The Cornell Lab Bird Academy › Discussion Groups › Bird Photography with Melissa Groo › Practice Matching Your Gear to Your Goals
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Bird AcademyBird AcademyWhat goals did you set for yourself? What gear do you need to make that happen? Share in the discussion below.You must be enrolled in the course to reply to this topic.
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I decided I wanted to purchase a Rebel T8i camera and get a 200-400 mm lens to start. Right now I use a bridge camera and I’m looking forward to an upgrade. I appreciated all the options Melissa talked about and I’d really like to try the extra gear once I get used to the new camera and lense
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I already have a Kodak Pixpro 405AZ with 200mm lens and 40x telephoto lens built in. I have to get a tripod and I think I want to get a tripod with "ball" head as I don't have a long heavy lens and it will give me the smooth action of positioning the camera that I am searching for. I have been using my car as a hide and using my old rifle gun pillows as platforms to take pictures. I no longer hunt in my older years but find that many of my clothes from hunting allow me to get close to the birds for excellent photos and also using the skills I used to use while hunting such as sitting still for long periods of time, blending into the trees and surroundings, and building myself natural blinds out of surrounding brush.
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I would like to transition from a bridge camera (Nikon P950) to a Mirrorless Canon RF 100-500mm to help me capture birds in flight and in low light. I would like to improve the quality of photographs as I grow and learn to become a better photographer and birder. I am based in Iceland where there is not much cover to hide and high winds. I prefer to use my car as a hide. I travel a great deal. Not sure what temperature range this camera and lens can handle regarding the cold. The ground is pretty rocky and uneven. I do have to walk in to some birding areas. I love nature and landscapes. I have the correct clothing to explore in the outdoors in different conditions. Canon RF 7 CanonRF 100-500mm 3 x Canon camera batteries Lens protector Dry bag Rain cover Tripod with pan head (unsure if a ball head would cope with weight?) Bean bag or lens sack Shoulder strap (Found the knee and elbow pad tip very useful)
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I recently bought a Canon Rebel T7 for landscape photography but my friend recommended I get a 70-300mm lens with it. I haven't tried it out yet but I know the photos I'm drawn to are ones of the birds, usually with the focal point being on them. So blurred backgrounds are okay for me. I got a cheaper tripod when I bought my camera but I'm sure I can upgrade if I feel the need to. As well, my dad hunts so I can borrow his clothes to go camouflage myself and my camping gear I keep in my vehicle has items like a mat I can use to sit down on. The big thing I noted was that Teleconverter lens. That looked really useful! So my goal would be to look into canon's verions of them as well as getting used to my camera.
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I just bought a bridge camera (SONY RX10 IV) for documentation and identification. I have just been birding for a year, and still pretty much enjoy observing bird behaviors and discovery of new species. Though taking high quality images is appealing to me, too, I realized birdwatching and bird photography requires quite different strategies. So at the moment I still prefer simply watching than taking photos, but it's still satisfying to get some nice shots during birdwatching. Recently I found it can take pretty amazing photos in great lighting conditions, and when the bird cooperates. I will first fully exploit the budget camera I have now, to understand its limits and try to realize its full potential.
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I want to be able to obtain good quality pictures of birds, either in flight or in their natural habitat, for identification purposes and for their documentation also.
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I feel the pictures that are highest quality of the bird itself more than the background is what I’m leaning more towards. I like the bird to be the center of attention. For me alone, being fairly new to birding, I find bird identification most important over getting crazy shots. To enjoy the animal just being itself and having it clear and pleasant to the human eye is my main focus and goal. I realize I like shots taken by Canon, with the f stop of around 5.6 and a focus length around 600.
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My emerging life as 'photographer' (not sure I deserve that title) is about compromise. When I run on trails, I often take a lighter camera along to catch moments that catch my attention. While not truly light, I use the Nikon D3500 with a 70-200 zoom for that purpose. If I slowly walk around birding, I switched to a mirrorless camera with 150-500 zoom. I love observing and also capturing behavior that teaches me more about the subjects I watch.
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I have always been quite captivated by birds, their beauty and behavior and I cherish the memorable moments and encounters I've had. In addition to having those memories, I wanted a way to capture those moments so they would last forever and provide an accessible way to share my experiences and passion with others and document my life list. At this point in my wildlife photography journey, it is not my goal to take photos that will end up in calendars, but rather to take pictures that make me smile as I remember the moment and demonstrate my adoration of the birds I see. As an unemployed 16 year old, I don't have the means to purchase thousands of dollars of lenses and I'm able to achieve my goals with something more portable anyway so I've purchased a Nikon Coolpix P950. This camera allows me to take pictures of the backyard birds I see on a daily basis, document unique experiences and notice details I wouldn't focus on otherwise. I'm hoping to take this camera with me on my upcoming exchange to France to document the new birds and experiences I will see there!
