Advice needed please

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nc_killie

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John
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Age is catching up (has caught up) and I am struggling to handle Canon full frame cameras with 500mm lens for birds / wildlife. Brought home by missing a golden eagle in Islay when it was 20yards away:mad: and then being told about my arthritis. I would like to get something that is lighter, has reach and can tackle wildlife (especially birds) , BIF and sports. What woud people recommend?
Thanks in advance
 
Totally agree with this. The Olympus MFT system is brilliant for wildlife & the performance to weight/size ratio is fantastic too.

As a very small guy, even one of there top level pro body’s the OM-EM1 Mk3 & the fairly new 100-400mm, which is giving a 35mm effective range of 200-800mm, is an amazing weight, at just shy of 2kg. Which I can easily use hand held & carry on a day shoot.

Plus this particular lens allows for teleconverters, giving even more reach, yet not adding much weight at all.

Bellow is a couple of samples from this particular body & lens set up, which may help out :)


A045A180-6277-408D-94AE-4B074A967107.jpegAB54CA61-1150-4EBB-97DF-2DCBFB4CE235.jpegE3F211D4-73A5-4380-9BF1-392672C8E6EB.jpeg0F72943A-61B8-41E6-9B43-9C2A9C9D11F6.jpeg
Hope this helps :)
 
So many options, for me it would be Fuji, but there's only one lens in their line up that could be termed 'wildlife', the 100-400. Beautiful lens though it is, it isn't cheap, or small.

Other than Fuji, I think Olympus are getting it right now.
 
Maybe a mirrorless camera would suit - plenty to choose from :)

Les
 
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nc_killie said:
Thank Les, any you would recommend?? I have never used them, hence my request. Thanks
John
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well there's a question that will start a forum war John :LOL: Everyone has there own recommendations, but for me a Sony a7Riv or Sony a7Riii I have both- and a Sony 100-400mm + 1.4 TC .

I use this set up sometimes and for longer reach the Sony 200-600mm G lens

to get shots like this:

DSC07508 Little Egret on Estuary by Les Moxon, on Flickr

I'm sure folk will be along soon enough to sing the praises of other Mirrorless bodies, Sony did it FIRST though :)

Les
 
John ahh mate sorry to hear of the ill's I watch it daily....................... hard stuff :(



John would it be worthwhile or possible? for you to shift to the canon R5 R6 mirrorless options?? RF lenses?? seems purfect for ya bro:)

take care

stu



.
 
Shame to hear that John, but there are a couple of alternatives for you.

1. Stick with canon and get the mk2 400mm f4do. quality lens, great with converters, unbelievably light for f4.

2. Go to the dark side and get a nikon body with the 500mm pf. A stop slower than canon but lighter than a feather. Feels like a 70-200.

3. Olympus EM1X and 300mm f4. Not great past ISO 1600, arguably 3200 but easily hand holdable. IQ good enough for Andy Rouse...

4. Sony 200-600. Sharp lens with either a9ii for top notch continuous af and high ISO or a7iv for slower moving stuff with incredible IQ

Mike
 
Stuart Philpott said:
John ahh mate sorry to hear of the ill's I watch it daily....................... hard stuff :(



John would it be worthwhile or possible? for you to shift to the canon R5 R6 mirrorless options?? RF lenses?? seems purfect for ya bro:)

take care

stu



.
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Cheers Stu
Hope all is well with you. Thanks for the suggestion, I have to admit to being somewhat clueless with mirrorless. Take care
 
pooley said:
Shame to hear that John, but there are a couple of alternatives for you.

1. Stick with canon and get the mk2 400mm f4do. quality lens, great with converters, unbelievably light for f4.

2. Go to the dark side and get a nikon body with the 500mm pf. A stop slower than canon but lighter than a feather. Feels like a 70-200.

3. Olympus EM1X and 300mm f4. Not great past ISO 1600, arguably 3200 but easily hand holdable. IQ good enough for Andy Rouse...

4. Sony 200-600. Sharp lens with either a9ii for top notch continuous af and high ISO or a7iv for slower moving stuff with incredible IQ

Mike
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Thanks Mike for the suggestions, I will look into the options. Hope all is well with you
John
 
John I use the 400 DO IS ii Mike above has mentioned........ YOU NEED TO HOLD ONE ON THE BACK OF YOUR CAMERA!! This is a very different weight to a 500, you need to hold it :) !! Buddy I don't know how to stress this more with words, but if in anyway this lens is to be considered you need to hold it on your rig

It's my walk about LMAO crawl about lens . MY work ( day job) is incredibly taxing on my body John............... so even though I'm older I'm very fit,but not very strong.......... the 500 f4 would have been my go to walkabout lens ,but tis too big for me and I felt at a gut level would stop me doing what I've always done. with me beasties :D

This little lens is a gem buddy, you should also talk to Russ here.......... Martin and George,

For you very simply a stop of light goes south for a a gain of 60mm compared to your 500 and everything else you use stays the same. The lens just can't be far short of the 500f4 incarnates IQ wise John , I think the specular hilights might be different. back lit especially, but it's one hell of a tool !!


