Nature photography requires specialized camera equipment in order to achieve consistently high quality images. Starting with a camera body the serious nature photographer will add a lens, tripod, flash and other accessories to their ever-expanding camera bag. There is no list of equipment that will be perfect for every photographer and the decisions that each photographer makes will depend upon their preferred subject matter, the weight of equipment that they are willing to carry, budget, etc. On this page I outline the equipment that I use for my bird photography.

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Below you will find a list of everything that is in my camera bag. These are the tools that I have chosen to carry taking into account a variety of factors. I hope you will find this list useful.

If you happen to find some good information on this page or on other pages on my site I would really appreciate it if you would consider making your next equipment purchase through one of my affiliate links to B&H Photo Video. You’ll pay exactly the same, but I will get a small commission for the referral. It all helps! Simply click on the image of the product you are interested in and you will be linked to the B&H site. Cheers!

CAMERA BODIES

When choosing a type of camera for serious tropical nature photography there really is only one option – a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera. These digital bodies allow the user to look into a viewfinder and directly through the lens to their subject. They allow for the use of a wide variety of lenses, have sophisticated autofocus capabilities, have high speed shooting capabilities, and allow their users to quickly and intuitively change settings. For these reasons digital SLR cameras are the choice of 99% of wildlife photographers. Choosing a type of camera is indeed the easy part. Deciding on a brand and model of camera becomes somewhat more complicated.

Once you have decided on a brand of camera you will have to decide what model is right for you. In many cases it is the budget of the photographer that contributes in large part to this decision. After all, both Canon and Nikon produce camera bodies that range in price from about $700 to well over $5000. Aside from the cost of the various camera models there are several factors worth considering before choosing a camera body.

MEGAPIXELS - This is the question that so many new photographers have in mind when they are looking for their first digital camera. While camera manufacturers seem hung-up on the never ending “Megapixel war” to add more and more Megapixels to their cameras – you should not be. The truth is that for most people (including professional photographers) any camera with 8 Megapixels or more will be more than sufficient.

CROP FACTOR - Both Canon and Nikon produce cameras that have full frame sensors as well as bodies that have sensors that are smaller than 35mm. The result of these smaller sensors is increased focal magnification. For example, if a camera has a 1.6x crop factor a 100mm lens will become a 160mm lens or a 300mm lens will become a 480mm lens. Bird photographers may choose to use a camera with a smaller sensor so that they can take advantage of these crop factors. Landscape photographers, on the other hand, would likely choose a full frame camera body so that their wide angle lenses retain their wide field of view.

FRAME RATE - There are occasions when the ability to capture many images in a short period of time is a tremendous advantage. Photographing birds in flight in particular is often more successful when the photographer is equipped with a camera that is capable of shooting at a high frame rate. The top of the line camera bodies can take up to 10 images per second and can quickly write these images to a memory card. If you are a photographer that enjoys photographing action then you may want to consider the frame rate as an important factor in the camera you choose to buy.

AUTOFOCUS CAPABILITY - Perhaps one of the most important factors when choosing a camera body is how sophisticated of an autofocus system do you need. The reason this is an important question is that this is often the main reason to spend the extra money and buy the top of the line, expensive camera bodies. If you are just getting started in nature photography you likely do not need one of these bodies.

HIGH ISO CAPABILITY - Another very important consideration for many photographers is how a given camera body will perform at high ISO speeds. As is the case with autofocus, the results at high ISO speeds tend to improve with the cost of the camera body. High ISO performance however generally improves with larger pixel size. Therefore if shooting at high ISO is important to you we recommend either buying a camera with fewer megapixels or one with a full frame sensor (and larger pixel size).

BUILD QUALITY - Another reason why professional photographers pay many thousand dollars more for the top of the line cameras is build quality. These professional camera bodies will be made of studier materials and will offer more protection against the elements. The shutter mechanism will also be rated for a higher number of actuations (often upwards of 300,000). Nature photography can be extremely hard on equipment and each photographer will have to weigh the advantages of having more robust and weather sealed camera bodies against the added expense of these professional cameras.

