As to select the equipment’s for the naturalistic photography

Text by Ernesto Francini

A good equipment's, although is not the most important thing, it can help surely the naturalist photographer in the carrying out of his work.

My equipment is simple, light, it allows me a rapid movement when I work in field, as

I have always preferred, and although I consider it excellent for its quality, I don't have spent a lot of money to have it.

I know that it is not the best one that exists, in fact of performances, but for me it goes well.

It consists essentially in the following devices :

Camera Body : CANON EOS 3

Power drive booster : CANON BP - E2 + battery pack Ni - MH NP - E2

+ battery charger Ni - MH NC - E2

Battery pack : CANON BP - E1

Flexible remote control : CANON RS - 80 N3

Lens : CANON Series EF-L Ultrasonic motor - 400 mm f 5.6

300 mm f 4 IS

70-200 mm f 4

28-70 mm f 2.8

complete of B+W ultraviolet filter to protect the lens.

Focal Extenders : CANON EF 1.4 X, 2X

Flash : CANON SPEEDLITE 550 EX

Professional Monopod : MANFROTTO 434 + Head 234 RC with quick release plate.

Professional tripod: MANFROTTO 055 NAT + Head 029 with quick release plate.

Mobile tent : MANFROTTO TiPi Matic

Binoculars : SWAROVSKI EL 8,5 x 42

Photo bag : TENBA Pro Packs

Films : FUJICHROME VELVIA 50, PROVIA 100F, SENSIA 100.

The camera body

It is not difficult today for one who intends to deal with naturalistic photo to choose a good camera body.

I must say, first of all, that my personnel predilection goes toward the 35 mm format, that I consider more practical than the also good medium - format (6x 6 or 6x7), bulky and few manageable for the wandering photo, where the photographer is the active part, in continuous movement, to search the subjects to photograph.

The many present manufacturers, today on the market, offer a myriad of models in continuous evolution, suitable for every demand and for all the economic availabilities of whom has to face this experience, therefore it is simple to choose.

My experience has begun with a YASHICA FX-3 Super 2000, a completely manual camera, used with SIGMA universal lenses.

This camera, in its simplicity, do not has any automatism, as for instance: automatic exposure, autofocus, continuous shoot and so on.

It has allowed me to approach to the photography developing a personal mode to think, on every thing I was doing, concretizing therefore a photographic behavior that it then has remained in me when I have changed my camera with more evolved models.

Therefore, my personal suggestion, for one who it is approached for the first time to the nature photo, it is that to begin with a good manual camera, trying to learn the exposure technique and the manual focus technique. Trying to go initially on simple subjects, easily to shoot, normally present in territories frequented by the man (gardens, parks, rivers, lakes). Between such subject we can include: gulls, mallards, pigeons, doves, swans, and so on.

In this manner we can begin to develop our photographic experience avoiding

to meet with the disagreeable frustrations of whom, inexperienced, it is approached to the wild nature for the first time trying to photograph the animals without getting some result.

When we will have developed a good practice, and our demands will grow, we can use more evolved models, starting to frequent less easy environments, as for example places that represent the expression and the demonstration of the true nature, where the animal is really to the wild state, and the nature is manifested in all its spectacular beauty.

These environments can be, to begin, the varied protected oases of your national territory, managed by the varied naturalistic organizations, among which we can remember BIRDLIFE and WWF.

In such sites it is often possible to use fixed hiding places already predisposed for the

birdwatching and the photography, so that if we have a good dose of patience and true love for the nature we will be able to start to observe and to study the varied wild kinds in their natural environment.

The use of evolved camera bodies, completely automatized, will give us the undeniable advantage to have a promptness of action, in the case it will be necessary, that, contrarily, with the manual models

it was not possible.

Personally, after varied experiences, I have chosen the CANON EOS 3 body.

The choice has been determined in first place from the necessity to have a very quick and silent autofocus, important quality, in naturalistic photo, and useful when it is intended to shoot birds in flight.

Besides this, the camera had a good exposure meter and a series of accessories of good quality.

Between the most important characteristics offered by the camera body I have noticed the possibility to have a continuous shoot, up to 7 frames per second, when it is equipped with power drive booster

BP - E2.

Between the accessories I have appreciated the flash SPEEDLITE 550 EX, a powerful flash, with 55 guide number, endowed with innumerable functions, between which the fast synchronization of the shutter (FP) ideal to stop the subjects in rapid movement.

And finally the possibility to equip the camera body with lenses really very good.

The Lenses

The lenses are surely the fundamental part of the equipment and it is to its characteristics and performances that we owe the quality of the image that we will get.

To choose a wrong lens can mean to jeopardize the results of a long job of study and wait to photograph a subject.

Although to entrust to famous manufacturers sometimes can be synonymous of guarantee, the better things to consider, to effect a good choice, are the followings:

1) Value the lens technical characteristics through the MTF tests.

Specific examinations that put in evidence the following characteristics:

quality-sharpness, distorsion, diaphragm accuracy, and so on.

