Best budget wildlife lens recommendations for the Canon EOS R10?

Question

Should I grab the RF 100-400mm or is the Sigma 150-600mm with an adapter better for a beginner shooting wildlife on the R10? Im planning a trip to a nature preserve in Florida next month and really want to get some decent shots of herons and maybe some gators without breaking the bank.

My budget is capped at like $650 max so its a bit tight. The Canon lens is super light and native which I like but the Sigma has way more reach for those tiny birds further away. Then again the Sigma is a total brick to carry around all day. Is 400mm on this crop body actually enough for birding or am I gonna be cropping way too much...

V_4444 · Accepted Answer

I have used both of these setups extensively on the R7 and R10 platforms. For your Florida trip, the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM is the more balanced choice. Because of the 1.6x crop factor on your camera, 400mm provides a 640mm equivalent field of view. This is typically sufficient for herons and gators in most nature preserves where the wildlife is somewhat accustomed to people. The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary does offer more reach, but you have to factor in the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R which adds to the price and bulk. The Sigma is a heavy lens, and using it on a lightweight body like the R10 makes the kit very front-heavy. Carrying that around all day in the heat can be exhausting if you arent used to it. The native RF lens also tends to play nicer with the mirrorless autofocus system for tracking moving subjects. If you find the reach isnt enough, the R10 produces clean enough files that you can crop in post-processing without losing too much detail. Beginners often find that a lighter setup allows them to react faster and get better compositions. Basically, the portability of the RF lens makes it the more versatile tool for a first trip... you wont regret the lighter weight when you're a few miles into a trail.

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Best budget wildlife lens recommendations for the Canon EOS R10?