Canon 7D

As of December, 2009 Canon's EOS 7D will be my primary camera. This camera provides a lot of bang for buck!. The autofocus is a definite step up from the XXD camera series. Add HD video to the mix and a few other new features and this was a big step up from the 50D. I generally carry two of these bodies when I am in the field.

Hopefully the new 7D mkII will come out soon!

Canon Powershot S95

I had been waiting for a good point and shoot that was small, shoots RAW images, and shoots HD video. Finally the S95 has arrived!

NOTE - The latest version of this camera is the Powershot S110.

600mm f/4 IS II

As of July 2013 my new primary lens. For me the weight savings and minimum focus distance of the new lens made it attractive enough to trade in my old 500mm for. Hopefully it will be a great lens for me for years to come!

500mm f/4 IS

For a long long time I dreamed of owning this lens. Now that I have it I have to say that it is probably the best lens I have ever used and I could not be happier. Incorporating image stabilization technology, this is truly one of the world's best lenses for wildlife and nature photography. It may have cost more than my car - but I love it!

NOTE - I have recently sold my beloved 500mm for the new 600mm lens.

400mm f/5.6

The ultimate lens for photographing birds in flight! The lens is very light and it focuses extremely quickly.

300mm f/4 IS

For larger subjects, when photographing in a blind, for flight shots or when 500mm is simply too much lens this is a great lens to have. The lens is very light and its close focussing distance of 1.5m makes it a great tool for macro photography as well.

100mm f/2.8 macro

When you want to get up close and personal with your subjects this is the lens to do it. For insects, amphibians and any other little critters this is lens awesome and it allows 1x magnification.

17-40mm f/4

For scenery this is the lens to have. At 17mm it's pretty much as wide as I ever want to go and at 40mm its a great walk around lens. Very versatile, fairly light and reasonably affordable.

Canon 1.4x Converter

When it comes to wildlife, and especially birds, it is often a case of the more focal length the better! As a result I find myself using the 1.4x converter very often with my 500mm lens. The converter features a multi layer lens coating and lens design that reduces flare and also creates an optimum color balance.

Canon 2x Converter

The 2x converter is a very valuable accessory for the nature photograpger. But for the time being I don't use this converter very often as I lose two stops of light and also autofocus capabilities with my current camera body. Eventually though, I will upgrade to a 1 series body and I'm sure I will use this accessory heaps.

Kenko Extension Tube Set

Extension tubes are designed to enable a lens to focus closer than its normal set minimum focusing distance. Getting closer has the effect of magnifying your subject (making it appear larger in the viewfinder and in your pictures). They are exceptionally useful for macro photography or when photographing small birds inside of the minimum focussing distance of telephoto lenses.

580 EX II

This was Canon's formertop-of-the-line Speedlite. Its got plenty of power and I have always been pleased with its performance.

NOTE - The latest version is the 600EX RT. It has built in radio transmitting capabilities.

430EX II

I use the 430 EX flash as a backup option to the 580 EX II. It's always good to have a backup!

I actually own eight 430EX's because I use them for multi-flash hummingbird work and also for fill flash in difficult lighting situations.

Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord

The Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 2 was designed to assist photographers in more efficiently lighting their subjects. I use this item with my wimberley flash bracket to allow for better flash positioning, which translates into more controllable illumination.

Gitzo GT3540 XLS

When shooting with a 500mm lens a sturdy tripod is an absolute must. The Gitzo tripods are the strongest and most stable available on the market. I finally got this carbon fiber model and I love it! The beauty of this tripod is that with just 2 sections extended it is the perfect height for me. Yet with the 3rd section extended it goes well over head height. This can come in handy when the birds are up high.

Gitzo 1340 Mk II

When shooting with a 500mm lens a sturdy tripod is an absolute must. The Gitzo Systematic tripods are the strongest and most stable available on the market. Even though it is a bit on the heavy side, I am extremely happy with this tripod.

