Can I use an extension with this lens for birds please?

[britpol]

I have a Sony 100 with the 18-70 lens and a Tamron AF aspherical LD 28-300 macro lens. Would it help me to use an extension with it for birds? If so, which one? Any advice is very welcome because I'm an absolute beginner.
Thanks in advance- Les (Britpol0

[Canuck935]

Hi Les,

I do not think that lens is compatible with a teleconverter. The 28-300 is slow as it is, with a tc it would be very difficult to get any shots with it except in really bright sunny conditions, and it would be manual focus only. If birding is something you are really serious about, I would start saving up for a faster/longer lens.

[britpol]

Hi flickr- thanks for the advice my friend. I'm a REAL beginner so any advice would be most welcome. Yes, I really want to photograph wildlife and birds in particular. Living in Poland as I do gives me the chance to see some nice ones. Not that all birds are not nice. In Poland it's wise to be careful when buying equipment used. Much of it is stolen or doesn't work. The sellers can do it because the legal system here is slow and not good. Once more thanks.
Les (Britpol)

[Loupey]

You may find one that fits (mechanically) but the result, as Canuck mentioned, would be an awfully slow lens and probably soft images.

That Tamron is an f/6.3 wide open at 300mm. So if you get a 2x TC, it would be an f/13 lens wide open at 600mm - darker than many spotting scopes.

If you want to start wildlife slow and inexpensively, I would suggest getting a good/fast prime like a 200mm f/2.8 or 300mm f/4 coupled to a 2x TC. Or if you can spring a little more cash, a 400mm like an f/5.6. Zooms for wildlife don't make much sense to me. You'll always be using it at the extremes anyway.

Good shooting :thumbsup:

[mn shutterbug]

Zooms for wildlife don't make much sense to me. You'll always be using it at the extremes anyway.

Gotta mildly disagree with you there, Loupey. The squirrel photos I posted recently, were shot at 115mm, with my 100-400mm lens. Even a 300 prime would have been way too much. Of course, my squirrels are darned near tame, but even so...

Also, when shooting birds quite close, I sometimes back off on the zoom to be able to spot them easier. Once I have them in my sights, I quickly zoom in.

[Loupey]

Also, when shooting birds quite close, I sometimes back off on the zoom to be able to spot them easier. Once I have them in my sights, I quickly zoom in.

That's what 100mm, 200mm, 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, and 600mm primes are for. Just have to change lenses real fast

[mn shutterbug]

Good one, Loupey. That one cracked me up.

[britpol]

Hi Mike and Loupey- what can I say! So quick to answer me. Great guys, I'll be staying with this site. If you don't know I live in Poland and camera gear here is VERY VERY costly. Buying from Alego (Polish ebay) is not to be done in my view. Most of the stuff doesn't work and the rest has been stolen from Germany. Unfortunately, salaries here are very low so money is extremely limited. Could you give me a few reasonable lenses to check out please? I'll probably go for used through lack of funds. Once more, thanks guys.
Les (Britpol)