Best Sony Wildlife Photography Cameras, Lenses & MORE!
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Professional wildlife photographers Tony & Chelsea Northrup cover all the Sony camera equipment you need for wildlife photography, bird photography, nature photography and safaris with total budgets from about $1,500 all the way to over $25,000!
GEAR LINKS:
Sony a6100: SDP.io/a6100
Sony a6400: SDP.io/a6400
Sony a6700: SDP.io/a6700
Sony a7 IV: SDP.io/a74
Sony a7R V: SDP.io/a7R5
Sony a9 II: SDP.io/a92
Sony a1: SDP.io/a1
CF Express Type A cards: SDP.io/CFXA
Sony 1.4X Teleconverter: SDP.io/S14TC
Sony 2X Teleconverter: SDP.io/S2TC
Sony 70-300: SDp.io/S70300
Sony 70-350: SDP.io/S70350
Tamron 150-500: SDp.io/T150500
Sony 200-600: SDP.io/S200600
Sony 600mm f4: SDP.io/S600GM
LensCoat covers: SDP.io/LensCoat
Extension tubes: SDP.io/EXTENSION
Gitzo GHFG1 Gimbal Head: SDP.io/GHEAD
Gitzo Leveling Base: SDP.io/GBASE
Gitzo GT5543XLS Legs for the big gimbal head tripod: SDP.io/GLEGS
0:00 Introduction
1:30 Camera Bodies
1:54 Sony a6100, a6400 & a6700
3:27 Sony a7 IV
4:56 Sony a7R V
5:36 Sony a9 II
6:00 Sony a1
7:06 Using a Teleconverter with an existing lens
7:36 Sony 70-300mm and 70-350mm
7:54 Tamron 150-500mm
8:13 Sony 200-600mm
9:55 Sony 600mm f4
11:27 Gitzo gimbal head tripod
12:21 Summary
For me I use the A7RV + 100-400 GM. 400mm is more than enough for me but if I need the 600mm I will put my RV into APSC mode and I still get 26mp so its perfect for my needs especially with travelling
For occasionally shooting wildlife on family holidays (when you can't really have all the regular kit with you) the RX10mk4 is awesome. It also takes great family and travel shots.
For APS-C users on a budget, it can't get any better than the 70-350mm. It balances well on Sony APS-C cameras, has great reach and awesome image quality.
Sony 200-600 is such an incredible lens. Great to see it getting some recognition
I was surprised not to hear about the 100-400. I am currently deciding what to do. I love the 70-200 with 2x idea.
I have the sony a6400 + Sigma 150-600mm sports lens and it's an awesome combination! I didn't go for a fullframe, because of the 1,5x crop that a crop sensor gives you. I noticed i really need that extra crop.
I’m surprised that a lot of Sony users don’t recommended the 100-400 gm. I feel like it’s a really good lens
Great video, as always. Have you ever tested the sigma 60~600mm?
You guys are doing a great job and help a lot of people make well informed decisions. Thank you. Questions: What's your take on A6500 for wildlife? Would you use a 1.4X teleconverter or will you use a crop mode in Sony FF cameras?
For most shooters, shooting wildlife means birds and some land animals but there is also wildlife under the water surface. There might be some recommendable gear like soft or hard camera cases and lights for under water photography.
i doubt these people will do any sort of underwater review, the high-end underwater market is extraordinarily niche
I love the bloopers, please always keep that in! 😂
The A7R ii with the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD Is a great option. The only bad part of it are the 5fps but you can pick this combo up for around 1k on the used market.
I like the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM Lens as I can slap a 1.4x or 2.0x teleconverter on that lens to get that extra reach if I really need it. I like that has a 2.8 Aperture without the teleconverter for those low light shots. Granted you have to get closer to wildlife, but I like the challenge.
20k for a lens means I just need to get better at getting closer.
Agree, they sell it as having a bit less noise. Totally nuts for most people.
I have been using the Wimberley MH-100 Monopod Gimbal on a Benro Supa Dupe monopod when a tripod is not convenient. It is easy to carry either the 400 or the 600 across your shoulders and it is nearly as steady as the tripod.
