- Joined
- Dec 29, 2019
- Messages
- 36
Morning, I’m going to cause a few groans and I understand. I’m new to photography though very much enjoying it, and I can afford good equipment without an unplanned divorce.
Right now shooting a D3400 with the 200-500mm f5.6 Nikkor lens, and it’s a handy setup I’m really enjoying. As a rank amateur I shoot on auto, and expend all the effort finding and getting in photo range of the animals. The only post processing I’ve done is insta and Lightroom mobile but I enjoy it and will get some real software. The examples here I’m including for showing where I work and what I want to do I shared over in the intro forum, and only one is tweaked if memory serves (the Wolf clearly).
I’m an outfitter and bush pilot in British Columbia by the Alaska border, and have been fortunate to build a successful Instagram based on images I’m no longer too fond of (I’m seasonally a big game hunting outfitter / guide) and I’m looking to transition to wildlife photo tours slowly. I’ve said this before here but I hesitate to mention the outfitting as it gets judged without appropriate background explanation of why it’s done, but that is a whole other discussion for another forum. Wildlife photography has captured my imagination and running with it.
As the equipment it is a business expense, and one that pales in comparison to aircraft and boats, I can slide a nice setup under head office / the Mrs’ radar. She’s also supportive of my evolving interest in wildlife. I hate to be that guy with no experience who buys a D850 and really nice lens but frankly the investment is a write off business wise and I have rifles I no longer use worth more I’d happily sell to “trade” for photo gear.
I’m looking for a camera I won’t replace for five years that will see very hard service and very wet conditions (north Pacific rainforest and mountains, on the coast). I also want to find the camera best suited to offhand, extended range wildlife photography. I see the unrealistic challenges posed in that statement, and don’t expect the camera and lens to fix shaky captures. I need the ability to crop rather extremely and maintain as much resolution as possible, as this is something I keep doing with the distances I’m often taking photos of animals at.
Most of my opportunities are highly pressed for time as I cannot shut down clients I’m serving to take over the next half hour to sit silently on the tripod with a remote shutter. It has to be quite point and shoot for the next while to realistically keep me playing, and I’d like to enquire on which combination in a minimum 500mm lens will allow the most stabilized images and quickest auto.
While brand new I do understand I have contradicting aspirations and requirements, and will be fighting my hopes and dreams more than my equipment, even with my current D3400 (which I’ve been very impressed with, for the price). I’m attracted to the Z7, having handled and played with a client’s, as everything has to be in my backpack and the D850 I handled in store for instance was utterly massive in comparison.
I have thick skin and have been new at quite a few things so don’t be afraid to pull no punches in your comments, I’m here to learn and that’s at times an uncomfortable process. If I’m gaining nothing on quickly captured images of fleeting moments with a D850 over a D500, I’d love to know. The price difference between the two really isn’t a worry however and I’m not trying to sound ignorant. I’ve simply spent far more on hobbies and interests that are far less fascinating to me than photography.
Ultimately I expect photography to be a rabbit hole to compare with my other interests, and will be disappointed if it doesn’t.
So for a tough, quick, and stable and fast as possible large lensed wildlife setup what would be your suggestions? I appreciate the time and all thoughts, realism, and knowledge.
Right now shooting a D3400 with the 200-500mm f5.6 Nikkor lens, and it’s a handy setup I’m really enjoying. As a rank amateur I shoot on auto, and expend all the effort finding and getting in photo range of the animals. The only post processing I’ve done is insta and Lightroom mobile but I enjoy it and will get some real software. The examples here I’m including for showing where I work and what I want to do I shared over in the intro forum, and only one is tweaked if memory serves (the Wolf clearly).
I’m an outfitter and bush pilot in British Columbia by the Alaska border, and have been fortunate to build a successful Instagram based on images I’m no longer too fond of (I’m seasonally a big game hunting outfitter / guide) and I’m looking to transition to wildlife photo tours slowly. I’ve said this before here but I hesitate to mention the outfitting as it gets judged without appropriate background explanation of why it’s done, but that is a whole other discussion for another forum. Wildlife photography has captured my imagination and running with it.
As the equipment it is a business expense, and one that pales in comparison to aircraft and boats, I can slide a nice setup under head office / the Mrs’ radar. She’s also supportive of my evolving interest in wildlife. I hate to be that guy with no experience who buys a D850 and really nice lens but frankly the investment is a write off business wise and I have rifles I no longer use worth more I’d happily sell to “trade” for photo gear.
I’m looking for a camera I won’t replace for five years that will see very hard service and very wet conditions (north Pacific rainforest and mountains, on the coast). I also want to find the camera best suited to offhand, extended range wildlife photography. I see the unrealistic challenges posed in that statement, and don’t expect the camera and lens to fix shaky captures. I need the ability to crop rather extremely and maintain as much resolution as possible, as this is something I keep doing with the distances I’m often taking photos of animals at.
Most of my opportunities are highly pressed for time as I cannot shut down clients I’m serving to take over the next half hour to sit silently on the tripod with a remote shutter. It has to be quite point and shoot for the next while to realistically keep me playing, and I’d like to enquire on which combination in a minimum 500mm lens will allow the most stabilized images and quickest auto.
While brand new I do understand I have contradicting aspirations and requirements, and will be fighting my hopes and dreams more than my equipment, even with my current D3400 (which I’ve been very impressed with, for the price). I’m attracted to the Z7, having handled and played with a client’s, as everything has to be in my backpack and the D850 I handled in store for instance was utterly massive in comparison.
I have thick skin and have been new at quite a few things so don’t be afraid to pull no punches in your comments, I’m here to learn and that’s at times an uncomfortable process. If I’m gaining nothing on quickly captured images of fleeting moments with a D850 over a D500, I’d love to know. The price difference between the two really isn’t a worry however and I’m not trying to sound ignorant. I’ve simply spent far more on hobbies and interests that are far less fascinating to me than photography.
Ultimately I expect photography to be a rabbit hole to compare with my other interests, and will be disappointed if it doesn’t.
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