Selecting a lens for bird photography can be a time consuming and expensive venture. While many photographers tend to use the really expensive and heavy lenses, with large apertures, this should not be a limiting factor for you. Anybody getting into the world of bird photography will soon find out that any lens below a 300mm is way too limiting. But paying $6,000 dollars for a 600mm f4 can prove to be more limiting than the shorter focal length. I have to admit that a longer focal length will increase your chances of getting those really skittish birds, but unless you have a good supply of money or a way to justify the purchase, you might have to stick to the shorter focal length. Not, necessarily. There are many choices in the market to reach the longer focal length without hurting your pocket. Take for example lenses such as the Tokina 400mm f5.6 or the Sigma 50-500mm f6.3, worth $399.00 and $799.00 respectively. The main disadvantage of these lenses over the more expensive ones relies on their maximum aperture, which in most cases is too small for low-light situations. In other words, a lens with a maximum aperture of f5.6 will be 1 stop slower than the same lens with a maximum aperture of f4.0. This also affects the depth of field- the wider the aperture, the less depth of field. This also means that distracting backgrounds can be turned into soft and smooth backgrounds to make your subject stand out. But, smooth backgrounds can also be achieved with the least expensive lens in most situations, and pushing the ISO on your film or digital camera can give you that extra stop you're losing.

I personally shoot most of my bird photography with either a Nikon 300mm f4 or the Sigma 50-500mm f6.3. For the last two years, I have relied upon my Nikon 300mm f4 to shoot birds in flight and close ups. Yes, it takes a little effort to get close to some subjects, but that's part of the game. Knowing your subject is the key to photographing birds with great results; it's even better than owning that big lens. I don't know how many times I have seen photographers with 600mm f4 whose work makes no justice to the lens they use; and then, you have the average Joe with a 70-210mm taking pictures that are absolutely awesome. Well, this is something really simple to explain- the equipment does not make the photographer. I know many photographers from other countries that take amazing bird photos using manual cameras, without any of the bells and whistles we're so used to in our technologically advance equipment. Knowing all this, you shouldn't feel left behind for not owning that big lens, but proud of what you can achieve with the lens you have. If you take two pictures, similar in quality and image size, one taken with a 600mm f4 and the other using a 300mm, the later has more value to me as it shows the effort made by the photographer to get to the subject as close as possible

The first lens I used for bird photography was a 70-210mm f5.6 Minolta AF, followed by a Sigma 100-300mm f5.6, and then by a Tokina 400mm f5.6. It took me some time to learn everything I was capable of producing with these inexpensive lenses, before I stepped up for a beautiful white Minolta 300mm f4 APO G. APO stands for apochromatic elements that are built into the lens to help achieve better contrast and sharpness as it helps to focus all the light components in register. This lens and the Tokina 400mm help me obtain many bird photos, until a couple of years ago, when I decided to switch to digital, and Nikon became my preferred choice. Few advantages here, one being the fact that most digital cameras come with a focal length multiplier of 1.5X. Now my 300mm f4 turns into a 450mm f4, Wow! But even with the change, I was so happy with my Tokina 400mm that I went on Ebay in search of this fantastic lens. This lens still works today and it's one of my favorites, as it has internal focusing, short minimum focusing distance, and SD elements. Then, there's the Nikon 300mm f4, a great lens for flying birds and extreme close ups when used with a tele-converter. Finally, I needed a little more reach and a faster focus tracking, that's when I bought the Sigma 50-500mm f6.3. Although slow in the aperture at f6.3, I gained one stop with the digital camera minimum ISO of 200. This lens with HSM-Hyper Sonic Motors, offers a faster internal focusing than any of the other lenses I use. The fact that it's a zoom lens allows me to crop the photo on the spot, without having to move away from my subject.

Most lenses longer than 200mm come with tripod collar or mount. Lenses with focal lengths 300mm and over perform better when mounted on tripods. This will ensure sharper images as it provides a steadier support than your arms. It's really important that the lens you select porvides you with an easy way to rotate your camera for vertical and horizontal orientation on the spot. In many occassion you'll find that a particular bird looks better in a vertical orientation while others look better in a horizontal. You should also consider the minimum focusing distance of the lens. Nikon's 500mm f4 AFS has minimum focusing distance of 16' while the Sigma 50-500mm offers you and amasing 9'9" at 500mm. This is really useful when shooting small birds that can be approached close enough to obtain a larger image.

Resuming, if you want to try bird photography, start with the longest lens you own, and grow from there. Great bird photos can be achieved with just a 300mm lens. Once you have mastered the techniques, you can move on to a longer focal length. But don't forget that the heavier lens will required a better support, good handling techniques, and a lot of muscle power to carry around. Remember, big glass does not guarantee better pictures, if you don't know how to use it. Learn your equipment well, and you'll be rewarded with beautiful pictures without hurting your wallet. RMC

Reinier Munguia is a commercial and nature photographer based in Lakeland, Florida his work has appeared in many publications including magazine, textbooks and annual reports.