BEST WILDLIFE CAMERAS $200-$20,000

Pretty sure he's going to flip that tc some more off cam!

Love watching the videos when you film outdoors. I always wonder if I explored there yet. Fellow Nutmegger here.

Why not the canon eos r7 ncluded, it is the best non pro camera for wildlife, to my humble opinion.

Love the HDR video!

what adapter would you recommend for a Sony A7R III to use Canon lens (need cheaper lens at the mo) thanks

Chelsea, if you are starting to experience Arthritis in your hands the best thing you can do is cut back on your refined sugar intake as much as is possible. Refined sugar is so quickly digested and sent into the blood stream that it causes a cascade of hormonal reactions that lead to Inflammation. It's this inflammation that is a leading cause for Arthritis. Back in 2021 when staying over Christmas with my nephew and his wife she noticed I had a pretty bad sweet tooth. BTW, she is an NP and smart as a whip. Anyhow she sat me down for a talk about the effects of Refined Sugar and convinced me to cut back on that sweet tooth. As a result Arthritis in the radial head of both wrists and in the basal joint of both thumbs that once was so painful I had difficulty signing a pay check has gone to being totally pain free today. In addition the Trigger Finger in the middle finger of both hands has almost disappeared. Something most doctors will state that is not possible without surgery.

I also have to agree with you about the AF system in your Sony, it is amazing and I don't even own a Sony A1. What I have is a RX100VII which features an AF system based on the A9 and A1 system. BTW, this camera is going to my sister, because it just won't do for her to do a tour of Scotland with just an Iphone 12 to take pictures with. This Sony blows the AF on my Z7 II into the weeds so far you would need a 2000mm Reflex Nikkor to find it. BTW that do you call it when you mount a mirror lens to a mirrorless camera? A Mirrorless Mirror?

Thanks a lot for the recommendations.
I still have a huge question, how do do guys transport each of those lenses?
I mean a smaller lens will probably live on a backpack, but as they get bigger, do they come with their own cases? and even if they come on their cases, do you guys have a preferred setup?
(Specially when traveling on a commercial airline. )

Great video. Thanks guys 👍

Hi, you forgot to mention one more camera gear. So what about Pentax K-3 III paired with excellent lens HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 ED DC AW. ? That combo is worth considering too. This lens is providing amazing quality much more better that many other brand has to offer. Paired with.the new autofocus of K-3 III can provide you more than the decent results too.

How about D750 instead of D500?

How did I miss this?

Hi Tony. Iuse the canon R5 and because I am heavely invested in the rf lenses already, it is difficult to change systems. However...I primarely shoot wildlife....with a lot of bird Photography included in my passion for photography. Videos has become more and more important. I wanted to purchase the R5 ii as a compliment for video purposes. I did however see that some say the 4k 60 and 4k 29 is dissapointing inn the sharpness catagory. Please help us out with a comparison video with whatever you suggest....Nikon Z8 or a Sony hybrid as here where I live, there is no Camera dealers where one can rent one to do tests ourselves. thanks

here is a fantasy Lens that i have in mind that Sony should make for us. 100-400mm F2.8 GM with a inbuilt 1.5X tele converter.
it will be a summary of several lenses like 70-200 F2.8, 300mm F2.8, 400mm F2.8, 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 and 200-600mm F5.6-6.3.

Hey folks, could you please also publish a non hdr video if that's possible? Thanks!

I bet Tony slept in the living room that night

I have a question, well two really. First is for Chelsea, a while back the two of you did a review/comparison video and Chelsea was reviewing a Nikon Z-FC mirrorless camera. I like the nostalgic looks of it and am contemplating purchasing a used one and was wondering if it's a capable camera for shooting birds and how does the autofocus work with the auto eye detect feature? My second question is where have all the birds gone? Cheers!

Om1 and G9ii not being on the list is a crime

How about including an MFT camera + lens like the Lumix G9 mk2 or the OM1 Mk2 + Olympus 300mm f4 or the Olympus 100-400 or 150-400??

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Question?? DSLR’s with RF lenses?? 7D looks like it had a RF lens??

What were you filming this on? So much focus hunting.

I'm just back from a safari trip to Tanzania where the luggage weight limit was 15 kg. For weight reasons, my wildlife camera was a lightweight (1.5 lb) Panasonic Lumix FZ300 bridge camera, which has a built-in f/2.8 25-600mm full-frame equivalent zoom, and it took plenty of amazing shots. The sensor is only 12 mp, but that was enough for good resolution in just about all the situations I encountered. The Nikon P900 and Canon SX60 are similar bridge cameras with much longer zooms. In many situations having top-of-the-line gear with the very best features is not nearly as important as convenience and versatility.

