Gear For Wildlife Photography

Wildlife photography is probably the favourite of most photographers; maybe, followed by landscape photography.

- Rohinton Mehta

It should be noted that pets are not considered ‘wildlife’. Every year, during Wildlife Special, I write about this genre of photography in general but this time I would like to be more specific and talk about the type of camera, sensor format, lenses, ISOs, apertures and shutter speeds crucial to this topic.

Type of camera

Actually, and as long as you understand the limitations of your equipment, you can use any type of camera – be it a bridge camera, a D-SLR or a mirrorless model.

Bridge cameras generally offer very long focal lengths at very affordable costs, and hence it could be the ‘starter camera’ for those on a strict budget. Bridge cameras are also lightweight and compact, thus adding to the comfort zone of the user. On the disadvantage side, the lens is almost always ‘slow’ and not interchangeable. Another drawback is its small imaging sensor size. D-SLRs, though comparatively more expensive and heavier, have been the preferred choice of most users, including professionals. The main advantage is the ability to interchange the lenses to suit the shooting conditions. On the negative side, the flipping of the reflex mirror causes minute vibrations that rob the image of its optimum sharpness. There is also the question of ‘shutter shock’, which also adds to the loss of critical sharpness (unless you use the Electronic Front Curtain Shutter, if the camera has this feature).