Best lenses and techniques for Zoo photography

Photobug

My D300 was at Nikon when we went to the Zoo. Picture taken with D90 + 70-200mm F2./8.

Photobug

Wives camera, D90 + 70-200 F/2.8, and my lens.

Photobug

So as you can tell, I love the 70-200mm lens for the zoo. I had the 1.7X tele extender and only used it a couple of times.

traylorc

I am a fan of the new 80-400mm:

Photobug

Traylorc, nice lion picture.

FYI, the picture before yours was taken in early August. Within the last week, he died at the zoo. Believe it was a liver problem.

Their great animals and when you get opportunities to photograph them without fences, it's terrific.

traylorc

Thank you Photobug...I enjoyed your picture as well.

And I absolutely agree with you...Lions are absolutely fantastic subjects. I love shooting the big cats!

Photobug

Wish I had the money to go to Africa for pictures of the big cats. Since that is not possible, I like to go to different zoo's to photograph all sorts of animals.

Msmoto

I spent the greater part of the day at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota yesterday, and was even carried about in a golf cart. So, I think I can now comment on the best camera/lenses for the zoo. D4, 400mm f/2.8. This allows shooting at f/2.8 or f/4 and getting through the chain link fence with minimal loss of image quality. The 70-200mm f/2.8 is also very useful, and if by chance the zoo keepers bring out little animals, I would suggest the 105mm f/2.8 Macro.....

However, for a lot less money, a D7100, 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 would be the ideal set up, IMO. It may not allow shooting through the chain link fence as well, but would give a lot of range.

For a look see at what I did yesterday....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fantinesfotos/sets/72157635408142851/

A few are good, many fair and there are some which are barely acceptable.... We learn bunches with each shooting gig.

heartyfisher

Nice ! ... but they are all too sharp ;-)

Golf007sd

@heartyfisher: With all do respect...there is not such thing as "to sharp" of a shot taken with the 70-200 or for that matter the honorable 400 2.8.

@msmoto: I'm sure the golf cart came in handy as you carried your gear :P
Great shots by the way. One favor, if you get a chance. Can you make two different sets: one set of images taken with the 70-200 and the other 400 2.8. Thank you.

heartyfisher

@heartyfisher: With all do respect...there is not such thing as "to sharp" of a shot taken with the 70-200 or for that matter the honorable 400 2.8.

Sorry .. my envy leaked ...

PS I was thinking of replacing my old 200-400 F5.6 tamron with the little 55-300 for these type of uses.. ie i get VR and a huge size advantage. the range and size would also let me use it more than once or twice a year that I dig out that monster 200-400 out for, and the tripod as well. Also its on sale here at the moment .. :-) a nifty $250, sure tugs at my NAS.

Msmoto

Please understand, I am a novice at the zoo stuff. However, it has me intrigued as the issues of capturing what I like...the 'portraits' are in some ways like motorsports....risk vs. benefit. Some of the shots were cropped to less than 10% of the frame... Then the wire link fence....nasty obstacle. And some were at 800mm....so...

And, while shooting the monkeys, one reached out 2 feet and hit the hood of the 70-200mm /2.8, and that is exactly why I use gaffer's tape on my hoods to avoid a problem.

We will do a short reshoot, if possible, tomorrow morning. The original schedule was a two day gig just for the purpose of the reshoot...

I believe I can do what Golf007sd has requested and show some comparison shots....70-200 vs. 400mm. While I had the benefit of a golf cart and the wind was not high, the air has a lot of garbage in it and when switching lenses with a giraffe three feet away, well, the 90° heat was not the only thing making me sweat.

But, I will stick with my idea of a D7100 and 80-400 (new) as a very nice choice. Or, I think a D3200 with the 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 could do almost every shot I took and do so with a very reasonable price tag. Ironically, the Nikon zoom which goes to 300mm on crop sensor may be the best choice to avoid lens changes, but I am not familiar with this one, so maybe someone who knows what it does can add something.

The primary advantage of the big gun is the wide open aperture so as to get minimal DOF. And, Adam taught me that one at the NRF Meeting in Colorado Springs. Thank you, Adam.

