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Entry-level camera for wildlife photography? (retrolemmy.com)
submitted 1 day ago by to c/photography@lemmy.world
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Hi, I'm getting really into wildlife photography (primarily birds/waterfowl) but I have just been using my mobile phone camera (Google Pixel 8 Pro) and would really like to upgrade to an actual camera.

Problem is, I have never owned a camera (and haven't even borrowed one in over 10 years) so don't know where to start with researching and purchasing the right equipment.

I was hoping someone here could give some recommendations (or pointers on where to go to find) info on cameras, lenses, and anything else I may need.

I could do with a smaller form factor, probably mirrorless, and a good zoom. I would prefer it not to be particularly heavy as I am disabled and may struggle to carry a heavier camera around.

My budget is probably around £1000 but I could go slightly higher if necessary.

Thanks

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[–] 8 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I have photographed a lot of birds with an Olympus E-M1 II and a Panasonic 100-300 II. It should be easy to find the body and lens for under £1000 on the used market, and the pair is just under 1100g.

If you can spend more, the OM-1 is a significant upgrade because it has bird detect autofocus and a bigger buffer, but if you're not always at a long distance, extra money might be better spent on a second lens. The Olympus 12-40/2.8 is outstanding.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 day ago* (3 children)

    Note that synchronized stabilization will only work with OM-branded lenses.

    But this is a great recommendation, if you can find them at a good price. OM basically specializes in wildlife shooting.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 day ago (2 children)

    That's true, but the E-M1 II has such good IBIS that the movement (even breathing) of the ibis you're photographing will become an issue before camera shake does. The OM-1 is even better.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 day ago* (1 child)

    Well, exactly. I meant that Panasonic lenses with IS disable the EM-1’s IBIS (or at least disable it on a few axes) so it’d be ideal to have a system with IS sync, to keep OM’s IBIS active.

    Likewise, Panasonic stabilization will work better with Panasonic lenses.

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  • [–] 3 points 21 hours ago

    Panasonic lenses with IS do not disable or limit IBIS on the E-M1 II. Rather, the user must choose between IBIS and lens OIS, and the IBIS in that body is far more effective than the OIS of any Panasonic lens.

    It's true that combined IS can be even better, but only if the body already has very good IBIS. A Panasonic GX9 using dual-IS with the 100-300 II is less stable than an E-M1 II with that lens and IBIS alone. Given OP's budget, the only option for combined IS that actually outperforms the E-M1 II IBIS is a Panasonic G9 with the 100-300, and the G9 does not have phase-detect autofocus.

    I found trying to rely on Panasonic's depth from defocus technology for birds disappointing.

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