so i just got this canon r7 camera because my brother told me it was the best one for taking pictures of birds but honestly i feel like i have no idea what i am doing and i am super overwhelmed right now. it came with a small lens but when i went out to the park yesterday to try and get a picture of this hawk sitting on a branch it just looked like a little dot in the middle of the screen... i tried zooming in with my fingers on the screen like an iphone but that didnt do anything lol. i feel really dumb asking this but what do i actually need to buy so i can see the birds close up??
i been looking online and there are so many numbers like 100-400 or 100-500 and some say rf and some say ef and i dont even know what that means or if they even fit my camera. i dont want to spend a fortune because the camera already cost me a lot of money and my wife is already kinda annoyed at me for buying it. i think i can spend maybe 800 or 1000 dollars at most? maybe a tiny bit more if i eat ramen for a month and it really makes a huge difference but i really dont want to mess this up and buy something that doesnt work.
here is what i am looking for i guess:
- something that lets me see birds from far away
- i live in oregon so it gets cloudy a lot i dont know if that matters for lenses
- it needs to be not too heavy because i have bad wrists from typing all day at work
- something that is easy for a total beginner who doesnt know all the settings yet
is there like one lens that everyone uses? i saw one called a 600mm prime but it looks like a giant white bazooka and i dont think i can carry that around the woods. i just want to be able to see the feathers and the eyes without the bird being a tiny speck. sorry if these are really basic questions i just really want to take one good photo of a bird before i give up on this whole hobby...
I had that exact frustration starting out! Seriously, the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM is a total game-changer. It's super light and makes birding feel like absolute magic! You'll love it!
Are you shooting in deep forest or open parks? Magnification requires focal length, while aperture affects low-light performance. I'm satisfied using the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM or Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM.
Been using this for years, no complaints
Building on the earlier suggestion, seriously just stick with the native RF glass for now. I have spent a small fortune over the years trying to adapt older EF lenses, but for your wrists and that budget, the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM is the absolute sweet spot. It weighs next to nothing... honestly felt like a toy when I first picked it up compared to the heavy pro gear. It fits your camera perfectly without any extra parts. Since you are in Oregon with all that cloud cover, here is a quick tip: dont be afraid of high ISO settings. The R7 can get a bit grainy in low light, but a sharp, noisy photo is a million times better than a blurry one. Keep your shutter speed high, like at least 1/1600 if the birds are hopping around. If you want to see how to actually dial in the settings without losing your mind, go find Duade Paton on YouTube. He has specific R7 birding guides that are basically a lifesaver for beginners. It makes the whole numbers thing way easier to digest than reading a manual. Stick with the 100-400, it is light, cheap, and honestly gonna give you exactly what you are looking for without breaking the bank or your arm.
Following this thread
> Building on the earlier suggestion, seriously just stick with the native RF glass for now. Totally agree with the others here. Just go with anything from Canon really, you cant go wrong with their newer stuff since it just works out of the box. Ive tried many different setups over the years and honestly, keeping it simple is the best way to not get overwhelmed. My advice is to grab any decent telephoto zoom from that brand, just make sure it feels comfortable in your hands since those wrists of yours arent gonna get any younger! Speaking of hands, I actually spent all last weekend trying to fix my kitchen faucet instead of shooting, ended up with a massive leak behind the drywall. Spent four hours just staring at a pipe because I didnt have the right wrench. DIY stuff is such a headache sometimes, but yeah, just stick to the native gear for the camera and you will be fine.