Which camera to buy? Wildlife Photography Beginner
 

Hi everyone,

So I'm new to this forum and new to DSLRs but I'm hoping to get one sometime in the next year or two and I want to get as much advice and knowledge as possible before then.

Although my budget will realistically probably be quite small I'm trying not to think too much about a budget at the moment. I want to find out what would be the optimum kit for me and why and then work out where I'll have to make sacrifices. Honestly, I find some of the talk about different sensors and lenses and ISOs and multipliers and all that pretty confusing but I want to understand it as best I can so I know why certain things would and wouldn't work better for me. Here's hoping you guys can help.

I want to take wildlife shots most. This include super clear detailed close-ups of spiders and stuff and photos of animals that are harder to get close to like birds that fly/next really high or things that scare easily. So here are my questions:

1. I'm assuming I'd need to get a different lens for each kind of picture described but what kind of lenses do you think would be best?

2. How would this effect my choice in camera?

3. What are the most important other features/factors (megapixels, ISOs, etx.) for taking such photos? Are there any other special features I should look out for that would help me take such photos? (image stabilisation, etc.)

4. How should I choose what make to go with - are there many differences between the top makes and are there any things (lens, flashes, etc.) that you can use with different makes of cameras or are you definitely stuck with whatever make you choose (Nikon camera needs Nikon lens and all other accessories)?

5. For someone with a limited budget, do you think it'd be better to get a cheaper camera now and try and sell it and get a better camera (much) later on or really invest in one I'm really happy with and just upgrade it with better lenses? How much can a bad/adequate camera limit your photography even if you have great lenses and, vice versa, how much can cheap lenses limit photography even when using an amazing camera?

I think that's all for now but if anyone has any questions then feel free to ask. :)

I think your best approach is probably to get a cheaper camera now & upgrade later. Cameras are advancing so rapidly at the moment that a top of the range model will feel dated in a years time. I also found that using my second hand 6MP DSLR for a year got me to realize which features I valued most helping in selecting the right upgrade. For many subjects the picture quality with my older camera is visually every bit as good as my newer 14MP job, and in one obscure field Infra red shots) it is considerably better so I've ended up keeping & still use the old one sometimes.

You are quite right that many accessories will keep you tied into a particular brand - there are some adapters available but for lenses t least more advanced features are lost if working via an adapter. At least tripods are pretty much universal fit.

I believe that you'd have to look hard to find a modern DSLR that's not capable of taking the sort of shots you're after, so perhaps the most important aspects are how it feels in your hand & how YOU get on with the menus etc. They'll all have macro & long telephoto lenses. You'd have to have very expensive lenses to stand a realistic chance of seeing a real improvement above 16MP. Low noise at high ISO, fast auto-focus & image stabilization will all be useful.

The sort of photography you're interested in is challenging, requiring both skill and patience. The techniques can be learnt perfectly well with slightly older models, allowing the new hardware to develop further (& prices drop) before you upgrade. Watch out though it's tempting to upgrade... 2 months after I upgraded the model I really wanted dropped in price to what I paid for the one below it.

The general opinion seems to be that quality lenses make a huge difference. I've not been able to afford the very best, but I've had some excellent results from some very cheap lenses (<£50), unfortunatly a few others have been so bad I wouldn't dream of trying to sell them.

Just a few thoughts.

Makes: Any of the well known makes are capable of superb photos. The advantage of the big two, Canon and Nikon, is that they have a very wide range of lenses and accessories and the independent lens makers like Sigma and Tamron always bring their lenses out in Canon and Nikon fit. Even if they do bring them out in other makers fit there is often a delay.

For close up of things like spiders a macro lens is the ideal which makes life easier and maximises quality but there are other cheaper methods like the use of auto extension tubes or close up filters. Flash is helpful too but often the built in flash works fine.

For birds and shy animals as long a lens as you can afford is needed. Birds in flight (BIF) is easier with a more advanced auto focus but possible with any DSLR camera but almost impossible with the new mirror-less cameras. Stick with a DSLR.

