leaves us to what I believe is the best of the bunch right now the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2.

$1200 bucks and you are through.  No tel-con to mess with just 600mm of native FL.  It is not all that heavy and cumbersome to master.  Lot's of folks do it without issue.  Does it take some practice and getting used to?  Of course because 600mm is a lot of FL to deal with.

 

ESO 5Ds, Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 and Black Rapid Sport shoulder strap. My recommended combo for you. Remember there are certain conditions in this type photography that you have to learn to deal with or don't do it.  You can work on the getting closer part for instance.  Realize there is some weight involved too.  Perhaps a smaller light camera like a Rebel T7i for instance. Not only a weight/size benefit but a FL boost for free thrown in.

 

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

Don't get me wrong. I love my 5Ds. The image of this camera can produce is crazy! I have printed some as large as 2' x 6' and it's amazingly sharp, especially when paired with the 24x70 f.28 mark II. As far as landscape photography goes, I don't think I'll find a better combination.

 

Unfortunately, the same can't be said when it comes to birds or sports photography. Based on my experience with this camera it does not handle the low light situations as well as other cameras.

 

As for the weight concern, I don't think I am wrong to say the 70-200 f2.8 Mark II is light by any stretch of the imagination. It is a beast of a lens. I have used it on a few long-distance hiking, and by the time you are done with say 100+ mile hike, it is a bit of a struggle, carrying all the gears (Cameras and hiking equipment).

 

 

As for your suggestion about getting closer to the subject, I have heard some folks recommend getting a canvas that would help you to blend in. Unfortunately, that means more gears to carry.

 

Lastly, as for the Tamron, I thought someone said it is pretty big and would need a suitcase to carry around. Unfortunately, that would defeat my purpose of trying to reduce weight.

 

Thanks!

 

"Lastly, as for the Tamron, I thought someone said it is pretty big and would need a suitcase to carry around. Unfortunately, that would defeat my purpose of trying to reduce weight."

 

Don't believe everything you read!  Except form me of course!  Smiley Wink  In the unzoomed condition it isn't a great deal longer than the 70-200mm f2.8 with the tel-con attached.  Is it bigger, yeah, it is. It is 600mm of FL.  Like I said before weight and birding go together.  There is just so much that can be done on the weight side before you compromise on IQ.

 

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
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