My 70-350 and 200-600 gathering dust most of the time, I'm using more often tamron 150-500 with a6700, a lot easier to pack it in small bagpack than 200-600, also tamron is much better with macro than 70-350 or 200-600, so when there no birds or bigger animals around it allows me to do some decent macro shots, this way I never come home with empty card :D
Great job (as usual), BUT you missed an AWESOME Sony camera that I carried on an 18 day Africa tour of South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Numibia and Zambia. Through much, brush, dust, in and out of Range Rovers, my faithful RX10IV captured over 5k photos and videos. Phase detect focus with 24-600mm lens worked flawlessly! And, shooting at 600mm/f4 allowed for some beautiful low light shots. And, Sony's anti-mtion blur setting allowed night wildlife shots of a beautiful leopard that no one else in our group could capture. At $1600, the RX10 is a steal for, wildlife and anything else. And, dust and moisture protection kept it going without problems that might experienced by other cameras. At 2 pounds , the RX10IV didn't even cause neck or black strain, not to mention excess baggage cost. 😊👍
great video guys!!
Great vid. But how about the Sony 100-400 gm lens?
I know this was an Adorama video and not a KEH one, but if you're shooting Sony, it's well worth looking out for a used A-Mount Sony 500 F4. Amazing lens.
I have almost all the same gear - but which Gitzo tripod are you actually using? The Gitzo gimbal is also great for video due to the fluid-like damping.
What about the Sony 400 F2.8 GM lens? About the fastest super telefocal lens available for wildlife photography. No not as much reach as the 600 GM for small or distant subjects, but equally high definition and the ideal lens for larger subjects, be they mammals or large birds such as eagles. The definition is so good, that I get better results with my A1 than with the 200-600 zoom. Also don’t forget that F2.8 is invaluable at dawn and dusk, giving you maybe another 5-10 minutes shooting as the light dims over the F4.
I don't think people that can afford a $16,000 lens (CAD) are watching this KZhead video.
Could love to hear more about how you usually carry lens and camera in and out.
Would you use the 100-400 with its better sharpness and have to crop more heavily or use the 200-600 for the extra reach and crop less?
Thanks for yet ANOTHER great Wildlife Photography video!... BUT I wish you were able to wait until after the introduction of the A9III in two weeks (or have you ALREADY DONE THIS but are under the usual 'NDA' HM-M-M....!?! ;) )
May I ask what camera/lens you were using for the talking head portion of the video?
What are your thoughts on pairing the a6700 with either the Sony 100-400 (the older version) OR the new 70-200 f4 macro and 1.4x teleconverter for shooting wildlife? I'm looking to upgrade from my a6000 to the a6700. I could go full frame and purchase a telephoto but it wouldn't be in the budget to also replace all my apsc lenses. I know I could shoot in crop mode on the full frame and use the apsc lenses, but then what is the point in having a full frame camera... this leads me back to the a6700. The telephoto lens will be a splurge for me that will need to last quite a few years... Thanks for any advice!
Great review 👍. Sony 100-400 is also a good option for wildlife photography. Please do a review on it also and share your thoughts. 😊
Great lens, just a little short to make our recommendations for wildlife.
I agree. It’s my favorite birding lens.
@@TonyAndChelsea The 70-200mm with the teleconverter was recommended in the video though.
Thanks
I'm kinda wondering why you guys recommend the tamron 150-500 over the sigma 150-600 dg dn?
It is purely a weight issue. I personally thing its an even trade most of the time. For me, for documentary video being able to pack the tamron "just in case" is nice
@@bloodybrit127 i can do the same with the sigma, and I'm quite happy with it's size being able to put it sideways in the whistler rl400 and the 450 that never gave me any issues with flying
@@thatcrazydutchguy9824 Certainly you can but it is noticeably larger and heavier. Being able to pack the tamron vertically is a plus, for me it was enough difference that when packing my carry on, the tamron was able to squeez in, but the sigma was too much, especially with the lens good. Overall i think most people dont have my contraints and would be better with the sigma. For Tony and Chelsea, i don;t recall seeing them review the sigma so if i recall correctly, its possible they just never got their hands on it.
@@bloodybrit127 it does fit both ways easy in my backpack, but yeah I tested both, the sigma was my favourite after they updated the firmware properly
A used A9 is the way to go! No point paying more for an A9II because the difference is very subtle. 24mp, 20fps, no blackout, silent shooting, top-notch AF and a nice EVF. If you find a nice one between $1,200 - $1,500, that’s a great deal!
In the UK the used price between the two is not much, so IMO it is worth spending a bit more for the improvements, but not worth replacing an A9 if you already have one. But 100% agree on the A9 family, really good value used. And lower MP is fine if you're not blowing up heavily cropped images for big prints, and it saves on memory cards and HD space (which fills up quick with 20FPS). Another factor is low light performance, which the A9 does well with. Lower MP means more light per cell which really helps compared to the A7R apparently. And for wildlife, thats great for dawn and dusk with owls, deer etc. Although I have found the AF does struggle in the extreme low light situations, but if you're blasting 20FPS you just need a couple of in focus images which has worked out well for me so far.
