Best birding camera

tareqphoto · 2024-12-24T04:17:37-0500

Hi all,

Let me make it simple and clear straight forward question like to start over

What is the best Canon cameras for birding [and wildlife]?

I prefer it to be a brand new and mirrorless rather than DSLR which is a thing of the past now.

Thanks

candyman · 2024-12-24T05:16:39-0500

tareqphoto said:
Hi all,

Let me make it simple and clear straight forward question like to start over

What is the best Canon cameras for birding [and wildlife]?

I prefer it to be a brand new and mirrorless rather than DSLR which is a thing of the past now.

Thanks

The best camera is personal preference. There are people who prefer the 45 megapixel r5 or r5 MKII because they can crop if the subject is too far away. These cameras have excellent AF. The R6, the R6 Mark II and of course the R3 and the R1 also have excellent AF.

The R1 and R5 Mark II have the pre-capture function that works better than in the R3 (and I believe also the R6 Mark II)

So, budget then plays a role. What are you willing to spend?

john1970 · 2024-12-24T05:33:28-0500

As previously mentioned, the first question I would ask is what is your budget?

Other points to consider:

1) Would you consider a APS-C size sensor rather than FF sensor?
2) Do you like to crop your photos a lot? Many bird photographers do.
3) What lenses do you plan to use with the camera? Do you already own lenses or plan to buy new?
4) What is the largest print size you produce?

If you are starting out new in bird photography you might also want to consider Nikon a viable option. The Nikon 600 mm f6.3 PF and 800 mm f6.3 PF lenses are excellent though do get pricey. The Nikon Z8 is popular among bird photographer that use Nikon products.

Good luck with your decision(s)!

AlanF · 2024-12-24T05:38:24-0500

It's a choice between the R1 and the R5ii for the very, very best. I am a passionate birder, both for perched birds and in flight. I've gone for the R5ii because the smaller form and the higher Mpx are what I want. Others will argue for the R1. If I was shooting penguins at -40, I would take the R1. But for the rest of the time, it would be the R5ii. (I also use an R7 + RF 100-400 for lightness and am very happy with it, but if money is no object, the R5ii is a class act).

AlanF · 2024-12-24T05:46:16-0500

john1970 said:
As previously mentioned, the first question I would ask is what is your budget?

Other points to consider:

1) Would you consider a APS-C size sensor rather than FF sensor?
2) Do you like to crop your photos a lot? Many bird photographers do.
3) What lenses do you plan to use with the camera? Do you already own lenses or plan to buy new?
4) What is the largest print size you produce?

If you are starting out new in bird photography you might also want to consider Nikon a viable option. The Nikon 600 mm f6.3 PF and 800 mm f6.3 PF lenses are excellent though do get pricey. The Nikon Z8 is popular among bird photographer that use Nikon products.

Good luck with your decision(s)!

The Canon AF of the R5 is superior to Nikon's for locating the eyes of birds, and the R5ii is even better, plus even better tracking and very nice pre-capture. If you want to use primes that are lighter and cheaper than big whites, then that is Nikon's only real advantage. I prefer zooms, and the RF 100-500 and RF 200-800mm fulfil my needs nicely. I used to shoot with a Nikon D850 and PF 500/5.6, and found them superb, but then found the RF 100-500mm on the R5 nearly if not as equally as sharp and much more versatile.

tareqphoto · 2024-12-24T08:29:19-0500

candyman said:
The best camera is personal preference. There are people who prefer the 45 megapixel r5 or r5 MKII because they can crop if the subject is too far away. These cameras have excellent AF. The R6, the R6 Mark II and of course the R3 and the R1 also have excellent AF.

The R1 and R5 Mark II have the pre-capture function that works better than in the R3 (and I believe also the R6 Mark II)

So, budget then plays a role. What are you willing to spend?