Now that I have a carbon fiber tripod this one will be used as my "water tripod" that I take into swamps, the ocean and anywhere else that would damage my carbon fiber tripod.

Wimberly Head Version II

The Wimberley Head is a specialized tripod head for telephoto lenses. Its gimbal-type design allows you to rotate your lens around its center of gravity and thus easily manipulate very large lenses. The Wimberley Head has is prety much the industry standard for serious nature photographers using super-telephoto lenses.

Wimberley Flash Bracket

There are many occasions in nature photography where flash is best used off camera. In telephoto applications, raising the flash higher minimizes red or "steel" eye in wildlife photos, since the directional lighting is on a different plane than the lens. This also helps reduce shadows from flash use by casting the shadow downward behind the subject where it less apparent.

Giottos 1301 Mini Ballhead

This little ballhead is amazing. For about $100 you get a super lightweight ballhead that is capable of supporting an SLR and light lens. If I am going hiking and am taking landscape images this is the head I bring.

Lowepro Pro Trekker 600 AW

This backpack is a monster! It easily fits my 600mm lens attached to the camera, 400mm, 300mm, 17-40mm, 6 flashes, laptop, and a tonne of accessories. It is where my equipment lives when I am not travelling and is my everyday bag when not travelling by air.

Think Tank Photo Airport Security V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag

With enough storage for a 500mm or 600mm lens this is generally considered to be the best rolling bag on the market today.

One Way to Support this Site...

Below you will find all of the accessories that are in my camera bag. I hope you find this list useful.

If you happen to find some good information on this page or on other pages on my site I would really appreciate it if you would consider making your next accessories purchase through one of my affiliate links to Naturescapes Online Store. You will pay exactly the same. You will get the best price and service on the internet. But I will get a small commission for the referral. It all helps! Simply click on the image of the product you are interested in and you will be linked to the NSN site. Cheers!

Powerex Imedion Batteries

These PowerEx Imedion 2400mAh NiMH batteries can be stored for an extended period of time without substantial loss of power. They are rechargeable up to 1000 times and have a 2400mAh ultra high capacity rating.

Powerex 8 Cell Charger

The PowerEx MH-C801D battery charger features eight independent circuits that charge 1 to 8 AA or AAA NiHM or NiCD batteries in any combination. Embedded with a high-rate battery conditioner, this unit will charge, deep-discharge and recharge batteries automatically for maximum rejuvenation. A new eight cell (0.001V resolution) microprocessor will charge batteries to their maximum capacity without overcharging or undercharging, providing maximum battery longevity.

Quick Camo Blinds

Kwik Camo photography blinds are designed to cover you and your camera gear—from a telephoto setup on a tripod to handholding a flight lens. A mesh camo window allows you to vew wildlife without disruption, or you canunzip across the top of the window for a totally unobstructed view. Adjustments under the blind are concealed from your subjects and you can use a left and right slot in the blind for easy access outside the blind. A slot on top of the blind allows use of a flash unit externally.

Better Beamer Flash

Use of the "Better Beamer" Flash Extender will extend the distance of your flash range. It also allows for faster refresh rates and reduced battery consumption, creating a better chance of catching the action when it happens. It's lightweight, simple to attach with the Velcro strap provided, and conveniently folds flat for packing. "Better Beamer" Flash Extenders are intended for use with focal lengths of 300mm or greater.

Lens Coat Lens Cover

LensCoat  telephoto lens covers offer your valuable equipment some protection from scrapes and bumps, preserving its resale value. They also help break up the shape of your lens, making it less noticeable to wildlife.

Covers are available for most lenses in a variety of patterns.

Storm Jacket Rain Cover

There are some pretty fancy rain covers out there on the market. But for me simple is good. This one packs down very small and is easy and convenient to always have with you. I have never had any issues with leaks. Two thumbs up from me!