My Journey in Bird Photography: From Struggles to Success
When I first realized how much I love capturing images of birds, I started with the Nikon D7500, a DSLR with a crop sensor, paired with the Tamron 150-600mm lens, which was designed for full-frame cameras. This setup met the bare minimum gear requirements for bird photography and worked perfectly fine for a while. However, as my ambitions grew—particularly the desire to capture dynamic shots like diving ospreys or kingfishers—I began to notice limitations.
With my Nikon D7500, only about 20% of my in-flight shots were in focus, while the rest ended up in the trash. To improve my results, I rented the Nikon D500, known for its speed, and invested in Nikon's 500mm F5.6 PF lens. Despite these upgrades, I continued to struggle with focusing and encountered frustrating viewfinder blackout issues that hindered my ability to shoot continuously.
Here’s couple of image of an osprey I captured using my D7500 and the 500mm PF lens. The D7500 can shoot 10 frames per second, and during this particular dive, I clicked around 50 shots. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any focused shots of the osprey during its dive, only managing to capture it in focus as it emerged from the water. Out of the 50 shots, only 30% were in focus, with these images being few of them that worked.
Nikon D7500 with 500mm PF
Nikon D7500 with 500mm PF
One day, while photographing a kingfisher at Col Samuel Smith Park, Toronto, I met another photographer who introduced himself as Ron Reynolds. To my surprise, all of Ron's shots were perfectly in focus, while I was still battling with my gear. Seeing his results, I realized it was time for a change. With Ron's encouragement, who spent considerable time convincing me, I made the leap to the Sony system. I bought my first Sony A9, a full-frame mirrorless camera, paired with the Sony 200-600mm lens. Ron later became my best friend, and I’ll always be grateful for his guidance in that moment.
After making the leap to the Sony A9, my bird photography improved tremendously, but recently, I decided to upgrade again to the Sony A1. The difference in image quality is astounding. The A1’s autofocus sticks to the subject with hardly any issues, and I’ve noticed that most of my shots are perfectly in focus, even during high-speed action sequences.
Below are a couple of images I’ve taken with the Sony A1, and you can see the stark difference in clarity and precision. My biggest challenge now is managing the sheer volume of shots, as the high frame rate and excellent AF often leave me with many similar images to sort through and delete.
Sony A1 with 200-600mm
Sony A1 with 200-600mm
Sony A1 with 200-600mm
What Can You Learn From My Experience?
You don’t need to start with the most expensive gear to capture great bird images. Consider starting with a pre-owned camera and lens if you’re working on a budget. However, avoid market place. I buy used gears from authorized dealers with extended warranties. A crop sensor camera is more than capable of taking fantastic shots, especially when paired with high-quality full-frame lenses. Full-frame lenses work well with crop sensor cameras as well, and they usually have the best glass to create sharp, vivid imagery even with a crop sensor body.
When you’re ready to upgrade to a full-frame camera, you’ll only need to purchase the camera body, as your full-frame lenses will still work perfectly. Nikon, Canon, and Sony all make fantastic mirrorless cameras with excellent autofocus systems. Try them out to see which system suits you best, but be mindful that switching systems down the road can be very costly. If you change camera systems, you’ll also need to replace all your lenses, which can be a major expense.
I always suggest, before upgrading your camera, ask yourself: Do you truly know your gear? Mastering the equipment you already have can often yield better results than simply upgrading to a new system. Knowing how to push your current gear to its limits will ensure you’re truly ready for the next step when you decide to upgrade. And don’t worry if other photographers are busy upgrading their cameras—focus on honing your skills and making the most out of what you have. Your experience and technique are what truly count.
If you have any questions in general, feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email using the message box by clicking the button below.
