What is a good tele on a budget?

[misotuz]

Thank you so much, Inki. Now I hit the books and learn about your suggestions. I am using the camera on auto so these settings are camera set. I need to figure out how to change that. I will be back in the Park Friday so I hope to learn lots between now and then.

Great Blue Heron, got it. Thanks Bubbah!

[misotuz]

Hi Nemesis. Yep, living here is the best! I live in Gardiner, Mt, so the North Entrance to the Park. This is my 2nd summer here and I am on my 3rd camera, I keep moving up. This is my first DSLR and I have so much to learn. Being here you can't help but want to take photos! I do take some landscape photos but I am just drawn to wildlife. Who can resist a sweet cuddly grizzly!

[Shokinen]

Originally Posted by misotuz

I am using the camera on auto so these settings are camera set. I need to figure out how to change that.

You could use the semi-manual mode to help out as you progress.

S mode
Allow you to set your shutterspeed and the camera will take care of the rest.
Make sure you set it to 1/200 if you at 200mm.

A mode
Allow you to set your aperture and the camera will take care of the rest. The camera may choose a slow shutter as you increase the number (the lense is actually letting less light to enter) so maybe not the best idea to correct the sharpness issue unless your above 1/200.

P mode
Preset combinaision of aperture / shutterspeed. You can try to choose something close to f/8 and 1/200s


Keep practicing and reading. I forced myself using the M mode for the first 2 months when I start. My god I was lost.... but with time everything started to make sense. It's all about the quantity of light that get in your camera. If you change something, you have to balance with something else to get the same quantity of light entering. When you don't have enough light, or to much, you tweak base on what you want to acheive. But it takes time to get confortable with that.

Based on your example, I don't beleive you reach the limit with you current equipment (I'm not saying this in a bad way). You may not have to buy anything after all !!

[misotuz]

Thank you for the advice, Shokinen, I will try that!