Which starter telephoto lens for wildlife shots for Canon 450D ?

Jwar1976

Jwar1976

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John
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Hi all,

I have had a 450D for a few months now & love it, however I would like to get a amateur starter zoom lens to take to places like Zoos / Wildlife parks. I have had a few suggestions from various local shops to me, but thought that I would post here to get peoples opinions who have had hands on experience with the actual lenses that I like the look of. Ideally the lens will need to have a form of Image stabilization to avoid camera shake. Here are the lens I have been looking at.

Canon 55-250 IS - Have been told by some people that this lens would be ideal, but others have said that I would have to have it right against a fence at a zoo, to photograph a captive animal. I have seen this new on ebay with warranty for around the £100 mark

Canon 70-300 IS & the Tamron 18-270 VC, Tamron 70-300 VC - either of these lenses for the extra reach that can be bought from around the £250 new from various online suppliers.

The 450D is my first ever DSLR camera & have only used a standard point and shoot camera or mobile to take pictures with in the past. So I only need a zoom lens that will do the job with getting better results as I develop my skills, but without the need of robbing a bank. Can anyone here tell me any about any hands on experience for a starter zoom lens for taking pictures at Zoos / Wildlife park ?

Many Thanks

JWAR
 
Hi John and Welcome :wave:

I had the Canon 70-300IS and was very pleased with it. I'd certainly recommend one.

A lot of people are also raving about the Tamron 70-300 (i've not tried one).

For a cheaper option, the Canon 55-250IS is well worth it, it's a belter of a lens for the price.

As you are just starting off, I think I'd be tempted to buy the 55-250IS, which will complement the 18-55 kit lens nicely and give you a good focal range. Once you are up and running and know where you are heading...
 
andyred said:
Hi John and Welcome :wave:

I had the Canon 70-300IS and was very pleased with it. I'd certainly recommend one.

A lot of people are also raving about the Tamron 70-300 (i've not tried one).

For a cheaper option, the Canon 55-250IS is well worth it, it's a belter of a lens for the price.

As you are just starting off, I think I'd be tempted to buy the 55-250IS, which will complement the 18-55 kit lens nicely and give you a good focal range. Once you are up and running and know where you are heading...
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Hi Andy & thanks :). I must admit that I did have my heart set on the 55-250 from different pictures that I had seen on Flickr, however it was only when a local photographer to me that runs workshops in photography, claimed that the 55-250 IS wouldn't be any good for photographing animals that are captive behind a wired fence & that I would have to have the lens right up against the fence to get a decent shot. I do admit that this is quite strange as I honestly thought that 250mm would be decent enough.

andrewc said:
For a starter lens the 55-250IS is pretty good, you can buy them fairly cheaply, and I bet if you resold it 6m or a year later you'd get a significant amount of that back.
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Yes I have been told that by some different people that I should be able to sell it on easily enough or trade it in.
 
If you can live without IS and are feeling cheap, a Sigma 70 300 APO macro served me well for years and they're about £80 s/h.
Nice to have a macro mode if you've only got a couple of lenses.
 
minnnt said:
The Tammy 70-300vc is amazeballs. :D
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I have seen quite a few decent images taken with that lens & they are stunning, well worth the price tag esp as they are sharper than the Canon 70-300.

Coyon said:
If you can live without IS and are feeling cheap, a Sigma 70 300 APO macro served me well for years and they're about £80 s/h.
Nice to have a macro mode if you've only got a couple of lenses.
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I was considering a zoom lens without IS, but as I am known to get camera shake, I would had thought that IS or equivalent would be more appropriate.
 
Jwar1976 said:
I was considering a zoom lens without IS, but as I am known to get camera shake, I would had thought that IS or equivalent would be more appropriate.
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Certainly won't hurt if you can afford it.

Focal length wise, depends on the zoo and the animal what focal length you need (pretty easy to fill the frame with a rhino's arse). If it's a toss up between a 55-250 and a 70-300 range, go with the 70-300. You won't miss the 55-70mm 'gap' and you'll appreciate the extra reach.
 
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Coyon said:
Certainly won't hurt if you can afford it.

