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Technical Question 150-600 mm Vivitar as a gift. [Oops, yes, Doug, it's a Tamron ]- What body to choose?

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I have longed for a lens with long reach for bird photography!

I have a 7D and a 5DII. But I am thinking that it might be advantageous to uses a camera with Canons dual pixels AF.

So what would you recommend? Would the Canon Rebel 7ti do the job?

What more would I get going a more expensive camera that would impact on the quality of the image?

Asher
 
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Peter Dexter

Well-known member
Asher there are experts here who I'm sure can give you a better answer but I use a canon 7D ll with a Canon 400 5.6 almost every day. My biggest gripe is how consistently the camera's auto focusing system, even set to spot focus is confused when trying to shoot birds in a forested situation i.e. lots of leaves. By all accounts I've read the 7D ll is supposed to be Canon's best at dealing with auto focus under leafy conditions but I have missed endless perfect shots as the camera searches and searches. Trying to over ride with manual focus in the split second available before the bird moves hasn't worked for me. I am crossing my fingers that a 7D lll will come out soon with improved performance in that area. Congratulations on your gift lens.

Having looked at it online it appears to be manual focus and huge. I saw a comment saying bring sand bags. Evidently it's a lens for a sturdy tripod. not for hip shots.
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

I have longed for a lens with long reach for bird photography!

Does that lovely gift have an EF mount? Sounds like it.

I'm not able to find anything on a Vivitar 150-600.

I have a 7D and a 5DII. But I am thinking that it might be advantageous to uses a camera with Canons dual pixels AF.

I don't have any answer to the overall question, but I am inclined to agree on that point.

So what would you recommend? Would the Canon Rebel 7ti do the job?

Mebbe so.

Another option would be an EOS M50 with the EF-to-M adapter (which seemingly works like a champ). But that would cost more than the Rebel!

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Asher there are experts here who I'm sure can give you a better answer but I use a canon 7D ll with a Canon 400 5.6 almost every day. My biggest gripe is how consistently the camera's auto focusing system, even set to spot focus is confused when trying to shoot birds in a forested situation i.e. lots of leaves. By all accounts I've read the 7D ll is supposed to be Canon's best at dealing with auto focus under leafy conditions but I have missed endless perfect shots as the camera searches and searches. Trying to over ride with manual focus in the split second available before the bird moves hasn't worked for me. I am crossing my fingers that a 7D lll will come out soon with improved performance in that area. Congratulations on your gift lens.

Having looked at it online it appears to be manual focus and huge. I saw a comment saying bring sand bags. Evidently it's a lens for a sturdy tripod. not for hip shots.

Thanks, Peter!

Art Morris, at “Birds as Art”, apparently likes the 7D Mark II just like you, so you’re in good company. I am just wondering whether one needs that professional level body, if one has the dual active pixel focus that Canon is famous for?

That lens weighs 4.42 lb. so it will be an arm ache after an hour at first!

But does have AF and image stabilization. Some folk recommend against using that when the shutter speed is high and to try to be in the region of f8.0 to get better DOF.

The best way for us to hurry up the Canon 7D Mark III is for me to buy the latest 7D Mark II and then a week after the 30 day’s grace period for returning purchases, the new version will be revealed!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi, Asher,



Does that lovely gift have an EF mount? Sounds like it.

I'm not able to find anything on a Vivitar 150-600.



I don't have any answer to the overall question, but I am inclined to agree on that point.



Mebbe so.

Another option would be an EOS M50 with the EF-to-M adapter (which seemingly works like a champ). But that would cost more than the Rebel!

Best regards,

Doug

Yes it has the EF mount! I have to ask Will Thompson about the pretty little M50, but I figure that it would be best not to have to use an adapter.

Asher
 

James Lemon

Well-known member
I have longed for a lens with long reach for bird photography!

I have a 7D and a 5DII. But I am thinking that it might be advantageous to uses a camera with Canons dual pixels AF.

So what would you recommend? Would the Canon Rebel 7ti do the job?

What more would I get going a more expensive camera that would impact on the quality of the image?

Asher

Yes the Rebel 7ti and so would the rebel t5i work. You could buy a used Rebel t5i cheap and still have

folks enjoy your pictures.

