The FAQs for choosing the right camera gear are several and most of them come from beginners and amateur photographers. While budget is the deciding factor for choosing camera gear, there are many other points one should keep in mind while selecting the equipment, and the camera gear section in this book discusses it in great detail. However, the question remains which is the right brand for me? Many camera manufacturers design equipment that is used in wildlife photography, but here the focus is on three legacy brands- Canon, Nikon, and Sony.
Canon
Camera Body: Canon R5 camera body with 45 megapixels has the most advanced sensors with the best dynamic range. The animal eye detects autofocus making it ideal for bird and wildlife photography. You can take high-quality videos with this camera which is also durable. If you want to opt for a mirrorless camera then choosing R5 with 20 megapixels is a good choice. When you want a good cropping factor that is lesser than 45 megapixels then this camera body is a perfect choice.
Chief Accessory: The battery grip BG-R10 comes with space for two batteries and a vertical shutter button. It works well for both R5 and R6 Canon camera bodies and is a must-have accessory.
Lens: Bird photographers can use a lens with an autofocus capability of 300mm, while nature and landscape photographers can choose a wider lens which is more than 28mm for clicking intense closeups of tiny subjects like reptiles, insects, frogs, and plants a macro lens will be of great use. Canon EF or RF 600mm is the best primary lens for a bird, wildlife, and nature photography, the lightweight and minimum focus distance makes it the first choice for this genre.
The other two versatile lens options for bird and wildlife photographers are 100-400 f/5.6 IS II and 300mm f/2.8 IS II that you can bet on, the latter goes very well with teleconverters. For capturing birds in flight and while shooting from blinds or hides choose 300mm f/4 IS, while the 500mm can also be used for macro photography as it has a minimum focusing distance of 1.5m. The 100mm f/2.8 Macro is only used for capturing artistic closeups of the tiny birds, frogs, insects, and interesting plants of the tropical forests.
Teleconverters: When it comes to clicking birds sitting at a distance you will need an extra focal length, Canon 1.4x, and 2X teleconverters help in that. While the 1.4X converter works well with a 500mm lens, the 2X complements a mirrorless camera body like R5 or R6. These teleconverters are flare resistant and ensure color balance.
The Kenko extension tubes help to increase the magnification power of the lens as it helps the lens to focus closer than its normal limits. These extension tubes are great for macro photography and for capturing birds in the range of the lenses’ minimum focusing distance.
Flashes and its Accessories: Canon EL-1 is a premium flash with a faster recycling time and other advanced features which is a little expensive. The commonly used flash is the 600 EX-RT II or 470 EX-RT from the Speedlite line which is quite powerful. The accessories that pair well with RT flashes are Canon Radio Transmitter and the off-camera shoe cord.
Nikon
Camera Body: The Nikon Z9 is a premium DSLR camera body but on a pricier side, while the Nikon Z7 II is the mirrorless version with 46 megapixels. The Nikon Z9 is a premium DSLR camera body but on a higher side, while the Nikon Z7 II is the mirrorless version with 46 megapixels.
Chief Accessory: The battery grip MB-N11 works for both Z7II and Z6II camera bodies, it can hold two batteries and has a vertical shutter button.
Lens: The 600mm f/4 VR II lens has the biggest glass and has been recently upgraded to a lightweight version. If you want to opt for a lighter lens then 500mm f/4 VR II is a good option for capturing birds and provides excellent image quality. Other lenses that also create sharp images and have great autofocus capabilities include the 200-500mm f/5.6, 300mm f/2.8 VR which work well with teleconverters, and 300mm f/4 PF is ideal for handholding, and 105mm f/2.8VR Micro is suitable for macro photography.
Teleconverters: The Nikon 1.4X Converter III has superb magnification power and consumes one stop of light, while the upgraded Nikon 2X Converter III pairs well with a super-telephoto lens and if you are using a full-frame camera body then this is a great choice. The Kenko extension tubes are a counterpart of the Canon version and perform the same function.
Flash: The SB-5000 is a high-quality flash by Nikon and if you are clicking Hummingbirds then SB-700 is a great option for multi-flash photography and you can also use it as your backup flash. You will need a shoe cord to connect the flash to the bracket for which you can use both Nikon and Off-Brand.
Sony
Camera Body: Sony A1 is indeed a top-quality mirrorless camera body with 50 megapixels, 30 frames per second, and excellent autofocus capabilities. While the Sony A9II is a full-frame camera body with 24 megapixels. If you are looking out for a full-frame camera body then Sony A7IV with 33MP is a good option. For those who are looking for a camera body with a crop factor then Sony A 6600 is a good choice with 1.5x magnification power and 24 megapixels. It is also budget-friendly.
Lens: If you prefer using a lens with big glass then 600mm f/4 is a great option, but since many find them heavy to carry around the 500mm f/4 is the next best super-telephoto lens one can use to photograph birds. The 300mm 2.8 complements with teleconverters which makes it versatile and if you are looking for a more affordable lens then Sony 200-600mm is a good option. The 100 f/2.8 Macro is ideal for making the tiny creatures look larger than life in your images.
Teleconverters: You can choose the teleconverters based on the magnification power you need, there are two options the 1.4x teleconverter and the 2x that bring the subject close to you. Using the Kenko extension tubes will further increase the magnification power of the lens and is great for macro photography.
Flashes: You can choose between HVL-F60RM2 which is a high-quality flash and HVL-F45RM in case looking for an affordable option that is less powerful. If you are someone who uses flash not that often then the second model is a good option.
Here are some recommendations from the commonly used brands that are classic. However, you can opt for other brands like Sigma and Tamron which also manufactures good quality camera gear for capturing birds and beasts.