Focal length wise, depends on the zoo and the animal what focal length you need (pretty easy to fill the frame with a rhino's arse). If it's a toss up between a 55-250 and a 70-300 range, go with the 70-300. You won't miss the 55-70mm 'gap' and you'll appreciate the extra reach.
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The zoos that are local to me are Banham Zoo near Norwich & Africa Alive near Lowestoft. I have never been to Banham, but have been to Africa Alive once before. If I was to get a 55-250 straight away then it would probably be on Ebay as they sell for about £100 new on there with warranty, so hopefully they are not a grey copy. However if I were to save a few weeks, I can get the the Tamron 70-300 VC for £280 from WEX which is only 20 minutes from where I live, and that comes with 5 yrs warranty once registered with Tamron.

minnnt said:
Well the VC is absolutely fantastic. Never used Canon's IS so can't compare but the Tamron VC usually comes out on top in tests and reviews.
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The Tammy does look superb with almost every shot that I have seen, everything from animals to airshows, so is tempting to save a bit longer for.
 
Is ok to get a used lens from somewhere like CEX ?. Only reason I am asking is because they are doing the Tammy 70-300 VC for £160 with 1yr Guarantee ?. Also MPB are doing the 55-250 for under the £100 mark used but with 6 months warranty, or I can take the risk with the 55-250 off a company on ebay new for about £100, but is there any way of finding out if it is genuine or if it is a grey copy ?
 
Warehouse Express in Norwich may be worth a look - have a used section too.

With many compact cameras you are composing an image on the display on the back of the camera, usually at arms length. Holding the camera to your eye, with one hand supporting the lens and camera from underneath, the other gripping the body and operating the shutter, means you hold it more steady than a compact.
 
Jwar1976 said:
Is ok to get a used lens from somewhere like CEX ?. Only reason I am asking is because they are doing the Tammy 70-300 VC for £160 with 1yr Guarantee ?. Also MPB are doing the 55-250 for under the £100 mark used but with 6 months warranty, or I can take the risk with the 55-250 off a company on ebay new for about £100, but is there any way of finding out if it is genuine or if it is a grey copy ?
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I'd only buy from CEX if you're a) going to physically examine and test it yourself and b) are confident you know how to do that.
Grey imports aren't fakes or copies- they're just equipment intended for sale in another country or only as part of a kit/bundle. With camera stuff the spec is usually the same, but you usually sacrifice some warranty/convenience of returns and some manufacturers refuse to repair them. No easy way to tell if it's a grey import if it's a UK ebay seller- short of price or asking them.
 
andrewc said:
Warehouse Express in Norwich may be worth a look - have a used section too.

With many compact cameras you are composing an image on the display on the back of the camera, usually at arms length. Holding the camera to your eye, with one hand supporting the lens and camera from underneath, the other gripping the body and operating the shutter, means you hold it more steady than a compact.
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It was WEX (Warehouse Express) that I went to earlier on today, I did pop into my local London Camera Exchange yesterday, but they wanted £220 for a used Canon 75-300 IS.
 
crofter said:
The Tamron also has full time manual focus which is very handy.
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That does sound like an added bonus, yes I am a complete amateur with photography atm, but hope to progress with it as much as I possibly can.
 
Coyon said:
I'd only buy from CEX if you're a) going to physically examine and test it yourself and b) are confident you know how to do that.
Grey imports aren't fakes or copies- they're just equipment intended for sale in another country or only as part of a kit/bundle. With camera stuff the spec is usually the same, but you usually sacrifice some warranty/convenience of returns and some manufacturers refuse to repair them. No easy way to tell if it's a grey import if it's a UK ebay seller- short of price or asking them.
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If it was a computer part I would be laughing, but have practically no knowledge about testing camera gear. I didn't realiee that was the case with Grey products, so I guess that by getting a used one from MPB with a small amount of warranty, I would have to worry about packaging it up & paying postage costs.
 
I don't imagine the postage will be much, and MPB are unlikely to sell you anything duff.
 
Coyon said:
I don't imagine the postage will be much, and MPB are unlikely to sell you anything duff.
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I have heard quite a few good reports about them and considering my 450D with the 18-55 lens and a ancient 70-210 that my Dad sent to me by mistake was used & the camera with the 18-55 works excellent despite it's age & the 70-210 does work, but has trouble maintaining focus, am not sure if this is due to camera shake, or because it is an really old lens that isn't 100% compatible with the 450D.
 