Best, regards
James
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
The advantage of the 7ti to me would be dual pixel AF. For this long lens and the x1.6 extra reach giving up to 960 mm, fast AF and ability to track BIF is likely to be helpful.

Asher
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

Yes it has the EF mount! I have to ask Will Thompson about the pretty little M50, but I figure that it would be best not to have to use an adapter.
I understand your reticence to use an adapter, but the adapter for the M50 is very compact, and I understand that the design of the M system was intended to support owners' stables of EF lenses in good style (via the adapter).

Here:

m50-adapter.jpg


we see an M50 with an EFS 10-18mm on it via the adapter. The red dot is at the front of the adapter.

The adapter, by the way, has a tripod foot (I think removable) on it. We see it here:

u_19254774.jpg


Best regards,

Doug
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

Still trying to figger out just what lens of interest here. Is it perhaps the Vivitar 120-600 f/5.8-8:

20991455526_7db5264190_b-jpg.63242


I think this may be a manual focus lens (MF!).

Or maybe its the Tamron 150-600. Or the Sigma 150-600.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
It's the Tamron 150-600 with image stabilization and anti-shake correction. The latter may be best turned off in at least one review for BIF.

I will try it on my Canon 7D and also the Fuji GFX and see how holdable without the 4 Hs of stress it is!

Asher
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

It's the Tamron 150-600 with image stabilization and anti-shake correction. The latter may be best turned off in at least one review for BIF.

Thanks.

I will try it on my Canon 7D and also the Fuji GFX and see how holdable without the 4 Hs of stress it is!
"Siri, what's '4 Hs'?"​

I'll be eager to learn of your findings.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Funny thing, my mind was on getting an Olympus MFT with the lenses I have learned about from Robert Watcher. I was thinking that for a second body, a lightweight MFT would be perfect and the choice of lenses is impressive. For what I want for wildlife, MFT’s would be perfect, as for Studio and landscape I have the superb Fuji GFX system.

I actually was toying with getting the Sigma contemporary superzoom instead for my 7D, but Will Thompson persuaded me that unless I was to get a camera with dual pixel AF, it was a mistake to get a non-Canon lens for birding without the best AF. But I was very short of cash, so I did nothing!

I just enjoyed the beautiful pictures from you two, Peter and Doug, (Herr).

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Will Thompson wants me to get either a 7D Mark II or better yet, the new Canon R mirrorless camera with -6 EV for getting to wildlife in the shade and “full-time” dual pixel without having to switch to “Live View” in the now old in the tooth, 7D Mark II.

I didn’t ever imagine actually getting a present out of the blue of a new 150-600 mm lens and this has forced me to look at camera bodies I had no intention of considering!

If it would function just as well, the enthusiast’s Canon M5 or Canon T7i would still give me that accurate dual pixel in ”Liveview” and the cost will be a mere $500-700!

Asher
 

James Lemon

Well-known member
Will Thompson wants me to get either a 7D Mark II or better yet, the new Canon R mirrorless camera with -6 EV for getting to wildlife in the shade and “full-time” dual pixel without having to switch to “Live View” in the now old in the tooth, 7D Mark II.

I didn’t ever imagine actually getting a present out of the blue of a new 150-600 mm lens and this has forced me to look at camera bodies I had no intention of considering!

If it would function just as well, the enthusiast’s Canon M5 or Canon T7i would still give me that accurate dual pixel in ”Liveview” and the cost will be a mere $500-700!

Asher

I would go with the 7D ii and save yourself some huge dollars. I looked at the EOS- R last night and the store owner advised that it would be best to wait another year. I thought dual pixel AF is more useful for video recording but the 7d ii has this feature too? Six stops of exposure compensation is that something that is actually useful?

I have never been a fan of exposure compensation unless you use program modes,many of the controls on cameras are redundant. My fuji has exposure compensation on the top with 3 stops or I can put it on C mode and and control it with the front wheel instead. But it is even better to put the shutter speed dial on T mode and I can control the exposure with the back wheel in manual mode and it is super fast doing it this way.

The cost of the EOS-R is about 53% more than the 7D ii ? You will need gas and lunch money to get to Franklin Canyon Park plus money to make prints!

Best, regards
James
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
James,

The R had -6EV sensitivity, that is not exposure compensation, but extraordinary ability to focus perfectly in deep shadow.

Asher
 
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