Sony FTW 🙌. Nikon fanboys suck it up 😂.

How can the Sony a1 be the best wildlife camera without animal eye detect in video??

That $309 ef 400mm lens is as-is (non-working) :(. Top of the line gear from a decade ago that hasn't been beat up, still takes very good pictures. Use good picture taking skills (composition and lighting), shoot in RAW, drop into a photo editor, and one can produce some awesome pics.

Very good video

Nikon z6 iii vs Nikon z8

90D 55-250 lens 100-400 too big for an old guy to lug around. Just sayin.

How come you missed nikon p1000 😮

Personally I think a used Sony A9 with the 200-600 or the 100-400+ 1x4 teleconverter gives you the best all round combi. The latter being nearly a Kilo lighter especially if your doing a lot of trecking..

Your wildlife videos explain very well what you are working with.

How was the Nikon 180-600, zoom, maybe on a Z6III not mentioned in this video

Fun video! But the reality is photographers like Mark Smith have gotten great photos (better than most people) on the d500 paired with the 200-500. When I get consistently great results that equal Marks photos from 5 years ago, I'll move on. I will move on to another Nikon camera because it would cost thousands - maybe 10K to replace my Nikon glass. Switching manufacturers is only realistic if you're making 100% of your living from them. I only work 1/2 time as a photographer so it doesn't have the pay back to switch. I can't tell you how much money I've made using non-pro cameras!

Stop calling it the Alpha 1. Don't let them win on this. It's a1. It's steak sauce. They made this bed.

I use a Lumix G85 + Lumix 100-400 (probably $1200 now total?) which gives me an effective 200-800mm and weights half of any these kits and is weather sealed. Works great!
Also, y’all never mention low light usage - that Canon 800F11 has got to be terrible at dawn/dusk when all the wildlife is out (i know my Lumix isn’t great then either). That should be mentioned.

Cool - the Nikon Z TC primes are such a game changer! Personally I chose the 400mm f/2.8 TC but that's more to do with the scenarios I find myself shooting in..

🙄Interestingly you talk about the Nikon D500 with a 200-500 for 1600 usd, but you (again I'd say) avoid the Sony equivalent A77ii + 70-400 which will end up for less than 1200 usd. But Better go with an A99ii (full frame 42 mpx sensor and 12fps) than an apsc 24mpx A77ii anyway. No need to comment on the "dead mount" topic as the D500 / D850 can also be considered "dead mount" by now.

🤭 I jumped on a brand new Tamron 150-600/f5-6.3 G2 USD from Japan last may => 780euros unbeatable - Complements my Sony 70-400/4-5.6 G ssm that I use for my than 1 year now.

The Nikon Z9 and this lens is what the Astronauts use on the ISS. Nothing but the best for our Astronauts. It looks like our tax dollars were not waisted on expensive toilets this time. ❤

I'm sure you have your reasons, but I was hoping to see where you think the higher end Canon products fit in. Including a mention of the Canon R5 Mark II, with the RF 600-f/4 or RF 800-f/5.6 would have been welcomed.

Big 👍 for Chelsea's Cartier Tank. Very nice choice. 🫡

I use a Sony A7iii with a Sigma 60-600mm lense. It's such a versatile lense and the camera is very affordable considering the features packed in. I bought mine used for $1200, although these days you can get one new for the same price at B&H. Someday I might get the A7iv when the price drops far enough, but that day is a ways away.

How about including a telephoto bridge camera? Which one(s) would you recommend amongst those?

Do the Nikon dslr lenses (600 mm FL) work well with the Mirrorless cameras while using the adapter? Is there a huge advantage to using the Z lenses with the mirrorless cameras? Nikon is having a sale and used dslr lens prices are also decreasing nicely. Not so nice if you want to sell them though. Would I regret buying a dslr 800 mm on sale or even used to use with something like the Z9 or even Z8? But also with my D500 and D850. The main reason I would consider a mirrorless camera is because of the eye detection for birds in flight.

Where are the Lumix G9 II and with the 100-400mm Mark II, and the OM-1 Mark II with the 150-400mm?

What about sony a93 and 200_600 5.6 6.3

Not sure why you're uploading in HDR. All it does is burns your eyes and makes you want to stop watching.

Sorry Tony, been watching you for years, I do not trust your "technical" information. You are more artist than information.

Thank you for the interesting video, did you forgot the canon 200-800mm ?

For someone stuck in Canon ecosystem due to enormous ammount of great EF lenses, I really hope you will review R5II soon.