Your camera kit setup

[Julio C Castro]

Hey everyone, I hope your New Year is going better than the last one and be safe out there! I am curious about what is your camera setup for when you go out shooting whether at a zoo or park setting. My kit consists of the Nikon Z50, NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR lens, and NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S lens. I just managed to add today to my kit the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S lens and will be using it more often once I’m able to visit San Diego What do you carry around typically and what gear would you want to get?

 

[qthemusic]

My gear comprises Canon D80, (crop sensor) and currently my favourite wildlife lens is the Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 SP Di VC USD. It's has the best stability of any lens I've ever owned, enabling me to crop almost 100% with minimal deterioration. For zoos I use the smaller Tamron 50-200 for outside exhibits, and a Panasonic FZ1000 bridge (great in low light) camera set up for indoor. I often video in 4k and capture the best stills from it later. I'd love own good quality tele lens with 2.8 apperture, but I'd have to mortgage my house first.

 

[Julio C Castro]

My gear comprises Canon D80, (crop sensor) and currently my favourite wildlife lens is the Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 SP Di VC USD. It's has the best stability of any lens I've ever owned, enabling me to crop almost 100% with minimal deterioration. For zoos I use the smaller Tamron 50-200 for outside exhibits, and a Panasonic FZ1000 bridge (great in low light) camera set up for indoor. I often video in 4k and capture the best stills from it later.

A lot of my buddies use Canon for their professional photography and some of my favorite zoo photographers shoot using Canon mostly so that body sounds like a very fitting choice! Is the Tamron 50-200mm a fixed aperture lens? I am not all too familiar with their lenses and am thinking that it sounds similar to the many 70-200mm f/2.8 lens made by all the major camera companies. I’m planning to get a teleconverter for my new lens for wildlife shooting or just need that extra reach in the field exhibits at the Safari Park.

 

[NigeW]

Canon for me, and I'm crop-sensor too, 7D mark 2 being my favourite body. I do lots of distant fast action stuff in another specialism and it suits it, although the move to mirrorless seems to be becoming inevitable, and I think that's where my next body will be.

The biggest advantage in using Canon bodies is access to L Series lenses. Once you've tried one you won't go back, they are generally superb. Very tough, being made from metal and real glass, so they're heavy. That's the payback I guess.

I use a 100-400 for the long stuff, a 24-105 and my favourite lens which I suppose I use least - but I still love it - 100mm f2.8 macro. I also have an EF-S 10-22 for wide-angle, which is no better than OK these days.

I'm sure Nikon will do more than one standard of lens too, they must have an L series equivalent?

I've gone round the houses over the years, trying out various solutions since I got my first SLR when I was 12! (in my 50s now!), and honestly, going to L series glass is the biggest step forward in technical quality I've managed in all those years. They're expensive, but they last so long, and have good residual value too.

 

[Julio C Castro]

Canon for me, and I'm crop-sensor too, 7D mark 2 being my favourite body. I do lots of distant fast action stuff in another specialism and it suits it, although the move to mirrorless seems to be becoming inevitable, and I think that's where my next body will be.

The biggest advantage in using Canon bodies is access to L Series lenses. Once you've tried one you won't go back, they are generally superb. Very tough, being made from metal and real glass, so they're heavy. That's the payback I guess.

I use a 100-400 for the long stuff, a 24-105 and my favourite lens which I suppose I use least - but I still love it - 100mm f2.8 macro. I also have an EF-S 10-22 for wide-angle, which is no better than OK these days.

I'm sure Nikon will do more than one standard of lens too, they must have an L series equivalent?

I've gone round the houses over the years, trying out various solutions since I got my first SLR when I was 12! (in my 50s now!), and honestly, going to L series glass is the biggest step forward in technical quality I've managed in all those years. They're expensive, but they last so long, and have good residual value too.

I’d say that in the Nikon equivalent to Canon’s L lens system, the recent Nikkor Z S lens is what I’d consider on par. The S series is their professional glass and it certainly feels professional, my new Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S lens is a beast and handles well with my crop sensor Z50. Btw I love the setup you have, the 24-105 sounds like a zoom macro lens but at least can give you a great range for landscape or portrait photography! Is the 100-400mm also of the L line lenses?

 

[NigeW]

Yes, the 100-400 is an L. Lovely lens, but the 100-500L that's just been introduced for the mirrorless (RF) range has piqued my interest massively. Three grand at current prices, and unjustifiable right now, but what a thing.

 

[qthemusic]

A lot of my buddies use Canon for their professional photography and some of my favorite zoo photographers shoot using Canon mostly so that body sounds like a very fitting choice! Is the Tamron 50-200mm a fixed aperture lens? I am not all too familiar with their lenses and am thinking that it sounds similar to the many 70-200mm f/2.8 lens made by all the major camera companies. I’m planning to get a teleconverter for my new lens for wildlife shooting or just need that extra reach in the field exhibits at the Safari Park.

