Camera for wildlife photography beginner?

NOS3

Hey Guys!

At the moment in school we are doing a project on ecology, so we went to a local nature reserve to get pictures and video. After finding frog spawn, coal and blue tits, wagtails and other things ( deer tracks!) I realized that i really enjoyed taking these pictures and videos of wildlife and nature! I got some really cool footage of a robin singing and then spitting out a weird black seed, I wasn't sure what it was, but i felt that it was somewhat rare to get this on camera (for a beginner anyway!) Basically, with spring and summer coming I was wondering what camera to get, or if I should just carry on using a 16 MP fujifilm Finepix F660EXR?

Johnny Rook

NOS3 wrote: »

Hey Guys!

At the moment in school we are doing a project on ecology, so we went to a local nature reserve to get pictures and video. After finding frog spawn, coal and blue tits, wagtails and other things ( deer tracks!) I realized that i really enjoyed taking these pictures and videos of wildlife and nature! I got some really cool footage of a robin singing and then spitting out a weird black seed, I wasn't sure what it was, but i felt that it was somewhat rare to get this on camera (for a beginner anyway!) Basically, with spring and summer coming I was wondering what camera to get, or if I should just carry on using a 16 MP fujifilm Finepix F660EXR?

You could try for a second hand Canon 7d. But you will also nee a lens.

Johnny Rook

NOS3 wrote: »

Hey Guys!

At the moment in school we are doing a project on ecology, so we went to a local nature reserve to get pictures and video. After finding frog spawn, coal and blue tits, wagtails and other things ( deer tracks!) I realized that i really enjoyed taking these pictures and videos of wildlife and nature! I got some really cool footage of a robin singing and then spitting out a weird black seed, I wasn't sure what it was, but i felt that it was somewhat rare to get this on camera (for a beginner anyway!) Basically, with spring and summer coming I was wondering what camera to get, or if I should just carry on using a 16 MP fujifilm Finepix F660EXR?

You could try for a second hand Canon 7d. But you will also nee a lens.

paulusdu

I saw a second hand Nikon D7000 for sale on ebay around 170 sterling. You could pick up a 70 - 300 lens second hand from 70 - 300 nikon lens for around 160 too and you would have an amazing kit for a starter for under 500 euro. But it depends on your budget

V_Moth

If the budget allows, another option would be one of the new generation of bridge cameras (Canon SX60, Nikon P900) which have very good zoom lenses (60 to 80X or equivalent to a 1500mm to 2000mm lens). Significantly lighter and not as bulky to carry around.

Edit: Old thread is old. Hopefully op has got a good new camera.

Jayzesake

V_Moth wrote: »

If the budget allows, another option would be one of the new generation of bridge cameras (Canon SX60, Nikon P900) which have very good zoom lenses (60 to 80X or equivalent to a 1500mm to 2000mm lens). Significantly lighter and not as bulky to carry around.

After years of SLR cameras, I got a Panasonic Lumix FZ200 bridge camera a while back. I think I saw something on the Butterflies Ireland website recommending them. They come with a Leica lens, and I have to say I find it great for wildlife photography. (Though in truth I now generally prefer to just look at wildlife without trying to photograph it.)

As V Moth says, bridge cameras are compact and light, plus you don't have to keep changing the lenses according to how far away something is. Price was very reasonable too, at about €430.