Recommended Wildlife Photography Equipment
In order to make the kinds of images you see on this website and in your favorite nature publications, a few recommended pieces of photography equipment are essential.
The Camera. Modern camera bodies are packed with power and features, even on the low end of the cost range. Professional bodies (such as Nikon D-series, Canon EOS 1D-series) offer tremendous power in the field, but are also large and heavy. You'll know it after a day of hiking through a jungle for eight hours with one on your shoulders.
"Pro-sumer" models, a cross between "professional" and "consumer" level bodies, offer nearly maximum features with less weight and bulk. "Consumer" level cameras offer the best price-point and are extremely light. Whichever body you choose should fit your shooting style, budget and physical condition.
The Lens. Most professional wildlife photographers use either a 400mm, 500mm, or 600mm lens. So called "straight lenses" (ones with a fixed focal length) will always offer the best quality, since the lens designers are able to maximize the optical properties and lens glass configuration for a specific focal length.
Zoom Lenses will always sacrifice quality at one end of the range or the other. However, the quality of zoom lenses today is so high, the difference is negligible for all but those with the most discriminating eye. I generally recommend something that will give you 400mm in a zoom, such as the Canon 100-400mm or the Nikon 200-400mm.
If you can handle f/5.6 as the maximum aperture, then your options are much wider. Most professionals consider a lens "professional" when you have a f/2.8 as a maximum aperture. This of course sends the weight and the cost skyrocketing. Since I am virtually always shooting in low light conditions, such as those found in The Amazon, the f2.8 lens is worth the sacrifice.
Tripods ultimately are just something to hold your camera still. They are a bit like cars; any car will get you there, but some will get you there in style.
The latest improvement is the development of Carbon Fiber tripods, which cut weight considerably and that is also reflected in the cost.
The tripod you choose for these trips should pack small, be lightweight and easy to carry for a few hours at a time. Leg segments should be short enough to pack easily inside your airline check luggage.
After booking your trip with Expedition Wild™, a complete list of recommended photography gear will be sent to you in your booking packet.