> I have always been interested in trying my hand at bird and wildlife
> photography, but have never had time. Having retired, I would now like to
> pursue that ambition. May I solicit advice on a good long lens for use on
> my Olympus OM4? I assume I should look for something in the range of 1000
> to 2000 mm. I realize there is a price/quality tradeoff, but not being a
> professional photographer, I would prefer staying under $500 if at all
> possible.
Hmm, this could be a problem. One thing you will find very useful for bird
and wildlife photography is a long focal length lens to be sure(although
1000-2000mm is much more than you will usually need except for the smallest
birds). Most photos are taken with 300mm to 600mm lens, with 1.4x to 2x
teleconverters used when needed. The other thing you will want is as fast a
lens as possible, since animals usually do not stand still for you. This
movement, combined with the marked magnification of any camera shake when
using long lenses, necessitates either fast shutter speeds or fast film.
Since fast film means more grain, whenever possible you will want to use
slower films. Regardless, you will need a very sturdy tripod or other mount
for the whole setup. The likelihood of getting a fast, long lens for $500
is incredibly slim. The Zuiko 300mm f4.5 is an exceptional lens and matches
with the Zuiko 1.4x converter, but will result in a 490mm lens at around
f6.0. You can also try and use the Zuiko 2x with the 300mm lens, but it is
not matched and will result in a 600mm at a little over f8. You will find
focusing with a microprism impossible at this aperture. The 300mm lens can
be obtained used for under $500. You might want to try this setup with
fast print film and see how you like the field of wildlife photography, but
if you ever really get into it be prepared to spend some big bucks for long
fast lenses. You can find 500mm mirror lens for little money, but you will
find them difficult to use with wildlife because of the fixed apertures.
They are still an option, however. You might want to look at any of the
wonderful books by John Shaw on the subject. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Ron Crabtree
Santa Fe, NM
USA
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