ISO is the the digital equivalent of film speed, higher is needed for low light but distracting noise appears as the ISO is raised. Some cameras are better than others at this.

Don't worry about sensor size as at the cheaper end (up to about £1800!) they will all be crop factor ie smaller sensor. Still excellent and will give an apparent increase in focal length.

Again don't worry too much about the number of megapixels,. I gave one of my sons my old Canon 20D and it still takes superb shots although "only" 8 megapixels.

Image stabilisation is very useful especially on long lenses.

At this stage I would go for a cheaper camera as you do not yet know enough to know what you would be happy with. Buying good glass is good advice.

For wildlife field skills are very important and it is vital to get your head around the effects of shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, focussing settings etc so the camera helps you rather than hinders you. It is a very challenging, frustrating but fascinating and satisfying (When it goes right) area of photography. Look in the library for books on using a DSLR, they can be helpful.

Only skimmed over things but hope that helps, do feel free to ask more.

All been said above but would buy a cheap even 2nd hand camera from a well known shop or internet site (not a guy in the pub) and use it. You will learn more from taking photos even with a compact/point and shoot than reading about photography. As you learn more you will have a better idea what to buy to take the kind of photos you want to take. Other ideas that may help. Join a photography club and or night school class.
Welcome to WPF look forward to seeing some photos.

All good advice again but I'll echo it anyway.

There isn't a bad DSLR out there and even many of the older used models are extremely good still. Lenses are definitely the bit that makes the difference, a good quality lens on a cheap camera will give better results than a cheap lens on a top of the range camera. Both aspects of wildlife that you are looking at require different lenses and neither comes cheap, I think you might do well to decide which is more important and start with a good lens for that. If you can give and idea of budget folk might be able to recommend specific lenses or cameras that might suit.

As has been said already, the lenses matter far more than the body. For the subject matter you mentioned, you would do best with a dedicated macro lens and a long telephoto, neither of which come cheaply even in third party format.
As regards bodies, think about how you intend to view your images - an old 6-8MP body such as a 20D will produce perfectly satisfactory prints at A4 size, so when you are up in the 12+MP bracket, you have all the resolving power most people will ever need. Other factors such as speed of focus, tracking focus etc would be more important, and of course ease of use in your hand.
I would start with a cheap secondhand body and the best glass you can afford, then go from there once you have explored the limitations of what you have.

Before you make the plunge, read some reviews and take suggestions from the forum. Don't aim too low when choosing a camera. I've never heard anyone complaining that the camera they bought is too good.

Don't rule out used and refurbished cameras from dealers and manufacturers.

I have to echo the sentiment that both a very long lens (super telephoto) and a macro are the two lenses you will more than likely need. What body it is on is important, and you will get what you pay for in terms of quality (generally). I would think that in any wild outdoor situation, you'll never get close enough to an animal that can outrun you to shoot them with anything other than a telephoto. Course if it's a very small animal, like an insect, the macro can handle it.

But beyond gear, if I were you I would read up on hunting techniques. The key to wildlife photography is knowing your subject. For instance, here in the U.S. the best deer hunters know all about deer. They know what they prefer to eat, the trails they travel, when they mate, when they are most active etc. etc. Even things like knowing how to stay downwind of animals so they don't pick up your scent are techniques hunters have been using for hundreds of years, maybe thousands. Cause really, you're a hunter - you're just "shooting" with a camera instead of a gun. Good luck!

Matt

Hi I think you are going to find it's more about the lenses than the camera.
Practically any recent dslr will give you good results.
I have been shooting digital over 10 years and have only upgraded bodies twice since then.
started with Canon 10D progressed to 40D and now using 5DmkIII.
however I am still using some of the lenses I started out with which are 10 years old and still great lenses by todays standards.

I bought some real crap lenses when I started over 25 years ago!

I suppose doing the macro shots is not too bad as you can pick up a reasonably priced macro lens either new or second hand or even use a decent short prime or zoom with extension tubes.

Shooting BIrds, particularly in flight is a bit more of a challenge as ideally you will need probably a least 300mm preferbly 400 with decent A.F
500-600 lenses are great if you can afford them.