When I post about the beautiful birds I’ve had the pleasure of photographing, I’m often met with the question “What gear do you use?” The short answer is lots of Nikon! But if you’re reading this blog, chances are you don’t want the short answer. Get to know the ins and outs of my camera bag, which was most recently brought to Botswana! I shopped locally for most of these products at Dodd Camera in Chicago. It’s important to keep your local camera shops afloat!
Camera Bag
First things first, you need a good bag if you’re going to tote around a lot of gear. And when I’m traveling to remote destinations to photograph birds, I need to have A LOT of gear with me. I’ve tried various bags over the years and found a rolling bag works best for me. Carrying around large cameras and lenses can add stress to my shoulders and back, so using a rolling bag helps alleviate any additional stress I would potentially obtain.
I love how spacious the Think Tank Streetwalker Rolling Backpack v2.0 is! I’m able to fit all my gear and then some inside of it. The added pockets inside and outside give me ample storage room for my Passport, business cards, lens wipes, charging cables, energy bars, and various other odds and ends. A bonus, this bag adheres to the dimensions for carry-on luggage. So, if you’re traveling anytime soon, this bag will work for you! I recently traveled to Botswana and had no issues getting this on my plane.
Camera Bodies
I carry two camera bodies with me everywhere I go. This helps save time when needing to change lenses. The split second it would take to swap out a lens is a split second I may have missed a rare bird. It also allows me to have the flexibility to shoot stills on one camera and video on the other in situations where I want to capture both.
I currently use two Nikon Z9 bodies. I’ll never look back to traditional DSLR’s after switching to mirrorless. The capabilities these cameras possess are nothing short of amazing. The stacked CMOS sensor on this 45.7MP full frame camera allows me to seamlessly shoot at a high burst rate while maintaining superior autofocus tracking, a must when your subject takes up a small percentage of your frame.
Speaking of a high burst rate, the Nikon Z9 has Pre-Release capture, meaning it starts recording my images before I fully press down my shutter. This helps me capture crucial moments, like a bird swooping into a body of water to grab their next meal. I can choose to shoot 30, 60, or even 120 frames per second. I’ve sometimes compiled these images to make a sort of stop-motion rendering of the scenes I’ve captured.
The low-light capabilities of the Nikon Z9 are the best I’ve seen from any of the cameras I’ve owned. I can comfortably shoot at 10,000+ ISO and know I’ll walk away with usable images. Paired with the 3D autofocus tracking with specific bird recognition, shooting under the canopy on an overcast day doesn’t cause me dread anymore.
Camera Lenses
Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3
This lens is my top choice when photographing birds. It allows me to keep a safe distance from the birds, so I don’t disturb their natural habitats. While I want to get the most beautiful photographs possible of these birds, I want to do so ethically. It also helps that this lens has incredibly fast autofocus, and the bokeh is produces is soft and beautiful. I often look back at my images and love how the backgrounds look like paintings hung in a museum. This lens doesn’t fit in my camera bag, but Nikon provides you with padded bag when you purchase the lens. I used this as my personal item when I traveled to Botswana on my most recent photography expedition.
Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
This is the widest lens I use. When I shoot large flocks of birds spread across a beautiful landscape, I tend to grab this lens. The zoom capability is versatile, allowing me to still maintain an ethical distance while still capturing close-ups when needed. I also use this lens when I switch to video because I tend to show more of the environment for these shots. While the zoom has a long reach, the lens itself is compact and easy for me to sling over my shoulder when I walk between sites.
Nikon F 500mm f/5.6E PF
This is my old reliable. PF stands for Phase Fresnel, a specialized optical element that uses diffractions instead of refraction to focus light. This allows the lens to be more compact while maintaining superior image quality. The bokeh I achieve with this lens is like butter. When I use this lens with my Z9’s, I must use the Nikon FTZ adapter since this lens was made for DSLR’s rather than Mirrorless bodies. The adapter adds a little bit of length and weight, but it’s minimal and worth it when I see the results.
Honorable mention – Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x
I keep this in bag but don’t grab for it super often. It helps add a little bit of length to my lenses when I must stand farther away than planned. One thing to keep in mind with teleconverters is that they may add length to your lens, but they also cut the light. For this reason, I try to only use it in situations where it’s impossible for me to walk any closer.
