Capturing Backyard Birds

Review of the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

Capturing stunning images of birds requires a lens with a long focal length (200–600mm), especially when the birds are easily startled or wary of your presence. In this post I share some of the birds that appeared in my backyard that I captured with the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS and provide a brief review of the lens itself.

This white-throated sparrow was captured from at least 50 feet away and you can see that the lens has the ability to capture stunning images of far-away subjects in great detail.

Putting out seeds attracted a variety of songbirds, sparrows, cardinals, and robins — and of course squirrels. A tufted titmouse and a male cardinal were both captured in great detail from my deck, in the trees and bird feeder below.

My favorite photo is of the white-throated sparrow hanging out on the fence.

Lens thoughts: While fantastic for capturing birds, it is too large to function well as a handheld lens and was best suited for a tripod. There was a noticeable loss in clarity for birds far away in low light. More to follow in the next post.