Zoom lens on full frame camera: I recently bought a used Canon 5D, my first full frame camera. I was surprised, when I took photos of birds on my deck, to find that using my 100-300...

mikec01 Loc: Georgia, USA

I recently bought a used Canon 5D, my first full frame camera. I was surprised, when I took photos of birds on my deck, to find that using my 100-300 zoom lens I couldn't get the closeups that I could when using the lens on my old Canon Rebel. Can someone explain why this should be the case? Thanks.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

mikec01 wrote:

I recently bought a used Canon 5D, my first full frame camera. I was surprised, when I took photos of birds on my deck, to find that using my 100-300 zoom lens I couldn't get the closeups that I could when using the lens on my old Canon Rebel. Can someone explain why this should be the case? Thanks.

The "crop sensor" camera's "pre-crop" your image.

On a crop camera what you see through your viewfinder is cropped and then the resultant image is zoomed to fill your viewfinder.

It is a bit hard to get used to at first, but you could take your shots...then crop the image and you'd have exactly the same thing as before....all this means is that you have to move up a few feet :)

mikec01 Loc: Georgia, USA

Thanks for the explanation. I can't move up any closer - I was just inside the sliding door, about 12 feet from the feeder. Is there a better lens for these kinds of shots?

Bret Loc: Dayton Ohio

Yes like Bob said...get closer to your feeder. I use a portable blind and set it up about 5 feet away.

gwong1 Loc: Tampa, FL

If you can, set up both cameras side by side and take images with both cameras, the Canon Rebel has a crop factor of 1.6, so your 100-300 is equivalent to a 160 - 480. Use a focal length of 160 for the 5d and 100 for the rebel and the image should be very similar. You may want to consider an extender. Also see Ken Rockwell http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/1-6x.htm Gary

mikec01 wrote:

I recently bought a used Canon 5D, my first full frame camera. I was surprised, when I took photos of birds on my deck, to find that using my 100-300 zoom lens I couldn't get the closeups that I could when using the lens on my old Canon Rebel. Can someone explain why this should be the case? Thanks.

CanonShot Loc: Lancaster County, PA

mikec01 wrote:

Thanks for the explanation. I can't move up any closer - I was just inside the sliding door, about 12 feet from the feeder. Is there a better lens for these kinds of shots?

I use a 5D and would think that if you are still talking about 12-foot shots of birds, you wouldn't need anything more than the 100-300 lens you presently have. But, let's face it, with the 5D you are going to expand your bird photography well beyond that distance. I added a 1.4x Canon extender to my zoom lens, but that opens up your wallet and also possibilities, of say, a 400 5.6 lens which I use for birding. Tell us more about your current 100-300 lens. Brand, etc. Others will surely chime in, too.

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

mikec01 wrote:

I recently bought a used Canon 5D, my first full frame camera. I was surprised, when I took photos of birds on my deck, to find that using my 100-300 zoom lens I couldn't get the closeups that I could when using the lens on my old Canon Rebel. Can someone explain why this should be the case? Thanks.

Yes because as stated it's a FF sensor not a cropped one

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/digital-camera-sensor-size.htm

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

mikec01 wrote:

Thanks for the explanation. I can't move up any closer - I was just inside the sliding door, about 12 feet from the feeder. Is there a better lens for these kinds of shots?

There's always a longer lens... :) but 300mm is pretty good.

It all depends on what cash you have.

You might think about this;

Set the camera up on a tripod...put a remote shutter release on it.

Fill the bird feeder and pre focus at that point.

Sit in your easy chair and when they come...fire away.

I did that before...it's easy and you get nice close ups...they get used to having the camera there.

here is a webinar all about it.

http://www.pocketwizard.com/videos/education/webinar16

jimberton Loc: Michigan's Upper Peninsula

rpavich wrote:

There's always a longer lens... :) but 300mm is pr... (show quote)

......good suggestion!! but put a plastic cover over the camera and lens body. I did that last year without the cover..a beautiful blue jay landed on the camera and crapped on it. my wife and i still laugh about that.....(it wasn't funny at the time)

buy a cheap pair of yongnuo rf603 (about $30) to shoot remotely. they work great for that!!!

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

jimberton wrote:

......good suggestion!! but put a plastic cover over the camera and lens body. I did that last year without the cover..a beautiful blue jay landed on the camera and crapped on it. my wife and i still laugh about that.....(it wasn't funny at the time)

buy a cheap pair of yongnuo rf603 (about $30) to shoot remotely. they work great for that!!!

I sincerely hope you pulled the trigger when THAT was happening!

jimberton Loc: Michigan's Upper Peninsula

rpavich wrote:

I sincerely hope you pulled the trigger when THAT was happening!

i was using a remote...and the bird was on the camera...so i didn't get a "shot", i mean photo of that.

GHK Loc: The Vale of Eden

[quote=mikec01]Thanks for the explanation. I can't move up any closer - I was just inside the sliding door, about 12 feet from the feeder.

If the bird is 3.6 metres (approx 12 ft) from the lens centre, the image of the bird on the sensor will be exactly 1/11 of life size.
If the bird is 198. mm high (about 8 in.) the image will be 18 mm. This means that it will occupy the full height of a standard 24 x 18 sensor.
With a full frame (36 x 24) sensor, the bird image will still be 18 mm high, bit it will now only take up ¾ of the available sensor height so it will look smaller in the frame.
If both images are printed using the same resolution, one will be bigger than the other but the bird will be the same size on each.
GHK

mikec01 Loc: Georgia, USA

Thanks for all of the responses. I feel much more educated!

Grammieb1 Loc: New Orleans

On a Canon there is a multiplier of 1.6 on a cropped camera. Your 100- 300 was taking 160 -480 before and is taking 100-300 now. This is why I kept my 7D when I went FF. For telephoto work, the crop is an advantage. For everything else, I prefer FF. Bab

Thinker Loc: Ottawa Can.

Grammieb1 wrote:

On a Canon there is a multiplier of 1.6 on a cropped camera. Your 100- 300 was taking 160 -480 before and is taking 100-300 now. This is why I kept my 7D when I went FF. For telephoto work, the crop is an advantage. For everything else, I prefer FF. Bab

just wandering if it was a 150-500mm ,would it be better results....i have the same lens in Question now 100-300mm thinking of upgrading to the 150-500mm or would it be better to get the extender?... good post Mike