looking for advise

[vela0958]

I have been using a canon AE-!with a FD 500mm 1:4.5L lense for the last 5 years taking pictures of wildlife.(manual focus) I am lucky enough to have assess to a top, whitetail deer ranch in Texas. I now want to step up to the next level (and spend serious money) to get top of the line camera and lenses to start my new dream.
I am thinking that I want a camera that will take action pictures of bucks fighting,deer jumping fences, running,moving and still photos. I want a camera and lense that can reach out 100 yards and the picture look sharp and close up(autofocus)
Can somebody give me some ideas as to what I need and where I should look for it at the best possible price?
I am willing to spent the money for top of the line.
Thanks and everybody have a Great New Year!!!!

[sdommin]

I have been using a canon AE-!with a FD 500mm 1:4.5L lense for the last 5 years taking pictures of wildlife.(manual focus) I am lucky enough to have assess to a top, whitetail deer ranch in Texas. I now want to step up to the next level (and spend serious money) to get top of the line camera and lenses to start my new dream.
I am thinking that I want a camera that will take action pictures of bucks fighting,deer jumping fences, running,moving and still photos. I want a camera and lense that can reach out 100 yards and the picture look sharp and close up(autofocus)
Can somebody give me some ideas as to what I need and where I should look for it at the best possible price?
I am willing to spent the money for top of the line.
Thanks and everybody have a Great New Year!!!!

This is actually a two-part question. Assuming you want a digital camera, just about any DSLR will meet your needs. Since you are concentrating on heavy telephoto stuff, you might consider the Canon 10D or 300D, or maybe a used D60 or D30. They have a built-in 1.6 "crop factor" which means that your lens magnification is increased by 1.6 times (i.e. a 400mm lens will give you the same field of view as a 640mm lens on a full-frame 35mm camera). The cheapest Canon big tele is the 400mm f5.6 at about $1100 (at B&H). Other lenses are much more expensive.

[scottbergerphoto]

I suggest the Sigma 500mm f/4.5 EX APO HSM. It's well made and very fast for 1/2 the price of a similiar Canon (f/4). I only just started using it, but I posted some initial pictures.
http://www.pbase.com/scottbergerphoto/birds_in_flight
Scott

[Longwatcher]

For that specific application.

If you can afford it get the Canon 1Ds and a series from 200 to 600mm of prime lens and the 1.4x extender. The 1Ds should allow you to crop down a bit and still get AE-1 quality in your pictures.

Next scale down financially is 10D w/70-200/2.8 IS and 100-400 IS and then maybe a sigma 500mm prime and an extender.

The in between would be a 1Ds, 70-200/2.8 IS, 1.4 and 2x extenders, and a 500 or 600mm prime.

At 100yards I suspect you will need about a 400mm lens to get head and shoulders on a dear.

Just my opinion,

[RichardtheSane]

I stick with the suggestion of a good 500mm prime lens, can't go wrong with that and you are used to the reach 500mm offers you. Consider a 10D or a 1D for a body. Make sure you leave enough cash spare to invest in some shorter lenses too :-D