A return to my blog + My current camera equipment
Recently on my Instagram stories, I asked whether those of you following me would be interested if I were to restart writing weekly or fortnightly blogs. The response was a resounding yes, so here I am! I have a few ideas of what I can write about for my blog, such as small trips out where I don’t record enough content for a YouTube video or stories behind an image I have taken in the past. But if any of you have any suggestions or something you think you would enjoy reading from me, then please let me know! But to start with, I thought I would write about my current camera equipment as I am often asked what I use for my image-taking and video recordings.
Almost all of the camera equipment that I own I have purchased secondhand, a lot of which I bought from Wex Photo Video. It’s always worth looking at used equipment, as a lot of the time they have had minimal use and the condition of them is as if they were brand new, and you would be paying less as a result.
My current camera body is the Canon 6D which I use for both image and video recording. I have had this body for over five years after purchasing it from another photographer and it has been serving me well, but I will soon be looking to update this so I can use it as a backup body and find another one with the same, if not better, specifications. The camera strap is from a brand called USA Gear that I got as a gift. I find this strap very comfortable with its internal stretch control system, providing comfort around my neck or over across my shoulder especially when one of my heavier lenses is attached to the camera body.
Speaking of lenses, my main go-to lens is the Sigma 150–600mm f5–6.3 Contemporary Lens. I love the quality of the images that comes out from this lens and the distance is great for when shooting subjects that are quite far away. I also have a 1.4x teleconverter which gives me an extra shooting distance of up to 840mm. This does, however, stop me from using automatic focus when looking through the viewfinder while it is attached, but does still work when viewing it in Live View mode. The other lens that I have is the Canon 300mm F4, also bought secondhand. I don’t use it very often in comparison to the Sigma, the main reason being that I obviously can’t zoom in or out which is preferable when dealing with a subject that is moving around. Despite this, the quality of the images is still good and I would like to use it more often and improve my composition technique when using a fixed lens.
My camera body and lenses are all kept in my ThinkTank Retrospective 15L V2 bag. I am amazed with the comfort that this bag provides despite it containing heavy equipment most of the time when I am on the move. With lots of internal, zipped pockets to store my batteries and microphones and outer ones for easy access to things like my water bottle, as well as a fitted waterproof that easily fits to the outside of the bag, this is very strong and versatile and I would highly recommend for anyone looking for a new camera bag.
I take at least one tripod wherever I go out with my camera, and it is most often used when I am recording video content to avoid camera shake — many of you will understand the struggle of trying to keep a slightly heavy lens steady while handheld! The best solution when you don’t have tripod close to hand is to pin your elbows either side of the ribcage or place your elbows on your knees if you are sitting on the ground. As of the last few months I have been using the Manfrotto MK190X3 with MHXPro Fluid Head. This has greatly improved my handling capabilities when tracking a moving subject, both for image and video recording, and the legs can go fully horizontal so I can use the tripod while lying flat on the ground. In addition, I still have the Vanguard VEO 2 235CB Carbon Fibre Tripod to hand, and while the legs also go fully horizontal I find it a bit unsteady when the Sigma lens is attached. So I have been currently using for only when I am recording myself talking to a smaller camera — this is the Can 750D with 18–55mm lens, which is admittedly owned by my husband, which I have been using more recently for B-roll.
Additional equipment that I own includes spare camera batteries (always remembering to charge them the night before a trip out!), multiple SD cards ranging from 32GB to 128GB, a Boya Super-Cardioid Condenser Shotgun Microphone for recording natural sounds and a Boya Lavalier Microphone which I can attach to my clothing when speaking to the camera. I take a small camouflage bean bag to either rest the lens on if I am laying down or to sit on if I find myself on an uneven surface. I also have a waterproof camouflage lens cover that stretches across the Sigma and camera body if the weather forecast says rain or I find myself on a boat on the sea.
I hope this blog was helpful to anyone looking to upgrade their own photographic equipment. As I mentioned earlier, I will be looking to upgrade my equipment at some point in the future, but otherwise I am happy with what I have for my wildlife photography.
