What’s Wrong With Canon 530 For Bird Photography?

With Canon EF 400mm f/five.6L USM Lens

Lens Choices for Birds / Birds in Flying

This is a topic I frequently hash out during my rtegular Birds in Flight Photography training and workshops in Milnerton / Woodbridge Island, Cape Town.

The two Canon EF Lenses

EF 400mm f/v.6L USM Lens
EF 100-400mm f/4.v-5.6L IS II USM lens

Canon EOS Bodies Used

Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Catechism EOS R

Note: Birds in Flight Photography images from both lenses are at the finish of this article.

Both
prime and (sure)
zoom
lenses are proficient to go for Birds in Flight photography (and perched birds), but there are various criteria for enthusiast photographers to consider:

Importance of Birds in flight Photography

Zoom vs Prime (fix focal length) lens
Canon vs. other lenses (i.e.Sigma / Tamron)
Full frame and / or crop photographic camera trunk
Using tele-converters (and compatibility)
Autofocus speed (NB for birds in flying)
Weight (mobility for carrying long periods)

Toll of ownership (Upkeep / ROI)

Compatibility with Canon EOS Full Frame / APS-C (Crop) Bodies

Both these Catechism EF lenses are fully uniform with all Canon EOS DSLR bodies. Paired with the
Canon EOS Full Frame bodies
(i.e. EOS 6D / EOS 5D Mark IV) it volition be 400mm focal length or 100-400mm focal length range.

On
Canon EOS APS-C bodies (i.e. EOS 700D / EOS 80D / EOS 7D Mark Two) it will be the focal length of the lens at any range x the 1.6 crop factor. I.e on the EOS 7D Mark 2 it with a 400mm prime lens will be 400mm x 1.vi = 640mm (Field of View). Nigh post-processing software will register the focal length in the EXIF Data as the standard lens focal length (irrespective of the 1.6 crop factor).

Catechism EF Culling Lens: The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens (Canon EF) is a pop birds / birds in flight lens with my clients / students and the results I accept analysed with both Canon Full Frame and APS-C (Crop) bodies compares very well with the 2 Canon lenses.

Summary of Canon’s popular 400mm focal length lenses for Birds in Flying photography (and other nature / wild fauna applications):

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Prime number / Telephoto Lens

This high-performance lens was designed with portability and handling ease in mind. One Super UD-drinking glass element, whose characteristics are similar to fluorite, and one UD-drinking glass element result in abrupt pictures from corner-to-corner. The lens also has a built-in hood and a detachable tripod mount (Ref: Canon Us).

A very cost-effective / value lens lens for birds in flight and perched birds for both Canon EOS APS-C or full frame bodies is the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens. It’s a prime number lens at 400mm (no zoom) with very quick autofocus and sharp epitome quality. Its mobile plenty to carry all day and once you get used to the 400mm fix focal length its a gem of a lens

Note: This lens does not feature Prototype Stabilization (IS), but its not actually a concern for Birds in Flight Photography. At fast shutters speeds of one/one thousand’s to 1/5000’s IS is not necessary. This is my virtually used lens and I shoot with it all day handheld at shutter speeds upward to ane/5000s.The perched kingfisher below was shot with this lens in Av Mode: f/v.6 / ISO 1600 / one/5000s.

Catechism EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens: Professional / Consumer Reviews

Canon EF 400mm f/v.6L USM Lens: Professional / Consumer Reviews

An affordable / fast Autofocus lens for Birds in Flying Photography

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Prime / Telephoto Lens

Catechism EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Prime / Telephoto Lens

Catechism EF 100-400mm f/4.five-5.6L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom lens

This lens delivers a superb combination of cutting-border performance, compact construction and brilliant resolving ability that’s keen for sports and wildlife photography. The lens features one fluorite and one super UD element to aid provide impressive contrast and resolution with reduced chromatic aberration across the entire zoom range.

Canon’s new Air Sphere Coating (ASC) helps significantly reduce backlit flaring and ghosting, while fluorine coatings on the front and rear lens surfaces help lessen smears and fingerprints. A nine-blade circular aperture renders cute, soft backgrounds, and a 3 mode (standard, panning and exposure but) Optical Image Stabilizer provides up to 4 steps* of image correction.

(Ref: Canon U.s.)

Currently the newer Catechism EF 100-400mm f/4.5-v.6L IS 2 USM lens is one of the most popular Catechism lenses for a multifariousness of genres / applications and of course, for birds in flight. It was launched the same time as the Canon EOS 7D Marker II and also pairs well with said body and the Catechism Extender / Tele-converter EF ane.4x Three.

Canon EF 100-400mm f/iv.5-5.6L IS USM 2 Lens: Professional / Consumer Reviews

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Zoom lens

Canon EF 100-400mm f/iv.five-v.6L IS Two USM Zoom lens

These lenses and many other cost-constructive / suitable birds in flight photography lenses volition be discussed during the upcoming Birds in Flying Workshop.

I’ve used both Canon lenses on the following bodies
(over the last few years)

Canon EOS 700D
Catechism EOS 70D
Canon EOS 80D
Catechism EOS 7D Marker Ii
Canon EOS 6D
Canon EOS R

Birds in Flight Workshop Cape Boondocks: More than Data

All Vernon Chalmers Photography Workshops Greatcoat Town 2022: All Workshops

Starting out with Birds in Flying Photography Cape Boondocks
View

All bird in flying / perched bird images by Vernon Chalmers

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Catechism EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Prime / Telephoto Lens Sample Images / More Images

(Click to Enlarge)

Two Canon EF 400mm Lens Options for Birds in Flight Photographers

Catechism EF 400mm f/v.6L USM Lens / Catechism EOS 7D Mark 2

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Prime / Telephoto Lens Sample Images

Canon EF 400mm f/v.6L USM Lens / Canon EOS 7D Mark 2

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens / Canon EOS 7D Marking Two

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens / Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Canon EF 100-400mm f/iv.5-5.6L IS Two USM Zoom lens Sample Images / More than Images

Canon EF 100-400mm f//4.five-5.6L IS II USM Lens / Canon EOS 7D Marker II

Catechism EF 100-400mm f//4.five-five.6L IS Two USM Lens / Catechism EOS 7D Mark II

Canon EF 100-400mm f//4.5-5.6L IS 2 USM Lens / Catechism EOS 7D Mark II

Catechism EOS R – Sample Birds in Flight Photography Images

Birds in flight Sample Images with Canon EOS R / EF 100-400mm f/iv.v-five.6L IS Ii USM Lens
(and Canon EF 1.4x Three Extender / Tele-Converter)