Teton NP divider

Wildlife Photography Tips

Grand Teton National Park Divider

Meerkats; copyright Nico Smit

W  H  E  R  E      T  O      S  T  A  R  T  -  E   Q   U   I   P   M   E   N   T
  
These meerkats may look like they  lined up for a group portrait and just waited for photographer Nico Smit to
say "cheese."  But, alas, wildlife photography is not quite so easy.
Having the right equipment, however,
can help.

SINGLE LENS REFLEX CAMERAS

If you are interested in the full spectrum of nature photography - from macro to action images of wildlife -  a digital SLR (or 35mm film camera) will offer you the greatest flexibility.  These cameras allow you to switch lenses - from ultra wide fisheyes to long telephotos.  Most DSLRs will also be faster and more responsive than a digicam. 

CROP FACTOR

In choosing a DSLR camera, it's useful to consider the camera's crop factor.  Digital cameras have sensors of varying sizes.  Full frame DSLR sensors have the same or very similar dimensions to the 24mm x 36mm frame size of 35mm film cameras and excel in low light, in capturing detail and in allowing for shallow depth of field.  But DSLRs with smaller sensors can prove beneficial in wildlife photography - particularly if you don't have thousands of dollars to spend on fast 500mm or 600mm telephoto lenses or simply want a smaller and lighter camera kit.  That's because the smaller camera sensor results in an in-camera crop.  If you use a DSLR with a 1.5x crop factor, for example, a 300mm lens will have an effective focal length of 450mm.  A 2x crop will give you an effective focal length of 600mm using the same 300mm lens.


CROP FACTORS OF SELECTED MODELS (CURRENT AS OF 3/08)


Nikon D300, D200, D80, D60, D40x and earlier models
1.5x
Nikon D3 FF
Fuji S5 Pro and earlier models.
1.5x
Canon 40D, 30D, 20D and Rebel series
1.6x
Canon EOS -1D Mark III
1.3x
Canon EOS 5D 12 mp;  EOS-1Ds Mark III 21.1 mp
FF


Olympus E3, 510, E410, E420 and earlier models 2x
Pentax K10d, K20d, K100d, k200d and earlier models (also true of Samsung models)
1.5x
Sigma DSLRs
1.7x
Sony a300, a350, a700 and earlier models
1.5x
Sony a900 24.6 mp
(estimated 8/08 or 9/08 release)
FF


U S E F U L   F E A T U R E S

DEPTH OF FIELD PREVIEW

Most DSLRs now offer depth of field preview, and it's a feature well worth having.  It will let you see what elements of the image will be in focus at your chosen exposure settings. If you want both the eyes and nose of a frog in focus, depth of field preview will let you know if you've accomplished your goal.  If you haven't, you can try a smaller f-stop.

MANUAL METERING/ FOCUS OPTION

You'll also want to be able to manually overide exposure and focus.  A camera's meter, no matter how sophisticated, still sees the world differently than the human eye.  In some situations, you will need to adjust your exposure to avoid blown-out highlights or loss of shadow detail.  Manual overrides also allow you to be more creative: there may be times when you deliberately want to underexpose or overexpose an image for effect or to use long exposure times.

Spot metering is another useful feature to have, and I personally prefer a camera that allows me to automatically bracket exposures in difficult lighting situations.

ADJUSTMENTS TO WHITE BALANCE,  SHARPNESS, CONTRAST AND SATURATION

Most digital SLRs will let you make some adjustments to white balance and to sharpness, contrast and saturation presets.  Some cameras also have settings for black and white photography - including your choice of simulated filter effects.
 
MIRROR LOCKUP

This isn't required but can be useful, especially when you are using moderately slow shutter speeds on a tripod. 

DUST REMOVAL

This feature is helpful - particularly if you're frequently shooting in dusty environments.  Otherwise, you'll find yourself either frequently cleaning your sensor or correcting dust spots on your images during post-processing.

IMAGE STABILIZATION

Camera manufacturers take different approaches to image stabilization.  Sony, Pentax, Samsung and Olympus offer in-body image stabilization. 
If you use Nikon. Fuji or Canon camera
bodies, you'll need to purchase lenses marked either IS (Canon) or VR (Nikon) to gain the advantage of reduced camera shake.

LIVE VIEW

Olympus initiated live view on DSLRs,  and all other major DSLR camera makers are now following suit.  This can be a helpful feature, especially with macro photography.  I personally don't use live view often - though I'm more inspired to do so when I'm using a camera that has a free angle or tilting LCD screen.  The ease of using live view also varies between manufacturers.

       CAMERAS WITH LIVE VIEW

D300, D3
LV
Canon Rebel XSi,
Canon 40D,
EOS 1D-Mark 111
LV
Olympus E-510
(several earlier models also offer live view.)
LV
Olympus E-3
LV
Free Angle
Pentax k20d
LV
Samsung  GX-20
LV
Sony a300, a350
LV
Tilting
Panasonic LUmix
DMC-L10
LV
Free Angle
 

  Royal Terns; copyright Steven Holt/stockpix.com


ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY

You can take beautiful portraits of wildlife, up-close images of insects or environmental landscapes without ever desiring autofocus, but if you're interested in action photography, a DSLR with fast and effective autofocus and focus tracking and/or predictive autofocus is a big plus.  You'll also want to consider frames per second if capturing fast action is your goal. 

