Wildlife is (and should be skittish). Currently, my lens goes up to 135 mm, so I'm able to take decent photos of animals, but my relatively low zoom capability limits me: in order to get a really good photo of a wild animal, I need to be physically closer — but this strategy rarely works, and usually only scares animals off. Especially with birds, my preferred subject, smaller animal sizes combined with low zoom sometimes makes it hard to even recognize a bird in the frame. A maximum lens length of 600mm would multiply the size of my subjects by ~4.5, making a huge difference in image quality and adding a bit of length to the full setup.

However, the lens is only half the issue, which is why I'm looking to upgrade to a new camera body. My current camera, a Canon EOS 600D, works very well in many cases, but lacks many features advantageous in wildlife photography. Here's an example: imagine there's a bird on a branch, and your aim is to get a shot of it as it's flying to another tree. A higher continuous shooting rate (taking multiple photos in short succession) would allow me to capture the bird at multiple phases of flight, increasing the chances of getting a clean final product. My current image rate is 3/sec, but the newer Canon EOS 90D would up this by 9. There are other features, of course, but continuous shooting is the easiest to explain.

Wildlife photography quality is also dictated by knowledge of animal behavior, observation, and making maximal use of gear. I've spent lots of time trying to improve my skills in all these areas, but, at this point, my main barrier to better images is gear — and gear costs a lot. A full upgrade, with an improved lens and body, would cost ~$1600 depending on available deals on used gear, which I'd be using to save money. However, my goal is higher to account for a camera bag, lens caps, and other much-needed gear that I'll use to protect both items. After all, I intend to use them for as long as possible.

Some (but not all) of my wildlife photos are on my iNaturalist profile. I don't just take them of animals, but it's always cool to capture how another species moves and interacts with the world. Check them out if you have the time (or don't, it's okay ü).

(Currently, my goal is a Canon EOS 90D body and a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens, bought from KEH or MPB.)