Choosing the Best Camera for Wildlife Photography
- Choosing the best gear for wildlife photography can be an exciting, yet mind-blowing task. Your kit should offer a combination of fast autofocus, excellent image quality, and durability to withstand the unpredictable conditions often encountered when taking photos of animals in their natural habitats.
In this blog, we are exploring three exceptional cameras for wildlife photographers: the Nikon Z8, the Canon EOS R8, and the Fujifilm X-T50. Each camera offers a unique set of features suited to different needs and preferences.
Starting off with our top pick, the Nikon Z8 is an excellent choice for wildlife photography due to several key features that make it stand out in demanding outdoor environments. The 45.7MP full-frame sensor provides exceptional image resolution. This is crucial when shooting wildlife, as it allows you to capture fine details like fur textures, feathers, and the intricate features of animals in their natural habitats. The high resolution also gives you flexibility in cropping images while maintaining sharpness and clarity.
Wildlife photography often requires fast and accurate autofocus to track animals in motion. The Z8 features Nikon’s advanced 493-point phase-detection autofocus system, which includes excellent animal-eye detection. This means that even if an animal is moving quickly, the camera will maintain focus on its eyes or body, ensuring sharp images even during high-speed action shots.
This camera body also has a weather-sealed body, meaning it is built to withstand tough conditions, including dust, rain, and extreme temperatures. This added durability makes it a reliable choice when you're out in the field.
For wildlife photographers who also enjoy shooting video, the Z8 offers 4K video recording at up to 60fps, which is perfect for capturing smooth and detailed footage of animals in action.
The Z8’s full-frame sensor excels in low-light conditions, making it ideal for capturing animals in dawn or dusk lighting, when wildlife is often most active. Its wide dynamic range ensures that both the shadowed and highlighted areas in your photos maintain detail, so you don’t lose important features in overexposed or underexposed parts of the image.
The Nikon Z8 is currently priced at £3,299 for the body only, benefiting from a £700 saving! Quick though, this offer ends on the 31st March.
The Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S is a flagship telephoto zoom lens that’s excellent for a wide range of wildlife subjects, from larger mammals to birds and even wildlife portraits. The f/2.8 aperture is perfect for shooting in low light, and the VR (Vibration Reduction) helps keep your shots sharp in challenging conditions.
Alternatively, the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S is a great all-purpose zoom lens for wildlife photographers who need a versatile focal range and a constant aperture for consistent exposure. It’s especially useful for wildlife photographers who like to mix up their shooting styles, from wide-angle environmental shots to closer, more detailed portraits.
Our second choice is the Canon EOS R8. A fantastic, full-frame-sensor equipped option for wildlife photography due to its combination of speed, ease of use, and strong performance, all packed into a compact and affordable design.
It offers an impressive 40fps burst rate in its electronic shutter mode, allowing you to take rapid-fire shots and increase your chances of getting that perfect action image.
Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system is one of the most advanced autofocus systems available, with 1,053 autofocus points covering nearly the entire frame. The R8 can track fast-moving animals with ease as it also features Animal Detection AF, which helps the camera focus on animals’ faces or eyes, ensuring sharp focus on the subject, even in challenging conditions.
The 24.2MP full-frame sensor of the R8 delivers sharp, detailed images with great color accuracy and dynamic range. While not as high resolution as some other professional-level cameras, it’s more than sufficient for most wildlife applications. The sensor is designed to perform well in various lighting conditions, providing vibrant, natural colors that make wildlife photos pop.
This camera is made to be user-friendly and the compact and lightweight design is a major advantage. Weighing in at around 461g, it's significantly lighter than many other full-frame cameras, making it easier to carry for long hikes or in the field. The R8 is also designed to be intuitive and easy to use, which can be especially helpful for photographers who may not want to spend too much time adjusting settings.
The Canon EOS R8 is currently available for £1,629, and you can also claim 3 months free trial with Universal Music for Creators.
The Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM is one of the best zoom lenses for wildlife photography. This lens provides the essential telephoto reach you need to photograph distant animals and birds, while maintaining excellent image quality. Alternatively, for wildlife photographers who prefer a slightly shorter focal length but still need excellent quality and fast autofocus, the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM is a fantastic choice.
Our final choice is the Fujifilm X-T50. It may not be the first camera that comes to mind when thinking about wildlife photography, but it offers several unique advantages that make it a compelling option for capturing animals in their natural habitat.
One of the biggest advantages of the X-T50 is its compact and lightweight design, based around an APS-C sensor. Weighing around 382g (body only), it’s significantly lighter than many full-frame cameras, making it perfect for wildlife photographers who need to carry their gear over long distances or through rough terrain.
It can shoot up to 20fps in electronic shutter mode and 8fps in mechanical shutter mode. This speed ensures that you won’t miss the action, whether you're photographing animals in motion, like birds in flight or a predator chasing prey. The fast burst rate allows you to shoot a series of frames and select the best one for the perfect shot.
The X-T50 boasts a 425-point phase-detection autofocus system, which ensures fast and accurate focusing, even on moving subjects. While it may not be as sophisticated as some higher-end options, it still provides reliable autofocus that can lock onto animals with excellent precision. The Face/Eye Detection AF also helps in situations where animals’ faces or eyes are key to the shot, making sure they stay in focus even during action sequences.
The camera performs well in low-light situations, a key consideration for wildlife photographers. The ISO range of 160-12,800 (expandable to 80-51,200) ensures that you can get clean shots with minimal noise, even in dim environments like forests or dusk settings.
This camera is the lowest priced of the three, with a starting price of £1,099, currently benefitting from a £200 saving. However, stock is getting low, so you will want to order yours pretty quickly!
Fujifilm offers a strong lens ecosystem for the X series, including a variety of telephoto lenses ideal for wildlife photography. From the XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 to the XF 50-140mm f/2.8, you can find lenses that suit long-distance shots, offering you the ability to zoom in on distant animals without disturbing them.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the best camera is the one that matches your style, preferences, and requirements in the field. No matter which camera you choose, the key to great wildlife photography lies in patience, timing, and understanding your subjects. So, pack your gear, head into the wild, and start capturing breathtaking moments in nature!
-
Posted by Emma Davies
14th March 2025
Recently viewed...
