Looking for advice on camera gear
Hi everyone!
I am looking to upgrade my camera gear for our trip to Bolivia in a couple of months. I have been asking around and have been advised to go for canon R5, R6 or R7, but i am happy to be convinced for a different brand. I have been using a compact sony camera until now and have found a lot of noise even during daylight pictures with mammals not too far off so i really want to be able to feel the upgrade.
From my research, R7 with a 100-500 mm should be good enough for daylight picture , it’s lighter to travel and it’s cheaper, but i would struggle with pictures when spotlighting at night (does anybody have experience with this camera while spotlighting?) whereas the full frame R5 and R6 mkII with a 200-800 mm lens will capture better the light in low light conditions but will have less battery usage and will be more expensive and heavy. I understand from reading previous posts in here that many of you use the R5 and R6 so any proper experience with the camera and lenses including spotlighting at night will be appreciated.
My intended budget would be around 4000 euros for camera plus lens but could be higher if the difference in quality is noticeable and it’s a camera i could use for many years to come.
Thank you!
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3 Comments
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Nathan Myhrvold
Sebastian’s advice is great! He knows what it he is talking about! I have tried to go spotlighting with a canon 100-500 RF lens. At the 100mm end it is at f/4.5 which is OK, but the focal length is too short. At the long (500mm) end you are at f/7.1. In is possible to get some good photos, but I find it frustrating because the lens is slow and that will effect both the shutter speed but just as (maybe more) important, the focusing time – or even ability to reach focus. Higher iso from low noise cameras helps with shutter speed, (the Photoshop noise reduction helps with noise from high iso). But high iso does nothing for a case where you can’t achieve focus. The faster lenses that Sebastian recommends will be better than the 100-500 as a result. But note that during the day the 100-500 is a very versatile lens. One suggestion that i have is to bring a better flashlight. I have traveled through most of the tpantanal and also quite a bit in Chile, and all over Africa, India and Borneo. With one or two exceptions guides my experience is that guides don’t have great flashlights/spotlights. The Fenix LR35R is very small and compact so it’s easy to travel with, and is fine for spotlighting as long as you keep it on low until you need more light – otherwise the batter run time is short. The Fenix LR50R and LR80R are even bigger – more light and longer run time. So if the guide has a weak flashlight / spotlight I hand them my light. This will make at least a 1 stop and sometimes 2 stop difference in light output. So, my advice is that in addition to camera and lens, invest in a decent light. There are other brands of flashlights – a bewildering variety in fact – but I mainly use Fenix.
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Sebastian Kennerknecht
Hey Eduardo,
Since we lead photo tours all around the world, focused on wild cats, including spot lighting, I put out my thoughts below (I personally use a Sony A1 with a 600mm f/4) so as you can see from the below I am not biasing Sony.
Best Overall System for €4000: Nikon Z6 II + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S
1. Nikon Z6 II (Full-frame mirrorless)
Sensor: 24.5MP full-frame BSI CMOS — excellent low-light performance.
Burst rate: 14 fps.
AF system: Very capable with good subject tracking and eye detection for animals (after firmware updates).
Price: ~€1800 (body only)
2. NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S
Focal length: 400mm prime (600mm equivalent with 1.5x crop mode).
Aperture: f/4.5 — fast enough for low light, especially with a full-frame sensor.
Weight: Lightweight for a super-tele (approx. 1.25 kg).
Sharpness and stabilization: Excellent.
Price: ~€2500
Total: ~€4300
Depending on region and rebates, you may find this combo just below €4000, especially with cashback or used gear.
Alternative Option: Sony a7 IV + Sigma 150-600mm DG DN OS Sports
1. Sony a7 IV
33MP full-frame sensor — very good in low light and more resolution for cropping.
AF: Industry-leading animal eye AF and tracking.
Burst: 10 fps.
Price: ~€2500
2. Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports
Excellent sharpness, stabilisation, and reach.
Slower aperture than the Nikon 400mm f/4.5, but better range (150–600mm).
Price: ~€1450
Total: ~€3950
Better focal range, world-class autofocus. Slightly less ideal in low light due to aperture.
Budget-Focused but Solid: Canon R6 (used) + RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L
Canon R6 (used or discounted): Fantastic low-light AF and image quality.
~€1600 used
Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM: Sharp, versatile, great IS.
~€2700
Total: ~€4300, but the R6’s low-light performance is among the best.
The R5 overheats very quickly, the R7 is crop sensor, so doesn’t do as well in low light. Happy to talk more about all this if you like.
Thanks,
Sebastian