Choosing the best type of lens for bird photography can be challenging. There are different lenses but you need the best to guarantee you excellent photography experience during bird watching. They make it easier to keep track of bird movement in flight or other wildlife species.
If you are to nab a bird in flight, you will need at least 300mm of focal length and camera with 6FPS. The best lenses for birding photos come along with fast autofocus, large focal length, sharp images etc. The 2 main types of lenses for birding include the Prime & Zoom lenses.
The Prime lenses provide a fixed focal length. Fixed focal length means no zoom ring and for you to get closer to the object, you must focus or move physically closer to the object. But the beauty about using the Prime lenses for birding photos is that you are guaranteed of wider aperture.
The Zoom lenses.
The zoom lenses are amazing as they let the photographer to zoom in and out birds from their stationary positions. However, they have smaller aperture range of about F/4.5. It is preferably the best choice for starter bird photographers.
How to select the best lens for birding photos?
When choosing the best lens for birding photos; first, you must take into consideration the brand and budget. Also, for birders who already have their cameras for instance Sony/Nikon/Canon, you should also take note of lens compatibility with your camera. Other essential factors to take note include lens’s capability to zoom, glass elements, durability and others.
THE BEST LENSES FOR BIRDING PHOTOS.
Canon EF100-400mm f/4.5.6L IS 11 USM Lens.
Canon EF autofocus is one of the favorite lenses for bird photography. It is noted for its high quality optical elements, triple mode image stabilizer, filter threat of 77mm, weight=1640g, max magnification 0.31x, high tech air sphere coating etc.
Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7. IL IS USM
The Canon RF 100-500 is the latest premium sup telephoto zoom for EOS R mirror less cameras, a perfect choice for bird photography.
Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 contemporary bird photo lens.
The Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 contemporary DG OS HSM Lens is undeniably one of the best choices for beginner bird photographers on birding tour. It is comes with the best focal length and it is one zoom lens that is more user friendly.
These are available in different brands, you can purchase Nikon, Sony or Canon. Sigma 150-600mm is birders’ favorite choice considering its effective performances and incredible amount of zoom.
Nikon AF-SFX NIKKOR 200-500MM.
Birders with Nikon camera, Nikon AF-S FX lens is the right telephoto zoom lens for you. This comes with focal length of 200-500mm, advanced AF system for great focus and unlike Nikkor 80-400mm, Nikon AF has a sharper glass and VR making it more effective. It has 3 ED glass elements which guarantee you the most vibrant and sharp images while on bird photography.
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS.
Sony FE 100-400mmm lens is another best lens for bird photography. It is budget friendly yet guarantees birders the best of bird photography expedition. It has the best AF system, high quality glass and optical steady shot IS and other high end features.
Tamron SP150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 lens.
Tamron SP 150-600mm lens has focal length range of 150 to 600mm. It is noted for its versatility and has adjustable aperture which can be adjusted within the range of F5-F6.3, VC system which offers 4.5 stops and you choose from its 3 distinct VC modes. The aperture can be adjusted depending on the environment you are in for bird photography.
Canon EF 300 F/4L IS USM Telephoto fixed lens.
Canon EF 300mm is another best lens worth getting for bird photography. It comes with fixed zoom lens which means you can’t adjust the focal length like it is a case with other camera lenses. The advantage with Canon EF 300mm lens is that it is simpler to use as it gives birders fixed zoom and angle.
Sigma 100-400mm lens.
The Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM contemporary lens for canon EF is amazingly another best option that guarantees bird watchers great birding photos. It is noted for its compatibility to any Canon camera with standard Canon EF lens size.
It offers incredible versatility when combined with a camera and has aperture range of F/5-F/6.3. The focal length can also be customized and ranges from 100mm to 400mm.
Panasonic Lumix G11 Vario 100-300mm lens.
The Panasonic Lumix G lens is perfect option for bird photography. It does fit well with the compact Panasonic Lumix GX85. It guarantees birders the best images. This is not only good for birding tours but also for travel-it is lightweight.
Other significant lenses include Fu jifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR and Panasonic DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 Asph.