Photobug

Loved the pictures Msmoto. I enjoy shooting at zoos, especially the big cats. Nice corp work, too.

Vipmediastar_JZ

I had the 70-300 and it did a nice job. I have a portrait on flickr with it and a few at the zoo.

Here is one with the d300 if I'm not mistaken

kibasnowpaw

when i go to the zoo i use 3 lenses with my D5100 i use an old one (Soligor Zoom+Macro 80-200mm f/4.5) i really like that lens but it only work in M mode and the (AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR) and then the (Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR, I'm not that fond of that lens but im a poor man and it come with the D5100)

Taken with the (Soligor Zoom+Macro 80-200mm f/4.5)


Taken with the (AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR)

adamz

How on earth I've missed this topic... well, my favourite combo so far: D800+N300/4+TC14. If you know how to use it, you have a winner. I also like to shoot with N105/2.8 macro, especially when I shoot snakes.
Warsaw ZOO






Denver ZOO


Dublin ZOO


Cheyenne Mountain ZOO, Colorado Springs


Brookfield ZOO, Chicago

heartyfisher

Glad you turned up @Adamz i am sure we were all wondering where you were !

In my earlier post i said i should try my 150 F2.8 and my 18-200.. I did that.

The 150mm on my D7000 worked very well ! Got a few really nice ones.. but next time I (as suggested by someone) will need to bring a tripod ..




With the 18-200 I mounted it on the Nikon1V1 and that was really surprisingly good !


All the above were at Melbourne zoo ..

My next zoo is an open range zoo so I think I may take the 200-400 again.. but I am so charmed by the 150mm Sigma Macro on the D7000 I may just take that again. With the 18-200 on the Nikon1V1 which seems the best bang for buck combination for zoos! .. The only issue I have had is when the light gets low it really is not very useful at all. Its then that makes me think seriously about getting an FX camera.. I can get a second hand D600 for $1400 ! go for it ? or pay 400 more for a D610 new? sigh ..

Elvishefer

@heartyfisher - I'm only partially being a smartass when I say those quality sensor cleaning brushes add up $$$ fast. I am willing to bet, without doing any real math or looking into cheaper alternatives, that you could easily spend $400 on them over the lifetime of owning a D600, if you got one with continuing sensor oil problems... If the problem lasts for the lifetime of the body, etc. etc. etc.

Also, nice photos!

Also, welcome Adamz!

adamz

@hearty - hopefully once I'll go to Melbourne zoo. looks good on your pictures.

adamz

one more snap from Augsburg ZOO

taken with unusual setup for zoo photography: Nikon 24-70/2.8

adamz

and one more from Dusit ZOO, Thailand with N105/2.8vr macro

Juergen

I think long lenses come in handy in the zoo.
Another point is really to pick the right time. Some zoo's are even very cooperative and let you in outside their opening hours.

600 f/4



Sigma 150-500

heartyfisher

@hearty - hopefully once I'll go to Melbourne zoo. looks good on your pictures.

If you are arriving sometime this year let me know! They have good coffee in the shops there!

heartyfisher

@heartyfisher - I'm only partially being a smartass when I say those quality sensor cleaning brushes add up $$$ fast. I am willing to bet, without doing any real math or looking into cheaper alternatives, that you could easily spend $400 on them over the lifetime of owning a D600, if you got one with continuing sensor oil problems... If the problem lasts for the lifetime of the body, etc. etc. etc.

Also, nice photos!

Also, welcome Adamz!

Thanks ..

Re D610 I was just about to pull the trigger on a D610 as my new main camera and as I do with these situations I slept on it and you know what.. FX is really not for me. I find I lose too much! With my main interest being Macro. loosing that extra Magnification and the deeper DOF is a huge hit. The main advantage the D610 has over DX for me is the High ISO.. maybe in a few years I can pick up a cheap second hand Df as a second camera just for the High ISO. so my money is still safe in the bank! well maybe not that safe.. as i am still eying the 70-200 F4 !

Elvishefer

There's always something to eye!