Oh what am I talking about?! The other Tamron is 18mm-200mm f3.5-6.3 Di II VC lens (sorry, it's my age!!! ) Neat little lens, but sometimes you need a bit more length when capturing a small subject in a large exhibit. I also have a Sigma 120-400mm f4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM Lens, with crop sensor camera it brings it up to nearly 600mm. Great for wild birds, I dont use it very often though, as it's extremely heavy.
So just to recap
Canon D80 (crop sensor)
Tamron 18-200mm,
Tamron 70-300mm ( this is the one I use for most situations)
Sigma 120-400mm
Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 bridge camera. (4k videos and indoor)

 

[Julio C Castro]

Yes, the 100-400 is an L. Lovely lens, but the 100-500L that's just been introduced for the mirrorless (RF) range has piqued my interest massively. Three grand at current prices, and unjustifiable right now, but what a thing.

I think mirrorless will be the way to go soon especially regarding bird photography or silent photography in general, it’s not noticeable at all when shooting on silent mode. The 3 big companies(Nikon, Canon, and Sony) are all making some amazing mirrorless systems. I think the battery life will hold many people from transitioning over but it could become the dominant form in the near future. The

 

[Julio C Castro]

Oh what am I talking about?! The other Tamron is 18mm-200mm f3.5-6.3 Di II VC lens (sorry, it's my age!!! ) Neat little lens, but sometimes you need a bit more length when capturing a small subject in a large exhibit. I also have a Sigma 120-400mm f4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM Lens, with crop sensor camera it brings it up to nearly 600mm. Great for wild birds, I dont use it very often though, as it's extremely heavy.

Oh wow so it’s a travel lens instead? That’s still very good and gives you different focal lengths for all types of shooting situations the 120-400mm sounds like a monster lens and will definitely tire anyone out carrying all day, but as you mentioned, it would be the ideal birding lens!

 

[gentle lemur]

My basic zoo kit is:-

• Nikon D500 + 32GB XQD card + 32GB SD card (+16GB SD card as backup)
  
• 40mm DX Micro Nikkor
• 55-200mm DX Nikkor
  
• 105mm ED Micro Nikkor
• 300mm ED Nikkor
• 1.4 x Nikkor teleconverter
  
• Gitzo monopod + Calumet tilting head

In specific circumstances, I might also choose to take my 18-85mm zoom (for wide angle shots such as big fishes in a public aquarium) or my big 500mm lens on a bigger monopod (for extreme telephoto work - like small birds in large aviaries).

 

[Julio C Castro]

My basic zoo kit is:-

• Nikon D500 + 32GB XQD card + 32GB SD card (+16GB SD card as backup)
  
• 40mm DX Micro Nikkor
• 55-200mm DX Nikkor
  
• 105mm ED Micro Nikkor
• 300mm ED Nikkor
• 1.4 x Nikkor teleconverter
  
• Gitzo monopod + Calumet tilting head

In specific circumstances, I might also choose to take my 18-85mm zoom (for wide angle shots such as big fishes in a public aquarium) or my big 500mm lens on a bigger monopod (for extreme telephoto work - like small birds in large aviaries).

What lens do you primarily choose to snap on your camera first when either shooting at the zoo or wildlife? The D500 is one amazing crop sensor camera and top of the line of what Nikon had made. That 500mm paired with the D500 makes it the perfect combo, effective field of view of 750mm. I want to get a monopod myself when I move up onto the super telephoto lenses!

 

[KevinB]

My camera is a Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III.

My lenses are a M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑150mm F4-5.6 II and a M.Zuiko Digital ED 75‑300mm F4.8‑6.7 II .

 

[Julio C Castro]

My camera is a Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III.

My lenses are a M.Zuiko Digital ED 14‑150mm F4-5.6 II and a M.Zuiko Digital ED 75‑300mm F4.8‑6.7 II .

Nice, a mirrorless Olympus! And with those lenses, you’re pretty much covered in all occasions when going out to shoot!

 

[gentle lemur]

What lens do you primarily choose to snap on your camera first when either shooting at the zoo or wildlife? The D500 is one amazing crop sensor camera and top of the line of what Nikon had made. That 500mm paired with the D500 makes it the perfect combo, effective field of view of 750mm. I want to get a monopod myself when I move up onto the super telephoto lenses!

