Raymond Smith

I walk the yard a lot and found that reach is only half the story. A lens that lands in the 300 mm neighborhood and stays genuinely compact is the sweet spot for birds that visit feeders and low branches. Anything much longer gets tiring unless you are posting up for a while and and in a small space you will miss shots because you cannot zoom back. Big difference. Quiet and confident autofocus matters more than headline sharpness for quick yard birds, and good stabilization helps with perching shots when the light slips in the evening. Check weight and balance in your hands and make sure it focuses close enough for those surprise visits at the birdbath. If you feel tempted by a huge telephoto, try moving your setup closer to the action first and see if that solves it. Your shoulders will thank you.

Had the same slide-off issue on a bedside puck with a soft TPU that claimed that model compatible. It only meant the case was thin enough to allow Qi charging not that it had magnets. I fixed it by adding a stick-on alignment ring and carefully centering it over the coil. Works well if you line it up and let the adhesive cure overnight, though it is not as strong as a built-in ring and you can feel that. Good compromise if you love the case.