Hi there. I have just returned from a 10 day birding trip in Bulgaria. Whilst there I was in the company of other birders/ bird photographers who had a variety of cameras Nikon d5, d500 and a few cannons all sporting big glass 200-400 and 600 etc. I have been using the nikon coolpix p900 for the past two years, and whilst I have taken the odd very sharp pic on the whole the camera is quite limited for the kind of pics I aspire to take. I do understand that you generally get what you pay for and cannot expect my camera to compete with some of the cameras I was exposed to.
On my return I began to explore the possibility of an upgrade but my finances restrict me to the second hand market and whilst looking around I came across a number of Nikon d3300 for sale with a number of lenses at prices I could afford. Can anyone tell me if this camera is a suitable entry level camera for bird photography and if so what lenses should I be seeking to combine with the camera say begining with 70-300 VR etc ? I would be most grateful for some advice.
prcb1949 wrote:
Hi there. I have just returned from a 10 day birding trip in Bulgaria. Whilst there I was in the company of other birders/ bird photographers who had a variety of cameras Nikon d5, d500 and a few cannons all sporting big glass 200-400 and 600 etc. I have been using the nikon coolpix p900 for the past two years, and whilst I have taken the odd very sharp pic on the whole the camera is quite limited for the kind of pics I aspire to take. I do understand that you generally get what you pay for and cannot expect my camera to compete with some of the cameras I was exposed to.
On my return I began to explore the possibility of an upgrade but my finances restrict me to the second hand market and whilst looking around I came across a number of Nikon d3300 for sale with a number of lenses at prices I could afford. Can anyone tell me if this camera is a suitable entry level camera for bird photography and if so what lenses should I be seeking to combine with the camera say begining with 70-300 VR etc ? I would be most grateful for some advice.
Hi there. I have just returned from a 10 day birdi... (
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A Nikon D3300 even though entry level should work fine, especially for the money. I'm not too shure a 70-300mm Zoom VR even if a high priced high IQ / HR f/2.8 "pro" lens is long enough for bird photography. I have a 100-300mm Pentax zoom lens and it barely has the reach for birds. You may have to some how splurge for a 150-600mm Zoom or something similar to the 400, 500, 600 range in a prime or zoom. I know a number of friends with a Canon 100-400mm zoom using a 1.4x Matched Extender that shoot birds. You probably need a minimum of 400mm for birdies.
Thanks for the links and advice I really appreciate the effort .
jerryc41 wrote:
Unfortunately, everything we really want usually c... (
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Thanks I will folow up on this it may take a while getting together the funds required for bigger lenses but in the meantime I may just get the camera and play with what I have.
Cheers.
jerryc41 wrote:
Unfortunately, everything we really want usually c... (
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Remember that you should be able to sell your P900 as there is a strong market, still, for that camera. That should help some.
If your goal is a DSLR for birding, you'd do better shopping for a used D7200 rather than any of the D3xxx or D5xxx Nikon models. This advanced model provides the frames per second burst speed you'll need as well as the camera controls on the body. Anything less than 400mm will leave you wanting for a longer lens. But, a copy of a VR-enabled version of the 70-300 lenses will get you started as you consider whether to find a longer and more expensive lens.
insman1132 wrote:
Remember that you should be able to sell your P900 as there is a strong market, still, for that camera. That should help some.
yes I had been considering that as well thanks.
CHG_CANON wrote:
If your goal is a DSLR for birding, you'd do better shopping for a used D7200 rather than any of the D3xxx or D5xxx Nikon models. This advanced model provides the frames per second burst speed you'll need as well as the camera controls on the body. Anything less than 400mm will leave you wanting for a longer lens. But, a copy of a VR-enabled version of the 70-300 lenses will get you started as you consider whether to find a longer and more expensive lens.
Thanks CHG - I will have a look at that option as well thanks for your input - cheers.
I have the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-S lens and the Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 AF-S lens. I use them on a D7000 and D500. I've found that the 70-300mm has difficulty tracking birds in flight. I did successfully photograph a soap box derby race with it once though. It was able to track the cars coming down the hill. I generally have the camera in 3D tracking mode.
The 80-400mm has a superior AF motor. It tracks bird in flight better than the 70-300mm.
