6 Best Budget Lens for Bird Photography [2023]
It is no secret that the best lenses for bird photography are expensive. Buying a high-quality lens can be way out of many people’s budgets, and as such, they end up using their smartphones to take pictures. However, this doesn’t mean you have to put off your dream of becoming a professional bird photographer! I am going to go over some budget-friendly lenses that will allow you to take great photos and save money in the process.
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| Lightweight Easy to use High-Quality Build | Check Price on Amazon |
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| Lightweight Amazing Result | Check Price on Amazon |
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| Easy to use Perfect Fitting Lightweight | Check Price on Amazon |
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| Lightweight Great quality | Check Price on Amazon |
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| Easy to use Lightweight | Check Price on Amazon |
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| Lightweight and durable Easy to use | Check Price on Amazon |
1. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Review
The Canon EF 70-200mm f/ is a lot more affordable than the other options on this list. It has an aperture range and comes with image stabilization to help you take clear photos at slower shutter speeds. The lens also uses fluorite and UD elements that can aid in reducing chromatic aberrations, which are more prevalent in zoom lenses.
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The lens has a minimum focusing distance and can take high-resolution images up to. This is the perfect budget telephoto zoom for beginners who want to shoot birds in flight, as it offers great clarity and gives your photos an added sense of depth. It’s also compatible with all Canon EOS DSLR cameras; however, the lens will give you a better autofocus performance if paired with an EOS camera featuring a dual pixel AF system.
This is one of the best budget lenses for bird photography because it does not sacrifice quality while still being affordable. It’s also lightweight and easy to carry; weighing at only pounds makes this Canon EF 70-200mm f/ one of the best budget lenses for bird photography.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Great Quality
Cons
- Not good for sports photography
Pros:
– lightweight and easy to carry at only pounds
Cons:
– it doesn’t have image stabilization for sports photography. To take pictures of birds in flight, you need a camera that has an autofocus motor built into the body. This means that this lens will not work with entry-level DSLR cameras or mirrorless
2. Canon EF 100-400 mm Review
Canon’s EF 100-400mm is one of the best budget telephoto lenses for bird photography. It is a bit heavier than some other options but it remains very affordable, making this lens an excellent choice if you’re looking to save money and purchase something that still has good performance levels.
This lens includes four UD elements and two aspherical elements that help remove chromatic aberrations from images shot with your camera. The lens also uses an UltraSonic Motor (USM) so autofocus speed is pretty quick when compared to similar products on the market; in fact, shooting at 11fps will produce tack sharp photos because focusing happens so quickly!
Pros
- Affordable
- Quick Autofocus Speed
Cons
- Little bit heavy
Pros:
– affordable
– quick autofocus speed
Cons:
– heavier than other lenses on this list
3. Sigma 70-300 mm Review
This Sigma option is one of the best budget telephoto lenses for bird photography because it offers good performance at a very affordable price point. It has an aperture range and comes with Optical Stabilizer (OS) to help you take clear images even when the light is not ideal.
The lens also has a zoom lock switch that can be turned off and on depending on which of its three modes your camera uses; this allows you to preserve battery life whenever possible. The Sigma 70-300mm comes with an advanced linear motor (AL) for autofocusing, helping it achieve fast performance levels without sacrificing quality at all! This makes it one of the best budget lenses for bird photography because it’s perfect if you’re looking to save money but still want good image resolution and clarity.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Easy to carry
- Great Quality
Cons
- Little bit durability issues
Pros:
– lightweight and easy to carry at only pounds
Cons:
– some have reported issues with durability as the lens can feel flimsy
– it doesn’t have image stabilization for sports photography. To take pictures of birds in flight, you need a camera that has an autofocus motor built into the body. This means that this lens will not work with entry-level DSLR cameras or mirrorless
4. Tamron 150-600 mm Ultra-Telephoto Review
This telephoto zoom lens is one of the best budget lenses for bird photography because it produces very high-quality images without costing too much money. The Tamron 150-600mm has an aperture range and comes with a built-in vibration compensation system that helps reduce blur in your photos whenever you are shooting handheld.
It also uses three LD elements to help remove chromatic aberrations from your shots, which can decrease image sharpness levels if they aren’t removed before being saved onto memory cards or hard drives. The autofocus speed offered by this product makes it ideal for capturing fast-moving objects; plus, its lightweight construction means you’ll be able to carry around the entire thing easily!
