Rinoxis, Wow, That is quite a mouthfull. First, Let me say welcome to the TDP forums. We are always glad to see more folks join in and add to the various conversations and presentations of thier work. Being from a tropical climate, I can't wait to see some of your work. Now to your questions:

First, don't get caught up in brand selections. Both Nikon and Canon have very comparable systems and both have advantages and disadvantages---its all in the details--My suggestion is find a body that fits your needs and budget and most importantly fits your comfort needs. Then, go from there.


As a Canon shooter and a birder, I strongly suggest that you think in terms of the basics that you will need:

1. Lens=Reach---birds are small and difficult to get close to, no matter how much reach you have, you will always want more. Based on your budget, I would suggest the canon 100-400 or the Nikon 80-400. Both are comparably priced, both have nice image quality and both have stabilization. Canon also has the 400 prime that is slightly sharper than the zoom but less versatile. I don't know if Nikon has a similar prime. For birds, I would shy away from the 300's unless you can afford a high end one and attach an extender.

2. Camera bodies: Fast Frame rates are nice for inflight shots but definately not required. Also many birders like the 1.5/1.6 crop factors because it gives you a little more reach in the final image than a full frame sensor does. On a 1.6 crop body and a 400 mm lens, the equivalant focal length is 640 mm. These images can easily be enlarged to 16x20 and look very nice. I don't know enough about Nikon to offer any suggestions, but if you Look at Canon, and at your price range the 7D would be my first choice, the 60D would also work very well for you. As far as ISO range goes, the newer bodies of both Canon and Nikon will provide quality photographs at ISO 3200 and even more if the shot is properly exposed. I rarely shoot above 1600, even with a F5.6 lens.


I can't say enough about picking a good solid tripod---This alone will significantly improve your keeper rate. When you are ready we can discuss these options at length.

Flash is also very important to birders as many times you must overcome sunlight or be able to light that bird that is in a well shaded tree--The nice thing here is that you can get a very capable flash in the $70-150 range new---I would suggest on of the Yognuo 560 series flash. Once you get a flash, don't forget Better Beamer which extends the reach of the flash and works exceptionally well for birders (only $20).


Good luck and let us know what you decide upon.


Bob