My camera case is arranged so that I keep the 300mm on the camera body inside it: consequently when I enter a zoo and sit down on the nearest seat, that combination comes out first. What happens next depends which zoo I'm at and which route I choose. When everything opens up after lockdown, if I'm at Paignton or London I will go straight for the reptiles, which happen to be close to the entrances of those zoos, so I will change to the 105mm macro lens, as it is the one I use most often for indoor work. As I have written here before, I prefer to see the reptiles at the start and end of a zoo visit because most of them move relatively little, so an animal which is hiding or not showing well in the morning may be posing nicely later in the afternoon (or vice versa). On the other hand when I am just walking around a zoo, the 55-200 zoom is often the best choice: but I find that I change lenses quite frequently and I generally use all of them at some time in a visit - except for the teleconverter, which I only use occasionally with the 300mm, but it can be very useful and it's so small that it is no bother to carry.
I find the monopod more and more useful. I rarely use the 300mm without it, but it is excellent for use with shorter lenses in low light situations, or when I want to choose a slow shutter speed to get good depth of field. My worst moment in a zoo for a long time was when I sat down after arriving at Pairi Daiza for the first time in October 2019. I had checked my kit on the train, but I found that the adjusting nut on the monopod's tilt head was missing I walked back to the entrance, but could not find it, so I realised it I had fallen off on the walk from the station. I just had to strap the useless monopod back on the camera bag, take a deep breath and do the best I could. I had two pretty good days at PD and a nice day at Antwerp too, but I know I could have got better photos of the Spix's macaws if had used the monopod. I did find the nut on the way back to the station, but not the washer which fitted between the head and the nut. Next time I will keep the head in my bag and screw it place inside the zoo.

 

[Rayane]

I've been doing ok with a Nikon D750 and a Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 ED VR but I am willing to change my gear this year.
I will probably switch from Nikon to Canon as a few mirrorless cameras should come out this year, including a more affordable R5 which will hopefully have the incredible Animal Eye AF.

If sony manages to improve its animal eye AF to Canon's performances, then maybe I will consider Sony over Canon, but for now, the latter is really far ahead of any other compagny when it comes to this auto-focus feature.

Also, it will allow me to switch from 70-300 to 100-400mm as a base zoo photography lens, to what I will add a 105mm macro lens and a longer lens for wildlife in the upcomming months.

 

[ro6ca66]

My walkaround zoo kit is:

• Canon 5D Mk III body
• Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L II zoom lens
• Canon Angle Finder C - attaches to the viewfinder, and allows easier shots from low or otherwise awkward positions, and pretty much lives on the camera

This body/100-400/finder combination weighs around 2.8kg, which I find is just about light enough for me to carry around in the hand, or over the shoulder, on an all-day zoo visit.

I took a look at the image metadata for all of the zoo images which I've shot since I started uploading on ZooChat (about 7 years). Around 94% were taken with the 5D MkIII full-frame body, and about 88% with the 100-400mm zoom (purchased 2015). Almost all of my shots in the ZooChat galleries from the last 6 years were taken with that combination. Prior to that, most were with a 70-200mm zoom on the same body.

I used to bring along several additional lenses, such as a wide-angle (17-40) or standard (24-105) zoom, as well as a 1.4x teleconverter, but nowadays rarely carry any of these these - unless I have a specific task in mind. I do usually carry a macro lens though. Most of my wider/enclosure shots are taken with a phone.

Other stuff, usually in a small backpack:

• Canon 50 f/2.5 macro OR Canon 100 f/2.8L macro - occasionally both
• Spare battery - maybe two on a cold day, probably in a pocket
• Spare memory card
• Lens hood(s) or equivalent - for those rare sunny days in the UK, or more often to counter reflections when shooting through glass.

I've been very happy with this setup for the past 6 years, although the recent additions to the Canon mirrorless lineup do seem quite interesting, and I suspect that I may be tempted to hire the R5 for a weekend before the end of this year!

 

[Arizona Docent]

Mirrorless is quickly taking over and I imagine will replace DSLR as the dominant format in a few years, much as digital replaced film as the dominant format. I was a late adopter of digital (waited until there was a clear advantage) and I will be a late adopter of mirrorless. A year and a half ago I switched to Nikon after two decades with Canon (going from Canon film to Canon 5D series to Nikon D850). All cameras these days are good and you should use what you like, but in terms of DSLR my new Nikon D850 is miles ahead of the (supposedly equivalent) Canon 5DmkIV that it replaced. If you want to read why you can see my post on this photo forum: My Experience: From Canon 5D4 to Nikon D850 - Nikon Rumors Forum (another useful feature I did NOT mention because I hadn't used it yet is the automatic focus shift of the D850, though this is for landscapes and plants and not really for zoos).

