Best lens for wildlife/nature photography?

[capturedbybrooke]

I would like to get some top-notch wildlife photos on my trip to Costa Rica. What would be the best lens under $500 for this purpose? I have a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens. But it hasn't been focusing very well lately. I've had it a few years. How long do lenses last? I would like a good quality lens that has sharp focus but I'm on a budget. Any suggestions?

[Samanax]

You could take your EF 75-300mm lens in to Canon and have them check it out and get a quote for the repairs.

[inkista]

Sure it's the focus and not the shutter speed? (rule of thumb, keep your shutter speed to 1/focal_length or faster, so if you're shooting at 300mm, you want to be at 1/300s or faster). Also, that lens is soft wide open. Stopping down to f/8 can work some minor wonders.

You might want to upgrade to the EF 70-300 IS USM. It's the lens that replaced the 75-300 III IS USM, and it has a completely overhauled optical design. Much sharper at 300mm, and you have the added boost of stabilization so you can use lower shutter speeds more safely. It's about $550 new, so a little more than you want to pay, but probably your best choice, if you aren't going to go for the Great White Ls. And you may be able to find a good price on a used one.

Avoid the 70-300 DO IS, btw. That one's made to be small, but the price tag is four-figures, and optically it's worse than the 70-300 IS.

Another option you might want to consider is simply renting a 100-400L for the trip.