JARI PELTOMÄKI

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER’S TRIPODS

Tripod or monopod? Video head, ball head, or gimbal?

All of the above are useful—but what’s your best option? There is no right answer here. It’s a question of different situations requiring different solutions. Sometimes one is better than the others, and another time you might benefit from another combination. Here are a few examples of how I work.

Often the easiest way to photograph flying birds is with a handheld camera. Lighter telephoto lenses (400mm f/5.6, for example) are good for following a fast-flying bird and for photographing for long periods of time without straining yourself very much. And the lighter the equipment you’re lugging around in the field, the better.

However, bird photographers ...

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