[JohntheThird]

To cut it short: if you are a beginner on a budget used to a P&S camera, I advice you not to drool too much about the pro-equipment advertised here.

Any long lens with any DSLR will get you started. Find out your self where your preferences are and don't be afraid to replace a lens once you find it is constraining your fun.

Old manual lenses are usually cheap and may still be quite sharp. They are a lot of fun to work with, practice with set-ups and very satisfying if the results are good. Pentax has the great advantage over CaNikon in that it has in-body stabilisation. Even cheap old lenses are image stabilised.

Have fun and post some pictures.

[clockwork247]

Thanks clockwork that video had some great tips. On the topic of long lenses, what would provide better image quality and be easier to carry around on a bush walk? Sigma 120-400 $700 or sigma 150-500 $800

150-500, that lens is too popular to ignore, the next step up are the pro lens from each company (nikon/canon/sony), not sure if pentax has a pro telezoom.

There's another reason for zoom lens VS prime, it's easier to catch subject, if you ever hold a 500mm prime and try to catch the moon you'll know what I'm talking about, the moon is a bright subject on a black back ground, on theory that's easy to get a picture of, however, when you're out at 500mm, your FOV is so small, you breath and the dam thing is no longer in the frame. this is where zoom comes in. Zoom all the way out to the shorter FL, get the subject in view, and zoom back out to max FL to get the most detail out of the subject.

most of the pros for wild life shooting uses prime, but they also have the technique, some of them mount other devices on the lens to help them spot the subjects. but that's another story all together.

[Reptilezz]

To cut it short: if you are a beginner on a budget used to a P&S camera, I advice you not to drool too much about the pro-equipment advertised here.

Any long lens with any DSLR will get you started. Find out your self where your preferences are and don't be afraid to replace a lens once you find it is constraining your fun.

Old manual lenses are usually cheap and may still be quite sharp. They are a lot of fun to work with, practice with set-ups and very satisfying if the results are good. Pentax has the great advantage over CaNikon in that it has in-body stabilisation. Even cheap old lenses are image stabilised.

Have fun and post some pictures.

Thanks for your reply. Im looking at a k5ii because i think that i will outgrow an entry level camera too soon. I have manual controlls on the camera i use now ( shutter speed, apature and iso) and i dont use auto. I may also get a nice tele manual focus lens as well if i can find one cheap.

[JohntheThird]

Thanks for your reply. Im looking at a k5ii because i think that i will outgrow an entry level camera too soon. I have manual controlls on the camera i use now ( shutter speed, apature and iso) and i dont use auto. I may also get a nice tele manual focus lens as well if i can find one cheap.

Well, look on ebay for long teles (with or without zoom) and check the reviews on this website. If you get a M42 adapter (without flange) you can easily double your choice and find very fine lenses to start with. These oldies are often a tenth of the price of a new equivalent, are good fun to play with and really teach you about photograpy - get a real understanding of ISO/aperture/shutter/exposure. Soon you will find that with a little practice you can easily beat the cheaper auto lenses.

[Reptilezz]

Thanks, i will certainly have a look atbthe oldies if it saves me money and goves good IQ

[snake]

Thanks for your reply. Im looking at a k5ii because i think that i will outgrow an entry level camera too soon. I have manual controlls on the camera i use now ( shutter speed, apature and iso) and i dont use auto. I may also get a nice tele manual focus lens as well if i can find one cheap.

Maybe post some examples of your work and we can help steer you a bit better.

[Reptilezz]

Maybe post some examples of your work and we can help steer you a bit better.

Sure.

[Reptilezz]

Im not sure if i can do more than one image in each post on my ipad

[Reptilezz]

Striated pardalote but is very noisy

[Reptilezz]

I think ill do one more

[Reptilezz]

Last one of a yellow robin

[Reptilezz]

Also none of these have been edited

[Giklab]

These are really good! But EXIF would be really useful.

[Reptilezz]

Thanks so much giklab i push myself to get a good photo of my subject, and when i walk down my backyard every weekend on saturday and sunday (4acres) i usually spend 2 and a half hours down there taking photos of birds and by the time i get them on my pc out of say 200 photos im left with 10 or so

[Reptilezz]

These are really good! But EXIF would be really useful.

The only way i can get the settings i used is from the camera because it doesnt show on my flickr