Do you need expensive equipment to photograph wildlife?

Wildlife photography on a budget.

In my article, I’m going to take a look at how wildlife photography doesn’t have to cost the earth.

Every now and again it is said to me, “Nice photos, you must have a really nice camera” and it is hard not to feel a little annoyed when I hear this.

I also think that some people could see it as a barrier between them and a fantastic hobby.

With an older DLSR (Nikon D3300), a 200mm zoom kit lens and a bundle of patience, I’m going to find out what’s achievable.

Let’s set some rules to make this fair.

• Use equipment that costs around £200.
• Visit a local wildlife area that is within walking distance.
• 1 photography session that lasts between 2-3 hours.
• Post-editing software can be used but is limited to changing RAW settings only.

This project is all about wildlife photography on the cheap.

Online you can pick up a second-hand DSLR and lens for less than £200.

Now I understand £200 is not exactly cheap however I want to demonstrate how you can get decent wildlife photography results on a budget.

Macro capabilities
Let’s try to photograph a small thing.

Being able to photograph a variety of wildlife in one session would be fantastic. The ability to photograph a perched bird that is 10ft away and then move to a small moth that is 3ft away without having to change the lens is pretty cool.

Now you’re not going to get true macro photography detail from this kit but you can still document some small bugs in your session.

I believe it’s all about patience

With a lens of this kind, the autofocus isn’t super quick and the lens aperture of F5.6 will struggle to get a lot of light in.
The diameter of the lens is only 52mm and looks tiny in comparison to Sigma’s 150-600 C 85mm diameter.

However, if you pre-focus the lens on your branch, choose a fast shutter speed, keep very still and just wait… you’ll get results like my Coal Tit.

Animals have an area where they feel safe. If you step into this area, they’ll tend to be scared off. By standing very still and not making sharp movements, you can get a lot closer to them over time.

If you’re looking to get into wildlife photography as a hobby (and it is a great hobby), it doesn’t have to cost the earth.

But with a small investment in some second-hand entry-level kit, you’ll be able to enjoy our hobby and get some amazing photographs.

You will see a lot of people out and about with thousands of pounds worth of equipment. But don’t let this deter you. I’ve seen amazing photographs taken with cheap cameras and terrible photographs taken with expensive equipment.