Be warned this could get real expensive real quick :o). Also be warned you got me going on a favorite topic, so if you have better things to do come back and read later.
I'm an avid birder and photographer, and get the most thrill out of chasing birds with my camera and trying to get the best shot. There are few things more exhilarating than getting the bird in the viewfinder, and getting him in focus. I also do all kinds of other photography as well, but birds are hands down my favorite subject. I don't think you can go wrong with any major manufacturer, but here's a couple of things to consider: 1) A cropped sensor. I shoot Olympus, kind of a step-sister among the hard- core photo geeks who swear by Canon and Nikon (photographers call them the Canikon folks). Olympus has what is called a "four-thirds" sensor; so what this means is a 300mm lens on it would be 600 equivalent on a 35mm film camera. Nikon and Canon also make good cropped sensor cameras though as well. 2) Lenses can get very expensive very fast, but there are some decent budget zooms. The one I used for a long time was a 70-300 mm zoom from Olympus; it was around $300. Consider a good zoom, and you'd probably want to go with a lens that gives you a range - "prime" zooms are very expensive (but worth it). 3) Consider going refurbished. If you look online at a place like BH Photo or Adorama, refurbished products abound. These are demo models or cameras and lenses used by sales reps at shows that can't be sold as new, but are tested and in great shape. 4) Go with a DSLR. There are good "point and shoot" cameras out there, but there's a lag time when you press the shutter release and when the camera is taken. It's fine as a second camera, but down the road a DSLR offers you more options. 5) Go online to Adorama or BH Photo. National Camera has very nice people, and nice equipment, but I am amazed they are still in business - they are simply overpriced. Adorama and BH are very reputable and I have purchased from both of them, and using them will save you hundreds over what National will offer you. 6) Get a filter. These are not too expensive, but you need 2 good filters - a circular polarizer and a UV filter. The former is for clear days to give you a deep blue background on the sky; the latter is for protection. They aren't too pricey, but all it takes is a misstep, a trip, or walking into a branch as you are looking at Mr. Red Tail in the tree and you can cost yourself a lens. 7) Depending on your lens, consider a teleconverter. I use one on all my bird shots, and have been happy - this costs you light though so you'll only want to use a 1.4x teleconverter on a budget-style lens. 8) Consider Photoshop and plug-in software. I got a steep discount as a priest because I have a school attached. Post-processing is a must; you can get a nice shot, but it needs fixing - but most every camera comes with some type of starter software to get you going. 9) Shoot RAW. RAW shots give you the most data - so you can adjust the exposure, clarity, sharpness, light balance, etc a little better. I didn't start doing this until last year and now I rarely shoot JPEG anymore. 10) Budget right, but don't feel bad about what you spend unless someone really needs the money. We all have bills, but if you can reasonably afford something, you will get what you pay for. Bigger telephoto lenses are expensive, but they also are of very high quality. 11) Look for third-party lenses as well. Sigma is a good company that makes good quality zoom lenses - I used one that was a nice one, a 50-500 zoom "the bigma," that I got used at a good price. Do some research on brands and do go to a camera shop to get the feel for the camera. As you get more into it, depending on what you buy, you may want to look at a tripod too. It's a wonderful hobby, and I hope you find something good. Feel free to send me any messages if you'd like an opinion on a model. OK, diatribe over - thanks for reading. Good luck in your hunt! Fr. Paul ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
