r/DigitalBirding

One of the best lightweight birding setups right now?

We’ve been testing this setup quite heavily during recent travel, including a trip through China, and honestly it impressed me more than expected.

Camera:
Sony A6700

Lens:
Sony 70-350mm G OSS

Because of the APS-C crop factor, the lens effectively reaches around 525mm equivalent on the long end, while still staying relatively compact and lightweight.

Specs that make this combo really interesting for birding/travel:

• 26MP APS-C sensor
• Sony AI autofocus/tracking
• very strong bird eye AF
• compact size
• relatively affordable compared to full-frame supertele setups
• entire setup weighs roughly around 1.1 kg

I personally shoot with a Sony A9 + 200-600mm, which is amazing, but after long travel days, hiking, airports, and city movement, the weight difference becomes very noticeable 😅

This A6700 + 70-350 setup feels like one of the best current travel birding combinations in terms of:

• reach
• autofocus
• image quality
• portability
• price/performance ratio

Posting a few sample shots from the setup.

In your opinion, what’s currently the best lightweight birding setup in terms of portability, reach, autofocus, and image quality?