Grace98
Loc: Waterlooville, Hampshire - United Kingdom
Hi PRCB, I have a D3300 (although am saving like mad to upgrade to the D7500 & get a faster lens) and a Nikkor zoom 18-300 VR 6.3. I have taken many pics of birds in flight..ok have lots of misses and some not as sharp as I want but BIF are not very easy and the AF can be a bit slow sometimes. My friend has a similar camera with a 70-300VR and she's very pleased with it. If your funds are very limited, this would be a good combination to start with....here's an example of what I took recently to give you an idea. Good luck..Grace
prcb1949 wrote:
Hi there. I have just returned from a 10 day birding trip in Bulgaria. Whilst there I was in the company of other birders/ bird photographers who had a variety of cameras Nikon d5, d500 and a few cannons all sporting big glass 200-400 and 600 etc. I have been using the nikon coolpix p900 for the past two years, and whilst I have taken the odd very sharp pic on the whole the camera is quite limited for the kind of pics I aspire to take. I do understand that you generally get what you pay for and cannot expect my camera to compete with some of the cameras I was exposed to.
On my return I began to explore the possibility of an upgrade but my finances restrict me to the second hand market and whilst looking around I came across a number of Nikon d3300 for sale with a number of lenses at prices I could afford. Can anyone tell me if this camera is a suitable entry level camera for bird photography and if so what lenses should I be seeking to combine with the camera say begining with 70-300 VR etc ? I would be most grateful for some advice.
Hi there. I have just returned from a 10 day birdi... (
show quote)
Grace98
Loc: Waterlooville, Hampshire - United Kingdom
Forgot to mention, these photos are cropped as 300 doesn't have much reach..
Grace98 wrote:
Hi PRCB, I have a D3300 (although am saving like mad to upgrade to the D7500 & get a faster lens) and a Nikkor zoom 18-300 VR 6.3. I have taken many pics of birds in flight..ok have lots of misses and some not as sharp as I want but BIF are not very easy and the AF can be a bit slow sometimes. My friend has a similar camera with a 70-300VR and she's very pleased with it. If your funds are very limited, this would be a good combination to start with....here's an example of what I took recently to give you an idea. Good luck..Grace
Hi PRCB, I have a D3300 (although am saving like m... (
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Gene51
Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
prcb1949 wrote:
Hi there. I have just returned from a 10 day birding trip in Bulgaria. Whilst there I was in the company of other birders/ bird photographers who had a variety of cameras Nikon d5, d500 and a few cannons all sporting big glass 200-400 and 600 etc. I have been using the nikon coolpix p900 for the past two years, and whilst I have taken the odd very sharp pic on the whole the camera is quite limited for the kind of pics I aspire to take. I do understand that you generally get what you pay for and cannot expect my camera to compete with some of the cameras I was exposed to.
On my return I began to explore the possibility of an upgrade but my finances restrict me to the second hand market and whilst looking around I came across a number of Nikon d3300 for sale with a number of lenses at prices I could afford. Can anyone tell me if this camera is a suitable entry level camera for bird photography and if so what lenses should I be seeking to combine with the camera say begining with 70-300 VR etc ? I would be most grateful for some advice.
Hi there. I have just returned from a 10 day birdi... (
show quote)
You are not going to get much better results with a D3300 and a basic, used 70-300. What will be holding you back will be autofocus performance, and the image quality at 300mm. A better bet would be a Nikkor Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G DX VR AF-P. And you are in luck, since it works nicely on the D3300. B and H is listing a refurbished copy of this lens for $140.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1365791-REG/nikon_20061b_af_p_dx_nikkor_70_300mm.html?ap=y&c3api=1876%2C92051678762%2C%2C&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2pXXBRD5ARIsAIYoEbd_Z1cSTPsrDwXTxiXkeSmLXXCl2fGyrAxdRFET0dlRnqPWT9JqNO4aAgoPEALw_wcBhttps://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-70-300mm-dx-vr-af-p/3If you have your box, accessories and all that came with the P900, and your camera does not look worn or beat up, you should be able to get between $500 and $600 on eBay for it.
You can get a used D3300 kit with an 18-55 AF-P lens for around $400, so your net out of pocket is probably what you can get for the P900, give or take. The AF-P lenses are worth seeking - they are better than the lenses they replace.
From personal experience, I've begun to have improved results with a Nikon D500 with 200-500 lens over the D7200. This is for birds in flight though. It would be worth spending as much as you can on both, as af performance on any lens improves as you go up the bodies. Of course your skills will improve in time too, and you may have different aspirations to me, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
The long zoom on that P900 can reach out and touch more birds than most of the zooms you mentioned. I suspect it's more technique than anything. Plus back button focus is a must for birds in flight. Panning with multiple bursts might help with that if you can't BBF.
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