If you’ve been looking for the best lenses for wildlife photography under $1500 for your Nikon, Canon, or Sony Cameras, this is the blog post for you.
Wildlife photography is challenging yet fascinating. You might have to wait for several hours or even days to get the right moment, and when the moment comes, you have to act fast and perfectly.
So having the right kind of gear is the prerequisite of wildlife photography, and one of the must-have gears for wildlife photography is the right kind of lenses.
But how do you know which lens will work best? If you’re looking for a lens that will give you the best image quality at a good price, this guide is perfect for you.
Here, we’ll show you which lenses are best and what kind of wildlife photography each one is used for. So, here are the best budget lenses for wildlife photography that you must have in your arsenal.
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Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED
On the first spot, we have the Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E, which offers excellent image quality and the best overall performance for wildlife shooting. It comes with 19 glass elements in 12 groups, letting you shoot incredibly sharp images.
The focal length is just good for shooting ferocious animals and flying birds from a distance. The lens also features a 9 blade diaphragm offering high-quality bokeh in your images.
It has three high-end extra-low dispersion optics that effectively reduce chromatic aberration and color fringing even when you’re shooting fast-moving wildlife characters. The constant 516 aperture ensures consistent performance throughout the focal lengths.
In addition to that, the silent wave motor offers quick and quiet autofocus performance, which is an added benefit for wildlife shooting. Besides, the Vibration Reduction(VR) system allows for stabilizing your footage up to 4.5 shutter speed stops.
Overall the Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 is one of the best lenses for wildlife photography under $1500 for Nikon that offers incredibly sharp images, fast autofocus performance, and excellent stabilization.
Tamron SP 150-600mm G2
Next, we have the Tamron SP 150-600mm G2, an excellent lens for wildlife shooting that offers impressive sharpness and stabilization.
It features a 21 element optics construction which offers incredible sharpness even if you zoom all the way, which you might have to do very frequently while shooting wildlife.
Moreover, it has a 9 aperture blade diaphragm, which offers a pleasing bouquet in your footage. One of this lens’s striking points is the ring-type USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) autofocus motor that offers fast and accurate autofocus performance.
So shooting a flying bird or a running animal has just got easier. Besides, it comes with vibration compensation offering you 4.5 stops of stabilization to provide you with an excellent handheld shooting experience.
Though there are 3 low dispersion glass elements in the lens, you might get some chromatic aberration which is the biggest drawback of this lens, especially when shooting flying birds.
But again, it’s an easy fix in post. And lastly, with moisture-resistant construction, the Tamron SP-150-600mm G2 is a feature pack lens under $1500 for wildlife shooting.
Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS
The Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS is a high-end telephoto zoom lens built for Sony’s full-frame A7 and A7R cameras. It is ideal for your A6000 because of its lightweight and compact design.
This Sony lens is also compatible with E-Mount / NEX cameras with APS-C sensors, providing a 105-300mm equivalent zoom range.
Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS is ideal for those who enjoy looking at beautiful things or who enjoy visiting zoos and safaris.
It has a precision, quiet linear motor for silent autofocus and accurate image stabilisation for high-quality videos and images. For close-up shots, the lens can focus as near as 3.3′. At 70mm, the minimum focus distance is 1.0m, increasing to 1.5m at 200mm.
The lens comprises 21 elements in 15 groups, including two Advanced Aspherical, one Aspherical, one Extra-Low Dispersion, and two ED elements.
ED glass eliminates image distortion at telephoto ranges and enhances contrast. Super ED glass handles chromatic aberration more effectively. The diaphragm has nine rounded blades for enhanced bokeh.
Sony’s original Nano AR Coating technology effectively minimizes reflections that can produce flare and ghosting, significantly improving brightness, contrast, and overall image quality.
The Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS is dust and moisture resistant, making it suitable for heavy-duty outdoor use, especially coupled with a weather-resistant camera.
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM
The next best budget lens for wildlife photography is the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 contemporary lens, a lens with impressive features for wildlife shooting and comes just under $900.
These come with three SLD elements along with one FLD element to curb chromatic aberration and color fringing when you’re shooting flying birds against the bright sky. These lenses never fail to provide incredibly sharp images.
For a quick and silent autofocus experience, this lens features a hypersonic motor. It also includes a super multi-layer coating which reduces ghosting and flare effect and ensures clarity and color accuracy.
Besides, the rounded 9 blade diaphragm also contributes to dream-like bokeh so that your wildlife character stands out. To ease handheld shooting, there is optical image stabilization for buttery smooth footage.
Overall if you’re looking for a lens with a greater value for its price, then Sigma 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 contemporary lens provides you highly sharp images and fast performance, which almost no other competitor can match within this price point.
Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
Next, we have the Nikon 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, another low-budget lens for those looking to begin their wildlife photography adventure. It features a silent wave motor for silent and accurate focusing.
The lens also includes two extra-low dispersion glass elements reducing chromatic aberration and increasing contrast and sharpness while capturing fast-moving animals and birds.
Additionally, a super integrated lens coating eliminates flare and ghosting effects when shooting in a brightly lit environment.
With the 9 blade rounded diaphragm, you can get great out-of-focus background and ensure etiquette sharpness for your wildlife characters.
To help you with run and gun shooting, this lens comes with Nikon’s second-generation vibration reduction(VR) technology to smooth out your footage.
Though the 300 mm might not be a perfect focal length for wildlife, it’s a good starting point to learn the basics of wildlife shooting. But when used with the DX-format DSLRs the 105-45mm maximum focal length would offer a little more reach and flexibility in wildlife shooting.
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Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM
Lastly, we have the Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM, an affordable telephoto lens for budget wildlife shooters which is notably compact and lightweight yet delivers decent image quality. It weighs just below one kilogram.
Additionally, the foldable design makes it easy to fit into your bag. Besides, this lens’s narrow-angle of view lets you capture subjects from a distance, making it a good choice for shooting birds and other animals without intruding into their daily lives.
Moreover, it features ten glass elements in seven groups providing adequately sharp wildlife images. And when you’re shooting, wildlife shoots are unpredictable. So you might have to capture a lot of handheld footage.
With the 5 stops of optical image stabilization, this lens always has your back and delivers smooth footage each time. Apart from that, the STM motor of this lens offers a silent, fast, and accurate focusing experience which helps track moving animals.
The f/11 might not be very attractive, but this is the best you can get within this price range. So, if you’re a Canon RF shooter and just beginning your wildlife photography journey, the Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM is the best wildlife photography lens under $1500.
Best Lenses for Wildlife Photography under $1500
Conclusion: Best budget lenses for wildlife photography
So that was all about the best wildlife lenses under $1500. All the lenses mentioned above have unique characteristics and price points to fit into your different wildlife photography needs. So which one do you find the most suitable for you?