Choosing the Right Digital SLR for Your Nature Photography
It’s true that it doesn’t matter what equipment you use — what matters is what you do with the camera. However, there’s no doubt that when you’re hiking through the dense jungles of central Central America, you’ll want to pack lightly. While the Nikon D2x has the prestige of being Nikon’s premier “PRO” camera, you may not find it the most suitable for your nature work.
One of the first things you need to consider is how you will use the image. Find the magazine you want to publish your work in. Submit for “submission guide” and find out the minimum number of mega pixels. The same is true for stock dealers — browse and decide which place you ultimately want to sell. Many organizations have their submission guidelines published on their websites. If you are more interested in learning and doing nature photography for your own enjoyment, then buy a cheaper model. There’s nothing wrong with a camera that takes 5 or 6 megapixel pictures. You can still blow it up to poster size if you want to make a custom print.
Choosing the Right Digital SLR for Your Nature Photography
It’s true that it doesn’t matter what equipment you use — what matters is what you do with the camera. However, there’s no doubt that when you’re hiking through the dense jungles of central Central America, you’ll want to pack lightly. While the Nikon D2x has the prestige of being Nikon’s premier “PRO” camera, you may not find it the most suitable for your nature work.
One of the first things you need to consider is how you will use the image. Find the magazine you want to publish your work in. Submit for “submission guide” and find out the minimum number of mega pixels. The same is true for stock dealers — browse and decide which place you ultimately want to sell. Many organizations have their submission guidelines published on their websites. If you are more interested in learning and doing nature photography for your own enjoyment, then buy a cheaper model. There’s nothing wrong with a camera that takes 5 or 6 megapixel pictures. You can still blow it up to poster size if you want to make a custom print.
Magnification – Use it to Your Advantage
Especially for wildlife photographers, the only advantage of shooting with Nikon digital cameras today is the magnification factor. Instead of making sensors that are the same size as a single frame of 35mm film, Nikon and most other digital SLR camera manufacturers have decided to manufacture sensors that are smaller than the standard 24x36mm frame of older film models. Having a smaller sensor means you won’t be capturing all the information left and right and up and down the frame. This may sound pretty bad… but there’s no need to worry about what you haven’t captured because the viewfinder has been adjusted so that what you see optically is what is captured in the digital file.
The result is that the camera multiplies the magnification of all lenses. Nikon magnification (depending on the camera you use) is about 1.5x. That means the 300mm lens is now enlarged to 450mm. This is great news for wildlife photographers. The only drawback is the wider angle lenses (such as a 17mm wide-angle to a 25.5mm non-wide angle lens. However, landscape photographers still have a few options. I’ll get to that in a moment.
Choosing the Right Lens
Unfortunately, no one can tell you which lens to buy or “how to build the perfect SLR system for nature photography.” Again, it depends on the type of photos you want to take, your personal preferences, and the market in which you want to sell your images.
The big advantage of Nikon cameras is that you can use the old lens on your body. This allows more freedom of choice and means you can get a truly amazing old lens at a very affordable price.
I will give you an example. One of my favorite lenses is a 300mm f4 manual focus prime lens from the 1970s. It costs only $350 CAD (which means it will be much cheaper in US dollars) and the glass is still ED! Nikon specifically developed ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass to provide precise optical color correction. This special glass (not available on all Nikon lenses) provides the sharp, clear resolution needed for great photos. Another advantage (at least for me as I usually hike to find wildlife) is that it is lighter in weight and small in packaging.
Another example — the 50mm 1.4 (correctly f1.4!) autofocus lens retails for only $166 CAD (again, cheaper in US dollars). It’s actually 80mm on your body. That means you have a prime lens at 80mm that can shoot in the darkest settings. And, because Nikon has perfected its 50mm lenses since its inception as a company (Nikon used to include 50mm lenses throughout its body until the late 1980s), it’s one of Nikon’s best lenses. It’s cheap because the 50mm on a 35mm camera is kind of pooey. But 80mm on a digital camera is amazing.
Magnification – Use it to Your AdvantageEspecially for wildlife photographers, the only advantage of shooting with Nikon digital cameras today is the magnification factor. Instead of making sensors that are the same size as a single frame of 35mm film, Nikon and most other digital SLR camera manufacturers have decided to manufacture sensors that are smaller than the standard 24x36mm frame of older film models. Having a smaller sensor means you won’t be capturing all the information left and right and up and down the frame. This may sound pretty bad… but there’s no need to worry about what you haven’t captured because the viewfinder has been adjusted so that what you see optically is what is captured in the digital file.The result is that the camera multiplies the magnification of all lenses. Nikon magnification (depending on the camera you use) is about 1.5x. That means the 300mm lens is now enlarged to 450mm. This is great news for wildlife photographers. The only drawback is the wider angle lenses (such as a 17mm wide-angle to a 25.5mm non-wide angle lens. However, landscape photographers still have a few options. I’ll get to that in a moment.