   Frames per Second - Fastest DSLRs
                 (last update 3/08)

Canon 40D
6.5 fps
Canon EOS 1D Mark III
10 fps
Nikon D80
5 fps
Nikon D200
5 fps
Nikon D300
6 fps
8 fps with
optional  battery grip
Nikon D3
9 fps
(11 fps DX crop)
Olympus E3
5 fps
Sony a700
5 fps

Most entry level DSLRs average 3 fps - which is certainly fast enough to record action.  But their buffers are often smaller (meaning that you can't take as many images before the camera insists on a rest to complete image processing), and their autofocus systems are often less robust.  Regardless of the frame rate, you'll miss action shots if you are depending on autofocus and your camera is unable to quickly lock on the correct focus point.  So if capturing action is your goal, check reviews before purchasing a camera. And, if possible, try out the camera with your selected lenses before making your final decision.

Is autofocus absolutely necessary for action photography?  No.  Wonderful images were created before autofocus was invented.  But it can certainly increase the odds of getting the shot.

LENS CHOICE

Before buying a camera, look at the manufacturer's selection of lenses.  Do they make the lenses you need, or do third party manufacturers produce acceptable substitutes?

Both Nikon and Canon have a wide range of lens choices - ranging from extreme wide angles to fast, beautiful, long telephotos.  Almost all third party lenses (Sigma, Tamron, Tokina) are also available in Canon or Nikon mounts.

Olympus also offers a range of lenses well suited to wildlife photography. With the 2x crop factor of its cameras, Olympus lenses have effective focal lengths ranging from 14mm to 600mm.
There are far fewer third party lenses available for Olympus cameras, but   Olympus and Leica both produce excellent lenses for the four-thirds mount.

Pentax and Sony both offer some very sharp lenses, but their longest non-reflex telephoto lens (Sony offers a 500/f8 reflex) is currently 300mm (effective focal length of 450mm on the 1.5x crop bodies.)  Pentax did produce longer telephotos in the past, as did Minolta (consumed by Sony), so some longer telephotos may be available on the secondary market.  Teleconverters can also be used to further extend focal length, but they have some drawbacks, particularly when used with slower consumer zooms.  Third party manufactuers also make longer telephoto lenses for both Pentax and Sony camera mounts.





WHICH CAMERA TO BUY

This is a choice best left to you.  If possible, try out different cameras before making your decision.  Some cameras are small and light; others will help develop your biceps.  If you're planning to buy big glass, a heavier body is often desirable. But if you hike into remote areas, have smaller hands or prefer stalking wildlife to sitting in blinds, a lighter, more portable system may suit you well.

If you intend to use manual focus, make sure that you can see through the camera's viewfinder well enough to
finely adjust focus.  And spend some time playing with camera controls. Can you easily access the controls that you will use most frequently?  You may also want to check how quickly the camera focuses with your chosen lens.
As DSLRs get better and better, digital noise is becoming less of an issue.  But If you will frequently be shooting at higher ISOs, test how well the camera performs at ISO 800, 1600 or above or compare image samples at dpreview.com. 



To inspire you, here are the links to a
few wildlife and nature photographers.  Frans Lanting, John Shaw and Moose Peterson use Nikon equipment, as does my partner, Steven Holt   Art Wolfe, Tim Fitzharris and Arthur Morris use Canon cameras, and Mitsuaki Iwago and John Isaac use Olympus gear.  Images made with Pentax cameras can be viewed at the Pentax Photo Gallery.

Wild Mustangs at Montgomery Pass, copyright Steven Holt/stockpix.com

ON A BUDGET

Beautiful images can be made with any of the DSLRs currently on the market.  Entry level DSLRs don't have the speed, durability, viewfinders or weather proofing of their bigger brothers, but they are much less expensive and several allow you to have significant creative control over your final image.  If you're on a limited budget, it's better to spend your money on a better lens than to immediately purchase a camera which may be far more than you will initially need or desire.

Another option. particularly if you're interested in action photography, is to look for used or refurbished mid-level DSLRs.  Refurbished Canon 30Ds, for example, are currently selling for $649.95 at Adorama.

 

Polar bears at Churchill, copyright Keith Levit


CAMERA REVIEWS

There are several sites that can assist you in your choice of a camera.  Dpjournal.com provides summaries of camera reviews, while Dpreview.com offers its own detailed camera reviews with galleries of sample images.  Dpreview also hosts forums, allowing you to obtain advice from scores of photographers.  Just be forewarned that some photographers are so blinded by loyalty to their own camera brand that they are unable to acknowledge that others could or should make a different choice.

KNOW YOUR CAMERA

Once you decide on a camera, spend time getting to know it.  You'll be able to be more creative when you photograph and will also be more likely to obtain the results you are after in the field.


Short-eared Owl, copyright Steven Holt/stockpix.com


LINKS TO SELECTED CAMERA MANUFACTURERS












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Baby black bear; copyright Geoffrey Kuchera

NEXT INSTALLMENTS

Lenses for Wildlife Photography
Exposure Basics
Just Starting Out:  Where to Go
Approaching Wildlife
Macro Photography
Capturing Action
The Power of Photography
Marketing Your Work









Alaskan Brown Bear; copyright Steven Holt
   
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