Birdwatching (and of course taking photos of birds) is one of my themes since almost twelve years.
It’s never been a mainstream, because of my laziness.
I can’t stay in a watching tower for hours, nor under a camouflage cloth waiting for the sunrise…
No, it’s not my way.
Normally, when I decide to take photos of birds I take one camera, the longest lens I have in that very moment, and I walk around in the area I suppose to find my subject.
Actually, in the past the limit was often the equipment.
In the film years, til 2005 when I bought my first digital camera, I had an average, but luminous, telezoom with its dedicated teleconverter 2X.
Sometimes, I have rented a 500mm, more useful for this kind of photos.
But, after a brief period with a 300mm f4 (and a weird TC-14B), I stayed more than two years with a fantastic, long… 105mm.
Not exactly a masterpiece for birds…
Only for the biggest and closest ones:
D2x at 100ISO, 105mm f2 AF, f5.6, 1/250sec, bias 2/3EV
Waiting to turn back to full format, I bought a little longer 70-200 VR.
Still not enough, but mounted on a DX camera it permitted me great results, here in Denmark:
D2x at 200ISO, 70-200mm f2.8 AFs at 200mm, f8, 1/500sec, bias 0EV
Finally, at the beginning of this year, in March 2009, I took the AF-I 300 f2.8, with a TC-20E II 2X Teleconverter.
A new world opens in front of me:
D2x at 320ISO, 300mm f2.8 AF-I + TC-20E, f5.6, 1/1000sec, bias -1 1/3EV
With the last lens I have purchased, I reached my personal heaven…. with the Sigma 500mm F4.5 EX.
D2x at 125ISO, 500mm f4.5 AFs, f5.6, 1/800sec, bias -2/3EV
Ok, both the 70-200 and, of course, the 105 were too short for birds.
But why I looked for a doubled 300mm or a third-part 500mm, instead of a Nikkor 500 or 600mm (or “the king” Sigma 300-800mm)?
I’ve already explained that, in the sentence where I’ve confessed I’m lazy…
I rarely use my tripod, for nature, and I walk a lot, staying no more than few minutes in the same place before walking over.
And, holding the camera on free hands, I need a light equipment, useful for taking photos for hours.
This is why I choose a 300mm with teleconverter, or the lighter 500mm in the market, deleting from my head the idea to purchase a heavier (and bigger) Nikkor prime.
So, all the photo I’m showing here are taken with handheld camera, walking around in natural reserves and protected areas, and often simply on a beach.
This is also how I could take birds’ photos with a large number of lenses, virtually all the ones I have.
From 500mm…. til the 16mm FishEye…
a_
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