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Hello everyone, the goal which I have set for myself is to be able to click high quality pictures of birds, either in flight or in their habitat. The gear which I would need to make that happen is an APS-C (crop sensor) DSLR camera with a super telephoto lens (< 300 mm). I have purchased the Nikon D1500 DSLR camera and all I need is a super telephoto lens. Below is the clearest picture of an Australasian Swamphen, I could get till now with this camera.
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My first photos were taken just trying to get photos of birds (and learning my gear and basic photography skills), and while taking those photos back into the Adobe ecosystem and doing some very modest enhancements, I realized that I just wanted to see the birds up close, to look into their eyes, eyes that are always without guile, I wanted to see the individual feathers, the droplets of water clinging to their feathers, the eyelashes, all of this, I wanted portraits of the birds, and my gasps and moistened eyes when a beautiful portrait of a beautiful bird appeared, or emerged, out of a photo I had taken was where I wanted to go with my bird photos. And so, it’s bird portraiture that I gravitate towards – such an intimacy there. The gear I decided I needed for this was a prime telephoto lens (lightweight and incredibly high quality photos) and of course a really, really sturdy tripod, plus a mirrorless camera – everything lightweight and top quality and sturdy/rugged, so that carrying and use are easy (I’m a little older and less sure on my feet and a bit more shaky with my hands than I used to be). The equipment is perfect and the portraits of birds are just magnificent and give me incredible pleasure. Perhaps later I’ll move to birds in flight and such, but for now, I’m in my sweet spot.
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I have purchased a Nikon P1000 which I love because it is a point-and-shoot with amazing zoom capabilities. I have used it in the field to “see” birds that I cannot see with my binoculars. I would have to say that my goal is simply documentation. I use photographs to ID birds that I am unable to ID in the field. It also turns out that my friends really enjoy the pictures that I share with them. I have taken the screens out of several windows to make myself an indoor “blind”. This seems to work well. I have also found that whether I am on the back patio or in the field, simply sitting still works very well. Sitting still (with a book to help pass the time) I was treated to wonderful observations of these Kildeer.
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Hi Whitney, Thanks for sharing. For the past year I've been enjoying bird photography with my Canon SX 70 bridge camera. I too am mostly sharing my pics with friends-and driving baristas crazy sharing in the coffee shop. I am considering the P 1000 for that little bit extra shooting waterfowl at a distance. This past year has been all about; seeing bird, finding bird in viewfinder, zoom & shoot before the tiny bird flies off-so much fun! Happy birding! Here's a beauty Bufflehead the other day. Bruce, Bronx, NYC
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Desde niño escuché el llamado de las aves cuando visitaba los bosques de Totonicapán, Guatemala, pero es hasta ahora que mi relación con el bosque se ha hecho más estrecha, y dentro de los elementos del bosque encontré que las aves me llamaban poderosamente la atención, traté de buscar estudios o bibliografía sobre aves en Totonicapán, pero fue muy poco lo que encontré, así que decidí a hacer mis propios reportes, al hacerlo entendí que si no tenía elementos de prueba, por ejemplo, reporté un nido de halcones peregrinos, algo que no es muy común en mis latitudes, por lo que e-bird me pedía alguna foto, eso me motivo a conseguir una cámara para documentar de mejor manera mis observaciones, actualmente tengo una Nikon D-2500, y utilizo un lente 75-300 mm. Y para mi es motivo de mucha alegría compartir en este curso, en el que estoy aprendiendo muchísimo.
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Something I have found regarding blinds (or hides) is that I am able to get closer to shore birds if I am in kayak rather than on land. I would never have been able to get anywhere near to this Variable Oyster Catcher and chick if I approached on the beach. Yet in my yellow kayak, bright orange lifejacket, I could get within about 10 metres with it seemingly oblivious to me. I think it helps if I am moving I think if only slowly drifting. I'm using a Lumix FZ1000 bridge camera. My aim is to document what's there and use the photos as visual reference.
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Cool!
