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Using a telephoto zoom lens for wildlife

Techniques

24 October 2007 14:23

You don’t need an expensive 600mm f/4 telephoto to shoot wildlife. Of course, if you’re trying to shoot a timid deer or hungry tigers from a distance, then it certainly helps.

However – it’s a good idea to invest in the longest and fastest lens you can afford. If you’re just starting out and don’t want to break the bank you could do a lot worse than a reasonably priced 70-300mm f/4-5.6 zoom, the cheapest of which will only set you back around £100. With a lens like this you can hone your skills on more accessible wildlife such as squirrels or zoo animals, before graduating onto stalking more elusive wild animals, such as deer and fox.

A long lens not only pulls a distant subject closer to you, it also helps to separate the creature from its background, so it’s clearly visible in the frame. You can see the effect on the right with our wolf image. A 300mm focal length and a wide aperture of f/5.6 has thrown all the attention on the animal itself.

If you’re a serious enthusiast and low light or extreme conditions are a genuine concern, you could always consider investing in an image stabilising lens. These are perfect for combating the effects of camera shake and are made by Canon, Nikon and Sigma in the 80-400mm/100-400mm range, with prices starting around £900. They’re expensive but make the task of shooting sharp images so much easier.

Working with a long lens, supported on a tripod or monopod, allows you to use selective focus, rendering the background beyond depth-of-field. In the case of this captive wolf, it also ensured that enclosure fences were not visible on the photo.
And, as with any portrait, it’s usually best to focus on the eyes.