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Cameras, Lenses and Accessories

Gear selection isn't just about megapixels. It involves considerations like equipment weight, focal length and aperture, autofocus and focus speed, among many others. The gear should enable me to capture pleasant and useful photos of any interesting subject in any situation I might encounter during a field trip.

Camera

I upgraded to NIKON Z8 because my previous camera NIKON Z6 has limited autofocus abilities with birds in flight and or other fast moving animals. NIKON Z8 did its job well, although it is a heavy camera and carrying it around with mounted lens is a constraint on my stamina.

Lenses

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The selection of lenses available allows me to capture photos and videos of animals at a distance, landscape shots with a short focal length, and macro images of small critters and flowers.

For photos and videos of animals, I use the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom telephoto lens. It’s a practical option, covering focal lengths from 100mm to 800mm when paired with a TC-2 teleconverter. However, it comes with compromises: the aperture is limited to f/4.5–f/5.6 without the teleconverter and f/9–f/13 with it, resulting in unsatisfactory performance in low-light conditions.

For landscapes, I use the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 a flexible option covering wide-angle shots up to 24mm. Since I rarely use it beyond 24mm, I’m considering replacing it with either a fixed focal length or a zoom lens around 24mm. The 24-70mm f/2.8 is a heavy lens!

Finally, for macro photography of flowers and critters, I use the NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8. It performs exceptionally well in all situations where I deploy it.

Audio Recording

I record either the sounds of individual animals, such as bird songs or frog calls, or broader ambient soundscapes. When filming video, I use the Røde VideoMic NTG mounted on the camera to capture the sounds of animals directly in camera. For dedicated mono sound recordings when not filming, I use the Røde NTG-2 connected to the Zoom F3. For ambient stereo recordings, I use a pair of Behringer C-2 microphones mounted in the Rycote ORTF WS kit and connected to the same recorder.

The Rycote ORTF kit includes a dual-axis hinge for tripod mounting, but in practice this connector is not sufficiently stable and becomes difficult to adjust at freezing temperatures. To simplify the setup, I removed the hinge entirely and wrapped the metal mounting plate of the windshield with tape to improve grip. A SmallRig clamp is now attached directly to the plate and mounted on the tripod. This configuration provides one fixed angle of rotation at the clamp, while the second angle is set by positioning the tripod itself.

What's in my Bag

Depending on the subject, the gear I carry changes. Since carrying all equipment together weighs far too much, I maintain a checklist for each type of photography and decide which style I will focus on before leaving.

Price Tags

The prices are estimated at current market value and listed only to give me a sense of how much my hobby has cost me. It’s significantly more than what I paid for my used car. Price tags don't include taxes (~15%)

Still Missing?

I definitely miss my NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8, which I used for whale photography. Its image quality is unmatched and far superior to that of the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. At some point, I may want to replace the Behringer C-2 microphones with Sennheiser MKH 8040.

Disclaimer

I am not sponsored by, affiliated with, or receiving any incentives from any brands or products featured in this article. All equipment mentioned was purchased at market price, and any mention of specific brands or products is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a recommendation.