My mind is pretty much made up

This picture is my first and last foray into the world of bird photography. To date I consider this to be one of my most successful shots.

I have always fantasized about going back to Østensjøvannet in the outskirts of Oslo, spend a full day there and take pictures of all the birds I can find. "Birding" can be an expensive and time-consuming photographic exercise, but it can also be very rewarding.

I think my mind is pretty much made up: I am going to get the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV!

This slightly smaller than full-frame sensor will give me a little bit more reach when it comes to taking bird photographs. It will give me a little bit reach in just about everything, from street photos to concerts and when photographing sites. Come to think of it, I've never really been much of a wide-angle kind of guy. My photographic style leans more towards subject isolation, getting as close as possible to the subject and removing elements in the background which might distract or detract from the image. It gives my photographs a clean and simple look.

The camera is not just about the sensor inside it. While the 1D Mark IV does not have the bells and whistles of the 5D Mark III (which never seems to arrive), it has more to offer when it comes to durability, ergonomics, and battery life. Not to mention a faster burst rate of 10 frames per second!

It costs more than the 5D Mark III, but on a per shot basis it actually is cheaper, since it has a guaranteed 300,000 shutter life. The 5D3 has only half. This means I get a camera that can withstand the test of time. It will be a huge investment up front, but it will pay off in the years to come, and I can just concentrate on building a collection of lenses for it.

And speaking of lenses, I can't go birding without getting a good tele lens. They can be quite expensive, especially the fastest ones, costing NOK 80,000 upwards! But I have been doing some research, and found a very good one, for "just" NOK 12,995. It is the Canon EF 400mm F5.6L USM lens. Relatively lightweight, relatively inexpensive, and with a good enough reach. It's a prime lens so it doesn't suffer from the optical problems which most zoom lenses encounter. One drawback is that it loses its versatility, and I would only be able to use this during nature treks when I want to get close to the subject. But I wouldn't want to be carrying a lens this big and heavy in the city anyway!

Of course I won't be able to get this lens at the same time as I will be purchasing the camera. I will need to save up for a few months for this. And make some sacrifices. If I budget as wisely as I have been doing now, I would be able to get this lens AND save up for my trip to the Philippines this December. But I will have to skip Stockholm Pride this summer.

So now all I need to do is to wait a few more days until my next paycheck arrives. June will be special because it's vacation money + tax return time! I just hope my local dealer doesn't run out of 1D Mark IV's before that!