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Features

Capture Wildlife Easily with These Super Zoom Lenses and Accessories

Brett Day
No Comments
03/12/2019
4 Mins read
sigma lenses

Last Updated on 03/16/2019 by Mark Beckenbach

These super zoom lenses will get you up close and personal with wildlife and more.

There’s nothing quite like being out in nature and seeing wild animals roam the plains and the countryside. Capturing images of wildlife can be quite tricky without the right equipment though. Fortunately, there are some truly impressive, super zoom lenses on the market that are surprisingly affordable. The super zoom lenses and accessories we will be sharing with you offer outstanding value for money, and will help you to capture our four legged and winged friends with ease.

The super zoom lenses listed below are all capable of producing stunning results. They are tough enough to survive being out in the wild, weather sealed, and are easy to use thanks to image stabilization. For the prices you’ll pay for these lenses you really get a lot of glass for your money. If you want to capture the beautiful wildlife around us there is no doubt that these are the super zoom lenses and accessories you need to check out.

 

Fujifilm 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR (Fujifilm X Mount)

 

super zoom lenses

Pros

  • Not as heavy as you’d think
  • Weather sealing
  • Feels great in the hand
  • Sharp output
  • Beautiful bokeh
  • Aperture doesn’t change all that much, but even so you’d probably want to shoot at a higher ISO setting during the daytime
  • Fast autofocus performance on both the X Pro 2 and the X Pro 1

Cons

  • Though I completely understand why, some folks may be miffed at the fact that the OVF isn’t practical with a lens like this
  • Holding it vertically is tough
  • Zooming in and out moves the scene that you’re viewing due to the motion involved with tuning the zoom ring. A push/pull design would have been nicer

Check out our full review

Buy now ($1,399): Amazon

 

Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 Contemporary

 

Pros

  • Your friends will be jealous
  • Excellent image quality, though not as good as some of the company’s other lenses
  • Tripod collar is large enough to also allow you to carry the lens in your hand
  • Pretty lightweight to maneuver around with, even while on the go
  • Effective image stabilization, though please keep in mind that won’t necessarily stop fast motion
  • Surprisingly fast to focus, even with moving objects

Cons

  • F6.3 on the long end means you won’t be using this lens a lot at night, unless you’re ready to go nuclear in the ISO realm
  • Large
  • Heavy
  • Switches get knocked off of your settings too quickly; a way to lock the switches would be really, really appreciated
  • Attracts one too many “big lens” jokes from your more immature friends

Check out our full review

Buy now Canon ($889): Amazon

Buy now Nikon ($884.39): Amazon

 

Tamron 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD

 

Pros

  • Not too big
  • Image Stabilization works very well.
  • Easy to carry around

Cons

  • The lock only works at 150mm. It would be nice if the lens could lock at all the marked focal lengths.
  • There is severe lens creep without the lock.

Check out our full review

Buy now Canon ($779): Amazon

Buy now Nikon ($779): Amazon

Buy now Sony A ($1,069): Amazon

 

Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 (Micro Four Thirds)

 

Pros

  • Sharp image quality at the shorter end
  • Fairly compact size
  • Very quiet to focus
  • Image stabilization is wondrous

Cons

  • Soft at the longer end
  • We found we still needed to use a monopod in real life use, and that the OIS doesn’t compensate for camera shake

Check out our full review

Buy now ($597.99): Amazon

 

Sony 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 G Master FE (Sony E Mount, Full Frame)

 

Pros

  • Pretty lightweight
  • Ring around it that allows you to adjust how tight the zoom is
  • Image stabilization
  • Weather sealing
  • Sharp
  • Nice bokeh
  • Close focusing for what this lens is
  • Convenient focal lengths
  • Not too badly priced for a lens like this
  • Good for tracking subjects when shooting sports outdoors

Cons

  • Tracking moving subjects more or less demands that you stop down the lens when shooting interior sports.

Check out our full review

Buy now ($2,498): Amazon

 

Tenba Solstice 24L

 

Pros

  • Lots of storage space for all manner of gear including a 13″ laptop
  • Expandable side pockets for oversized water bottles and tripods
  • Adjustable padded dividers make it easy to reconfigure the bag based on your needs.
  • Rear opening door to your camera and lenses provides an extra layer of security.
  • Breathable mesh on back of the bag helps keep you dry.
  • Water resistant material keeps your gear safe in a light shower.
  • Included weatherproof cover will protect the bag and your gear in heavy downpours.
  • Soft touch material is easy to wipe clean after a long hike.

Cons

  • Side waist straps are not removable.
  • Padding on the shoulder straps is a little too thin.
  • The clasp on the waist strap is not sturdy enough to instill confidence when swinging the bag around to your front to access the rear door.
  • Although adjustable, the chest strap sits in an awkward position, even at its lowest setting.

Check out our full review

Buy now ($199.95): Amazon

 

Vanguard VEO2 235CB Tripod

 

Pros

  • Solid build quality
  • The rubber sections for the legs feel really good.
  • If you’re on the sand, the rubber will keep dust and dirt from getting into the legs.
  • Pretty much all the versatility that most photographers will need providing they adjust carefully
  • Lightweight
  • Fits onto the side of most backpacks

Cons

  • I wish there was a hook at the bottom to weigh the tripod down.

Check out our full review

Buy now ($146.09): Amazon

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