Wing It With the Right Lens!

^{Note: This tip comes from page 3-4 in Tobie Schalkwyk’s free eBook - Bird Photography: Most Popular Lenses}

You’ve probably heard the saying, “It’s not the camera that makes the image; it’s the photographer.” Well, if not, then you have now!

If you have ever taken that saying seriously, though, then be prepared for a rude awakening when you get to bird photography! Not so much because of the fallacy that you need a proper camera to get a decent shot (I mean, I have seen very decent bird images taken with an entry-level DSLR), but there’s always one prerequisite: a ‘proper’ lens mounted on such a camera!

Before you start jumping up and down about my apparent degrading of the importance of the photographer behind his or her camera, yes, I know you have to know your camera and use the ‘best’ settings for getting decent bird shots, but (there’s always that pesky BUT, isn’t there?) what I’m saying is this: you can have the knowledge and ability to select the ‘most suitable’ settings blind-folded for each individual circumstance, but if you do not have a suitable lens mounted on your camera, then you can kiss your chances of getting regular top-notch bird images goodbye!

Tip #1 - A shorter focal length might be helpful if you are going to be photographing flocks of birds. If you’re going to carry that extra weight, I would suggest using a wide-angle to short telephoto zoom lens.

What do I mean by a proper lens?

I polled various bird photographers from different bird photography groups, asking them what lenses they were using and why.

The above bird photo was created on a Fujifilm mirrorless camera using a 90mm lens. This would be the equivalent of a 135mm telephoto on a full-frame camera, and I would consider that the bare minimum focal length for any type of bird photography.

Tip #2 - With a shorter telephoto lens, you will need to be much closer to your subject to fill the frame, or you may potentially have to crop a good portion of your frame to get a decent portrait of your bird subject.

What properties drive the sales of lenses used for bird photography?

There are four main concerns-

1. Focal length

2. Sharpness

3. Speed (maximum aperture)

4. Focusing (accuracy and speed)

Any bird photographer wants his or her viewer(s) to look at their bird image and say, “Wow, look at the detail!”

The first time I saw bird images with superb feather detail, I said to myself, “Amazing! I also want to do this!” And I was hooked!

For many photographers, sharpness is a primary factor when choosing a lens. The brand-name prime lenses, from 300mm to 600mm, most certainly occupy the top spot in this category.

Tip #3 - If you’re starting out, you most definitely do not need to spend $8,000 to $10,000 on a prime lens. The example photo of the eagle was taken with a 300mm f/4 Canon lens, which sold for around $1300 new but is now discontinued. You can pick up a used one for about $400 to $500. I have personally used this lens for years, and the 300mm focal length is a great starting point for the birding photographer!

Want more? If you want to learn more about bird photography, and capture beautiful shots of your own, we recommend downloading and printing out Photzy’s 10 Bird Photography Cheat Sheets (Special bonus available now!)