Wildlife photography is a major genre of the field. From wild elephants to migrating birds and butterflies, wildlife presents an ever-changing scenario for the photographer. To capture these wonders on digital media, you need a good, reliable camera that will allow you to be far away from your subject while capturing the life of the critters.
History
The first published wildlife photos appeared in National Geographic magazine. They were taken by George Shiras III, a major political force who helped create national parks and worked as an environmentalist. Because of these works, he was invited to submit his own wildlife photos to his friend, Gil Grosvenor, director and editor of the National Geographic Society. According to the National Geographic Website, the photos were first published in July of 1906.
Function
Since the beginning, photographers have made an effort to combine telephoto lens, fast flashes and fast shutter speeds. This was more difficult with film than digital, especially in the early mechanical days. The idea is to get the most light to the camera from the best distance to capture wildlife in action in its natural habitat.
Considerations
Nearly any digital single-lens reflex camera with at least 10 megapixels of resolution will take good wildlife photos. What is important is the speed (how much light gets in) of the lens and the shutter. The Nikon D3, for example, will give a top shutter speed of 1/8000 measurements of a second under ideal natural lighting conditions. The Pentax K20D has a top range of 1/4000 measurement of second. The latter syncs flash at 1/180. The Nikon has a wider range.
Types
Lenses are very important in this field. The smaller the number of the aperture of any given lens, the more light gets in and the faster it will shoot. The fastest Nikon zoom lens has an aperture of f/2.8. Its fastest telephoto is f/1.4. Pentax's fastest zoom also is f/2.8, and its fastest telephoto is f/2.4 or f/4.
Identification
While medium format digital cameras will give bigger, better images, they are somewhat cumbersome for in-the-field photography. For situations where the photographer doesn't have to be on the move, the Hasselblad H3DII-50 is the best of digital medium format cameras.
Potential
If money is no object, the Nikon D3 digital camera system probably is the best 35mm-style camera for shooting photos of wildlife. If money is a little tighter, the Pentax K20D is the way to go. Both cameras have extensive lens choices, synchronized flash units and other accessories that make shooting wildlife compatible with the photographer.
Tags: National Geographic, wildlife photos, fastest telephoto, first published, light gets, medium format