Ha everything else stays the same....................,nah not quite.................... not the physical drain on your body.

. i m well buddy thank you :LOL::LOL::LOL: battered sideways so tired I don't know me own name......... want to drive over the mobile phone so no one can contact me(y),but good buddy:)

To me your simple move is to a DO ii, which I didn't mention before 'cause I'm biased, as hell ;):D





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another vote for nikon d500 and 500mm pf equals 750mm in 35mm guise
lens is very very light
 
I swopped from my Canon EOS system (1DX-2 & EOS-R) to Olympus E-M1X Pro in November 2019 and have absolutely no regrets. It is far more enabling in the field and I accept comparitive ISO limitations. No camera is perfect anyway and technology never stands still.

I greatly dislike the ergonomics and feel of the Sony and Fuji and Sony are not weatherproof enough for my purposes. Only the Olympus Pro system currently meets that requirement.

The recently launched Olympus ED 150-400mm+1.25x is a game-changer if you shoot wildlife or sports.

If I had stayed with Canon it would have been a R5 and hanging on for their mirrorless equivalent of the 1DX. Their L lenses are stunning but too heavy and bulky. Their roadmap is expensive.

I loved my Canons but love my tactile Olympus.
 
Stuart Philpott said:
John I use the 400 DO IS ii Mike above has mentioned........ YOU NEED TO HOLD ONE ON THE BACK OF YOUR CAMERA!! This is a very different weight to a 500, you need to hold it :) !! Buddy I don't know how to stress this more with words, but if in anyway this lens is to be considered you need to hold it on your rig

It's my walk about LMAO crawl about lens . MY work ( day job) is incredibly taxing on my body John............... so even though I'm older I'm very fit,but not very strong.......... the 500 f4 would have been my go to walkabout lens ,but tis too big for me and I felt at a gut level would stop me doing what I've always done. with me beasties :D

This little lens is a gem buddy, you should also talk to Russ here.......... Martin and George,

For you very simply a stop of light goes south for a a gain of 60mm compared to your 500 and everything else you use stays the same. The lens just can't be far short of the 500f4 incarnates IQ wise John , I think the specular hilights might be different. back lit especially, but it's one hell of a tool !!


Ha everything else stays the same....................,nah not quite.................... not the physical drain on your body.

. i m well buddy thank you :LOL::LOL::LOL: battered sideways so tired I don't know me own name......... want to drive over the mobile phone so no one can contact me(y),but good buddy:)

To me your simple move is to a DO ii, which I didn't mention before 'cause I'm biased, as hell ;):D





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Cheers Stu, thank you for the in depth response, and glad that you are well. Like you I am getting older but my job does not keep me fit, far from it :(, teh most exercise I do is when i get up to go to the loo!! WIll try and get my hands on some different options but as I live north of teh border, wee Nichola does not give me any options as there are no camera shops in my 'zone'. Looking at 400DO and Olympus, we will see.
Stay safe and have a great christmas, best
John
 
RedRobin said:
I swopped from my Canon EOS system (1DX-2 & EOS-R) to Olympus E-M1X Pro in November 2019 and have absolutely no regrets. It is far more enabling in the field and I accept comparitive ISO limitations. No camera is perfect anyway and technology never stands still.

I greatly dislike the ergonomics and feel of the Sony and Fuji and Sony are not weatherproof enough for my purposes. Only the Olympus Pro system currently meets that requirement.

The recently launched Olympus ED 150-400mm+1.25x is a game-changer if you shoot wildlife or sports.

If I had stayed with Canon it would have been a R5 and hanging on for their mirrorless equivalent of the 1DX. Their L lenses are stunning but too heavy and bulky. Their roadmap is expensive.

I loved my Canons but love my tactile Olympus.
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Cheers Robin, I have to say that teh Olympus looks good - just have to wait until Nichola allows us to travel to Edinburgh (or Newcastle) to try one. Thanks for the input, I appreciate it
John
 
john
i have the d500 and also the new 70-300 af-p which equates to 450mm on a ff body
that lens is ultra light and grease lightning focus speed
if your ever coming up to livingston say for xmas shopping give me a shout i will let you try it out
 
I think getting a camera with a crop sensor will allow you to have the longer reach of a lens for wildlife photography but in a smaller and lighter lens. Most of the crop lenses on offer by most brands tend to be slower aperture though so perhaps a full-frame lens with an f4 wide aperture on a crop body might suit. Certainly a 300mm f4 would give you 450mm equivalent in a smaller and lighter lens than the 500mm you're currently using.

Gordon
 
holty said:
john
i have the d500 and also the new 70-300 af-p which equates to 450mm on a ff body
that lens is ultra light and grease lightning focus speed
if your ever coming up to livingston say for xmas shopping give me a shout i will let you try it out
Click to expand...
Thanks, I may be in touch when Nichola frees things up. Livingston holds happy memopries for me, worked in Kirkton Campus for a few years, and took my kids to the farm in the old village!! Thank you for the offer
 
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