Tamron 150-600mm bird pics

[AlanF]

I have been on holiday in Canada for two weeks, walking with my Tamron 150-600mm and 5DIII. The birds are difficult to find - you suddenly come across small birds who will be around for a few seconds or minutes and then disappear. To get any photos you need a portable, reasonably long lens that you can swing into action in seconds. The birds are often hiding in bushes and you need IS for long exposures. My 300mm f/2.8 II + 2xTC III would have been the best solution, but the Tamron 150-600mm was more than good enough and more suitable for a holiday combining a family visit with the odd day for birding. Those knockers who have dismissed the Tamron in favour of a 400mm f/5.6L + 1.4xTC would have been completely stranded without IS - one of the exposures was as low as 1/50s and many in the 1/250 range. The 100-400mm would have been too short. The exifs are on the photos, which are all 100% crops, ie 1 pixel on the image = 1 pixel on the uncropped full frame. I was pleased with the haul. Most of the photos were in the Hammonds Plain area of Halifax NS.
The first 4: Canada Warbler 1/50s, Cedar waxwing, Black-capped chickadee, Ovenbird.

Please post images of your own from the 150-600mm Tammy.

 

[AlanF]

Downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay.

 

[AlanF]

Nashville warbler
Blue Jay
American Robin

 

[AlanF]

Alder flycatcher
Blackcapped chickadee
and ending with my favourite - American goldfinch

Please add more photos.

 

[AlanF]

Neotropic cormorant
Neotropic cormorant flying (at Lahave)

 

[Don Haines]

Out in the canoe tonight...and of course I had the Tamron....I spotted several Great Blue Herons and was able to get within decent range...

 

[Don Haines]

I have been on holiday in Canada for two weeks, walking with my Tamron 150-600mm and 5DIII. The birds are difficult to find - you suddenly come across small birds who will be around for a few seconds or minutes and then disappear. To get any photos you need a portable, reasonably long lens that you can swing into action in seconds. The birds are often hiding in bushes and you need IS for long exposures. My 300mm f/2.8 II + 2xTC III would have been the best solution, but the Tamron 150-600mm was more than good enough and more suitable for a holiday combining a family visit with the odd day for birding. Those knockers who have dismissed the Tamron in favour of a 400mm f/5.6L + 1.4xTC would have been completely stranded without IS - one of the exposures was as low as 1/50s and many in the 1/250 range. The 100-400mm would have been too short. The exifs are on the photos, which are all 100% crops, ie 1 pixel on the image = 1 pixel on the uncropped full frame. I was pleased with the haul. Most of the photos were in the Haoomonds Plains area of Halifax NS.
The first 4: Canada Warbler 1/50s, Cedar waxwing, Black-capped chickadee, Ovenbird.

Please post images of your own from the 150-600mm Tammy.

Nice images and congrats on the skills to capture so many of them. I have never been birding at Hammonds Plain, but have been through there hundreds of times... I will have to pay more attention to it when I head back in the fall.....

 

[AlanF]

Thanks Don, you have posted some great photos with the 150-600mm in the Bird Portrait's thread.

 

[rocksubculture]

I got this lens for my concert photography (so I'm no wildlife photographer), but I have been having fun taking photos of other things... this is one of my hummingbird photos from this weekend (mounted on a 70D for added reach).

I really love this lens, especially with the 70D (I have two 5D Mk IIIs and two 6Ds and bought the 70D just to use with this lens for the added reach).

Jason

 

[miah]

Very nice shots, Alan. Which body (5D or 70D) were these shot with? Do you prefer one or the other for use with the Tammy?

 

[3kramd5]

I got this lens for my concert photography (so I'm no wildlife photographer), but I have been having fun taking photos of other things... this is one of my hummingbird photos from this weekend (mounted on a 70D for added reach).

I really love this lens, especially with the 70D (I have two 5D Mk IIIs and two 6Ds and bought the 70D just to use with this lens for the added reach).

Jason

awesome, truly.

 

[AlanF]

Very nice shots, Alan. Which body (5D or 70D) were these shot with? Do you prefer one or the other for use with the Tammy?

On the 5DIII. I prefer the 5DIII in general, but in practice there is little difference between the two. The better noise and IQ of the 5DIII balances the 70D's greater reach so both produce images of similar quality and resolution when you are cropping a small bird. For moon shots, which are basically monochrome, the 70D gave marginally better resolution in my tests, agreeing with jrista in his very careful analysis.

 

[dawgfanjeff]

Yeah. Just yeah, that's a great shot.

 

[CanonOregon]

I rented the lens for a trip to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge this past May. I didn't feel I got as many 'keepers' as with my 300mm f4, although I certainly was able to get closer. I used it with a 7d. Chipping sparrow and pygmy owl. The 300mm f4 L works well with a Kenko 300 1.4 for close work, not as well for longer shots. Yes, for the money, it would be hard to beat for reach. Don't want to discourage anyone, rent it first if you have any questions and find out for yourself.

 

[miah]

Very nice shots, Alan. Which body (5D or 70D) were these shot with? Do you prefer one or the other for use with the Tammy?

On the 5DIII. I prefer the 5DIII in general, but in practice there is little difference between the two. The better noise and IQ of the 5DIII balances the 70D's greater reach so both produce images of similar quality and resolution when you are cropping a small bird. For moon shots, which are basically monochrome, the 70D gave marginally better resolution in my tests, agreeing with jrista in his very careful analysis.

Thanks, Alan. Your observations mirror my own when shooting with my 5d3 and T3i, once again supporting the belief that filling the frame typically beats the size of the sensor.

 

[Lloyd]

Some great shots taken here. I really like the hummer on the bird feeder. I will contribute this photo of some blue herons nesting not to far from my home taken with my 5Diii:

 

[Don Haines]

The Egrets at the back of the site where I work. They won't let me get close so these are shot from about 200 meters away and are heavily cropped.... SIGH! You never have a long enough lens....