Choosing the Right Lens for Your Nature Photography Style
Unfortunately, no one can tell you which lens to buy or “how to build the perfect SLR system for nature photography.” Again, it depends on the type of photos you want to take, your personal preferences, and the market in which you want to sell your images.
The big advantage of Nikon cameras is that you can use the old lens on your body. This allows more freedom of choice and means you can get a truly amazing old lens at a very affordable price.
I will give you an example. One of my favorite lenses is a 300mm f4 manual focus prime lens from the 1970s. It costs only $350 CAD (which means it will be much cheaper in US dollars) and the glass is still ED! Nikon specifically developed ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass to provide precise optical color correction. This special glass (not available on all Nikon lenses) provides the sharp, clear resolution needed for great photos. Another advantage (at least for me as I usually hike to find wildlife) is that it is lighter in weight and small in packaging.
Another example — the 50mm 1.4 (correctly f1.4!) autofocus lens retails for only $166 CAD (again, cheaper in US dollars). It’s actually 80mm on your body. That means you have a prime lens at 80mm that can shoot in the darkest settings. And, because Nikon has perfected its 50mm lenses since its inception as a company (Nikon used to include 50mm lenses in all its bodies until the late 1980s), it’s one of Nikon’s best lenses. It’s cheap because the 50mm on a 35mm camera is kind of pooey. But 80mm on a digital camera is amazing.
Lenses – Pros and Cons
While I can’t tell you the right lens to buy for your particular needs… I can give you some feedback/impressions about certain lenses I use or have used in the past.
Nikkor 10.5mm f2.8 Fisheye: I never thought that a special lens like that could give me so many uses. For more information, I’ve written a short article on how to use fisheye lenses in your nature photography at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2472892
Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom – This lens is just fine. I bought it as a kit lens a long time ago and it works well for a wider range. I wish I had saved some money and bought the 2.8 which offers a wider range (like 12mm to 25mm).
Tamron 17-35mm f2.8: This is a good lens but, sadly, I bought it for a film camera and the magnification on my digital body means it’s not very useful in my current photography. I plan to sell it (along with my other wide angle) and buy a 2.8 which has a wider range so I can do more with landscape photography.
Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D AF – This is the same lens I discussed earlier. It’s small, has a low price tag, allows you to shoot in very dark situations and that’s 80mm on a digital camera. You really can’t go wrong.
Nikkor Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED AF Zoom – This is a fantastic lens that stays at 2.8 no matter whether you shoot at 80 or 200mm. Again, the magnification means it’s actually a 300mm zoom. Zoom is great because you can adjust the focus distance depending on where your subject is. Not so great with subjects that are always far away (like the macaw seen here), but great for tame wildlife like deer. It also has a macro function that works beautifully.
Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D AF Micro, or 105 Micro for short – This is probably Nikon’s most widely used macro lens, perhaps because it can triple. First of all, this is a macro photography lens and allows you to take photos at a reproduction ratio of 1:1 (on a 35mm body), meaning that a 24 by 36mm subject will fill the entire frame. Second, it makes an excellent all-purpose short telephoto lens. Third, it’s also at least a perfectly reasonable portrait lens (although, at magnification it might be too much telephoto on a digital SLR). I really like this lens for macro photography.
Nikkor 300mm f4 manual focus – While “prime” lenses don’t offer zoom flexibility… they are still an ideal choice for getting the best results in your work. This is the same lens I discussed earlier and, considering it’s only $350, light weight & very smooth focusing, it’s one of my favorite lenses. I never leave the house without it.
Nikkor 600mm f5.6 manual focus ED Glass – Again, I paid a lot less for this lens (which is actually a hefty 900mm on a digital body and also has the famous Nikon ED glass!!) as it is an older model and manual focus. I spent $1,599 USD – but consider that newer models will cost at least $5,000 to $25,000, depending on the f stop. Some might argue that the 5.6 is a bit too narrow for an f stop, but I think the compression with a telephoto lens means that I don’t want to shoot a 900mm subject with anything wider than 5.6 (2.8 would make the focus too shallow on the subject). like that). distant subject). Although… for closer subjects, 2.8 is a miracle!
Previously, I also used the Sigma 70-300mm 3.5-5.6 and Tamron 200-400mm 3.5-5.6 and both worked well as affordable zooms when I was learning about photography. I have since sold it to pay for the lens I currently use.
Lenses – Pros and Cons
While I can’t tell you the right lens to buy for your particular needs… I can give you some feedback/impressions about certain lenses I use or have used in the past.
