Best Professional Nikon Camera for landscape & wildlife

[JoeW]

The question is what lens.. not what camera.

Robin speaks with great truth on this. For wildlife, you need some seriously fast glass that will work with natural light. And it depends upon the wildlife and setting but I think you're going to view 200mm as an intermediate focal length (meaning you're probably going to want a lens that goes out to 400mm or 500mm). For landscape (assuming we're not talking buildings here), a series of top-grade filters (a set of NDF and GNDF) will be essential. You're going to need a top-of-the-line tripod (nothing under $300 is going to work b/c it will need to be rock-solid-stable and also something you can hike 5 miles with or maybe go climbing with.

As for a camera, a D3100 is fine. It's not a professional camera. If you're serious about wildlife photography than look at a D4s. Great in low-light, great FPS. It will only run you $6,000 or so. But it's not really about the body, it's about the glass and then knowing the outdoors well enough to hike to someplace to catch the eagle when it takes flight in the morning or the moose as it grazes in the morning. Galen Rowell once claimed a cliff and roped in for the night so he'd be there for the sunrise...he knew he wouldn't have the time to climb it in the morning and capture the sunrise and it was suicidal to climb it in the dark.

 

[KmH]

Get what Moose uses - Moose Peterson's Website | Where the world of photography is explored and shared!

 

[JohnnyWrench]

[/QUOTE]

You probably knew I'd chime in on this. Anybody want a Ford Focus and a wife? Package deal.

D7100's a great camera. Weather sealing is a huge help, particularly in... weather. Yeah. That.[/QUOTE]

How many miles on the wife? :mrgreen:

 

[Derrel]

If like Moose Peterson you have 300/2.8,400/2.8,500/4,600/4 lenses at your disposal, the low-MP count D4 is probably a good choice for much wildlife shooting.

If on the other hand you have a more-normal budget, a high-MP count, 1.5x FOV 'crop-body", no-AA filter camera with 24MP (50% more than the D4 has)--in other words, today, that would be a Nikon D7100, makes a lot of sense. Especially if you do not have access to 40,000 worth of high-end exotic Nikkor super-telephotos, and access to wildlife in locations where the animals have little to almost no fear of humans.

Case in point: there's a Lousiana bayou-based serious amateur wildlife shooter who shoots from a boat in an area where the birds have very little fear of man, and he uses an APS-C Nikon and a modest 300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. The large birds, alligators, and so on, let his boat get to within 20 meters with amazing frequency. Here, in the "open" non-swamp waters of the far western USA, getting closer than 50 meters to say, even a common Great Blue Heron, is a rare ocurrence except for the few individuals that hang around high-traffic boat launching zones.

 

[LenKaiser]

Thanks a lot for the replies, I've found some of them to be very helpful. From what I gather from most that have posted is the camera may not make as big of a deal as I thought. If I get something that is a bit better than the D3100 I'll probably be ok with some nice lenses. I will say though that I have taken some really nice shots with my little D3100. And I've found that most of the time I have to use the 70mm-200mm lens.

I'm leaning towards making sure that whatever I buy all the lenses etc. are interchangeable between the two cameras. I have a tripod already. I have not used it yet, but will in the future.

 

[Tony S]

Wait before picking out a new camera. Finish your education, learn to use what you have until it no longer matches up to your skill level. By the time you do that there are a couple of things that will happen.

First by then you will already know what equipment will be required for your needs.

Second, with the way things are changing so fast new equipment will be available that will be so far ahead of what is available today.

third, by the time you finish your education you might go a completely different direction than what you are looking at now.

Take your time.

 

[unpopular]

Before you look for a pro "Landscape/Wildlife" camera you need to do a couple of other things first.

1. Get a degree in business. Successful Professional Photography is 90% business 10% camera time.

First of all, a professional landscape photographer will be chasing after the gallery market or going for residency or grants. I'm not saying that business sense isn't needed, but it's hardly the same game as a portrait mill.

Second. How many of you who suggest this actually have business degrees? Business is kind of a joke degree, well maybe not a joke degree - but won't have a lot of value unless you already have business sense and it is really my opinion that you either have business sense or you don't. Most people don't and is why business students are such a joke.

I think it's far more valuable to really look at yourself and ask if you have what it takes to run a business - if not, consider hiring an accountant and office manager as a part of your overhead - though, if you're really interested in galleries and grants, that might not really be necessary. Now, if you're planning on running a portrait mill to support your genuine interests, then definitely think twice and be honest with yourself.

 

[unpopular]

Oh - and also I am unsure that a whole two or four year degree is really necessary either. Many communities offer small business incubators that will help. Usually the local library or community college is where these programs are housed.

Like I implied above, "get a business degree" has become kind of cliche advise that really is intended to drive in the point that running a photography business is mostly business - which is certainly valid. But I'd venture to guess that 99% of people who recommend this or like those comments do not have a business degree themselves.

 

[table1349]

Before you look for a pro "Landscape/Wildlife" camera you need to do a couple of other things first.

1. Get a degree in business. Successful Professional Photography is 90% business 10% camera time.

First of all, a professional landscape photographer will be chasing after the gallery market or going for residency or grants. I'm not saying that business sense isn't needed, but it's hardly the same game as a portrait mill.

Second. How many of you who suggest this actually have business degrees? Business is kind of a joke degree, well maybe not a joke degree - but won't have a lot of value unless you already have business sense and it is really my opinion that you either have business sense or you don't. Most people don't and is why business students are such a joke.

