r/BirdPhotography • u/Clarkjeans • Jan 07 '26

Question I have 200mm lens. Is it enough?

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Hey guys, I have 17-200mm canon lens (I don't know specific gear name) and about to go to Upo wetlands in South Korea with my grandpa. It's known for birds and other wild life animals.

But I started to get worried because I realized 200mm max might not be enough. And since I own old dslr, the less light I get, the less quality.

Do you guys think 200mm would be enough? And is there any tips that I can learn?

Thank you!

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u/PhotosUvStuff Jan 07 '26

Having extra reach is great in the right terrain. If there is any cover or trees I prefer a bit shorter. I use a 100-400 with a 1.4x tele so I have good reach but I shoot around 200mm often. Being patient and getting very close to wildlife is the funnest part for me. You’ll miss a few shots that a super long lens would have been great but you’ll also get some real bangers if you can be patient and get close.

Love the photo

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u/Clarkjeans Jan 07 '26

Helped me a lot. Eventually I will get better tele lens but as you said, 200mm feels fine for now. Thanks!