{"id":105263,"date":"2022-05-06T10:42:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-06T09:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amateurphotographer.co.uk\/?p=105263"},"modified":"2022-05-05T17:35:17","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T16:35:17","slug":"best-kit-for-wildlife-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/buying-advice\/best-kit-for-wildlife-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"Best kit for wildlife photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wildlife photography is a very popular but demanding genre, you\u2019ll need the right kind of kit in order to capture those elusive wildlife moments. In our guide below, we run through the best kit including cameras, lenses and accessories every wildlife photographer should have.<\/span><\/p>\n

Best kit for wildlife photography – Cameras<\/span><\/h2>\n

Obviously you\u2019re going to need a camera – but which kind? You may be immediately drawn towards a full-frame DSLR or mirrorless camera, but for wildlife photography, there\u2019s an advantage of using cameras with a smaller sensor. The \u201ccrop factor\u201d means that the focal length of any lens you attach will be extended. For example, if you use a Micro Four Thirds camera and attach a 300mm lens, that instantly becomes 600mm and gets you closer to the action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a couple of other functions you might want to consider if you do a lot of wildlife photography. First up is a fast frame rate<\/strong> – if you\u2019re photographing a quick moving animal, being able to shoot many frames per second (fps) is beneficial. Something which has a quiet, or better yet, silent shutter mode<\/strong> is also good if you\u2019re shooting something reasonably close in a quiet environment and don\u2019t want to startle whatever you\u2019re photographing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A fast and efficient autofocus<\/strong> will help capture fast moving subjects, look for a system that has a good coverage of focus points.<\/p>\n

Having a weather sealed camera body<\/strong> is also essential, particularly if you are spending alot of time outside whatever the weather.<\/p>\n\t\t

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The Nikon D850 boasts a 153-point autofocus system<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

For DSLRs, you can apply a 1.5 or 1.6x crop, so a 300mm lens becomes 450 or 480mm. That\u2019s not to say of course that you can\u2019t use a full-frame camera, you\u2019ll just need to invest in longer lenses – or teleconverters – to get the same kind of reach.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best DSLR cameras for wildlife include Nikon D850<\/a>, Nikon D500<\/a>,\u00a0Canon EOS 7D Mark II.<\/a><\/p>\n

Full-frame mirrorless options include Nikon Z 7II<\/a> and Nikon Z 6 II<\/a>. As well as professional options designed for sports and wildlife such as Sony A1<\/a>, Sony A9 II, Canon EOS-1D X Mark II<\/a> and Canon EOS R3<\/a>. Read our Canon EOS R3 Vs Sony Alpha 1 and A9 II<\/a> review.<\/p>\n

Micro Four Thirds options include the Olympus OM System OM-1<\/a>,\u00a0Olympus OM-D E-M1X<\/a> and Panasonic Lumix G9<\/a><\/p>\n

Telephoto lenses can be very expensive, so if you\u2019re just starting out in wildlife photography, a bridge camera can be a good compromise as you\u2019ll get a huge zoom range for a fraction of the cost. See the best bridge cameras here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Best kit for wildlife photography – Lenses<\/span><\/h2>\n\"AF-S-Nikkor-300mm-f4E-PF-VR-ED\"\n

The best focal length depends on how close you can get to your subject. If you\u2019re forced to keep your distance then a longer focal length will serve you much better, aim for somewhere around the 300mm or 400mm range<\/strong>. Add a 1.4x or 2x converter to increase the magnification, see more about these later in this article.<\/p>\n

Telephoto zoom lenses are the obvious choice for wildlife photographers as they allow you to get close to the action without actually having to be near a timid (or dangerous) animal. You can choose between a telephoto zoom lens, or a prime telephoto lens, such as the Sigma 500mm f\/4 DG OS HSM lens<\/a>. Generally speaking, zoom lenses tend to be a little cheaper, but don\u2019t offer a bright or wide aperture.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in insect photography as well, a macro lens<\/a> is an obvious purchase, while you can also get some nice wildlife shots with wider angle lenses. For instance if you\u2019re photographing a field replete with deer.\u00a0<\/span>Have a think about the type of wildlife photography you\u2019re most likely to be shooting. Perhaps also think about hiring a lens to try it out before you commit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Having a telephoto lens that provides a versatile zoom coverage also saves the hassle of changing lenses in the field, which could possibly result in a missed shot or spook your subject. Great examples include:<\/p>\n