Wildlife Photography Gear for Beginners: Cameras, Lenses and Industry Trends with Allison McLaughlin

What camera gear do you actually need for getting into wildlife photography? And perhaps just as importantly, what don’t you need? In this episode, Court sits down with Allison McLaughlin for a deep dive into building a wildlife photography kit, particularly for beginner and intermediate photographers. They cover everything from why autofocus tracking and telephoto reach matter so much for wildlife, to the advantages of crop sensors, zoom lenses, used gear, and even sticking with a DSLR for a little longer. They also get very specific, working through approachable camera bodies and wildlife lenses from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and OM System/Micro Four Thirds. Along the way, Court and Allison talk about how much telephoto reach you really need, why a 600mm lens isn't automatically better than a 400mm lens, and why the wide end of a telephoto zoom can be every bit as important as the long end. Perhaps the biggest lesson from this conversation is that your next camera does not have to be your final camera. Wildlife photography gear can get expensive very quickly, but there is a huge amount of excellent equipment available one or two generations back, particularly on the used market. Connect with Allison: https://www.reddit.com/user/mpbcom/ Cameras Mentioned Canon Canon EOS R50 View the Canon EOS R50 Canon EOS R10 View the Canon EOS R10 Canon EOS 7D Mark II View the Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS 5D Mark IV View the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Nikon Nikon Z50 II View the Nikon Z50 II Nikon D500 View the Nikon D500 Nikon Z8 View the Nikon Z8 Sony Sony A6100 View the Sony A6100 Sony A6400 View the Sony A6400 Sony A6600 View the Sony A6600 Sony A1 View the Sony A1 Sony A1 II View the Sony A1 II Fujifilm Fujifilm X-T30 II View the Fujifilm X-T30 II Fujifilm X-S10 View the Fujifilm X-S10 OM System OM System OM-5 View the OM System OM-5 Lenses Mentioned Canon Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM A lightweight, relatively affordable RF wildlife zoom that Allison specifically highlights as a strong starting point. View the Canon RF 100-400mm Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM The transcript does not specify which generation of the EF 100-400mm, so both versions are included here. View the original Canon EF 100-400mm View the Canon EF 100-400mm II Nikon Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD for Nikon Z One of Allison's budget-conscious recommendations for someone building a Nikon Z wildlife kit. View the Tamron 70-300mm Nikon Z Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR An older F-mount wildlife favorite that can also be adapted to Nikon Z bodies. View the Nikon 200-500mm Sony Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS Allison's standout recommendation for Sony APS-C wildlife shooters. View the Sony 70-350mm G OSS Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Discussed as an excellent example of the versatile long-telephoto range that works especially well for wildlife and birds. View the Sony 200-600mm Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS An example of just how much reach modern wildlife lenses can provide, while also illustrating why the minimum focal length of a zoom matters. View the Sony 400-800mm Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS The Sony 100-400mm is also discussed when comparing versatile wildlife zoom ranges. View the Sony 100-400mm GM OSS Fujifilm Fujifilm XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR Allison's pick for a compact Fuji wildlife setup, with stabilization and weather resistance. View the Fujifilm XF 70-300mm Micro Four Thirds / OM System Olympus M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO The lens Court used in Namibia, giving a tremendous effective focal range on the Micro Four Thirds system. View the Olympus 150-400mm Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 75-300mm Allison recommends the 75-300mm range as an especially compact way to get roughly a 150-600mm full-frame equivalent field of view. The episode does not specify which generation. View the original Olympus 75-300mm View the Olympus 75-300mm II Panasonic Lumix G Vario 100-300mm Another Micro Four Thirds option discussed for getting substantial wildlife reach without carrying a huge lens. The specific generation is not identified in the conversation. View the original Panasonic 100-300mm View the Panasonic 100-300mm II Lens Adapters Mentioned Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R Allows Canon EF DSLR lenses to be used on Canon RF mirrorless bodies. View the Canon EF-EOS R Adapter Nikon FTZ Mount Adapter Allows compatible Nikon F-mount DSLR lenses to be used on Nikon Z mirrorless cameras. View the Nikon FTZ Adapter Court's Websites Check out my photo portfolio here: shop.courtwhelan.com Sign up for my photo and conservation blog at www.courtwhelan.com Follow me on YouTube (@courtwhelan) for more photography tips View my camera kit and recommended camera gear Sponsors and Promo Codes: MPB.com - Buy, Sell, or Trade Camera Gear ArtStorefronts.com - Mention this podcast for free photo website design BayPhoto.com - 25% off your first order (code: TWP25)  ArtHelper.com - a photo community to learn, share and be inspired Arthelper.Ai - Smart tools to promo and showcase your art. LensRentals.com - WildPhoto15 for 15% off