Gear ?
Quite possibly the biggest question of all…
I’m often asked on the camera gear that I use or what I would recommend to people either starting out or looking to upgrade.
Although I have to much to show everything, here is a mini guide with the main camera gear that I’m currently using.
Sony A7R V
This is my main camera for photographing wildlife, it has incredible animal & bird eye tracking and the massive 61mp sensor gives phenomenal fine details in animals fur and birds feathers, along with offering an incredible amount of cropping ability in post for those shots that are a little too far away. It also has a full tilt and swivel back screen that is perfect for being able to see what you’re shooting no matter what height or angle you are at. Although it may not be anywhere close to giving you the fastest frames per second or the latest pre-capture for fast paced wildlife action, this camera is a fantastic choice.
Sony FE 400mm f2.8 GM
The perfect wildlife lens? Quite possibly… Some might say it’s not quite long enough for wildlife and a 600mm f4 would be better? Although I find that being able to shoot a bit wider to include more of the habitat can make for some interesting storytelling images. Also having the ability to stop down to f2.8 on those dark and gloomy mornings can really make a lot of difference too (especially here in the UK). This lens works perfectly with both the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, giving you that extra reach when needed and the bokeh that the f2.8 aperture produces on this lens is just phenomenal, really making your subjects look like they are popping out of the picture. It’s lightning fast at acquiring subjects and is razor sharp. The only real downside I have though, is it’s a little heavy if you’re carrying it around and using it hand held all day. So I’d definitely recommend bringing along a tripod to keep yourself steady.
Sony FE 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 G
This is probably the best all round lens you can buy if you want to photograph wildlife… (without spending mega bucks on a prime lens, that is). I have taken thousands and thousands of images with this lens over the years and it’s still the lens you’ll regularly see me out with. The image quality it produces is fantastic and by having that 200-600mm zoom range makes it perfect for photographing even those small birds when you can’t get too close. You can also use this lens with the 1.4x teleconverter turning it into a whopping 840mm lens. If you are starting out in wildlife photography I really cannot recommend this lens enough, just buy it!
Sony FE 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 GM
This is my everyday walk around lens when visiting new places and my go to lens for Zoo photography. The 100-400mm range is perfect for almost everything, at the Zoo it offers the flexibility of being able to photograph both animals further away in bigger enclosures all the way down to the closer smaller subjects. The lens is light enough to easily carry around all day and seeing as this is also a G Master lens it produces excellent sharp/detailed images that are really noticeable.
Sigma 105mm f1.4 DG HSM Art
It’s nicknamed “the bokeh master” and is it…. yes… yes it is! The silky smooth bokeh this f1.4 produces really is out of this world. Although this is by far no means a “wildlife” lens it makes for quite the perfect pet portrait lens. This lens actually looks a lot different once you attach the lens hood, the massive 105mm piece of glass up front is a true beauty and absorbs every bit of light available, which produces razor sharp amazing looking images every time.
*This lens has actually recently been discontinued by Sigma, so if you’re thinking about getting one then i’d definitely recommend picking one up while you still can, it’s worth every penny.
Sony 1.4x and 2x Teleconverters
I’ve found these to be a bit of a game changer when it comes to wildlife photography. Giving you that extra bit of reach when needed, turning the 400mm f2.8 into a 560mm f4 with the 1.4x teleconverter and an 800mm f5.6 with the 2x teleconverter. All while still delivering sharp images and keeping quick autofocus. Although if you are using the Sony FE 200-600mm f5.6-6.3, then I have found this lens seems to work best only with the 1.4x teleconverter.
Sony TOUGH Memory Cards
When it comes to memory cards, it’s worth doing some research into which ones perform best with your camera. I use both of these Tough G Series cards, whether it’s the standard V90 UHS-II SD cards with a 299Mb/s write speed or the ultra fast CFexpress Type A cards with a 700Mb/s write speed. I’ve found both types to be really reliable and work fantastically with writing the large RAW file images that the Sony A7R V produces.
Gitzo Systematic Tripod
I use the Gizto Series 3 Systematic Tripod GT3543LS combined with Gitzo’s Fluid Gimbal, a combo I cannot recommend enough. The tripod is full carbon fibre and has no center column, which means it will lay almost perfectly flat on the ground for those super low down eye level shots which is perfect for wildlife. While the Fluid Gimbal provides ultra smooth movement for easily tracking moving subjects.
Gitzo Monopod
This is the Gitzo GM2542 carbon fibre monopod. It’s perfect for when you don’t want to carry a tripod around all day but still want some steady support. Fully closed this monopod is 54 cm which makes it easy to fit into your camera bag and will extend all the way up to 164 cm. Surprisingly I actually favour carrying this over my Tripod as it’s much quicker to setup than a tripod if you are moving around a lot. I also attach the Wimberly MonoGimbal Head MH-100 which gives you great flexibility when tracking subjects.
Lenscoat Ground Pod
Don’t let the look of this plastic “saucepan style” dish fool you…. it may not look like much but attach your gimbal or ball head to it and you’ll be ready to capture those ultra low ground level eye shots every time! I really like using this for photographing birds over the lake as it puts your camera almost on the ground making you level with the water which gives you incredible looking foreground and backgrounds instead of having to awkwardly crouch down trying to get the shot. You can buy these from LensCoat’s website (shipped from USA) and there’s several different colours to choose from.
F-stop TILOPA 50L DuraDiamond
I have quite a collection of camera backpacks, in all different sizes for any occasion. However this bag has become my absolute go to for wildlife. This bag is extremely well made and very comfortable to wear, there’s loads of hidden compartments inside for storing all of your accessories too, even a laptop! The bag is made with a DuraDiamond waterproof material with waterproof zips so it can take a good soaking without you having to worry about your gear inside getting wet and it also has really nice aluminium buckles, instead of those breakable plastic ones. I also added F-stops optional Pro XL ICU which fits the Sony 400mm f2.8 perfectly, with more than enough space for your camera body, additional lenses or a drone. So if you’re looking for that perfect camera bag then I really recommend this one (it also comes in other colours too).
Peak Design Slide
Peak Design Anchor
Gitzo Fluid Gimbal
Wimberley MonoGimbal
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