These lenses will help you capture crisp shots with high levels of zoom. The list includes wildlife photography lenses for Sony, Canon, and Nikon cameras. If you have a camera from a different manufacturer, you can always use an adapter with any lens of your choice. Before we get to the best lenses for wildlife photography, consider taking a look at some other related articles –
If you wish to capture small insects and animals, consider getting a macro lens for your camera. Protect your gear with travel backpacks for your camera. New to wildlife photography? Stabilize your shots in the wild with the help of a camera tripod for beginners.
That said, here are the lenses we recommend.
1. Tamron 70-300mm E-Mount Lens
Camera compatibility: Sony Aperture: f/4.5-6.3 Image stabilization: No Sensor: APS-C and Full frame
The Tamron lens for Sony cameras is quite versatile since it can go from 70mm to 300mm. This means you can click photos of large animals that are about three feet away from you all the way to small birds on top of tall trees. Despite covering a large focal length, the Tamron 70-300mm lens is quite compact so it won’t increase the weight of your gear by much. As per users, the autofocus capability of this lens and the level of detail it captures are excellent. It can go toe-to-toe with lenses that cost even double the price. However, the low-light performance isn’t great which is understandable since the aperture is narrow. It’s also worth noting that the Tamron 70-300 lens isn’t the best option to shoot videos if your camera doesn’t have IBIS. There’s no stabilization built into the lens so it’s best to use a gimbal.
2. Sony FE 200-600mm FE-Mount Lens
Camera compatibility: Sony Aperture: f/5.6-6.3 Image stabilization: Yes Sensor: APS-C and Full frame
Needless to say, you have to pay top bucks to get top-quality lenses. The Sony G Master FE lens has extra-low dispersion glass elements to reduce flare and ghosting. If you’re shooting against direct sunlight or in artificial lighting, this is surely a savior. Since the lens is made by Sony, you get Optical Steady Shot or OSS which helps with stabilization. Due to the large range of focal lengths, the Sony FE 200-600mm lens is rather huge. It’s quite difficult to use your camera handheld with this lens, especially for a long duration. So, it’s best to use a tripod for stable shots. As for the image quality, reviews say it’s fantastic. Images even at the max 600mm focal length appear sharp — even if the subject is moving. The fast aperture allows you to capture birds and animals in motion with ease. Finding a negative review of the Sony FE 200-600mm is a difficult task. That’s how good this lens is.
3. Canon 75-300mm EF-Mount Lens
Camera compatibility: Canon Aperture: f/4-5.6 Image stabilization: Yes Sensor: Full frame
Don’t write off the Canon 75-300mm purely based on the price. Despite being a budget camera lens for wildlife photography, the images you can click using this glass are excellent. The details in the center of the frame are sharp but they tend to get soft when you move to the edges. This is a characteristic of most budget lenses, though. As per reviews, the autofocus is spot on and works well when there’s ample light. This also helps with capturing birds that are flying in the sky. If you have an APS-C or full-frame camera from Canon, it’s best to pick up this EF-mount lens along with an adaptor. It’s an affordable combo.
4. Sigma 150-600mm EF-Mount Lens
Camera compatibility: Canon Aperture: f/5-6.3 Image stabilization: Yes Sensor: Full frame
While the Sigma EF-mount lens offers the same reach as the G Master lens, it’s more compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry in your kit bag. Lenses from Sigma are known for excellent image quality and that’s exactly what you get here. Reviews say the pictures captured using the lens are superb with ample amount of detail. In fact, several users have mentioned that the 150mm focal length also offers a great perspective for shooting portrait images — albeit from a distance. You get a nice, creamy bokeh making images look pleasing to the eye. Low light performance isn’t particularly good, though, even when shooting at the widest aperture. Plus, there’s no built-in stabilization, unlike the G Master lens. So, get ready to keep your arms steady.
5. Tamron 70-300mm Z-Mount Lens
Camera compatibility: Nikon Aperture: f/4.5-6.3 Image stabilization: No Sensor: APS-C and Full frame
Apart from the different lens system, the rest of the lens remains more or less similar to the previously mentioned glass from Tamron. It’s one of the most compact and light telephoto lenses for wildlife photography that you can buy. Nikon’s color science is known to suit wildlife photography so pair the camera with the Tamron lens and you can expect to get great results. The Tamron 70-30mm lens is primarily made for hobbyists. Pretty much the only real con is that the aperture isn’t wide enough at 300mm. So, in low-light situations, there might be a considerable amount of noise creeping into your photos. If you’re only going to be shooting during the daytime, this shouldn’t be a problem.
6. Nikkor 200-500mm F-Mount Lens
Camera compatibility: Nikon Aperture: f/5.6 Image stabilization: Yes Sensor: Full frame
Wildlife photographers are surely going to be pleased with the 200-500mm focal length offered by the Nikkor lens — especially considering that it’s not too heavy. While the image quality is top-notch, the lens is slightly on the expensive side considering a constant aperture of f/5.6. The Sigma 150-600mm lens mentioned earlier has equivalent image quality but a wider aperture — at least for the minimum focal length. The large aperture means the lens is slightly slow to capture moving objects. You need a lot of light to ensure there’s no blur when capturing moving animals or birds. If that’s the scenario you shoot in most of the time, you can consider the Nikkor 200-500mm lens.
Capture the Elements of Nature
If you wish to embark on the journey of capturing birds and animals, the best way to do it is to choose from the best camera lenses for wildlife photography mentioned above. These lenses will help you capture breathtaking photos when you’re in the wild. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
