The equipment you need:

Camera, tripod, flash gun and some kind of camouflage

Cameras

35mm film camera or digital SLR, bridge camera or pocket camera with zoom lens facility

Digital camera take your pick from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, Fuji, Sony all good cameras, all do a range of prices

High pixel sensor ones are dearer and professional ones very expensive.

Lenses

For these, the same £100 to £6,000.

I would recommend the Sigma 28mm to 300mm telephoto lens. This covers all you will want to do most nature photography.

A good macro lens is useful if your subject is flowers, insects, butterflies. Suggestions are Tamron 90mm, Sigma 105mm and Sigma 150mm. All good quality lenses around £500.

Tripods

Again your choice but it must be sturdy and stable. They can be cheap or can run into hundreds of pounds for the top of the range. The same applies to monopods.

Flash guns

Dedicated manufacturer flash guns can be expensive especially Canon and Nikon branded ones. Metz and Cobra do cheaper ones that do the job just as well.

I would recommend the Pixapro ones. Their Canon dedicated one has a Li-ion battery capable of 600 flashes per charge, has multi flash options and you can sync it to fire to match the rapid fire of a camera. It will also fire up to 8000th second for strobe lighting all for £160. There is also a remote firing kit for a little more.

Camouflage

Use netting and go to an ex-army store for most of it. It makes good hides and stalking gear. Try to keep your clothing subdued and don’t rush around. Try not to get between the subject and the Sun.

Places to look for prices:

Cameras and lenses – Amazon, Warehouse Express, Jessops, Currys/Pcworld.

Compare prices

Printer paper and inks memory cards etc. – 7day shop,com, Premier Ink, Prink Inks

Printers

Epson, but they may not like non- Epson inks so can be expensive

Canon – most will take compatible ink, so saving money.

Brother and HP – have had no experience with them.

Permajet do Epson printers with a continuous ink system. They also do a calibration scheme for their papers I believe. They are just outside Stratford upon Avon.

Scroll to Top