Camera Labs

Looking for a telezoom lens and I've come down to these two due to budget ($1k max). I have not done any wildlife before but I know my focus will be squirrels and birds.

I plan on setting up a bird feeder at first but it would be nice going out in the field when I got more experience.

My camera is a Canon 60D so essentially the 70-200 combo would be 156-448mm.

What would you guys suggest?

For birds, length is everything, so i'd be tempted to look at the Sigma 50-500mm or 150-500mm.

We have a Sigma 150-500mm review you could browse...

You mention dollar pricing, so are you in the US? If so, I'd recommend renting various options from BorrowLenses first to see which would suit you best.

Gordon

No I'm in Sweden but USD seems to be the easiest currency.

Hi welcome aboard, I know its a bit pricier, but possibly the best value for money and something that delivers quality might well be the 100-400L. Can be had for a pretty good price now.

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Canon Powershot S95, Canon 7D, 15-85, Canon 85 1.8 USM, Sigma 30 1.4, 50mm 1.8, Canon 100 2.8L IS Macro, Canon 70-300L IS USM+Kenko 1.4 Pro 300DGX, Canon 430EX II and RS 4 Classic

Thank you!

Yeah I know, everyone recommends this lens and it seems to be the "end game" for those who aren't extremely serious about wildlife. But it is $2000, which is $1000 more than my budget. I would still want to buy a lens at this moment and use it while I save up for the lens I really want.

the tamron 70-300 vc sp usd may be another good option, I use a 70-300 and its a pretty good range for most things, including birds. I will get a bigger/longer lens one day. Have to admit, I am not a fan of extenders, annoying to put on take and off, they also affect focus performance.

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Canon Powershot S95, Canon 7D, 15-85, Canon 85 1.8 USM, Sigma 30 1.4, 50mm 1.8, Canon 100 2.8L IS Macro, Canon 70-300L IS USM+Kenko 1.4 Pro 300DGX, Canon 430EX II and RS 4 Classic

I have decided to get the Sigma 120-400. Considering the fact that I will be outside in broad daylight using f/8 to get maximum sharpness out of the lens will not be an issue for me. I was on the Canon 300/f4 L IS USM + 1.4x TC trail for a while but I am afraid of getting a prime, I would like to be versatile and it's not always I need that full focal length you know. Here are some pictures that sealed the deal for me:

http://www.juzaphoto.com/galleria.php?t=289923&l=en
http://www.juzaphoto.com/galleria.php?t=98154&l=en
http://www.juzaphoto.com/galleria.php?t=148521&l=en
http://www.juzaphoto.com/galleria.php?t=319286&l=en
http://www.juzaphoto.com/galleria.php?t=324909&l=en
http://www.juzaphoto.com/galleria.php?t=101286&l=en
http://www.juzaphoto.com/galleria.php?t=347231&l=en