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The Wild PhotographerAuthor: Court Whelan
The Wild Photographer is a podcast for wildlife, nature, landscape, and travel photographers who want to make better photos and get more out of photography.Hosted by professional photographer, biologist, expedition leader, and photo guide Court Whelan, PhD, the show combines practical photography advice with lessons learned from photographing wildlife and wild places around the world.Episodes cover wildlife photography techniques, camera settings, lenses and gear, composition, landscape and travel photography, editing, creativity, and fieldcraft, along with conversations with professional photographers and visual storytellers.Whether you're a beginner or an experienced photographer, expect approachable advice you can actually use in the field, plus plenty of adventure, curiosity, and enthusiasm for the craft. Language: en-us Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Wildlife Photography Gear for Beginners: Cameras, Lenses and Industry Trends with Allison McLaughlin
Episode 90
Tuesday, 29 September, 2026
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 MentionedCanonCanon EOS R50View the Canon EOS R50Canon EOS R10View the Canon EOS R10Canon EOS 7D Mark IIView the Canon EOS 7D Mark IICanon EOS 5D Mark IVView the Canon EOS 5D Mark IVNikonNikon Z50 IIView the Nikon Z50 IINikon D500View the Nikon D500Nikon Z8View the Nikon Z8SonySony A6100View the Sony A6100Sony A6400View the Sony A6400Sony A6600View the Sony A6600Sony A1View the Sony A1Sony A1 IIView the Sony A1 IIFujifilmFujifilm X-T30 IIView the Fujifilm X-T30 IIFujifilm X-S10View the Fujifilm X-S10OM SystemOM System OM-5View the OM System OM-5Lenses MentionedCanonCanon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USMA lightweight, relatively affordable RF wildlife zoom that Allison specifically highlights as a strong starting point.View the Canon RF 100-400mmCanon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USMThe transcript does not specify which generation of the EF 100-400mm, so both versions are included here.View the original Canon EF 100-400mmView the Canon EF 100-400mm IINikonTamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD for Nikon ZOne of Allison's budget-conscious recommendations for someone building a Nikon Z wildlife kit.View the Tamron 70-300mm Nikon ZNikon AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VRAn older F-mount wildlife favorite that can also be adapted to Nikon Z bodies.View the Nikon 200-500mmSonySony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSSAllison's standout recommendation for Sony APS-C wildlife shooters.View the Sony 70-350mm G OSSSony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSSDiscussed as an excellent example of the versatile long-telephoto range that works especially well for wildlife and birds.View the Sony 200-600mmSony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSSAn 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 400-800mmSony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSSThe Sony 100-400mm is also discussed when comparing versatile wildlife zoom ranges.View the Sony 100-400mm GM OSSFujifilmFujifilm XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WRAllison's pick for a compact Fuji wildlife setup, with stabilization and weather resistance.View the Fujifilm XF 70-300mmMicro Four Thirds / OM SystemOlympus M.Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PROThe lens Court used in Namibia, giving a tremendous effective focal range on the Micro Four Thirds system.View the Olympus 150-400mmOlympus M.Zuiko Digital 75-300mmAllison 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 75-300mmView the Olympus 75-300mm IIPanasonic Lumix G Vario 100-300mmAnother 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 100-300mmView the Panasonic 100-300mm IILens Adapters MentionedCanon Mount Adapter EF-EOS RAllows Canon EF DSLR lenses to be used on Canon RF mirrorless bodies.View the Canon EF-EOS R AdapterNikon FTZ Mount AdapterAllows compatible Nikon F-mount DSLR lenses to be used on Nikon Z mirrorless cameras.View the Nikon FTZ AdapterCourt's WebsitesCheck out my photo portfolio here: shop.courtwhelan.comSign up for my photo and conservation blog at www.courtwhelan.comFollow me on YouTube (@courtwhelan) for more photography tipsView my camera kit and recommended camera gearSponsors and Promo Codes:MPB.com - Buy, Sell, or Trade Camera GearArtStorefronts.com - Mention this podcast for free photo website designBayPhoto.com - 25% off your first order (code: TWP25) ArtHelper.com - a photo community to learn, share and be inspiredArthelper.Ai - Smart tools to promo and showcase your art.LensRentals.com - WildPhoto15 for 15% off