In Italy edit by the Centro Studi Progresso Fotografico.

Such bibliography is available on request to the publisher (Editrice Progresso

Milano-Italy) and on Internet at the following address: www.fotografia.it.

Then to effect a choice.

2) Value, if possible, the lens performances with a practical test in field.

Insert it in your equipment and test the practical limits of use, as for example :

manageability, simplicity in the use of the functions, autofocus quality, image quality

on photo, and so on.

The naturalist photographer will have to select, first of all, lenses with ample focal length and the least necessary, from which to depart, remains without doubt the 400 mm f 5.6.

The 500 mm f 4 and the 600 mm f 4 exist then, for the one who wants to practise photos by using fixed hiding places, and they are the best solution for this practice, but seen the prices to which we have to go to meet, if we don't have available funds, we can be satisfied to equip our lenses with good professional focal extenders, as for example 1.4 X and 2 X.

To protect mechanically the lenses and to avoid the ultraviolet rays we can insert on the frontal part a good quality UV filter.

Another element to consider, in the choice, is the minimum focus distance of the lens, which will be function of the use that we will want to do of lens, above all, if our intention is to do macro photos of insects and flowers.

In my particular case, since I do in prevalence a wandering naturalistic photo,

my choice has been forced and addressed toward the available lightest lenses, within the better relationship quality / price, and the choices have sprung what you see, of which have satisfied.

Monopod and Tripod

The Monopod is a device easy to transport and it finds its employment when there is the necessity to have an easy to handle point of support without to resort to a bulkiest and heavy tripod.

The Tripod represents the classical support to which to entrust to have a very stable and precise point of reference, of our equipment, and it is especially used in the photos shot from the fixed hiding places.

As tripod I have chosen the MANFROTTO 055 NAT model, because exclusively designed for naturalistic use.

This is a tool painted in dark green color, which matches very well with the environment colors in which it is used, it has grips in rubber, mails on every leg, which facilitate the taking and isolation from the cold.

It is equipped of ample support footsies, made in rubber, that can be rotated for letting go out steel hard metal points, suitable to be inserted in the ground to increase stability.

I have equipped the Monopod and Tripod with a head which it has a quick release plate, this to allow me to unhook the equipment quickly, from the support system, when there is a sudden necessity to follow subjects in fast movement, by using the free hand, which could not have followed otherwise.

Mobile Tent

The mobile tent has to be light and easily transportable.

It has to come up easily and quickly. It has to be of impermeable cloth and mimetic color, suited for

the environment in which it must be used.

It has to have openable windows on all the sides, it has to have the minimum height possible,

but enough to accommodate the photographer and his equipment's in comfortable manner

(it is important don't forget that there is often the necessity to stay some whole days inside the tent

without going out).

An interesting characteristic of the MANFROTTO Ti Pi Matic tents is that they are self mounting type,

thanks to its structure made of harmonic springs. It allows to put them standing in an instant.

They are then firmly fixed to the ground with some pickets.

Binoculars

The binoculars is an essential tool for the birdwatcher and for the naturalist photographer.

It allows to hold in continuous observation the environment, using a practical and light tool, without

to resort to the camera lens, that has a more narrow visual field and it is more difficult to handle.

The binoculars has to be easy to grasp, with the naked hands and with the gloves, it has to have a

rubber covering to avoid to slide, it has to be impermeable to the water and the dust, but above all

it has to be endowed with great brightness and to furnish clear images.

The metal ring to adjust the focus point has to be easy to handle, allowing a quick focus adjustment

using the hands with or without the gloves.

The optic characteristics of the binoculars are indicated by the product of two numbers

(example: 8.5 x 42).

The first one points out the number of magnifications, the second the diameter of the last lens.

The binoculars brightness is gotten by the division of the diameter number with the magnifications

number (example: 42 : 8.5 = 4.9).

To see the details, in the woods, under low light conditions, and at the sunset, it is enough

to have a brightness between 4 and 5.

For a good observation of the birds will be enough a number of magnifications between 7 and 10.

To exceed these numbers is unadvisable since it increases the binoculars weight and the use with

free hands it is revealed difficult and very unstable, producing an excessive stress of the arms.

The use of the binoculars facilitates the observation and the studies of the wild wild animals behavior

and it is essential to search the subject to photograph and to direct the camera lens on it.

The Films

My choice has founded on the Fujichrome films family which in my opinion they are the best for the

naturalistic photography because they have an incomparable return in the tonalities green and blue.

Normally I use Velvia for portrait and landscape photos, and every time I have necessity to

signify a strong contrast and to give great intensity to the photo.

It allows me to show all the details of the subject, preserving an excellent depth of tones,

jointly to an ultrafine grain ideal for strong enlargements.

While Provia and Sensia, that I consider versatile films, good for all the occasions, having a

double sensibility, in comparison to the Velvia, I primarily use them for subjects in

movement, shot without the aid of the flash and when I have necessity to get more soft tones.