Pros
- Easy to carry
- Very lightweight
Cons
- Flare issue
Pros:
– lightweight and easy to carry at only pounds
Cons:
– there is a significant amount of lens flare whenever you point this thing directly into the sun. When in direct sunlight, it will produce a starburst effect on your photos because of its internal elements reflecting light from the sun.
– a tripod is necessary because of the weight, which makes it difficult to carry around with you all day.
5. Nikon 18-300 mm Review
This Nikon option is one of the best budget telephoto lenses for bird photography because it offers a very wide zoom range while still producing sharp images even in low light conditions. Unlike other options on this list, this lens does not have an aperture ring or manual focus override control which can be inconvenient if you do not know how to use these features already.
However, despite that fact, this product remains extremely affordable and will produce high-quality shots whenever you’re photographing birds from afar. The Nikon 18-300mm weighs only pounds but has a built-in vibration reduction system called Vibration Reduction (VR) that helps reduce blur when shooting handheld at longer focal lengths between mm; also included with your purchase are different filters including Close Up, Neutral, and Fluorescent.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Affordable
Cons
- Slow lens
Pros:
– lightweight and easy to carry at only pounds
Cons:
– at 300mm the lens is very slow, so it’s not suitable for bird photography unless you’re in extremely bright conditions. It does have a built-in image stabilization system that allows you to take sharp images but this isn’t as effective when using the lens at 300mm.
– the lack of an aperture ring and manual focus override control can be irritating when you’re in a hurry or want to switch between different modes quickly.
6. Pentax SMC-DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED WR Review
This product is one of the best budget telephoto lenses for bird photography because it’s very affordable and lightweight, weighing only pounds. The Pentax SMC-DA 50-200mm has an aperture range that makes it perfect if you’re looking to take pictures in low light conditions without using flash or other external lighting equipment; also included with your purchase are different filters including a circular polarizer filter which can help you get rid of glare when photographing birds over water surfaces.
Pros
- Good battery life
- Great still and video quality
Cons
- More on the expensive side
- Autofocus issues in video shooting
Pros:
– this lens comes with image stabilization so handheld shots will be nice and sharp at all focal lengths whenever there isn’t enough available light around you. This feature is extremely helpful for shooting moving objects such as birds!
– a circular polarizer filter is included that can help you get rid of glare from water surfaces whenever photographing birds over bodies of water.
Cons:
– the minimum focusing distance makes it impossible to capture close-up shots at all focal lengths, which means you’ll have to use other products if this feature is important to you. However, despite the fact that it’s unable to take close-up images, there are extra filters included with your purchase!
Buying Guide
Bird Photography is one of the most exciting forms of nature photography, but it’s also one that requires you to have access to specialized lenses in order to get good-quality shots. Unlike other kinds of nature photography where all you need are nice landscapes and perhaps an animal or two, capturing birds takes a bit more finesse because they’re often fast-moving objects that can be difficult to track down! Here are six different products we recommend checking out if you want some great options on the market today:
Tamron 70-300mm f/ /USD This option from Tamron costs well below USD which makes it very affordable; also included with your purchase are different filters including UV protection as well as circular polarizing filters that can help you get rid of glare when photographing birds over water surfaces. Other than that, this option is extremely lightweight and one of the best budget telephoto lenses for bird photography with a minimum focusing distance at only meters which makes it easier to capture close-up shots! Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/ /USD This product from Nikon costs well below USD which makes it very affordable; also included with your purchase are different filters including Close Up, Neutral Density (ND), and Fluorescent Light options as well as image stabilization so handheld shots will be nice and sharp whenever there isn’t enough available light around you.
Final Words:
Best Telephoto Lens for Bird Photography Final Thoughts… Out of these three lenses, I would suggest going for either the Nikon 18-300mm or Tamron 150-600mm because they both provide a nice range and produce sharp photos even in low light conditions; additionally, those lenses’ vibration reduction systems come in handy when photographing moving objects. If you want to spend less money on your lens, I would suggest going for the Pentax SMC-DA 50-200mm because it’s much lighter than other options out there and still produces reasonably sharp images at all focal lengths – but remember that its minimum focusing distance makes it unable to take close-up shots!
