I used to primarily rely on Canon or Nikon DSLRs for bird and wildlife photography but my health and my age have made both impractical. Thankfully, Micro Four Third (M43) cameras and lenses have improved over the last five years to the point where they have significantly closed the gap with many DSLRs. I now use M43 gear from Olympus as my only camera system.
Category Archive: Gear
What Photo Accessory Have I Owned The Longest? It may surprise you to find out that it is the Walkstool Comfort 65 XX-Large Folding Stool.
The Walkstool is the longest serving photo accessory I own. For decades, I have relied on the very same Walkstool – it stands the test of time. I own very few items that truly last, but this is one well-built product. You may benefit from adding one to your photo kit.
Olympus and I go way back. I got my first OM series film camera in the mid-1970s. While I started in 35mm with Nikon, I ended up using mostly Minolta and Olympus back in those days. I even carried my gear around in a silver Zero Halliburton camera case. (Those of you who are like me, on the wrong side of 60, will remember those cases fondly, I am sure.) Then, as it is now, the Olympus glass was both spectacular and reasonably affordable and the OM series had the first reliable in-camera light meter. It was a match-needle affair that I thought was the coolest thing ever. That pushed me into the Olympus gear for shooting motor sports.
The photos accompanying this post were all made from a photography blind. While not necessary for larger birds like eagles, herons, cranes, geese, etc., a photo blind is very much necessary for consistent work with smaller perching birds like warblers, sparrows, and songbirds.
As a birder and bird photographer, a good pair of binoculars is an important part of my kit. I almost always have a pair in the car or in my bag. I use binoculars to spot and identify birds. Then I move to that location to start making photographs.
I may be in the minority but I never take my gear out without a lens hood mounted to my lens. Some of you hate them or think they are unnecessary. I disagree. I find them very valuable and here’s why.
New Micro Four Thirds Lens Roundup
