Reddit mentions of Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM Lens for Nikon

A camera is only as good as the person behind it taking the photos.

• Yes there are more megapixelz to be had in newer bodies, but there is a level of diminishing return. Are you planning on blowing up your photos to billboard size? If you only want 4x6, or 5x7, or 8x10 prints, then amount of MP the D40 offers is beyond good enough
  
• Yes, you can shoot video (even 4K video on some) with the newer generation of DSLRs, but video =/= photo. There is a completely different mindset for video, and unlike photos, video pretty much requires post-process work in order to get something to post and share somewhere
  
• You can get insane zoom lenses for a Nikon body I have this Sigma 150-500mm, but they recently came out with a 150-600mm for only a little more. Here's a photo of a Grizzly Bear that I took with the 500
  
  The one thing that you will get out of a newer body and sensor combination is better low light sensitivity. If you take alot of dawn/dusk/inside/astrophotography shots, then you might want to get a new body.
  
  One last thing to take note of, they do make lens mount adapters for most systems now. This might make the transition to/from whatever system you want easier.
  
  I hope I was able to help.

I recently got into motorsport photography. Not quite birds but it also moves fast, requires good focus and you're far away.

I did this on a limited budget. And I'd suggest you do the same, with your 800 pounds that is very possible.

For a Camera I'd suggest one of Nikons older Pro Sports cameras, The Nikon D300 or D300s. They features a excellent autofocus system, better than many of the newer cameras suggested (like the D3300 or such).

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The D300 should run about 200 pounds on Ebay. This is for example a good model with about 44k clicks. The D300S is a bit more. It's not crucial ,it shoots 1 frame per second more (7 opposed to the 6 of the non S model). But the D300 with a battery grip can Shoot 8 fps too so not a big deal. The 300S also does video, 720p, the 300 non S does no video. And lastly the D300s features duel card slots, a CompactFlasah slot and a SD card slot, the D300 only has a CompactFlash slot. All these things aren't really worth the extra cost to me, but they might be to you.

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So we got 200 pounds spend there, lets add about 30 for a good Compact Flash card (Sandisk ones are solid, I'd recommend 32gb or so).

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Now onto lenses. Since you're shooting birds you want range. Unfortunately massive reach also means massive cost. So to start out I'd recommend the new AF-P DX Nikkor 70-300 mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR . It's a newer lens with a extremely quiet autofocus motor. It's 70-300mm ( you can multiply this by 1.5 for a crop sensor body like the D300, So you reach will be 105mm - 450mm).

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It's not super far, some telephoto lenses run up to 800mm . But it's only 300 pounds which Is very affordable for a long lens.  It's absolutely crucial you get the VR version of this lens. The VR version has image stabiisation, which is important if you want to shoot long ranges and hand held.

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So with those things we are up to 200+30+300 = 530 pounds. That's a fairly essential kit and I reckon you should be off well with that to start. I'd recommend you also buy a solid tripod. I use the Amazon Basics one, but it's not that great. I'd recommend a higher quality one. Its too short for me and it's not that sturdy, but it was cheap as chips. Regardless I'd suggest to invest once in a good tripod. ) And lastly a bag. I use this K&F Sling bag to carry it all. Spend the remainder of the money on some trips to places with actual birds :)

Mind you, these lenses don't have the widest apertures around so these work well in daylight. If you want to shoot in the evening or at night these really wont do. You'll go into 8000 pound territory there.

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Later on I'd suggest looking at the Sigma 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG HSM Contemporary . Which is a incredible value telephoto lens. For faster prime lenses, there is a 300mm F4 vintage Nikon that is manual focus , but does have a wider aperture and costs about 250-300 pounds used.

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That's probably the best you can do with your limited budget. I know 800 pounds is a lot of money but wildlife photography is probably the most expensive vorm of photography.

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TLDR: Buy a Nikon D300, the AF-P 70-300mm DX lens with VR. Buy a tripod/bag/CF card and later invest in the 150-600mm Sigma Contemporary.

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I recommend the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Contemporary. Fits well within your budget, and since you're doing landscapes the variable aperture won't be a problem.

For under $1000 you could get the first version of the Tamron 150-600mm. It's a pretty good "budget" wildlife telephoto (in comparison to the more expensive lenses). There is also a Sigma 150-600mm contemporary lens for under $1000. If you want something cheaper than these or less focal length they have a 70-300mm for around $500.