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I've been taking photographs of birds for many years. I'm a backyard birder and have a home on a lake, so I get lots of waterfowl, songbirds and birds of prey. I also live near the ocean, but haven't yet ventured into that kind of photography - hoping to learn some tips, and already have! I have yet to use any blind tools as most of my photos are taken from inside my house through a window. I realize this is a drawback, but I am pleased with my photos. At the lake, I do believe a blind would be helpful, particularly with all the migrating ducks, which are plentiful. My gear consists on my "go-to" Canon Powershot XS-70 and my Canon EOS Rebel T8i. I only have the 75-250mm lens for my T8i at this point, which limits my ability to get close up shots - but it often produces better quality. I look forward to the rest of this course as I struggle with the auto focus at times, which causes me to lose a shot because by the time it finally focuses, the bird is gone. I like the Powershot as the zoom is 21-1395mm, which allows me to not disturb birds if I'm on my dock out on the water. In researching the photos on Macaulay, I found that many of the photos I chose to click on were taken with a bridge camera, so I think I'm in good shape. Blinds and perhaps the device that extends the zoom (forgetting the name as I write) are tools I will purchase.
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I have had a lifelong interest in birds but have only started photgraphing them about 18 months ago and haven't really taken the time to think about my goals before now. I often spend my down time just looking through photos on ebird to see what's been seen lately in my local region, state and in other parts of the country. I've mainly done this just for enjoyment of looking at the birds and learning but haven't really thought about what type of photos I enjoy the most or therefore what my specific goals are. Now that I've had some time to think about this my favourite photos are habitat related; for me I particularly enjoy photos of birds in the Australian bush, in a wetland environment or along the shoreline. My goal is a) to take decent photos of birds in these environments, and b) to also capture any unusual or less common birds that i see incidentally- for me usually this will be when out hiking or just on my daily walk. At this point in time I post every decent shot I take on ebird but only use facebook occasionally and I don't have instagram. I do follow some of the bird groups on Facebook but prefer to post to ebird as it enables me to just look and learn about birds without having to use social media. For goal a I have my big camera (Canon EOS 1100D with Tamron 150-600mm lens) for birding focused outings where I'm not going to be walking too far, for goal b I carry my small camera (Canon Powershot SX 720HS) in my pocket just in case I see something out of the ordinary. Here is a favourite shot of mine I took at Christmas time 2022, it was just near home on my regular walk and on this particular morning I was glad I was carrying my small camera. For my smaller camera I sacrifice image sharpness but at least I still capture those special sightings that pop up from time to time when I'm not carrying my big camera, this one is a Yellow Tailed Black cockatoo that was part of a small group feeding in eucalyptus trees at my local lake about 5 mins walk from home. These birds fly overhead my local area at certain times of the year but this is the first time I've been able to photograph them almost at eye level.
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As a beginning/novice birder, my goals right now are to recognize birds by sound and sight and to create lists to familiarize myself with as many species as possible. But, I am also a nature photographer (not just birds) by nature. Thus far, I've only been using my camera phone with a magnifier for binoculars, but I want to start upgrading (on a budget). As such, I think I will begin with a camera with a focal length between 500mm-600mm and a f/stop of f/5.6 or higher. I'm leaning towards a fixed lens to begin and maybe a teleconverter, rather than lugging around a huge lens. I mostly walk and hike when I'm birding (I don't own a car!), so portability is a key consideration.
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Hello, I consider myself a slight beginner/amateur wildlife photographer, and I love this Course, I've actually never really thought about the teleconverters, I currently own a Canon 7D Mark II, with a Tamron f/3.5-6.3, 18-400 mm lens, and some of my photos I would like them to have been closer, so I think I am going to check into purchasing a teleconverter, I actually had thought about going bigger on my lens, but I think a teleconverter might be what I am looking for.
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My goals as a young beginners photographer are to explore more areas where I live and to start getting more clear photos. I have a Canon 2000d with a 75-300mm lens. As I get more advanced I hope to purchase a more expensive brand so I can get closer to wildlife. As of right now, I am purchasing cheaper camera products.
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I am easing into retirement and took up birding in 2021. My goal is to learn as much as possible about the birds I am photographing and to take pictures that I can print at 8x10 to 11x14 with high resolution. I purchased an Olympus OM-1 rig with a 300mm prime, and a 100-400mm zoom, which I use most often, and both the 12.4x and 2x teleconverters. I made the choice to go 4:3 because we plan to travel and I wanted something very light weight. This combo fits that perfectly. I also bought the Spyder belt/holster, which takes all of the weight off my neck and shoulders. I have gotten some great pointers from the first session of this course and am looking forward to learning more and improving my skills.