I have three bodies, four lenses, a teleconverter, two flashes, plus a pocket camera with built-in wide angle lens, and a new tripod that costs more than some people's camera. I won't go into the full kit that I use for landscape or architecture. When I was really into zoos (and still shooting Canon) I used to take a backpack with three lenses and a tripod. Now that I am less interested in zoos, the rare time I do visit I usually travel light with one body (Nikon D850) and 70-200 f/2.8 lens (Nikkor E series), sometimes paired with a Nikkor 1.4iii teleconverter. I often take my pocket camera as well to get overview shots of exhibits for ZooChat.

 

[Julio C Castro]

My camera case is arranged so that I keep the 300mm on the camera body inside it: consequently when I enter a zoo and sit down on the nearest seat, that combination comes out first. What happens next depends which zoo I'm at and which route I choose. When everything opens up after lockdown, if I'm at Paignton or London I will go straight for the reptiles, which happen to be close to the entrances of those zoos, so I will change to the 105mm macro lens, as it is the one I use most often for indoor work. As I have written here before, I prefer to see the reptiles at the start and end of a zoo visit because most of them move relatively little, so an animal which is hiding or not showing well in the morning may be posing nicely later in the afternoon (or vice versa). On the other hand when I am just walking around a zoo, the 55-200 zoom is often the best choice: but I find that I change lenses quite frequently and I generally use all of them at some time in a visit - except for the teleconverter, which I only use occasionally with the 300mm, but it can be very useful and it's so small that it is no bother to carry.
I find the monopod more and more useful. I rarely use the 300mm without it, but it is excellent for use with shorter lenses in low light situations, or when I want to choose a slow shutter speed to get good depth of field. My worst moment in a zoo for a long time was when I sat down after arriving at Pairi Daiza for the first time in October 2019. I had checked my kit on the train, but I found that the adjusting nut on the monopod's tilt head was missing I walked back to the entrance, but could not find it, so I realised it I had fallen off on the walk from the station. I just had to strap the useless monopod back on the camera bag, take a deep breath and do the best I could. I had two pretty good days at PD and a nice day at Antwerp too, but I know I could have got better photos of the Spix's macaws if had used the monopod. I did find the nut on the way back to the station, but not the washer which fitted between the head and the nut. Next time I will keep the head in my bag and screw it place inside the zoo.

A macro is almost essential for reptile houses or up close shots of smaller animals in terrariums, thats definitely in my next trio of lenses to get! And as for the scare with the missing nut, the closest I came to a breakout moment was when I thought I had lost a battery for my camera and it was as at the time the ONLY battery I had since the batteries for the Z50 sold out like hot cakes at first. Luckily I forgot I had it in the charging case but the fear was real haha and in my experience, I love doing the reptiles/reptile houses at the end of the day since it’s when less people are around and I can take my time to view and prep for the shots!

 

[Julio C Castro]

I've been doing ok with a Nikon D750 and a Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 ED VR but I am willing to change my gear this year.
I will probably switch from Nikon to Canon as a few mirrorless cameras should come out this year, including a more affordable R5 which will hopefully have the incredible Animal Eye AF.

If sony manages to improve its animal eye AF to Canon's performances, then maybe I will consider Sony over Canon, but for now, the latter is really far ahead of any other compagny when it comes to this auto-focus feature.

Also, it will allow me to switch from 70-300 to 100-400mm as a base zoo photography lens, to what I will add a 105mm macro lens and a longer lens for wildlife in the upcomming months.

Although I don’t have much experience with Canon or Sony, the more recent mirrorless bodies from Sony appear to have the fastest autofocus for animals/people I’ve seen. I’ve seen it tested on some birds, horses, cows, and bears so far which seem to acquire the focus on the eyes more often than not. But Canon is TOP DOG right now and with the release of the R5, they have been doing strong even during this past year so perhaps it would be the best choice as long as you’re willing to take the hit in the bank account

 

[Rayane]

Although I don’t have much experience with Canon or Sony, the more recent mirrorless bodies from Sony appear to have the fastest autofocus for animals/people I’ve seen. I’ve seen it tested on some birds, horses, cows, and bears so far which seem to acquire the focus on the eyes more often than not. But Canon is TOP DOG right now and with the release of the R5, they have been doing strong even during this past year so perhaps it would be the best choice as long as you’re willing to take the hit in the bank account

Sony is fast with domestics and people, but when it comes to birds and more awkward wildlife, from what I've seen on youtube, the system present on the R5 and the R6 is miles ahead.
The Sony A1 should be released soon so we will have a better clue as to where Sony is at at the moment, but I doubt they closed the gap.

But the R5 is indeed an investment, I mean, 4000$, that's why I'm waiting for the in between bodies to come out. My interest is for the AF system, I do not need 45MP right now.