Fact check. The AF in the A6700 is more advanced than the A7IV. It has that AI chip that the A7IV does not.
There's lots of wrong information in this video.....
Yes the a6700 is more advanced but the Autofokus is on one level I think 😆
On paper, until you start using it out in the field. 😭😭😭
@@rlpring78 What does that even mean? Compared to my A7RV, I see no discernible difference in AF
To my experience, the A6700 AF is slightly better.
hello , why you are not explaining about the a7rv at all , it is better than the a7iv ? , is it worth the extra money
Using a Sony a6700 with the 200-600. I'm getting NATGEO shots 😊
Nice! I have the a6600 with the 200-600. I'll use it for a few more years then maybe upgrade
@@mikerck underrated combo. Full frame gets all the attention
If you had to choose today, would you get a brand new A7RV or a used A1?
Thank you
No mention of the Sigma 60-600 Sport? Much more versatile range than the others.
We reviewed it here: kzhead.info/sun/Y5l-n9KFZ2V6Z5E/bejne.html But it just didn't make the cut as a dedicated wildlife lens. It's more a lens for someone who shoot sports and wildlife... it makes some compromises for that versatility.
I am sure you did a video where you thought the Sigma 150-600 had the edge on the Sony! It is so difficult looking at gear when reviews do not cover the points you need or omit vital information. Incidentally I have a thing that hooks over a car window, a tripod with no legs, great when you are using the car as a hide.
you forgot to mention Adorama.
Hai which camera and lens u are using for shooting this video
How can you process 1 TB of pictures after a shooting? Do you have time?
I figured you guys probably have more camera gear and accessories than anyone could imagine! Things have gotten out of control for me. I'm looking for organizational solutions from anyone with ideas? The Milwaukee PACKOUT modular organizers are what I'm trying right now.
I got 4 big toolboxes from Lowe's and added foam to the drawers. I cut out foam in the shapes of cameras and lenses. I keep them in a closet locked with a keycode.
So usually I’d talk about my 100-400 sigma on aps-c because it’s ~kg and equivalent of a 150-600 on crop… But I’m honestly thinking if I didn’t have full frame cameras I’d trade it for the 70-350 which is lighter and almost as good range…
One of the best things about the Canon 100-500 is that it's only ~1.3kg
just love your presentations
I purchased a a6600 (1st crop with IBS and it takes the same battery as my a7mk3) the main reason was so I could add the Canon mount Tamron 18-400 from my Canon days, such a great Walk Around/light weight kit. On days when IQ is more of a goal and weight not a concern, I swap that out for the Sigma 150-600 (I chose the Sigma over the Sony 200-600 because of the minimum focus distance being much less) I was thinking of getting the a7mk4 but now I'm thinking the a6700 would be a better choice and more wife friendly. Oops, I mean budget friendly bang for my buck! And yes the 18-400 is at its best performing with good to great light and not so good in lower light conditions
i've the same a7m3 and a wife-friendly (for budget and weight) a6600. Looking for a telephoto lens. What adapter do you use with 18 400. Considering I dont own this lens, would you recommend anything else in similar IQ in Sony? Perhaps, 70 350 G?
I use the Sigma MC-11 Canon EF to Sony E on both cameras,it is tiny bit slower at Autofocus especially with the L glass I used when I first moved from Canon to Sony but,it did the job until I could replace my old glass with Sony E mount glass
The 70-350G with my a6600 is my favorite setup. It's light enough to hike all day and takes great photos. I'll even use it when going to NYC and use it for portraits and architecture @@SenthilRameshJV
Sigma MC-11 adapter Canon EF to Sony E
any reason a6600 wasn't in recommendations with the rest?
I am a beginner and want to start travel and wildlife photography should I get A9i/A7riii/A7iiior save more money to get A7iv. Should I get 70-200gm mk2 + 2x tele, 100-400gm and 200-600g please give me a recommendation?
What did you get?
Whatever you choose, spend more on a lens, the lens matters most.
I have been following you both for a while..I have a Nikon D850 with Nikkor 200-500, 70-200 f2.8 and 16-35 wide angle. I shoot for fun ..got interested after my photos were sold to help poor cancer patients. I want an upgrade now…maybe a Sony alpha 1 with 200-600f/5.6 and the 600f/4 with teleconverter….or do you suggest a Canon. I am retired with all the time in the world…john Thomas, Kerala, India😊
By far the best video you all have put out in some time. I enjoyed watching it very much. Great visuals, music and bloopers were funny as well haha.