I think it's far more valuable to really look at yourself and ask if you have what it takes to run a business - if not, consider hiring an accountant and office manager as a part of your overhead - though, if you're really interested in galleries and grants, that might not really be necessary. Now, if you're planning on running a portrait mill to support your genuine interests, then definitely think twice and be honest with yourself.

Anyone that wants to start their own business needs the best possible tools for the business they want to get into. Thing is, that doesn't just mean the best body or lens, but more important the tool of knowledge. Landscape/wildlife photography is filled with talented people that don't have two nickles to rub together from their landscape/wildlife bussiness. They take great photos and can't sell them for anything close to any kind of reasonable money. Unless you are one of the very top landscape/wildlife photographers to survive you do weddings, portraits, senior photo sesions etc. and running a successful photography business isn't something most people can create out of the air. The TV channels are filled these days with shows dedicated to saving failing resturants, hotels etc. because the owners had no clue what they were getting into or how to run a business.

These days "Professional photographers" are a dime a dozen and most are earning their living with other jobs. Having an education in something that can pay the bills goes a long way with trying to get your own business started. Especially if you want to eat.

 

[unpopular]

Landscape/wildlife photography is filled with talented people that don't have two nickles to rub together from their landscape/wildlife bussiness.

This probably has more to do with supply and demand than it does to do with the individual business practices. Landscape photography is a form of fine art, certainly having business sense is important to anyone who wants to start up, but there just isn't a huge market. This market isn't as relatively easy to pursue as, say, low-end senior portraits. (nothing wrong with bread and butter, mind you)

But my larger point is saying "go back to school and get a business degree" I don't think is terrible helpful, nor even really necessary. There is often plenty of community-based support for entrepreneurs.

 

[table1349]

Landscape/wildlife photography is filled with talented people that don't have two nickles to rub together from their landscape/wildlife bussiness.

This probably has more to do with supply and demand than it does to do with the individual business practices. Landscape photography is a form of fine art, certainly having business sense is important to anyone who wants to start up, but there just isn't a huge market. This market isn't as relatively easy to pursue as, say, low-end senior portraits. (nothing wrong with bread and butter, mind you)

But my larger point is saying "go back to school and get a business degree" I don't think is terrible helpful, nor even really necessary. There is often plenty of community-based support for entrepreneurs.

I understand how you feel, but if someone doesn't have a chosen fallback, then business is one of the best out there currently for getting into the general job market. If the OP had said I want to do Landscape, Wildlife articles I would have suggested a Journalism Degree instead. The good old Liberal Arts degree just doesn't mean as much in the working world as it used to. Sadly I have seen too many of these types of individuals that want to jump into something like photography and their fall back job usually has the phrase "would you like fries with that?" attached to it. Of course those kinds of situations are ripe for a new reality show, but I personally don't find reality shows based on other peoples misery to be entertaining.

 

[LenKaiser]

Wow, ok. lol Looks like a can of worms has opened.

Well first I'm currently going to school to get an Associates Degree in photography. I think this will help me because I do not know any photographers that can "take me under their wing" so to speak and teach me photography basics and what have you. But this degree will certainly help teach me how to do various things in the field, plus the school I'm going to also as the core classes makes you take a business class that is just for photography students teaching you about contracts, the photo business and what have you, so I do believe that will be helpful. As for a complete degree in business, I'm sorry that is not going to happen for me. Others I'm sure it might be great, but for me that is overkill IMO and I'm an artistic person, going to school for business would probably make me not finish. I know myself. Photography, I KNOW I will finish this 2 year degree. I plan on finishing school definitely and learning everything I can as I go along.

As far as a fallback, I actually do have something other than McDonald's! Before I started school for photography i was a web designer for 7 years professionally, so if I have to I know I can go back to doing that freelance or even with a firm. I prefer to make it with photography though and give it the best try I can. I actually do plan on offering web design services for photo clients for things like Weddings, Senior/Graduation, and so on. Take the photos and offer a personal web space with their photos nicely put online for them to give links to their families and what have you. I figured that since I have the knowledge of web design, I might as well use it along with taking the photos.

I realize that Landscape & Wildlife photography most likely are NOT money makers. I knew that going into this. I do those things because I love wildlife, nature and landscapes and want to preserve them as much as possible. Love, however, does not pay the bills. So to pay the bills I figure that I'll have to do Weddings and other events if I want to continue as a photographer. As far as having business sense goes, I'm pretty good i think and running my own web design business for 7 years I learned many things that I can take to a freelance or wedding etc. photography. Could I learn more? Probably. I've been thinking about adding a couple of business courses for just the fun of it into my classes at school.

 

[unpopular]

I realize that Landscape & Wildlife photography most likely are NOT money makers.

As I like to say, if you're getting an art degree for the money, then you're doing it wrong.

 

[djacobox372]

Can u afford a pro setup?

600mm is a standard pro wildlife focal length, a modern pro version of this lens sells new for almost $10k (the 800mm is nearly 20k).

Personally I'd recommend a crop body over full frame, you'll usually be heavily cropping wildlife photos anyway why pay extra for a full frame?

 

[djacobox372]

As I like to say, if you're getting an art degree for the money, then you're doing it wrong.

Sort if like becoming a lawyer and expecting to enjoy your life.