The reason for using a lens up against the fence is not to do with it's reach, but by using a wide aperture you can throw the wire OOF and place the emphasis on the animal. In most wildlife focal length is king, however you would not notice much difference between 250 and 300 and the 55-250IS is reputed to be an excellent lens. Later you will want something like the Sigma 150-500.
 
Dont get the tamron 18-270 its a severely lacking lens. Mid range and f8 is your only hope for any sharpness and that will only be centre of frame.
 
Had a 70-300 DO at one stage and the 70-300 IS - didn't like the lens creep on the zoom control - then went to a 100-400 - pushme pullyou, which was OK - but suffered with internal dust, and now I'm testing (next weekend) a 70-300 which I've hired for a change - and I'll try the 70-200 f2.8 later - rambling now - I'd go for the 70-300 IS (not the DO) it's a good lens for the price.
 
artyman said:
The reason for using a lens up against the fence is not to do with it's reach, but by using a wide aperture you can throw the wire OOF and place the emphasis on the animal. In most wildlife focal length is king, however you would not notice much difference between 250 and 300 and the 55-250IS is reputed to be an excellent lens. Later you will want something like the Sigma 150-500.
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Thank you for that information I had no idea about the wide aperture, it def sounds like I will start with the 55-250 as I am an amateur that has no idea what direction I am going to take in photography & there is nothing stopping me for saving to a longer reach in the future, should I wish require to. Another thing is that I do have a neurological condition which does affect what I can & cannot carry, so perhaps a heavy lens to start of with isn't the most ideal. A couple of friends that don't use zoom lens at all, have suggested that I should get the Nifty Fifty lens, so could possibly get both the 55-250 IS & Nifty Fifty at a reasonable cost.
 
Tintin124 said:
Dont get the tamron 18-270 its a severely lacking lens. Mid range and f8 is your only hope for any sharpness and that will only be centre of frame.
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Wow thank you very much for that info, no wonder WEX are offering £50 cash back on that lens


jools23 said:
Had a 70-300 DO at one stage and the 70-300 IS - didn't like the lens creep on the zoom control - then went to a 100-400 - pushme pullyou, which was OK - but suffered with internal dust, and now I'm testing (next weekend) a 70-300 which I've hired for a change - and I'll try the 70-200 f2.8 later - rambling now - I'd go for the 70-300 IS (not the DO) it's a good lens for the price.
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Please let me know how you get on with the testing, I am always interested to hear how other people are getting on with different types of lens. I possibly will get the 70-300 in the future, but at a close £300 it is quite an expensive hobby, when considering I don't know if it will be a big hobby for me, or just a decent camera to use when visiting different places. The crazy thing is that when I was first considering a camera, I was almost set to get either the Nikon P520 Bridge (42x zoom) or the Canon SX50 HS Bridge (50x). It was only when my Dad offered me a hardly used 450D for free as he had got a 550D, I took him up on his kind offer, I was willing to spend £300 on a bridge camera, never would I have ever dreamed of paying the same amount for just the lens. :oops: :$
 
I'd suggest a Canon 55-250IS as the budget option or a Tamron 70-300VC if you can spend a bit more. I've used my 70-300VC at Edinburgh Zoo a couple of times and been very happy with the results.
 
stu.artd said:
I'd suggest a Canon 55-250IS as the budget option or a Tamron 70-300VC if you can spend a bit more. I've used my 70-300VC at Edinburgh Zoo a couple of times and been very happy with the results.
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stu.artd said:
In case you're interested, wex have a 70-300VC for £170, condition is 9, very little sign of use.
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It is good to hear that another user has had a good experience with the lens, may I ask which body you use it on ?. That is a superb price, was only in there yesterday & they only had the new ones in then, so am extremely tempted at this price, I will have to check my bank & what direct debits I got coming out before next pay day, as the missus would kill me if I grabbed the lens before paying a bill lol. :eek:
 
I've used it with my 7D. These were all taken with the 7D/Tamron 70-300VC combo.
That did look like a good deal, there'll be a 1 year warranty I'd think as wex seem to offer that with used gear. The new ones come with a 5 yr warranty if registered on the Tamron site.
 