Guys there is 100% an owl around you somewhere. Those robins going crazy as well as all the other birds making a ruckus is a telltale sign of a raptor being around
I use a 6700 with the 70-350 with sometimes decent results but would sure like a little more reach but appreciate the smaller size
I'm in the same boat. I've been using that lens since it came out. Like you, 525mm equivelent is just not enough in a lot of situations, but I've yet to find a Lens with more reach that my gimpy old back can tolerate, and I've tried them all. .I know I'll get laughed at, but I recently picked up an OM-1 and a PL 100-400mm. 800mm equivalent with frankly, better bird eye AF than my A6700 (IMO). Sure, there are compromises with the small sensor, but for me, it's been a revelation. Just my experience.
Great info you 2. Enjoy your honest opinions. I have the Sony A7Riv and love the ability to crop but since I'm doing 60% wildlife/birds and 40% landscape I'm wondering if I should get either the a6700 because of extra reach and new AF processor etc or maybe the A7Cii ( A&R5 not in budget. What do you think. thks
the new sigma 500 is tempting with the Sony
Really enjoyed the video. 👍
🤣Bloopers at the end 🤣
Just an observation from a fan. I get that Adorama is sponsoring your videos. That's great. But the constant referral to Adorama throughout the video is more than a little tiresome. Just sayin"
Adorama must be paying you guys in coffee or red bulls these days. I have the 70-200 GM II and 200-600 G. I recently sold the 100-400 GM. I found that the 1.4 and 2.0 teleconverters work well enough with the 70-200 GM II that I no longer needed the 100-400 GM. And if I wanted to go longer, I had the 200-600mm G.
How 200-600 with x2 works for you?
❤ A Tony bobblehead?
This video featured some "Pixel Peeping" at 4:01 ;)
00:27 Chels is a savage!😅
I would like to recommend the Sony A9, secondhand it's often less than 2000, almost the same as the A9II
Nice
A7iv only need V90 SD card
how much shaper is the 600GM compared to the 200-600? did you do any lab test?
I've been happy with my 150-500 tamron but i think i'm going to trade it in for the 70-200 + TC1.4 or TC2.0.
I did exactly this, I was done with the weight of the 150-500 for travel. They call it super light, I like the 1 kilo from the 70-200 GM II a lot more. With TC 2x and in APS-C mode you get 600mm. Works well, but with TC only for non moving objects and it should be in your frame to a reasonable degree. Otherwise difficult to get it sharp. With the f2.8 without TC (also in APS-C mode) you have a great reach with lots of light. Very manageable in terms of weight.
Thank you, I do like the blooper at the end of the video.
I love it
What camera and lens did you use to shoot this video???! It looks amazing! Awesome Job!
Camera doesn’t matter, was probably a full frame 50 1.2 lens.
They normally use Sony A7SIII.
With all that gear you really need to go to some awesome place one day maybe amazon forest or something ( Glenn Bartley probably will be the good person to suggest some trip ) you are doing wildlife for so long it would be a great way to spend time :) I know that you got two dogs on your mind and I know its not easy but maybe there is a way around it :)
I never seen a video of them on a safari trip. Something I saw from other Wildlife photographers.
@@angeloplayforone tbh I just wish them the best experience for them self :) I would not like them to post video from the trip because they will waste 70% of time there for content creation just go and enjoy :)
CF Express Type A cards don’t come in a 512gb size. And even if they did, they would cost over $600 a piece. )The 640gb are $750)
Yeah, they're outrageously expensive! I use the Angelbird 1TB cards which are only $499, but they're currently backordered... CF Express Type A really sucks.
@@TonyAndChelsea - I hadn’t heard about Angelbird. Thanks for the heads up!
Hey Tony & Chelsea - by can we expect a review/ your initial impressions on the Nikon Z f?
Yes! We pre-ordered one, and Nikon cancelled it for some reason. So I ordered another and we wait...
A problem with gear reviews is that they seldom comment on the quality of customer support provided by the different manufacturers. I bought a Sony 600mm f4 which had issues but got no real support from Sony at all, leaving me with an extremely expensive unusable lens. ....I am now having to move to another brand because i cannot trust my huge investment in Sony gear will be properly supported moving forwards. It is worth taking this side of ownership into account and checking online reviews on review sites to see the size of the problem with particular manufacturers.
