Which camera to get for birding?

fred_lef wrote in post #18830664
Any thoughts about filters on this lens? For a long time I have shot without any filters but was convinced to buy a Sigma WR filter for this lens. Not sure if that is a good idea or not.

Thanks

I don;t know what a "WR" is.

Polarizer can help with taming the same highlights that through off your AF, but frankly I would not bother. Instead shoot in better light A polarizer for that big 600mm zoom will cost a LOT!

Thanks - I'd like to hold out for a 7D MK iii but as near as I can tell there is no idea if or when it will be announced. Although I can almost guarantee it will be within a week of me buying a MK ii.

Thabks for taking the time to reply. I hadn't been focused on photography much for awhile until just recently and now with the new lens trying to get out as much as possible. I appreciate your insight.

Fred

7DII or 5d4 and 1.4TC; both of these work great for me, with my 'birding' preference going to the 7DII. I primarily use the 5D4 in reserve for landscapes and such while keeping the 'birding rig' intact for shooting.

That is a pretty tricky lighting situation, to begin with, and isn't an unexpected result, IMO, from the Tammy. They're great budget lenses, but they don't tend to keep up with the manufacturers' glass when conditions get tough. If you had microfocus adjust available through the lens range (kind of do with the dock on those newer lenses) and have that set up right, you could probably eke out slightly better results than that in those conditions, but I wouldn't take this single result or even an infrequent series of results like this as a need to upgrade. There are simply some conditions that won't result in shots you're happy with regardless of the gear you have.

Even with the above bodies and the 100-400II I have some days that net me these misses; sometimes AF just fails to find the info it needs to operate optimally

I own both 5D2 & 7D2, reaching for the 7D2 100% of the time when it comes to birds!

I completely agree with Jake. I suggest getting A LOT closer to the bird if you want the camera to focus on it instead of focusing on the water.

IMO, the 7D2 is the best focusing DSLR that I have ever used. (I haven't tried any Nikon offerings). I have been using the 7D2 since it was introduced when I replaced one of my pair of 7D cameras with the 7D2. What you get in this camera for the price-point is short of amazing! The image quality is also excellent - again; especially at it's price-point.

One bit of warning, I would not expect to have the AF capability to snare BIF using a Canon mount (neither native Canon nor 3rd party brands) on a Sony mirrorless using either a MC-11 or the Metabones adapters.

I have both the MC-11 and the Metabones IV and have generally been disappointed with their AF performance when shooting Canon glass with my Sony A6500. This has especially been true with longer focal length lenses.

If money were no object, I would investigate the Sony A9 matched with their 100-400mm lens. Sony has also come out with some monster tele lenses which would match very well with the A9 camera. I might even attempt to use the A9 in APSC mode if I needed more apparent reach.

I've been out for a couple of days with a lot of running around and late nights so catching up here. Based on everything I've read and the info here I went and picked up a 7D MKII. I would imagine that there will be an announcement on the MKIII just as my 15 day no questions asked return policy expires! I have spent a couple of days working through the manual, adjusting settings and getting familiar with everything. I'm glad this is not my first Canon camera (fourth) because otherwise the learning curve would be really significant.

I'm also taking my 150-600 to Amplis Foto for micro-adjustment. They are only about 30 miles from me so it would be pretty easy to do but I will have to check the turn-around time. If I had 40 feet of space I might invest in the Tap-In and the Focal software but without the room that doesn't seem to be a good option.

Thanks for all the responses.

Fred

fred_lef wrote in post #18833580
I've been out for a couple of days with a lot of running around and late nights so catching up here. Based on everything I've read and the info here I went and picked up a 7D MKII. I would imagine that there will be an announcement on the MKIII just as my 15 day no questions asked return policy expires!

Thank you!!!! I have been waiting for the 7DIII to replace my 7D and now the wait is over!!!!

Tim

Sadly I may have been premature on this . Seems the latest rumor has it in 2020. I apologize for getting your hopes up.