MY GEAR
MY PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR
About My Gear
Having the right equipment is only part of the photography success story. Being in the right place with the right knowledge of how and when to use it is the rest of the story.
I carefuly research and select equipment based on the type of images that inspire me and dont believe in a 'one size fits all' approach.
As can be seen by what is in my bag, I do not follow popular trends but rather only purchase the most reliable equipment from reputable sources.
Sticking to well established brands is critical not only for compatibility but also for servicability and support.
Camera
Lenses
Support
Extras
Storage
Bags
Post
Settings
Camera
Canon EOS 1D X Mark III
Super fast focus, lots of useful features and delivers 17FPS shooting with unlimited buffer. This makes it an ideal camera for birding.
Lenses
Canon-EF-800 mmf5,6 is usm mkiii prime lens.
Very sharp lens, corner to corner with ultra fast silent focussing
Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III prime lens
Super-fast f/2.8
Allows you to shoot handheld with its advanced 5-stop Image Stabilizer leading to exceptional sharpness and vivid contrast from edge to edge of the frame.
Fully sealed lens to resist dust and moisture
Canon EF 300mm f4L IS USM prime lens. Very sharp lens, corner to corner with ultra fast silent focussing
Canon ef 70-200mm f2.8 l is usm markiii lens. A nice versatile sharp zoom lens used mainly around the campsite to capture good quality general images
Canon 1.4x III Extender. Used mainly on a long lens for shooting small birds that are close. Never used for long distance shots as this extra glass makes the image soft
and loses about 3-5 blur units.
This device does not replace a long prime lens by increasing the focal length of a short lens as the loss
of sharpness is huge.
Support
Benro tma47al mach3 aluminium series 4 tripod.
A very sturdy and solid heavy tripod suitable for eliminating camera shake and achieving sharp images.
Not ideal to carry up the mountain but perfect for use where a hide or other suitable sturdy support is available.
Benro gh2 aluminium gimbal head. This is a rock solid and well-built gimbal which I use mounted on my Benro tripod. The gimbal allows freedom of movement for wildlife image capture or setting up a shot of birds in flight that continuously return to the same spot such as weavers
Benro mad38a monopod MAD38A. This is ideal for hiking to the river, up the mountain or wherever I need extra camera support without the burden of a heavy weight to carry.
I bought the 2,1m version in order to capture shots over the 1,8m fence surrounding the Korsmans Conservancy
Wimbereley MH-100 MonoGimbal Head for Monopods. This light but sturdy head with its side mounting gives me fast fluid movement. The best designed monopod head on the market.
Badger gear snuggfit bean-bag ii filled - small. This is a must in a hide or for use when restricted to shooting out of the window of the vehicle in a game park
Badger gear snuggfit bean-bag ii filled - large. This is a must in a hide or for use when restricted to shooting out of the window of the vehicle in a game park. The large version is more suited to use in a hide where it can be used to rest a long lens and camera.
Extras
Hoodman h32mb hoodloupe 3 2 outdoor loop. This is my best kept secret.
Whilst in the field, it is very difficult to view the LCD panel on the back of the camera to check for image quality, correct focus, exposure, DOF etc especially in bright sunlight. This device not only eliminates all the ambient light, it also has a 3x zoom. Absolutely essential piece of equipment in the field.
Dual Canon battery charger, ideal for use in the field, especially when AC power is available either in the vehicle or with a 150W DCAC inverter
I always have one fully charged spare battery in my bag despite the fact that one battery can easily last a full day.
There is nothing worse that running out of battery power at the end of a long day, just as the fish eagle gets ready to swoop down on its prey.
LC500 lens cover is not only perfect for camo purposes but is ideal to protect my lens from scratches and damage in the field.
Lens pen is ideal for a quick wipe or removal of a small dust spot on my equipment in the field. I always have one in by bag
Canon Remote Switch-80 N3. Ideal for use with the camera mounted in a fixed position on the tripod. I focus on a spot where the bird is going to fly and as it comes into the shooting FOV, I simply hold the remote trigger down to capture a burst without any camera shake from my hand
Lenscoat lclh2tm5 lenshide lightweight tall realtree hide. Ideal for places that neither have a suitable hide nor discreet shooting location. This allows me to get up real close to the water's edge where the action is. Once settled, the birds quickly get used to the hide and do not see it as a threat.
Bushnell Prime 1800 Laser Rangefinder. When it comes to calculating the required DOF, an accurate determination of distance to subject is critical. Using long focal length lenses requires one to keep a very close eye on DOF. for perfect results, no surprises.
I use the PhotoPills APP on my cell phone to do all my DOF calculations.
This laser device is perfect for the job and can easily be included in my bag due to its extra small size.
Storage
Extreme Pro CF Express memory cards 128GB are a must in the field. I use two cards and set my camera to write RAW files to both. This gives me peace of mind as I always have an up-to-date backup in case one card goes faulty
Extreme Pro CF Express memory cards 64 GB are a must for standby storage in the field. I use two cards and set my camera to write RAW files to both. This gives me peace of mind as I always have an up-to-date backup in case one card goes faulty
Samsung Portable 50 GB T5 SSD is ideal in tye field as it has no moving parts inside that can get damaged from vehicle vibration in tough environments.
I use this to download all images on my camera memory card as a second remote backup.
Thereafter, I can also view the images at night on a PC in the bush
Hp 14" AMD 4GB RAM with 256GB SSD HD Laptop. This is used exclusively to perform two of the critical functions whilst on a photo expedition namely, the download and transfer of images from camera to remote storage and access to my GARMIN - BASE-CAMP route planning and navigation system
Bags
RG Ruggard Alpine 600 bag. This ultra large, well-padded and comfortable back-pack style bag is ideal in the field. I can easily carry my camera with a 500mm lens mounted in the bag. A must have on an expedition and everywhere else.
Think tank digital holster 40 v2. This holster is extra wide at the top for carrying a large camera like mine. Well-padded and well-constructed.
Post
CaptureOne Pro. This is a professional post production photo editing software package.
My brother, Peter, does all of my post production work using CO and is extremely talented. He knows exactly what to do to keep the integrity of the image real and natural. I sit alongside Peter while he is processing my images to add my personal preferences and input where required.
Peter does not use Photoshop in his studio mainly because of the ability to add false backgrounds and effects to manipulate images, despite the fact that it also has some really good editing functions.
In his opinion, CaptureOne has just as many great editing functions and can handle all the requirements of a professional with ease.
For those who cannot afford such a high end editing suit, he recommends Adobe Lightroom.
Settings
Professionals know exactly what camera settings are required to get the best shot in studio or on location.
The most commonly asked question by everyone else is, "What are the correct settings?"
Well, I have just started out my photography hobby so all I needed to do was ask my twin brother, Peter, an accomplished professional photographer for advice. The problem is that Peter does not shoot wildlife and birds so to most he may seem to be the wrong person to ask. However, quite to the contrary, he was the perfect person to ask as he has a vast amount of knowledge and has been referred to as a walking "encyclopaedia", especially on getting images tack sharp.
MY SETTINGS
Aperture to match the required depth of field but never above the diffraction limit of the lens or F16 whichever is the wider. Best aperture F8 or lower
Shutter speed 1/focal length (minimum) if hand held but usually 1/2000 or more for birds in flight or 1/500 to 1/1650 for stationary birds and mammals
ISO, never higher than 3200 due to noise. Best to keep between 100 - 800 for highest quality. If the light is bad, push up to 3200 and if that is too little, open a beer and enjoy the scene with your camera in its bag.
Peter refuses to process any image of mine with an ISO higher than 3200
See some of Peter's work?