My wife and I have A1’s and 200-600 then add expensive CF-A cards and Sony grips plus gimbals and tripods and 2 1.4 Telly’s equals $$$$$
Chelsea’s like “Tony, first edit is a caption that explains you’re older than me on the experience comment” 😊
For me the best Sony Cameras for Wildlife are Sony A7RII, Sony A7RIIIA, Sony A7RIV, Sony A7RIVA and Sony A7RV.
Sony meet all my wildlife needs 🙂
I was looking at Sony superteles the other day, but they have only 4? The 400/2.8, 600/4, 100-400 and 200-600, and that's it. If I was a pro wildlife shooter I'd probably be looking to go with Nikon instead. Oh and it's not just native options either; the Tamron 150-500 has just been announced for Z-mount.
But for sony you have also plenty options from 3rd party: 60-600, 100-400, 150-500… What you are missing actually?
@@pawelmod3292 I just find it curious that Sony seems to get so much attention for something they aren’t actually that good at.
Would love to see a comparison with the big guns, Sony 600Gm vs canon RF600 vs Nikon 600 Z.
Always enjoy the content and the bloopers remind us that everyone makes simple mistakes at times
Cheers for a great video again. I have been using the kenko tubes (26mm) on my Sony 200-600 with great results. I do however find that there is some tolerance in the mount. Do you guys know if that is normal? I have been using the tubes for quite some time now and sort of work around the problem, but I was wondering if this is how it should be.
Cf Express A Cards .. 2nd fiddle to Type B Cards >>
Yeah I totally agree
Expensive as well
The best camera for wildlife is one that the wildlife can use !
I'm sad that your channel has become a continuos ad for "what's new to buy at Adorama".
Be happy that we can afford to keep making videos without taking sponsorships from a camera or lens manufacturer. We're pretty much the only big channel that has managed to do that.
Really dislike the affiliate link pop ups. Have to dismiss every single one individually, a very painful process when multi tasking.
gear only doesnt matter in portrait photos, but matters in wildlife and sports photography.
Sony needs compact and light long tele prime Lenses like 300mm 4.0, 400 4.5 and 500mm 5.6, Nikon is doing it good with their 400mm 4.5, 600mm 6.3 and 800mm 6.3
Yes Nikon
Yea. The nikon pf line is amazing option. Since not everyone can or want to buy those f2.8 ans f4 .. come on Sony.
@@sgpork I am not a fan of the pf lens design, but the 400mm 4.5 is very fine.
Still waiting for that full review of the Nikon Z8.........
I think it’s noble that Tony and Chelsea never excepted sponsorship from Câmara manufactures, Although even if they did accept at some point, it’s not like I would ever called them biased or consider their reviews invalid And even without ever accepting, some people call them biased anyway🤷♂️
Oh boy the 100-400 lens lovers are gonna hate this video!!!! lol There is a cult like following for the 100-400 lens and they are always very vocal on videos where that lens is not the star🤦🏼♂️
holy crap these product pop up ads are annoying af.
im sorry but calling the autofocus on the a7iv better than the a6700 is just plain wrong
My Sony A1 was $6500+ tax $650 + 2 160GB $700 .. $7,850.00.. Almost $8,000 before i even put a lens on it. My Canon R7 $1,500 and has better auto focus. Spend your money carefully if you are on a budget. My Nikon Z8 $4,400 .... with better birding lens options.
More like a Sony commercial.
Yeah A7IV is not Sonys least expensive full frame.
They already said sale from sponsor.
I thought I was the only one thinking about this. Anyway Sony paid them well as they can both use a A1, the most expensive Sony, which is more expensive then Nikon Z9.
Sorry, I laughed on your NG takes.
Tonys arch enemy: The Extension tube, aka Teleconverters. 😂😂😂 Still giving him a hard time after all these years.
Can you do Canon! 😅
I know the feeling Tony...😒 😅😅😅
When you own the 600 f/4 & 400 f2.8, there should only be one body attached to them, the Sony A1.
Sony price memory card price gouging.
None of the camera manufactures make cameras that can be easily operated in the cold with with winter gloves on , most of the cameras, dials and joysticks, are too small for operating in the cold, too many times I’ve been forced to take my gloves or mitts off when it’s -25 Celsius outside, Sony makes some of the worst cameras to operate in the cold, being that their cameras are smaller than of a competition, you said in one of your earlier videos that should get rid of their dials and use touchpad like used on the canon R3 I say wrong, it’s OK if you in a warm climate, but not up here in Canada.
Canon has DO technology. Nikon has PF. Hmm i hope sony has something too.