- Nikkor 10.5mm f2.8 Fisheye: I never thought that a special lens like that could give me so many uses. For more information, I’ve written a short article on how to use fisheye lenses in your nature photography at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2472892
- Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom – This lens is just fine. I bought it as a kit lens a long time ago and it works well for a wider range. I wish I had saved some money and bought the 2.8 which offers a wider range (like 12mm to 25mm).
- Tamron 17-35mm f2.8: This is a good lens but, sadly, I bought it for a film camera and the magnification on my digital body means it’s not very useful in my current photography. I plan to sell it (along with my other wide angle) and buy a 2.8 which has a wider range so I can do more with landscape photography.
- Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D AF – This is the same lens I discussed earlier. It’s small, has a low price tag, allows you to shoot in very dark situations and that’s 80mm on a digital camera. You really can’t go wrong.
- Nikkor Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED AF Zoom – This is a fantastic lens that stays at 2.8 no matter whether you shoot at 80 or 200mm. Again, the magnification means it’s actually a 300mm zoom. Zoom is great because you can adjust the focus distance depending on where your subject is. Not so great with subjects that are always far away (like the macaw seen here), but great for tame wildlife like deer. It also has a macro function that works beautifully.
- Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D AF Micro, or 105 Micro for short – This is probably Nikon’s most widely used macro lens, perhaps because it can triple. First of all, this is a macro photography lens and allows you to take photos at a reproduction ratio of 1:1 (on a 35mm body), meaning that a 24 by 36mm subject will fill the entire frame. Second, it makes an excellent all-purpose short telephoto lens. Third, it’s also at least a perfectly reasonable portrait lens (although, at magnification it might be too much telephoto on a digital SLR). I really like this lens for macro photography.
- Nikkor 300mm f4 manual focus – While “prime” lenses don’t offer zoom flexibility… they are still an ideal choice for getting the best results in your work. This is the same lens I discussed earlier and, considering it’s only $350, light weight & very smooth focusing, it’s one of my favorite lenses. I never leave the house without it.
- Nikkor 600mm f5.6 manual focus ED Glass – Again, I paid a lot less for this lens (which is actually a hefty 900mm on a digital body and also has the famous Nikon ED glass!!) as it is an older model and manual focus. I spent $1,599 USD – but consider that newer models will cost at least $5,000 to $25,000, depending on the f stop. Some might argue that the 5.6 is a bit too narrow for an f stop, but I think the compression with a telephoto lens means that I don’t want to shoot a 900mm subject with anything wider than 5.6 (2.8 would make the focus too shallow on the subject). like that). distant subject). Although… for closer subjects, 2.8 is a miracle!
- Previously, I also used the Sigma 70-300mm 3.5-5.6 and Tamron 200-400mm 3.5-5.6 and both worked well as affordable zooms when I was learning about photography. I have since sold it to pay for the lens I currently use.
Why I LOVE and Highly Recommend Manual Focus
I used to be afraid to focus manually. On most autofocus lenses, the focus ring is small and more difficult to use… there’s also something really easy about letting your camera do the focusing work for you. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to react quickly enough to a moving subject and that I wouldn’t be as good as my camera’s autofocus. Now I see the error of my way.
For wildlife (or people), you want to make sure the main subject’s eyes are in perfect focus. You won’t be able to sell any images if your eyes are out of focus. If you shoot a subject 10 feet away at a distance of 2.8 and use autofocus, the camera will select the object that is closer to the camera (usually the nose, cheeks, or eyebrows… not the eyes themselves). A 2.8 aperture means that you will have a depth of field that is so soft that the eye will appear out of focus. Older (and more affordable) manual focus lenses have the most beautiful focusing rings you’ll ever see. I find it much easier to use manual focus on my 300mm f4 lens from the 1970s than on my newer autofocus, 80-200mm zoom (using the autofocus feature). Sadly,
Rules of thumb for Quick Subjects
You’ve probably noticed that your shutter speed should at least equal your lens distance. For example, you need to shoot at least 1/300 second if you are using a 300mm lens or hand shake will make your image look very blurry. And anything larger than 300mm should be mounted on a tripod (preferably one with a ball head for wildlife work). With zoom, you might be able to get away with shooting a 300mm handheld camera (450mm on your digital)…at 1/450 second or higher…)in a pinch…a good ball head tripod will really improve results you if your lens is higher than 300mm.
Coming back to the subject of pairing your shutter speed with lens distance… if you are currently shooting P or Auto, we recommend changing it to shutter priority. If you are shooting at 200mm, make sure your shutter is set at 1/300 due to the zoom. All modern digital cameras will then set the aperture to match the shutter speed. At the same time, practicing photography on manual settings is always a good idea as it will give you more control.
