Wildlife Photography

[drstratton]

You've posted some very nice pics. Focus and shutter speed have a big affect on the quality of an image. I try to use the fastest shutter speed I can, that will depend on how bright it is outside though. I shoot in shutter priority 95% of the time (this is where you set the shutter speed and the camera adjust aperture and ISO automatically) and I always try to shoot 1/400 or higher. For anything moving fast I like 1/1000 and for birds in flight I like 1/2000 but it has to be very bright to get that fast.

As far as focus I use a single autofocus point for animals that aren't moving much and I try to put it on their eye or face. For birds in flight I use a small cluster in the middle of the screen.

Also cropping after taking the picture will reduce the quality. The closer you get to the subject the clearer the image will be.

Thank you! My BIF pictures were taken at 1/2000 with auto ISO. I have my camera set up with a saved M and saved AV recipe. I haven't used shutter priority yet, I will have to try that and see if my results are better. I definitely need a lens with a longer focal point so that I don't have to crop as much...but, that's not happening right now...the one I'm looking at costs more than my camera! I really appreciate the tips! Thank you again!

 

[mdees88]

Thank you! My BIF pictures were taken at 1/2000 with auto ISO. I have my camera set up with a saved M and saved AV recipe. I haven't used shutter priority yet, I will have to try that and see if my results are better. I definitely need a lens with a longer focal point so that I don't have to crop as much...but, that's not happening right now...the one I'm looking at costs more than my camera! I really appreciate the tips! Thank you again!

Yeah it can turn into a very expensive hobby depending on how far you take it. A good option is buying used. You save quite a bit up front and you can usually sell your equipment for roughly the same price when you decide to upgrade.

I forgot to mention microfocus adjustment can help a lot. My 100-400 needed a lot of adjustment at 400mm and my rebel t7i didn't have microficus adjustment which was my reason for switching to the 80d.

If you ever decide to upgrade lenses the 400m f5.6L USM is the cheapest option for getting more reach and tack sharp images but used it still costs as much as your camera. The only cons are it's a prime so no zoom range and it doesn't have image stabilization. I would stay away from the original 100-400 (push pull version) it's not a super sharp lens. The 100-400 IS II is incredibly sharp throught it's entire zoom range but it's the most expensive of the 3.

Definitely give shutter priority a try. The camera doesn't know if what you're shooting is moving fast or standing still, only you do. So locking in a shutter speed will prevent blurry photos in certain circumstances. You can do the same thing in Manual but it's much easier in Shutter Priority. The general rule of thumb is you always want a minimum of 1 over your focal length so with your 250mm you want 1/250 but I always try and double that if I can so I would shoot for 1/400-1/500 minimum and if it's bright enough to go faster go faster.....

 

[KingD]

I use a Canon 80d but I think nikon is better value. For wildlife generally the longer lens the better. I think the bare minimum and most budget friendly lens would be a 250mm lens and the 55-250 IS STM is a good starter lens. But 400mm is definitely more ideal for wildlife, they just cost a lot more. You can get good shots with a 250 you just have to get a lot closer than you would with a 400mm.

Once you get all the fundamentals down of how to operate the camera and what a great picture needs to consist of you might get to a point where a "cheaper" lens starts to hold you back. Not saying you can't get great shots with a "cheaper" lens but more reach and higher quality glass will result in sharper images and shallower depth of field. But you can still get good pics with a 250mm you just have to get a little closer and separate the subject from the background as best you can.

Most cameras are decent enough, the lenses are what will make or break you. I think the most versatile Canon lens for wildlife is the 100-400 is ii. It's what I use but it's very pricey. I actually bought it before I was any good at taking pics. Knowing what I know now, I could take much better pics with a 55-250 than I could the first couple years I had the 100-400.

So my recommendation for a good budget starter Canon outfit for wildlife would be an 80 or 90d and a 55-250 IS STM. You could go a little cheaper on the camera with the rebel line. The quality is roughly the same but the button layout on the 80 and 90d is much better.

Check out @Alyssa-Bee 's photos in this thread. I think she uses a Nikon and a 300mm lens which is a good budget option and some of her pics are excellent. If anyone's on a really tight budget I feel like you get a little more for your money with Nikon.

