wildlife photography recommended gear
Wildlife photography is one of the most dynamic areas in photography. It requires deep understanding of exposure, very good control of your camera setting, button orientation and the ability to control your camera quickly and adapt to rapidly changing situations. Understanding how your gear works best and its advantages can greatly improve your results.
cameras:
As they say - the best camera is the one you have with you. Whether it's a simple DSLR or a robust flagship, know your camera well so you can make the most of it. If you're looking for a camera that better suites wildlife photography there are several things you might want to consider:
1. ISO performance:
ISO performance is a very important factor in wildlife photography. In many situations, high shutter speed is required because of the use in Tele lenses or in order to freeze fast moving animals. High shutter speed reduces the amount of light in the photo, so high ISO is often used in order to compensate that. Having a camera with good ISO performance like high end APS-C or Full Frame cameras will result in better and less noisy photos.
2. focus system:
A good focus system can greatly help you get better results, especially in dynamic scene like animals flying or running. Cameras with high number of sensitive focus points and options for customizing buttons and functions are recommended.
3. drive/fps (frames per second):
When shooting wildlife you often want to capture an exact or defining moment in a scene like a lion in full yawn or a cheetah with all legs in the air. It is quite hard to take the shot just in the right moment, and having a camera that can shoot in high FPS can greatly maximize your chance to achieve it.
lenses:
Like in any other area in photography, you can shoot wildlife with a range of lenses. There is no right or wrong and it depends on what you want to achieve. Wide angle lenses allow you to capture wildlife and also include the environment while Tele lenses allow you to get closer and isolate your subject. Usually, the most common choice of lenses in wildlife photography are Tele lenses,
for several reasons:
1. Tele lens allows to get closer:
There are many animals which you can't get close to, some of them will just run away, and some are just too dangerous. Using a Tele lens can get you closer without scaring animals away or putting yourself in danger.
2. shallow DEPTH OF FIELD:
long focal length results in shallow depth of field which is often very complimenting in wildlife photography. It keeps your subject sharp and blurs the background thus giving emphasis on the subject.
3. perspective:
Tele lens create a sense of shallow perspective, They narrow the difference between your subject to the background and allow you to include a more homogenous background that makes the subject stand out better.
tripods:
Tripods can be very useful in wildlife photography if you're shooting in one place and you don't have to move around too much. Mounting your camera and a large Tele lens on a tripod means you don't have to carry heavy gear on you and reliefs the weight burden, allowing to concentrate in taking photos. it also allows you shoot in slower shutter than you could have with out the tripod. It is important to choose a steady tripod that can carry the weight of your gear and won't crash or move under the weight pressure. A good tripod head is also important, you can choose a ball head, an axis head or a Gimbal head which is very recommended according to what suites you best.
CHOOSE WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU:
There are many considerations in choosing the right gear - price, weight, quality and more. Try to choose whatever is best for you considering all the advantages and disadvantages. Good luck!
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