Sounds the latest cameras are more voted here, and i wanted to go with latest one rather than going with old one but still a gold, because as human nature we like to change gear whenever we can, i held on my old DSLRs for over a decade without changing/upgrading, but that time i bought the ones which were top of the line or latest, so i was thinking to do the same now, sounds R5II is overall good choice although a bit pricey, but it is still less pricey than R1 and i think it is also less than R3.

I was thinking about something like R5II and R6III if this one will be out, or R7II, R1 is like too much, and R3 is outdated, it is merely for sports more which is another question or situation i want to ask about, but i am thinking about having only two bodies that will serve me for sports and birding, anything else i am just using Sony [Landscape, portraits, still life, macro, cityscape,....etc.].

tareqphoto · 2024-12-24T08:38:14-0500

john1970 said:
As previously mentioned, the first question I would ask is what is your budget?

Other points to consider:

1) Would you consider a APS-C size sensor rather than FF sensor?
2) Do you like to crop your photos a lot? Many bird photographers do.
3) What lenses do you plan to use with the camera? Do you already own lenses or plan to buy new?
4) What is the largest print size you produce?

If you are starting out new in bird photography you might also want to consider Nikon a viable option. The Nikon 600 mm f6.3 PF and 800 mm f6.3 PF lenses are excellent though do get pricey. The Nikon Z8 is popular among bird photographer that use Nikon products.

Good luck with your decision(s)!

Thank you John for your answers.

1. Budget i don't know, not decided, it is open and limited at the same time, means i can go up to $4000-8000 but not up to $12k-20k, if i am very rush then $2000-3000 is what i can afford very soon, so i will take time and save to afford.
2. I don't mind APS-C as long it will deliver quality.
3. In sports i crop a lot, so i assume in birding i will crop even more, so cropping is a big option in my choice.
4. I do have old lenses that i can still use with adapter, but along the time and journey i might replace them one by one, and keep others that doesn't need to be changed, also depends on how often i will image.
5. No prints in my plan yet, mostly for birds it is maybe A4 maximum or A3 if i like, most galleries if i submit ask up to A3 too, magazines A4 or less according to press/media Corportation requesting my photos.

I am new to bird photography because i didn't do it since very long time, but i am an old photographer in sports and landscape and else, and for that i could use my skills for birding and learn new things, i am a Canon use, and added only one Sony mirrorless, that is decades ago, i started photography in 2006 i believe and kept buying until 2014 which i bought my last camera back then which is Sony A7R, then i stopped, now i want to be back, i want to go with Sony or Nikon fast cameras, but i already have Canon lenses, Sony is my resolution slow camera for landscapes and portraits or still photography, while i depends completely on Canon for action and moving subjects, so sports and birding i will stay with Canon or moving to Nikon if necessary and buy only 1-2 lenses, so i am still asking around about that.

candyman · 2024-12-24T08:43:48-0500

tareqphoto said:
Sounds the latest cameras are more voted here, and i wanted to go with latest one rather than going with old one but still a gold, because as human nature we like to change gear whenever we can, i held on my old DSLRs for over a decade without changing/upgrading, but that time i bought the ones which were top of the line or latest, so i was thinking to do the same now, sounds R5II is overall good choice although a bit pricey, but it is still less pricey than R1 and i think it is also less than R3.

I was thinking about something like R5II and R6III if this one will be out, or R7II, R1 is like too much, and R3 is outdated, it is merely for sports more which is another question or situation i want to ask about, but i am thinking about having only two bodies that will serve me for sports and birding, anything else i am just using Sony [Landscape, portraits, still life, macro, cityscape,....etc.].

The R3 and also the R6 & R6 Mark II are used for bird photography and wildlife photography. So, 24 megapixels is definitely an option. I had an R6. I used it for bird photography. I sold the camera because I wanted to make a good upgrade for the coming years. I can now buy the R5 Mark II or save up for the R1. The R6 Mark III is an option but I first want to see what is left out in that camera that is in the R5 Mark II or R1. Some features are decisive for me. In the meantime I use my R8 and it also works for bird photography and wildlife.

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