Wow...thanks so much for that.
Not sure what to reply with other than, thank you!!
I appreciate it very much.

I will look into the various ones and hopefully purchase one next year.
There's just something about capturing photos of wildlife that I really love.

 

[Alyssa-Bee]

Apparently I stopped getting notifications for this thread for the bit of time I didn't reply. I'm glad Got tagged!

Check out @Alyssa-Bee 's photos in this thread. I think she uses a Nikon and a 300mm lens which is a good budget option and some of her pics are excellent. If anyone's on a really tight budget I feel like you get a little more for your money with Nikon.

Yes, I use a Nikon D3500 and a 70-300mm lens that came with it. It's my first camera and I got it last November while it was on a Black Friday deal! Mdees88's tips have helped me a lot and if any new photographers haven't seen it already I recommend checking out page 9 on thus thread.

 

[Alyssa-Bee]

I did a little catching up. I enjoyed scrolling through everyone's beautiful photos! I'm planning on going out for some bird pictures tomorrow, so hopefully the weather will be good!

I'm excited for the fall migration! The sandhill cranes and bald eagles should be coming my way now! Once the leaves are off the trees I might be able to find some porcupines, too!

 

[drstratton]

Yeah it can turn into a very expensive hobby depending on how far you take it. A good option is buying used. You save quite a bit up front and you can usually sell your equipment for roughly the same price when you decide to upgrade.

I forgot to mention microfocus adjustment can help a lot. My 100-400 needed a lot of adjustment at 400mm and my rebel t7i didn't have microficus adjustment which was my reason for switching to the 80d.

If you ever decide to upgrade lenses the 400m f5.6L USM is the cheapest option for getting more reach and tack sharp images but used it still costs as much as your camera. The only cons are it's a prime so no zoom range and it doesn't have image stabilization. I would stay away from the original 100-400 (push pull version) it's not a super sharp lens. The 100-400 IS II is incredibly sharp throught it's entire zoom range but it's the most expensive of the 3.

Definitely give shutter priority a try. The camera doesn't know if what you're shooting is moving fast or standing still, only you do. So locking in a shutter speed will prevent blurry photos in certain circumstances. You can do the same thing in Manual but it's much easier in Shutter Priority. The general rule of thumb is you always want a minimum of 1 over your focal length so with your 250mm you want 1/250 but I always try and double that if I can so I would shoot for 1/400-1/500 minimum and if it's bright enough to go faster go faster.....

Yep, so I'm learning...just like any hobby!

I will either be buying the 100-400 IS II or a Tamron or Sigma lens. With this camera you have to make sure that the lens you use has enough resolving power for the 32.5mp sensor...I think that's the number. Canon also recommends using a faster shutter speed than normal, so I pretty much keep it at 1/2000, it has made a bit of a difference, I've been shooting on some pretty bright days. I was just looking at instructions on how to microadjust my lenses, I will have to do a test and see if I need to do that or not.

I do believe one of my main problems has been pushing my zoom to the max. I'm going to try to back it off just a fraction and see if that makes any difference. I also will try shutter priority.

Thanks again!

 

[drstratton]

This guy wandered into our yard almost 2 months ago. I know he's not native, but he is a bit wild and too beautiful not to share! He has lost most of his train feathers to his yearly molt, they will grow back in. We are hoping he decides to stay...so far he seems to love our property and we might buy a mate for him!

These were shot in shutter mode. I did a little editing in Canon DPP4 and then ran it through Topaz AI Denoise! The originals turned out pretty good, but due to the higher ISO they were a touch grainy!

F5.6
1/400
ISO6400
Shutter-Priority AE Evaluative Metering
EF-S 55-250 f/4-4.6 IS STM (225.0mm)
No Crop

 

[EEforMe]

Here’s all the photos I have of wildlife (not much but still ) sorry for poor quality I don’t have a good camera just the one on my phone but I try!

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

Here’s some pictures of a crane!

 

[BecaHawaii]

We used to have a pet Mynah bird...his name was Jimmy and he said some very inappropriate things...lol

Great capture!

Thanks! We have 3 pet Mynahs. LOL, all rescues from nest destruction. They are hilarious! I'm surprised mine don't say inappropriate things. They never stop talking that's for sure.