Macro/Birds -- Noobie solution

Not new to photography (mostly landscapes, med/large format film) but new to macro and birding. Recently got a place in the mountains so....butterflies, birds. Shooting with a 70d. Trying to figure out my options for shooting both butterflies and birds. I've read a lot on this website and others. My thinking at this point is: Canon 300mm F4 IS and 1.4 TC as the basic setup for most versatility. (Canon 2.8 not in my wallet.) To this I can add ext. tubes and close-up filter as desired. Not shooting fly eyeballs, just want sharp butterfly/damsefly shots. Seems like this setup would work. From what I can tell from photos posted by some others, this has worked well for them. My main regret is 300+1.4 doesn't really quite get there for many birds. But I think I could live with it.

The other option I've looked at is less expensive lenses from other manufacturers. For example, Tamron 180 macro, and then a separate prime telephoto. Don't mind used either.

So....as a noobie, would appreciate any comments.

ltlredwagon wrote in post #16718133
My main regret is 300+1.4 doesn't really quite get there for many birds. But I think I could live with it.

There is no inexpensive way to get reach; at least not with some compromises that will rob you of image quality, specifically a loss of realistic, well-resolved feather detail.

The one thing you can do to get excellent results with a 300mm is to shoot set-ups at a feeding station. Shoot from a hidden position in a blind about 8 to 12 feet from the perches; that should get you pretty good feather detail with a 300mm on a crop.

give the new tamron 150-600mm a go.

The Canon 300 F/4 IS sound like a decent single lens solution. I think the longer macros like the 150 and 180 would be better for butterflies, but it might depend on the exact size and distance (some butterflies here can get to the size of birds).

The advantage a single lens solution gives is you won't have to swap lenses, which if you shoot both in the one location it could be a big advantage.

I consider the EF 300/4 L IS lens to be the best lens ever made for butterflies, dragonflies, etc. I used mine on a monopod, 12mm ext tube sometimes, 1.4x TC sometimes. Nice comfortable orking distance, great perspective.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #16718178
The one thing you can do to get excellent results with a 300mm is to shoot set-ups at a feeding station. Shoot from a hidden position in a blind about 8 to 12 feet from the perches; that should get you pretty good feather detail with a 300mm on a crop.

Get youself a remote, preferably an RF type as opposed to IR. I use a Satechi (about $50) with my 60D and tripod mount the camera and then fire by remote. I'm inside the house about 50 feet away. The IR types are much cheaper but you have to have line of sight to the front of the camera body, where the IR sensor is mounted.

If you do something like this make sure you cover the camera well. Something like a shower cap works well, with a hole for the lens. Put a rubber band around the shower cap at the end of the lens. Birds will use the camera as a perch...guaranteed.

Here...http://www.satechi.net …less-timer-remote-shutter but also on Amazon.

If you must do it all on one lens then the Canon 300 F4 L IS is an excellent choice in my opinion. In an ideal world you would have a lens or two for each discipline but that would be serious money!
The 300 F4 allows pretty close focusing (1.5 meters) and you can get closer with extension tubes, this makes it great for the larger insect species, reptiles, very small mammals etc. For close up work I would try and avoid the use of extenders as there is always a compromise in image quality, however for birds extenders can be very useful. Firstly you need to get as close as possible, regardless of what lens you use, closer is always better! A hide/blind is a good solution. The Canon 1.4 Mk2 or Mk3 extender will give pretty good results on this lens and, in good light, the Canon 2 x Mk3 extender can give more than acceptable results. Unfortunately with a 2 x extender you will have to focus in Live View or manually so I would leave getting one until you decide if you really need one.
Although I have a Canon 300 F2.8 L IS I am struggling to let go of my F4 version as it has some uses (such as insects) that the F2.8 model doesn't cover as well, it is also small, light and cheap for the image quality it provides.
There are better solutions but they involve more lenses and more expense, however even it you eventually go down this route the 300 F4 will not be redundant.
A you might have guessed this is one of my favorite lenses.

Thanks all - much appreciated, good advice. This should get me going while I save up for a "sniper" lens for the far-away birds (oh, that's just mean and awful - I take it all back )

ltlredwagon wrote in post #16720237
Thanks all - much appreciated, good advice. This should get me going while I save up for a "sniper" lens for the far-away birds (oh, that's just mean and awful - I take it all back )

This "macro" was taken with the 60D and 70-200 f4 IS. It was shot from about 4 feet, then cropped not quite 100%. A good lens with good IS (this was taken at 200mm and 1/200 sec @ f8) can allow for some significant cropping and still be quite sharp and work for poor man's macro (or as in this case, it happened to be the lens I had on when the opportunity presented itself).

That's really beautiful, Preeb!

I'd get the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 OS macro for the bugs, and the Tamron 150-600 for the birds. Compared to the Canon 300 f/4 + TC, plus whatever you dig up for a set of extension tubes.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #16720829
That's really beautiful, Preeb!

Thanks Tom - high praise coming from a wildlife photographer.

The 300mm + x1.4TC is excellent for butterflies. It has max x0.35 magnification and with an APSC camera, you could pretty easily fill the frame with anything but a pretty small butterfly and even with a small one you'd have decent magnification.

For birds it is usually the longer the better, though catching a moving bird in the viewfinder is much more difficult with something like an 800mm.......
The 420mm you'd have, with relatively little focus breathing at close range (compared with most zooms for example) is a pretty decent option.

It depends how close you can get to whatever you are taking photos of, what FL you prefer, etc.

Definitely get the 300/4 IS and 1.4X TC (I use the Canon EF 1.4X II with mine).

For one, the 300/4 IS nearly gets into macro territory all on its own. It gives the highest magnification of all the Canon lenses longer than 200mm.

This was shot handheld, on one of my 7Ds, with the 300/4 near it's closest focusing distance (no extension tubes or TC), slightly cropped for composition purposes...

ltlredwagon wrote in post #16718133
Not new to photography (mostly landscapes, med/large format film) but new to macro and birding. Recently got a place in the mountains so....butterflies, birds. Shooting with a 70d. Trying to figure out my options for shooting both butterflies and birds. I've read a lot on this website and others. My thinking at this point is: Canon 300mm F4 IS and 1.4 TC as the basic setup for most versatility. (Canon 2.8 not in my wallet.) To this I can add ext. tubes and close-up filter as desired. Not shooting fly eyeballs, just want sharp butterfly/damsefly shots. Seems like this setup would work. From what I can tell from photos posted by some others, this has worked well for them. My main regret is 300+1.4 doesn't really quite get there for many birds. But I think I could live with it.

The other option I've looked at is less expensive lenses from other manufacturers. For example, Tamron 180 macro, and then a separate prime telephoto. Don't mind used either.

So....as a noobie, would appreciate any comments.

Heya,

Canon 100-400L
Canon EF 100mm F2.8 Macro

Or

Tamron 150-600mm
Tamron 90mm F2.8 VC Macro

Very best,