stu.artd said:
I've used it with my 7D. These were all taken with the 7D/Tamron 70-300VC combo.
That did look like a good deal, there'll be a 1 year warranty I'd think as wex seem to offer that with used gear. The new ones come with a 5 yr warranty if registered on the Tamron site.
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Those shots you took with the Tammy & 7D are superb & yes that does look like a great deal. The things I am trying to work out is the amount of usage I would get from the lens. I love gong out taking photographs of all kinds of things, everything from landscapes, flowers, animals, cathedrals etc etc. & am a beginner in all areas. I don't go to wildlife parks that often due to having to rely on public transport & the amount of photography I can do in a set period honestly does depend on my health as I do sometimes find it difficult to pour the kettle to make a drink (hence the need for a decent form of Image Stabilization). So am looking at weight ranges of equipment as well as what I am going to be taking photos of.
 
If weight is an issue I'd go with the Canon efs 55-250, quite a bit smaller and lighter than the Tamron and you only lose 50mm, still a sharp lens and the IS is good, both are good lenses and can't be bettered in that price range. I have both.
 
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crofter said:
If weight is an issue I'd go with the Canon efs 55-250, quite a bit smaller and lighter than the Tamron and you only lose 50mm, still a sharp lens and the IS is good, both are good lenses and can't be bettered in that price range. I have both.
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Part of me is saying get the 55-250 as then chances are it would do what I need it to do and can always use a wide aperture to help get rid of any bars at a zoo / wildlife park, so that I can capture an animal easier. But another part of me is saying get the 70-300 and get a monopod or something similar as support. However if I did get the 55-250, then I would be able to afford the 50mm 1.8 as well.
 
You really wouldn't need a monopod... That would be a right ball ache at a zoo, especially if it's busy. As much as i love the 70-300 vc, i think i prefer your last suggestion as EVERYONE should own a fast prime. ;)
 
If you're going to do much zoo photography then I would say to get the 70-300 the extra length would be useful
I actually use a monopod a lot for zoo work
It's really handy to rest the camera on at the right height while leaning as close as possible to the wire and wait for the animal to look at you
Will be a much heavier combination to carry round than the 55-250 though I would have a look at both in the shop
 
hi the 55-250 is a good starting point i would stay away from the 75-300 but consider a 70-300. the only real way to tell is go to a shop and try them see what suits you
 
minnnt said:
You really wouldn't need a monopod... That would be a right ball ache at a zoo, especially if it's busy. As much as i love the 70-300 vc, i think i prefer your last suggestion as EVERYONE should own a fast prime. ;)
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I have seen some great shots with the nifty fifty lens, and seeing as it is cheap as chips, it would be ideal to have :).

LCPete said:
If you're going to do much zoo photography then I would say to get the 70-300 the extra length would be useful
I actually use a monopod a lot for zoo work
It's really handy to rest the camera on at the right height while leaning as close as possible to the wire and wait for the animal to look at you
Will be a much heavier combination to carry round than the 55-250 though I would have a look at both in the shop
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May I ask what body you use & have you used the 55-250 at zoos or not ?. There are only a few Wildlife parks / zoos that I would visit & so the usage for that purpose would be minimal like a few times a year, but figured that the extra length would be good for other subjects as well.

wave01 said:
hi the 55-250 is a good starting point i would stay away from the 75-300 but consider a 70-300. the only real way to tell is go to a shop and try them see what suits you
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I have had a try of both lens and they feel ok, but it is difficult to vision what it is going to be using them in a different environment, it isn't so bad connecting them up and using them within shop range, but when you are focusing on different subjects like animals, the feel of the lens becomes different for me, for lighting type of ground I am standing on etc etc. I would love to get either of the lenses but would hate to get the 55-250 and find that it doesn't have enough reach, then go right the whole procedure of trading in / selling the 55-250 to put the money towards the one with the better reach.
 
May I ask what body you use & have you used the 55-250 at zoos or not ?. There are only a few Wildlife parks / zoos that I would visit & so the usage for that purpose would be minimal like a few times a year, but figured that the extra length would be good for other subjects /quote]

Hi I've got the 7D
I havent used the 55-250 but apparently it's a very good lens
I have a 70-200 and 300 2.8 and use them both for zoo stuff
:)
 
I have used the 55-250 but i now use the 70-200L on a crop body. Depending on what i take then i find this is ok I would love a 100-400L but just cannot afford it at the moment
 
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