Wildlife Video Recordings - Gear, Setup & Camera Settings

This article explores the complexities of field video and sound recordings. Learn about the gear we use and the camera settings we deploy, carefully optimized over time to ensure high-quality footage that captures the beauty and intricacy of nature and wildlife.

Last changed on 2024-10-18

Cameras & Camera Settings

Professional teams producing wildlife documentaries have access to RED V-Raptor, or Phantom Flex4K camera with the Canon 50-1000mm lens requiring a budget of significantly over $100'000. Not an option for me.

I deploy NIKON Z8 with different lenses depending on the subject which I am filming. All recordings of animals are done in P mode and in 4k at 60fps or 120fps in FX or DX and saved as N-RAW 12bit. With these settings I can zoom, pan and slow-down in post-production without losing too much of the high-quality footage. I chose P mode because light conditions in nature videography can change fast and I want to make sure that the recorded clips are usable.

The iPhone 11 is deployed for landscape overview recordings only. This footage is recorded at 4k 24fps which is the highest quality possible and which still allows me to pan or zoom-in in post-production if necessary.

Wildlife Recordings

For recording animals and their behavior I deploy the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 with or without TC 2.0. Getting close to the subject is of highest importance but it is necessary to the distance with a long focal length for not disturbing the subject. With this lens and camera settings, i can get a focal length of up to 1200mm (400m x 2 x 1.5).

Animal Size	SENSOR	200MM	400MM	600MM	800MM	1200MM
50cm	FX	9m	17m	26m	34m	51m
	DX	13m	26m	39m	51m	77m
100cm	FX	17m	34m	51m	69m	103m
	DX	26m	51m	77m	103m	154m

Using a zoom lens gives me some flexibility in framing the subject without having to change my location. Although, I frequently record short clips handheld, in most cases I deploy a tripod for improved stability.

I prefer recording the sound together with the video footage to simplify post-production workflow. I am using a shotgun microphone, Rode NTG-2, connected to Zoom F3 which then is connected to the camera. Rode NTG-2 and Zoom F3 are mounted on camera using a camera rig.

Rode NTG-2 is a great microphone and with connecting it to the Zoom F3, I am able to visually and acoustically monitor the input before the signal is sent to the camera. Besides that the Zoom F3 provides the phantom current the microphone requires and it can record the sound independently in 32-bit float when necessary.

Landscape Ambient

In the past, I deployed the NIKON Z8 with the NIKKOR 24-70mm lens for this task. I learned that this is an overkill for what I am using this footage. Just for fun, I created a video using a footage recorded back in 2017 with an iPhone 7 handheld. It turns out that even on the largest screen which is a 55" OLED television, the result looks fine. The sound though isn't that crispy and clear as I would like to have.

Thus, now I deploy an iPhone 11 mounted on a small tripod. The footage is recorded in 4k 24fps.

The sound is captured using a pair of DIJ wireless microphones located left and right of the iPhone. The DIJ transmitter is connected directly to the iPhone. Occasionally, I record the sound of each DJI mic separately on device. In parallel, I also record the sound using the Zoom H4n Pro with the built in stereo microphone.

Macro Video Recordings

Video recording with a macro lens is challenging because of the narrow focal plane. It requires a lot of perseverance and patience. For this setting, I deploy the NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8, a superb macro lens. With increased aperture, the focal plane gets more narrow. Because of this relation, whenever the light allows, I switch to aperture priority mode setting it to f/11.

Because of the narrow focal plane, a tripod is mandatory for macro video recording. I position the camera very close to the subject which doesn’t work for all critters.

Sound is recorded with the same setup as for wildlife. Besides the in-camera recording, I also record ambient sound with the Zoom H4n Pro.