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One gear option worth mentioning is to combine different types of equipment in a hybrid technology. My preferred system when I'm in the field, out in the open (not in a hide) and know I may have to wait some time for a shot is to combine a tripod with a bean bag. I assemble the tripod with a pan/tilt head and place a bean bag over the head. I prefer to shoot hand-held using a BlackRapid harness to hold my Canon R5 with a RF 100-500mm lens. While waiting for birds, I hold the camera in both hands and rest them on the bean bag in front of me at the level of my chin. This takes the weight off the harness round my shoulder while allowing me the fastest possible response to shooting a bird coming at any speed, at any height, in any direction and on any flight path. While it is true that a tripod/gimbal head combo provides the most stable and agile mechanical technology for shooting birds, it has two drawbacks compared to the tripod/bean bag hybrid for capturing birds in flight: i. A tripod/gimbal head is very heavy to carry, particularly in combination with a prime supertelephoto lens (500-600mm). If you have to walk any distance,particularly uphill over rough terrain in windy conditions, it can be a major challenge. ii. Although a tripod/gimbal head allows a more rapid and nimble response than using a pan/tilt or ball head, it is slower and clumsier than using the same lens hand-held. When I see a bird approaching while using my hybrid system, I simply lift the camera to my eye for hand-held shooting and I'm up and running. If necessary, I'll take a step to the left or right, or step back to give myself unimpeded swing room.
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I purchased my photography equipment about 15 years ago and at the time was too busy with work and unable to spend much time using it. I have a Canon EOS 20D and a Canon 100-400 zoom lens. I am taking time to practice with this camera equipment in various settings before deciding which camera is the best as an upgrade. I will stay with Canon since I have several Canon lenses already. I recently was able to spend a day near Galveston TX photographing shorebirds along the gulf coast. Has anyone tried the mirrorless cameras? I was wondering how they compare to the DSLR's.
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Nice shot! I too use Canon's system; I originally used the EOS 90D (crop) but really wanted a full frame mirrorless. I went with the EOS R5, and I LOVE it. The lens I use the most is the EF 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L IS II USM. The R5 does have the new RF mount, but a simple adapter allows use of EF glass. I still reach for the 90D, but the R5 also has a crop 1:6 mode, so it's hard to put down! Canon's website has a section with certified refurbished gear, and these products come with their guarantee and warranty. This is a good option if the price tag makes you fall out of your chair as I did. Hah. Hope this helps!
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Like Jennifer, I recently upgraded from a Canon DSLR (D7 Mk II) to a Canon mirrorless (R5). Instead of buying an adaptor to continue using my EF 100-400 mm lens on the R5, I decided to get the RF 100-500 mm lens. The latter has two advantages: (i) the camera/lens combination is better balanced because the adaptor + EF 100-400 mm lens pushes the lens further forward from the camera body; (ii) I believe the image stabilisation within the RF 100-500 lens is more efficiently integrated with the IS system in the camera body. I'm delighted with the upgrade which has improved the quality of my bird images for several reasons:
- The R5 has a quasi-manual F mode which allows you to set the aperture and shutter speed independently with the camera determining the appropriate ISO value automatically. This is very useful for taking birds in flight (my commonest subject) when you need a high shutter speed and as much light as possible. It often results in very high ISO values, but the RF cameras are designed to shoot at high ISO values with minimal graininess.
- Higher maximum shutter speeds in continuous shooting mode. This is also useful for taking birds in flight.
- Improved autofocus,particularly with face/eye recognition for animals,including birds. However,I find this AF mode only works when the subject is relatively close. I tend to shoot birds too far away, so this is my fault not the camera's !
- The R5 has a large sensor. This allows me to crop heavily, if necessary, & still have an image with acceptable resolution. Note that a crop-sensor (as in a DSLR) retains only the central 60% of the image. With a full frame camera, you can decide not only how much to crop, but which areas of the image to throw away. This is particularly useful when shooting birds in flight when the subject may not be located entirely within the central 60% of the image.
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My hope is to take clearer photos of birds closer up. I currently have a zoom lens that only goes up to 250mm so I am planning on getting one that gets much higher. From what I found, a lot of the photos that I liked used zoom lens. Two that I saw a couple times were 200-500mm and 150-600mm so I will look at those and see what I like. I have an older camera model - canon eos rebel t2i so I might also look into get a slight upgrade in camera. I am having a hard time choosing between dslr or mirrorless. Any thoughts?
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I wanted to take some clear, big bird shots, I was using a Nikon D50 a few years ago and this year I use Nikon D750 with an 80-400mm lens. I found that the birds did get bigger with the faster focus speed, but they were still not very sharp. Recently I tried the Nikon P100, and although it has a large focal length, it sometimes slows down to focus.
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