Gear

Sony A7 IV

33.0MP, 35mm full-frame mirrorless camera body.

A new upgrade in my kit for 2022, Sony’s new A7 IV packs some incredible features with a whole new autofocus system borrowed from the A1. The animal and bird eye autofocus has blown me away and allowed me to get shots I would never have achieved previously and its new 33.0 mega pixel sensor is a welcome upgrade, allowing me a little more room for cropping into those wildlife shots. Stays mainly paired with my 200-600mm lens.

Sony A7R III

42.4MP, 35mm full-frame mirrorless camera body.

My workhorse for a long time, this body is fantastic with incredible image quality, excellent dynamic range and 42.4 mega pixels of image to crop into. The A7R III has become my main landscape camera now and stays mostly clipped to my shoulder when exploring with the 24-70mm ready for a wide variety of shots.

Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS

My main wildlife lens although it’s equally as good for portraits, landscapes and more. It’s heavy and bulky but the reach is brilliant, especially combined with a 2x teleconverter which takes it up to a whopping 1200mm at f13.

Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS

I’m a big fan of telephoto lenses for landscape and travel photography and this is amongst the most versatile for both. It’s incredibly heavy, but if I know I’m not going after wildlife this is my go to lens. It’s exceptionally sharp and very fast allowing for beautiful shallow depth of field and the ability to work in low light conditions.

Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM

Again this one’s an incredibly versatile lens and one I’ll often reach for for landscapes, portraits and product photography. It’s wide enough at 24mm to capture expansive landscapes but has enough zoom to cover me all the way to 70mm for lovely portraits and with a constant f/2.8 aperture is nice and fast for low light with beautiful bokeh. The only drawbacks are it’s weight at around 900g, and it’s a little soft around the edges of the frame.

Sony Zeiss Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA

35mm is one of my favourite focal lengths for street photography and travel. If I’m travelling you’ll often find this paired with the 70-200 in my camera bag. It’s light, a convenient size and with a maximum aperture of 1.4, incredibly fast allowing for great low light and night time photography. This one went all over Japan with me and produced some of my best shots.

Leofoto LM-364C

It still amazes me what Leofoto have achieved for nearly half the price of a Gitzo. This is my main tripod and the one I take into the field most often. Its carbon fibre construction is both light and strong and its lack of centre column and design mean it can get right to the ground, perfect for shooting shore birds or small mammals. If I could change one thing it’d be the twist-locks on the legs, I’m a flip-lock kind of guy.

Available from leofoto.com

Manfrotto MVH500AH

This Manfrotto Fluid Video Head is one of the best purchases I made for my wildlife photography. It may be bulky and relatively heavy – adding to that crucial pack weight – but what it adds in weight, it also adds in stability with its Fixed Fluid Drag System allowing for precise and incredibly smooth movements. A feature as useful for stills as it is for video.

Available from manfrotto.com

Peak Design Slide Camera Strap

I’ve owned a lot of camera straps over the years and I can tell you, without a doubt, Peak Design are the king. Not only is the Slide Strap comfortable, but it’s features are genuinely brilliant with strong fixings to my bodies (quickly removable in seconds) and the ability to easily change it’s length with the lever pictured. If you’re in the market for a new camera strap, frankly there are no other options.

Available from peakdesign.com

Vortex Viper 10x50 HD Binoculars

I have to say I never thought I’d be a binoculars kind of guy, but wildlife photography proved me very wrong.

When you’re glassing for wildlife repeatedly over hours and hours, holding a camera + long lens up to your eye over and over and over is a tiring exercise. It’ll only take you one afternoon to realise that binoculars are an essential bit of kit and greatly increase the chances of spotting wildlife before it spots you, especially when stalking subjects like deer.

This is my second pair of Vortex binoculars and for the price, they’re absolutely fantastic bits of kit with a lifetime warranty covering me if I have an accident out in the field. They’re now glued to me when I’m out.

Fjällräven Kajka 65 Backpack

Built like a tank, this is my go to rucksack for longer hikes when I need to carry more gear such as a tent and cooking equipment. It’s also my main wildlife photography bag. With front access and a large Peak Design Camera Cube insert, it carries my Sony A7RIII with battery grip and the 200-600 attached, all ready to go.

It’s probably the best backpack I’ve ever owned and despite not being exactly light, allows me to carry much higher loads without feeling the strain on my back or shoulders. Incredible stuff.