Accessories
Media
Media is just as important as the camera you choose. My cameras each have 2 CFexpress Type B/XQD card slots, so I’ve made sure to buy the best cards that hold all my images. While this type of media is made to be stronger than your typical SD card and there’s less risk of the card becoming corrupt, I like to err on the side of caution and won’t buy a card bigger than 128GB. They may make cards as big as 1TB, but that’s 1TB of data I could potentially lose, and I don’t want to risk that. I also make sure to buy cards that have a high read and write speed. When shooting at a high frame rate, it’s imperative that those images get copied to my card fast so I don’t have to wait for my camera to buffer before I can use it again. The Prograde cards I own have the highest read and write speeds and leave me with zero buffer between bursts. On a typical trip, I have 12 cards to use.
I also have the ClouZen TAINER Portable All-in-One Backup Storage device to back up my cards once I fill them up. I don’t have time in my schedule to edit photos while on my trips, which means I don’t have time to back up my cards to an external drive. The ClouZen device transfers all the data on my cards to its internal SSD in a matter of minutes, giving me peace of mind that my cards are backed up in more than one place.
Batteries and chargers
The last thing I want to happen while I’m out in the field is to run out of batteries for my cameras. While the Nikon Z9 takes a higher-capacity battery that should technically last me all day on one charge, it’s better to be safe than sorry! I can easily burn through two batteries per camera a day, so I have three batteries for each camera, meaning I always have six batteries with me. It’s imperative to have ample chargers as well. While they only make single slot chargers for the Nikon EN-EL18D, you can charge batteries in camera if you have the proper PD cable and charging block – I use the brand Anker. I typically carry two battery chargers and two in-camera chargers on every trip.
Audio
When I switch to video, I want to have high-quality audio to accompany it. I use the Rode VideoMic Pro+. This specific microphone has a longer battery life than the other models from this line. It’s lightweight, compact, cuts down wind noise significantly, and is easy to use. I mount this on the hot shoe of my camera and plug it in to the 3.5mm mic input on the side of my camera, turn it on my long pressing the power button, and BOOM! High-quality audio with zero frustration!
Straps
It’s important to choose a strap that’s both comfortable and practical for your shooting setup. I use the BlackRapid Cross Shot for both of my cameras. I prefer two straps instead of a dual strap because I like having the option to throw one camera on a tripod while the other is on my shoulder. This crossbody camera strap eliminates the stress I would feel on my neck if I used the traditional neck strap that comes with the camera body. It also includes a flexible, non-slip rubber shoulder pad so the strap doesn’t fall off my shoulder while I’m shooting. I use a safety tether to connect the locking mechanism of the strap to one of the strap lugs on my camera body for added security. I added a ProMediaGear Arca-swiss plate to the bottom of each body because it has a quick release (QR/QD) port. Rather than the Cam-Lock provided with the BlackRapid straps, I use a QD push button swivel to easily connect the straps to my cameras. It’s fast and more secure than the traditional 1/4-20” Cam-Lock screw that would always find a way to loosen while I used them.
Tripod & Monopod
I prefer to handhold my cameras, when possible, but sometimes I need a little bit of support. I have a carbon fiber Gitzo tripod with a lightweight, compact Smallrig video head. Carbon fiber material is preferable to aluminum because it makes it lightweight yet strong. This tripod packs up compact, allowing me to connect it to the outside of my bag and travel easily with it. I’ll also use the Coman 65” Monopod if I’m shooting on uneven surfaces or from my scooter, as it makes it easier to steady my shots. This monopod is awesome because it’s carbon fiber, has a ball bowl, includes detachable feet for added support, and features a one-click lifting system so I don’t have to fuss with sections! I also shoot from a car sometimes, which can be difficult to get steady footage when using the 800mm in such a tight space. Having a window mount is a game-changer, which is why I love using the mount I purchased from 3 Legged Thing.
Miscellaneous
I also carry around a few things that aren’t all camera-related. Besides the typical microfiber cloth and cleaning fluid so I can clean my lenses and filters, I also keep a hurricane blower in my bag in case I must change a lens in the field and need to blow any dust from my sensor or rear of the lens. I love this Orbit one because it contains a HEPA filter, so I’m not just blowing recirculated dust air back onto my camera! I also use an extended eye cup on my camera to help block out any sun glares. I also always wear a protective sun hat; you can never be too careful around the sun! I find it’s also important to have a stool so I can get lower to the ground and be eye level with some of the birds I photograph; it’s also great to have a place to sit when I’m in the middle of nowhere! And lastly, it’s great to have a couple of snacks in your bag so you can refuel your energy. Lately I’ve been loving these Nature Valley bars.
What do you carry in your bag? Is there anything I carry that you’ve been inspired to pick up? I would love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment on Facebook or Instagram.
