Which lens for woodland Birds

Need help big time, i'm looking for a lens for taking shots of birds. I've been through a zillion post's, and i'm still unsure as to which lens will best fit my needs.
I will be trying to capture half decent photo's of birds in mostly deciduous woodland and in South wales uk......i'm up against Dull weather in winter,and leaves canopy blocking light in summer ,so you can pretty well guarantee on there being poor light most of the year.
Unfortunately my budget is limited to around £1200.
Any suggestions, set-ups greatly appreciated.

Cheers Chris.

Canon 100-400 IS? or 300f4 IS? Or Sigma 80-400 OS?

Canon 400 f5.6 gets good reviews also.

The 300f4isL and a 1.4tc .
ALthough the 400f5.6 is sharper it is also limited by having no IS and stuck at f5.6 also the 300mm focus's closer for when you can get close to birds both are very fast at focus little between them if anything.
if you want a zoom it has to be the 100/400.
Rob.

Would i get away with the canon 400 F5.6, i mean will f5.6 be to slow under the conditions mentioned as i read in many post's this lens requires allot of light to get the shutter speeds required, or could it be skilfully used with allot of practice and a tripod?
Come to think of it in my price range i'm not going to get a much faster lens anyway with the reach needed for Birds.

keeny wrote in post #2450944
Would i get away with the canon 400 F5.6, i mean will f5.6 be to slow under the conditions mentioned as i read in many post's this lens requires allot of light to get the shutter speeds required, or could it be skilfully used with allot of practice and a tripod?
Come to think of it in my price range i'm not going to get a much faster lens anyway with the reach needed for Birds.

the problem is birds tend to be moving all the time even when they are sat so a higher shutter is needed than what one was use say for a person a dog a cat - birds move there heads very fast haveing f4 availble can be very handy as it gains a stop shutter over f5.6 .
a tripod will help in lots of ways but i will still want a faster shutter speed only to stop there movment not mine .
Rob.

save a bit more and go with the sigma 120-300 f2.8? i think that from what you are describing, the f2.8 will be very nice to have. if you can't swing that much, i would go with the sigma 100-300 f4 which is a fantastic lens.

I agree with Snir, you say you will be in low light most of the time so F2.8 will be handy, also with the sigma 120-3002.8 you will be able to use a 2X and 1.4X teleconverter to get 420mmf4( where as you will get 400mm 5.6 with canon 100-400 and 400 prime) and 600mmf5.6. This lens costs exactly how much you are willing to spend as well.

How much money can you spend...

I would go for the 400 or 500 f4 if I could afford it...even the 600...

seanm wrote in post #2451044
I agree with Snir, you say you will be in low light most of the time so F2.8 will be handy, also with the sigma 120-3002.8 you will be able to use a 2X and 1.4X teleconverter to get 420mmf4( where as you will get 400mm 5.6 with canon 100-400 and 400 prime) and 600mmf5.6. This lens costs exactly how much you are willing to spend as well.

are you sure about tha cost of the 120x300 f2.8 its £1,668 at warehouse quite a bit more than £1200.
Rob.

Sorry, should have said I meant on ebay here, if you don't trust buying from ebay then as Rob says it's probably not affordable, but these have been reliable stores for me, all my equipment is from them.

Thanks everybody for the replies, which must be to most people the same old question.
I've read a million and one threads, reviews and so on, and still when i'm ready to press the checkout button i think ... uurrmm maybe one more quick check on the forums to which i will always find a negative to my selected lens. i just need to have a couple of cans and press the dam button.
I was looking at the canon 100-400 then the 400 then had visions of Et landing again so I'd have enough light to freeze the little buggers dancing around the branches.
Maybe Rob's suggestion of the 300f4isL and a 1.4tc is the way to go, as i cant afford the 2.8 Sigma, anyway thanks again, time for a drink i think.


Cheers Chris.

One other suggestion...

Besides getting a long lens (birds are small and seldom close), be sure to get one that is easy to manual focus.

Autofocus gets really confused with birds in trees. It will invariable try to focus on a branch closer (and sometimes farther) than the bird. This results in a lot of very nice 4×6 shots that go soft when enlarged or cropped.

This problem is solved by manual focusing, but not all lenses manual focus equally easily. In fact, some manual focus rings are just plain inconvenient to use. Some are too skinny, some are poorly placed, etc.

If possible, try out the lens before purchase. Try to fine one that fits your hands and holding style comfortably.

Another thing I have found very useful for shots of small bird in trees and bushes is a split-prism focusing screen. If your camera does not have one available from Canon, try this site:

http://www.keoptics.co​m

Get the Optibrite treatment. It's worth it.

Good luck, and have fun!

I really don't think a 300 that'll practically need the TC permanently mounted to it (for birds) is that great an idea. The flexibility of the 100-400's zoom will come in handy when you do need shorter f.l., but most of the time you're going to be all the way out at 400 and wishing for more.

Just to add my two pence worth I use the Canon 400mm f5.6 and am very happy with it. It is cheaper than either the 100-400 or the 300 f4 IS and when you add the cost of the converter to the 300mm it becomes cheaper still !
It is the same f number as the 100-400 at 400mm and will be the same f number as the 300mm with the converter on although it does not have the IS. The autofocus is lightning quick and is, ready to be shot down in flames here, faster than the 100-400 and will be faster than the 300mm with a converter.
Having said all of that I went out today and struggled desperately due to the appalling light. I suspect that even with a canopy of leaves sufficient light will filter through to enable you to use whichever lens you choose. And there is always Spring and Autumn !