Atlas Athlete Camera Backpack

Designed to bridge the gap between outdoor/hiking bag and camera bag, Atlas manage to achieve this perfectly with plenty of room for camera gear and a whole expandable section for clothes, sleeping bags, cooking gear etc.

This bag went all around Japan with me on a month long trip and was not only comfortable for extended hikes, but lived up to it’s sales pitch in every way. I just wish it came in green and that I’d bought the bigger Adventure model!

Available from atlaspacks.com

Tragopan 3D Poncho & 3D Suit 2 pieces set

Lightweight and breathable this 3D camouflaged poncho always sits in the top of my camera bag ready to be pulled out and over my head or set up as an impromptu blind at a moments notice. I also use a hooded top, over trousers and gloves if I need to hide the entirety of myself.

It’s allowed me to get incredibly close to wildlife and achieve some of my best shots – as well as have some truly amazing interactions with the animals at a much closer distance than I’d usually be able to get.

Páramo Velez Evolution Smock

The Velez Evolution Smock by Páramo works by moving liquid water away from the body and out of the jacket. This is my new go to all weather jacket and so far has been absolutely brilliant with a silent fabric lacking the loud swish of a hard shell jacket - a feature that is invaluable when photographing wildlife. It’s perfectly suited for hiking and photography in the mountains and colder regions.

Helikon-Tex Woodsman Anorak Jacket

Lightweight, packable and made of tough DuraCanvas® fabric, this is my outer layer for summer unless it’s tipping it down with heavy rain.

It has a huge pouch on the front with lots of inner pockets, perfect for batteries, memory cards and more. It’s also a steal at around £90.

Rab Microlight Alpine Down Jacket

Staying warm when you’re out photographing wildlife is absolutely essential. If you’re comfortable, you’re going to be able to stay out there that little bit longer meaning you might just get that shot you wouldn’t have otherwise. This is one of my favourite investments. It regulates temperature so well I often just wear this with a t-shirt underneath in the coldest months of the year. I just wish it came in a muted green…

Available from rab.equipment

Rab Firewall Waterproof Jacket

My hard shell for when the weather gets really wet. Lightweight and extremely packable this jacket often sits in the front of my bag, ready to be pulled out in a moments notice. Staying dry, as with staying warm, is an absolute must when you’re out in the wilderness. An essential bit of kit.

Available from rab.equipment

The Heat Company HEAT 3 SMART gloves

I’ve owned a pair of these gloves for around eight years now and thrown a lot at them every winter since from multiple photography trips around the UK (in biting Scottish winds and freezing snow) to snowboarding in the Alps and hiking in Japan.

They’re utterly brilliant and packed full of features that make them essential in my kitbag. In particular the dexterity they afford, whilst keeping your hands nice and warm and out of the elements, is second to none. I’ve looked at other brands but nothing has come close to functionality of these fantastic winter gloves.

Available from The Heat Company directly.

Fjällräven Keb Trousers

Designed for freedom of movement, Fjällräven’s Keb trousers are fantastic for both the hike out to get to the wildlife/landscapes and the kneeling and clambering around whilst I’m shooting. There’s some useful sized pockets for lens caps and filters, and suprisingly good ventilation for the warmer summer months. Most of all I love Fjällräven’s attitude to sustainability. These trousers are built to take a beating.

Fjällräven Lappland Hybrid Trousers

Harder wearing, heavier duty and more reinforced, the Lappland Hyrbid Trousers are based on the award winning Keb trousers, but designed from the ground up specifically for hunters. Not only are they tougher, but they have one incredible feature. Silent poppers on the pockets. I can’t even begin to explain how awesome these are out in the field. They’re also suited well for bushcraft, camping and more. Brilliant stuff!

HANWAG TATRA II GTX boots

My boots of choice at the moment. They’re comfortable and feel really well made without being too heavy. The lacing system is surprisingly awesome (who knew lacing could be so praise worthy) and the GORE-TEX lining is very welcome as I spend an awful lot of time off the path and in some pretty wet conditions.

HANWAG have a rich history and with a focus on sustainability (even going as far as producing all their footwear exclusively in Europe) they give me a lot of confidence in their product.

Fjällräven Kneepads

One of the least exciting, but absolutely essential bits of kit in my camera bag for photographing animals. My wildlife photography often requires me to be on my knees in the dirt, mud and rocks for extended periods of time – often staying incredibly still throughout. These kneepads were gamechangers. Relatively inexpensive (I assumed they’d be more pricey for Fjällräven) they keep me comfortable in some very uncomfortable terrain and are easy to stow away in my bag when not required.