Best cameras and lenses for bird photography

Wildlife and nature photographer Radomir Jakubowski reveals the Canon RF telephoto lenses and mirrorless cameras that he relies on to produce his artistic avian images.
A striking white and yellow bird hovers in flight. Both its body and the background are artistically blurred. Taken by Radomir Jakubowski on a Canon EOS R5.

The Canon EOS R5 is one of the best cameras for bird photography, and nature photographer Radomir Jakubowski says that he can realise his ideas much faster than he could with a DSLR body. "I probably have twice the output of when I was shooting with non-mirrorless cameras," he says. "Previously I would have to move the AF point onto a bird's head to keep it in focus, but today I can rely on subject detection and just focus on the composition." Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM lens at 1/13 sec, f/16 and ISO 100. © Radomir Jakubowski

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Fieldcraft and subject knowledge are essential requirements for wild bird photography. But choosing the best camera and lenses can make the difference between capturing fleeting moments of behaviour and missing them altogether.

The growing number of lightweight RF primes and zooms, coupled with Canon EOS R System mirrorless cameras that can automatically identify and track birds, give wildlife photographers an opportunity to spread their creative wings. So what lenses and cameras are best for bird photography?

Bird photography generally requires big lenses, of which there are a vast number of options in the Canon telephoto lens range. German wildlife and nature photographer and Canon Ambassador Radomir Jakubowski relies on the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM and Canon RF 600mm F4L IS USM for his stunning bird photography, for example, but also regularly uses the Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM and even the Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM.

Here, Radomir offers some recommendations while Canon Europe Senior Product Marketing Specialist Mike Burnhill provides technical insight.

A small bird with its body puffed out, positioned to the right of the frame, sits in a field of grass. The foreground is artistically blurred. Taken by Radomir Jakubowski with a Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM lens.

"The Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM is the best lens for bird photography when I want to show the habitat, but the Canon RF 600mm F4L IS USM is a better choice when I'm working with smaller birds," says Radomir. Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM lens at 1/125 sec, f/2.8 and ISO 100. © Radomir Jakubowski

Best fast lens for bird photography: Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM

With its large f/2.8 maximum aperture, fast autofocus and 5.5-stops of image stabilisation (IS), the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM is the benchmark lens for bird photography. From environmental portraits to high-speed birds in flight, this super-telephoto lens can do it all.

"For me, this is a magic lens," says Radomir. "Not only do you have f/2.8, which is very cool when you're working in low light, but the focal length is useful when you want to show a bird in its habitat. I like to do this as I think viewers can learn more about the animal that way."

A Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM lens.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM

A high-performance super-telephoto lens with class-leading portability, performance and image quality.

The Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM were designed simultaneously so they have many features in common, but the RF version benefits from the advanced performance delivered by the RF mount. "The speed at which the animal tracking picks up the bird is so fast with the RF version," says Radomir. "It's a real game changer."

The improved AF speed is a result of the lens' dual power focus drive, which offers faster AF with compatible cameras. "We can transfer twice as much power to the focusing motor than on EF lenses, which means the focusing speed has been improved by about 40%," explains Mike. "We are talking milliseconds of difference, but that can be important for locking onto birds in flight."

Wildlife and nature photographer Radomir Jakubowski pictured in a forest setting with a Canon mirrorless camera and a Canon RF telephoto lens.

Radomir's best advice for bird photography beginners? "Never shoot near to a nest as there's a risk that the adult will stop feeding the young birds," he says. "A lot of photographers start to realise what they are doing to nature much too late."

Two small birds sit perched on the bare upwards-facing branches of a conifer tree. Taken by Radomir Jakubowski on a Canon EOS R5.

Radomir reaches for the Canon RF 600mm F4L IS USM lens when he's photographing songbirds, shorebirds and other smaller species. "If a bird is only 10cm long, you need all the focal length you can get," he says. Taken on a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 600mm F4L IS USM lens at 1/400 sec, f/7.1 and ISO 400. © Radomir Jakubowski