the perfect camera?

[Maverick]

what is the best camera and setup to use for wildlife pictures. I have some whitetail bucks that I video tape but I'd love to get some still shots of them as well. Any ideas thanks.? How far can the buck be to still get a good shot?

[Hyde]

It's more about the lenses than the camera body.  What is your budget?

[Maverick]

about $300-$600. I wanting to take pics that are good enough for me to blow up and hang on my walls. So great close up shots from a distance.

[adam.WI]

about $300-$600. I wanting to take pics that are good enough for me to blow up and hang on my walls. So great close up shots from a distance.

I think for that money your best bet is to call someone with a highend camera and give them the money to take the pic

[Hyde]

This (or something like it) would be a good starting place.  http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/pho/2108343995.html


Those lenses are pretty much crap, but ok for a start.  You can always rent great lenses if you are near Seattle.

[Maverick]

ouch adam. Haha. Alright so what lenses should I be looking at?

[jackelope]

The lenses alone that you see the guys using on this site and other sites taking really top notch wildlife photos run a couple thousand bucks. For $300-600 you can do pretty well but you're gonna be a long way from "the perfect wildlife camera".
The panasonic Lumix FZ cameras are pretty darn good for +/- $400.00

[adam.WI]

ouch adam. Haha. Alright so what lenses should I be looking at?

I know, that wasn't very nice. The only reason I say that is that I have the same interests. I had been using a canon rebel but just upgraded a bit. I'd sell it for the low end of what your looking to spend, I'll pm you details

[Bob33]

Sensor size!  That's a critical but overlooked factor.  Compact cameras that boast of 14 megapixels will underperform a 5 MP camera with a larger sensor.  Cramming megapixels into a small sensor actually degrades the image.

That means you must go with an SLR type camera if you really want quality photos.

[smg id=10157]

[Maverick]

so for my budget. Could I get a camera and lens that zooms up to a buck for a good pick at lets say 2-300 yards? What kind of yardage would I be looking to get to still be able to zoom in for a good shot? What size lens would I want for distances like that?

[yajsab]

For 300 yards, you need something like this one.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542293-REG/Canon_2746B002AA_EF_800mm_f_5_6L_IS.html

 

[Tom Reichner]

so for my budget. Could I get a camera and lens that zooms up to a buck for a good pick at lets say 2-300 yards? What kind of yardage would I be looking to get to still be able to zoom in for a good shot? What size lens would I want for distances like that?

I think it is quite unrealistic to get a good image of a deer at 300 yards, no matter what lens & camera you have.  I have some pretty good reach when I use my 2x tele-extender on my 400mm lens - and my limit for a quality image with that combo is about 80 yards.  Even that is a stretch, as the 2x will degrade image quality. 

Even if your budget was 15 grand and you could buy the 800mm f5.6, a 2x tele-extender, and a 1D mark4, you would still be unable to get a good photo of a deer at 200-300 yards. 

On the positive side, you can buy a very good point & shoot (or an older DSLR and a cheap zoom telephoto) with some serious zoom reach, then work on getting closer - much closer - to the bucks.  It is not at all unreasonable to expect to be able to get within 40 yards of a good buck.  Bowhunters do it all of the time.  At this range you will most likely be able to get some images that you will be happy with.

Getting that close will most likely require some significant time & effort, just like bowhunting.  You will probably want to wet up a ground blind, or construct a blind of natural materials found on site.  You may also need to set out bait in order to draw deer to the area near the blind.  You will want to create "shooting lanes" so that when the buck does appear, you don't have any twigs, weeds, etc between your camera and the buck.  Remember the sun and the angle at which it illuminates the area you set up in.  You want to choose an area where the sun will be behind your blind so that the deer you photograph have light on them. 

Bottom line is, you will need to get much closer than 300 yards to get a good photo, and doing so will take time, effort, and dedication.  If you do this, and start getting some pretty good photos, then you're probably going to want to up your budget a bit and get a DSLR and a half decent lens.  Photography of this sort is addictive!

[Hornseeker]

and my limit for a quality image with that combo is about 80 yards

Quality image is a relative term Tom. This guy may have a very different idea of that from you.

If you buy the new Canon SX30IS you will be happy. In good light conditions, you can get pics at several hundred yards that let you see the deers rack and judge him and such. And frankly, you may even want to blow it up and hang it on your wall. I have, and my camera only has a 12 power zoom while this SX30 has a 35 power zoom. The SX20 is a good choice too.

For magazine quality shots, Tom is right on...at the distances you are talking, it is unrealistic unless you want just a landscape photo with a critter in it.

Tom, Doug, Pope, Tony et al? Do you have some pics of critters, with good gear, that are 100-300 yards away??It would be fun to see them. My bet is that I and many others will thing they are "quality" images.

[quadrafire]

so for my budget. Could I get a camera and lens that zooms up to a buck for a good pick at lets say 2-300 yards? What kind of yardage would I be looking to get to still be able to zoom in for a good shot? What size lens would I want for distances like that?

I think it is quite unrealistic to get a good image of a deer at 300 yards, no matter what lens & camera you have.  I have some pretty good reach when I use my 2x tele-extender on my 400mm lens - and my limit for a quality image with that combo is about 80 yards.  Even that is a stretch, as the 2x will degrade image quality. 

Even if your budget was 15 grand and you could buy the 800mm f5.6, a 2x tele-extender, and a 1D mark4, you would still be unable to get a good photo of a deer at 200-300 yards. 

On the positive side, you can buy a very good point & shoot (or an older DSLR and a cheap zoom telephoto) with some serious zoom reach, then work on getting closer - much closer - to the bucks.  It is not at all unreasonable to expect to be able to get within 40 yards of a good buck.  Bowhunters do it all of the time.  At this range you will most likely be able to get some images that you will be happy with.

Getting that close will most likely require some significant time & effort, just like bowhunting.  You will probably want to wet up a ground blind, or construct a blind of natural materials found on site.  You may also need to set out bait in order to draw deer to the area near the blind.  You will want to create "shooting lanes" so that when the buck does appear, you don't have any twigs, weeds, etc between your camera and the buck.  Remember the sun and the angle at which it illuminates the area you set up in.  You want to choose an area where the sun will be behind your blind so that the deer you photograph have light on them. 

Bottom line is, you will need to get much closer than 300 yards to get a good photo, and doing so will take time, effort, and dedication.  If you do this, and start getting some pretty good photos, then you're probably going to want to up your budget a bit and get a DSLR and a half decent lens.  Photography of this sort is addictive!

Tom I saw your pic on Montana Outdoor photo edition, back cover rams. AWSOME. How far away were they and with what lens option? just as example of the above discussion.

[quadrafire]

I have seen Bone comment on here that it is harder to get a good photo of some of these animals than it is to kill them. I would believe that is true. Especially after reading Toms last post.
The ultimate catch and release.