I have the 55-210 telephoto lens made by Sony for this camera but I'm wondering if this is the best I can get. I am going to Tanzania next month and everyone says if you are shooting animals get the best telephoto lens you can afford. I looked online and there didn't seem to be a longer lens available. What am I missing? I am not a skilled camera technician. I just want to get clear pictures!
I use the Sigma MC-11 adaptor and a Sigma 150-600mm with a Sony a6300. It works well but it's pretty heavy. I have to use a monopod for anything but short periods. I'm not sure I'd take the 600mm on a plane, but the adaptor opens up other Sigma lenses as options.
Heavy is not good. I am small and have a stiff neck so I don't think carrying a lot of extra weight would be much fun. I may have to stick with what i have.
@allie912 I'm not going to be any help, because I have the same camera and have been looking for a longer lens. I have older Pentax lenses and an adaptor, but because of the particular adaptor I need to use manual focus. I find manual focus difficult on this camera, so the results vary--not what you'd want on a safari. If you find a solution, please let me know!
@allie912 We're going to Tanzania in December. When I was looking into what to bring (I ended up buying the Tamron 150-600 and really like it), most advice I had was that we'll be in the jeep to see the animals and that the heavier lens will be fine. One recommendation was to bring a bean bag (can bring it empty and fill with rice when you get there) so you can rest the lens on the window's ledge.
I was thinking about this. If you don't want the weight of a big lens, have you considered getting a superzoom camera? They don't have the quite the same IQ/noise handling of a crop camera due to their smaller sensors but they're pretty decent - and you'd get a back-up camera into the bargain. Just a thought. :)
@humphreyhippo In my collection of old cameras I actually have a Nikon COOLPIX P510 with 42x Zoom which I bought in 2012. How would that compare to the 210 zoom lens for my a6000?
@allie912 According to its Amazon page, the COOLPIX P500 is 24-1000mm in full-frame 35mm equivalent terms.
For reference, the a6000 is a 1.5x crop so a 210mm gives approximately the equivalent zoom of a 300mm lens on a full frame camera and my 600mm is '900mm equivalent'.
Don't forget to factor in things like sensor size, noise, image stabilisation etc when making the comparison. If you're going to be shooting in low light, a crop from a smaller zoom lens on a bigger sensor might get you a more usable image than the superzoom can. Probably worth having a play if you already have one and seeing if you get results that are good enough to forego buying anything new. You may want to look at renting a lens for comparison - or even for the holiday itself.
@humphreyhippo The one I bought for my husband to use is the Lumix/Panasonic FZ300 which has the equivalent of a 25-600mm lens. That will also serve as a backup if anything happens to my main camera.
@taffy I'm very envious of you both. I still use my old FZ200 now and again. I think superzooms are one of those areas of camera tech which has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years.
@taffy Your purchase looks very impressive but I'm afraid I can't afford that either monetarily or by weight. I think I will do some comparison between by a6000 and the Nikon superzoom.
@allie912 Have you looked into renting? I've done that before and depending on the length, it can be more economical. Not sure what would be best though if you're going for more than a week. I also watch sales and buy used equipment most of the time.
@humphreyhippo Following up on your suggestion, I got out my Nikon Coolpix superzoom, installed a freshly charged battery and it wouldn’t turn on. Tried a brand new battery, same thing. There was nothing wrong when I stopped using this camera. Before I take it to a camera shop, do you have any thoughts on what else I could do to get it working?
@allie912 Are you charging the battery in-camera or externally? If it's in-camera, there are some threads about that model failing to charge the battery after a few years so it could be that. If not, my guess would be the internal battery/capacitor has gone or gone flat. Might be worth leaving a battery in there overnight to see if it can charge itself back up. Otherwise, I'm afraid it will need a camera shop to check it
@humphreyhippo Charging the batteries in a charger. Each time the light went from red to green so I know it is working. I'll try your suggestion then made the decision of throwing money at the problem.
@humphreyhippo You won’t believe what happened. I was putting the nonworking Nikon CoolPix back in the camera bag when suddenly the screen lit up and it was back in action! I tried out a few shots and was very pleasantly surprised by its clarity. I think it will serve my purpose on my trip
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For reference, the a6000 is a 1.5x crop so a 210mm gives approximately the equivalent zoom of a 300mm lens on a full frame camera and my 600mm is '900mm equivalent'.
Don't forget to factor in things like sensor size, noise, image stabilisation etc when making the comparison. If you're going to be shooting in low light, a crop from a smaller zoom lens on a bigger sensor might get you a more usable image than the superzoom can. Probably worth having a play if you already have one and seeing if you get results that are good enough to forego buying anything new. You may want to look at renting a lens for comparison - or even for the holiday itself.