bird shots

My wife wants to take shots of birds that visit our feeder (about 18 feet away). She would like full frame shots in order to study them on our computer. A Canon EOS SLR on a tripod will be used. What would be some good choices of lenses for this application?

I would recommend you check out this thread if you are looking to get started in bird photography https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=518554

MIME changed to 'text/html' | Content warning: script

EF 400/5.6 is one good choice. Going to depend on the light, her skills, and size of the bird.

What's your budget? Do you already have a camera or are you looking to purchase one?

Boy, I did not think of that - there are some P&S cameras out there with IS and long lenses that deliver good results.

I've tried to get decent images from our garden feeder using a 100-400, but really need something even longer. I have not yet tried with my 1.4x attached. Thats on a crop sensor 30D by the way.

Like everything else, shooting birds has a skill set of it's own and it's obvious to me I'm nowhere near aquiring it. It took me some years to get to grips with motorsport, so perhaps I'm just a slow learner.

18' is a pretty huge distance for shooting garden birds and trying to fill the frame. Here's a shot today, I would guess from about 10' with a 1D3 and 100-400mm lens at 400mm, 1/320, f/5.6, 200 ISO. It was not in my back garden but at a public bird feeder in a country park, so I'm having to guess at the distance from memory. I parked up close and used my car as a hide, sitting on the sill and resting the lens upon my left hand which was resting on the top of the open door.

A 50D or even a 40D would place more pixels on the bird and with good light would give you a larger image when cropped. You'd need a colossal lens to fill the frame with a bird of similar size from 18' away - probably about 3,000mm on a 1D3, more if you turned to portrait orientation.

Full frame and 100% crop attached.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

Oops, the above was probably further than 10' away. This one is more like 10' (again guessing and from memory). Assuming that to be an accurate guesstimate of the distance, a 2400mm lens should be OK to fill the frame on a 1D3 at 18'. It would probably be better to get closer to the bird feeders or bring the bird feeders closer to you.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

An alternative if you are using a feeder as a target is to set the camera up on a tripod nearby, the birds will ignore it, and fire it remotely from a distance. I used that technique with a wireless remote before getting a longer lens.

I'm a beginner also but I moved the feeder to within about 3 feet of a bedroom window and have the camera located about 3 feet inside the room. It is still hard to get sots as when I move to focus the can still see or sense it and off they go. I'm not experienced enough to be able to tell if shooting through the window glass affects the photo but I'm sure it has to somewhat.

Unfortunately, the area doesn't get much sun until late in the afternoon and by then they are full and have moved on. Plus it is winter and not much of a background except old gray snow but sometimes you just have to take what is given to ya.

I use a Tamron 70-300 set on macro and was going to post a couple of shots but they are too large and I haven't figured out how to resize them yet.

Mike

Like mentioned filling the frame with small birds at a distance of 18' or so can be tough without going for long (read expensive) glass. If using a crop body camera or even a good point and shoot can help. Though if you can get the the bird to fill at least 60-70% of the frame and use good technique than cropping down and lead to excellent results.

But nothing beats a big, long and fast lens to fill up the frame except maybe some luck and can get very close < 10' or so if the lens will focus down to that distance.

This Bushtit was right about 15' from the camera, a 50D using a 500mm f/4 L on a gimbal and tripod. It does have a portion of the right of the frame cropped out.

Wow, nice shots. Glad I couldn't get mine resized to post here, I'd have been embarrased.
My Sigman 150-500 will be here Thursday, hopefully we will get a little sun up here on the frozen tundra.

Thanks, guys for all the info and some great bird shots. My wife has her work cut out.

I've also noticed that wild birds seem to have a sixth sense, probably the only way they manage to stay alive around us (because of the urban cat population). They are very aware of the front lens of a telephoto. Would covering the whole thing with a dark blanket help at all with this?

I've made a blind for my conservatory door with just a slot for the lens. I draw the curtains then I can then sit in comfort and shoot without the birds getting spooked.