# Best Professional Nikon Camera for landscape & wildlife



## LenKaiser (Mar 9, 2014)

What is the best Nikon DSLR camera for landscape & wildlife photography? When I'm done with school I plan on doing this professionally and want to know what camera would be the best to use. I've read us and found out a few that are recommended for sports and various other things, but I have not found anything that says its great for wildlife. I currently have a Nikon D3100 which is great for student stuff, but probably will not cut it for professional stuff. I've heard good things about the D700, D800 & D600.


----------



## Robin Usagani (Mar 9, 2014)

The question is what lens.. not what camera.


----------



## LenKaiser (Mar 9, 2014)

Robin Usagani said:


> The question is what lens.. not what camera.



Well I've looked at various lenses and I realize that I'll need more/different lenses than I do now, but I'm worried that my little D3100 will not cut it on the professional level and I'd prefer not to show up for a shoot/work with something that they are going to roll their eyes at lol.


----------



## table1349 (Mar 9, 2014)

LenKaiser said:


> Robin Usagani said:
> 
> 
> > The question is what lens.. not what camera.
> ...


Well if that it what you are worried about get this.  No one will roll their eyes at you.


----------



## unpopular (Mar 9, 2014)

Wait. Are you trying to become a professional landscape photographer?


----------



## IronMaskDuval (Mar 9, 2014)

Robin Usagani said:


> The question is what lens.. not what camera.



I agree. Before getting into a pro level camera, you might want to get into a mid-level, as many photographers will never be able to outdo these. If you can, your work will pay for the pro level.


----------



## runnah (Mar 9, 2014)

unpopular said:


> Wait. Are you trying to become a professional landscape photographer?



No comment...

Anyways invest in a good tripod, graduated filters and a camera with good dynamic range. D800 is more than enough camera to last even the best photographers many years.


----------



## hirejn (Mar 9, 2014)

I can't say which is best for you because that's personal, but I would suggest looking at the D800. From what I've seen it's about as close to medium format as you can get with 35 mm. There certainly isn't any other Nikon that can compete with file size with 14-bit 36-megapixel RAW files. Landscape is a good subject for large prints, and for large prints you want more megapixels, especially from a full-frame sensor like the D800's. That's not to say it's the only good landscape camera, but those are some compelling reasons to look at it. And for any camera I would recommend looking at the used market. If you shop carefully you can save a few hundred bucks. Don't get too attached to the idea of "landscape" or "wildlife" cameras. It's not the camera that makes good photos; it's the photographer. No camera is going to make you a better photographer. That comes through understanding, practice and skill. A pro can make a great picture with any DSLR. If you get the D800 and shoot RAW, be prepared to work with system-choking files that balloon quickly as you work with layers and masks.


----------



## table1349 (Mar 9, 2014)

Before you look for a pro "Landscape/Wildlife" camera you need to do a couple of other things first.  

1. Get a degree in business.  Successful Professional Photography is 90% business 10% camera time.  

2. Learn photography.  Really learn photography. The whole deal, not just how to press a shutter button.  If you can learn as much about photography as Helen B has forgotten about photography you have good chance.


----------



## minicoop1985 (Mar 10, 2014)

gryphonslair99 said:


> LenKaiser said:
> 
> 
> > Robin Usagani said:
> ...



You probably knew I'd chime in on this. Anybody want a Ford Focus and a wife? Package deal.

D7100's a great camera. Weather sealing is a huge help, particularly in... weather. Yeah. That.


----------



## bigal1000 (Mar 10, 2014)

D800 for the body for sure nice big files to play with.


----------



## D-B-J (Mar 10, 2014)

D800, Nikon 12-24 2.8, a full set of GND and ND filters by Lee, as well as a polarizer and Lee Big Stopper, a GOOD tripod, and maybe a shutter release.


----------



## SCraig (Mar 10, 2014)

Nikon D4.  $6k, body only.  You did ask what was the best professional body.  There it is.


----------



## xj0hnx (Mar 10, 2014)

LenKaiser said:


> Robin Usagani said:
> 
> 
> > The question is what lens.. not what camera.
> ...



A D3100 with a pro lens is more than capable of making top notch photos. It is a far better camera than the vast majority of cameras made before 2004, during which time there were professional photos.


----------



## Robin Usagani (Mar 10, 2014)

In reality though even if you use an entry level camera with a kit lens (aperture stopped down), you will have a really nice quality image.  Put the camera on a tripod, use the lowest native iso, stop down the lens to f11, most people cant tell it was shot with a kit lens and an entry level camera.


----------



## JoeW (Mar 10, 2014)

Robin Usagani said:


> The question is what lens.. not what camera.



Robin speaks with great truth on this.  For wildlife, you need some seriously fast glass that will work with natural light.  And it depends upon the wildlife and setting but I think you're going to view 200mm as an intermediate focal length (meaning you're probably going to want a lens that goes out to 400mm or 500mm).  For landscape (assuming we're not talking buildings here), a series of top-grade filters (a set of NDF and GNDF) will be essential.  You're going to need a top-of-the-line tripod (nothing under $300 is going to work b/c it will need to be rock-solid-stable and also something you can hike 5 miles with or maybe go climbing with.

As for a camera, a D3100 is fine.  It's not a professional camera.  If you're serious about wildlife photography than look at a D4s.  Great in low-light, great FPS.  It will only run you $6,000 or so.  But it's not really about the body, it's about the glass and then knowing the outdoors well enough to hike to someplace to catch the eagle when it takes flight in the morning or the moose as it grazes in the morning.  Galen Rowell once claimed a cliff and roped in for the night so he'd be there for the sunrise...he knew he wouldn't have the time to climb it in the morning and capture the sunrise and it was suicidal to climb it in the dark.


----------



## KmH (Mar 10, 2014)

Get what Moose uses - Moose Peterson's Website | Where the world of photography is explored and shared!


----------



## JohnnyWrench (Mar 10, 2014)

[/QUOTE]

You probably knew I'd chime in on this. Anybody want a Ford Focus and a wife? Package deal.

D7100's a great camera. Weather sealing is a huge help, particularly in... weather. Yeah. That.[/QUOTE]

How many miles on the wife?  :mrgreen:


----------



## Derrel (Mar 10, 2014)

If like Moose Peterson you have 300/2.8,400/2.8,500/4,600/4 lenses at your disposal, the low-MP count D4 is probably a good choice for much wildlife shooting.

If on the other hand you have a more-normal budget, a high-MP count, 1.5x FOV 'crop-body", no-AA filter camera with 24MP (50% more than the D4 has)--in other words, today, that would be a Nikon D7100, makes a lot of sense. Especially if you do not have access to 40,000 worth of high-end exotic Nikkor super-telephotos, and access to wildlife in locations where the animals have little to almost no fear of humans.

Case in point: there's a Lousiana bayou-based serious amateur wildlife shooter who shoots from a boat in an area where the birds have very little fear of man, and he uses an APS-C Nikon and a modest 300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. The large birds, alligators, and so on, let his boat get to within 20 meters with amazing frequency. Here, in the "open" non-swamp waters of the far western USA, getting closer than 50 meters to say, even a common Great Blue Heron, is a rare ocurrence except for the few individuals that hang around high-traffic boat launching zones.


----------



## LenKaiser (Mar 10, 2014)

Thanks a lot for the replies, I've found some of them to be very helpful. From what I gather from most that have posted is the camera may not make as big of a deal as I thought. If I get something that is a bit better than the D3100 I'll probably be ok with some nice lenses. I will say though that I have taken some really nice shots with my little D3100. And I've found that most of the time I have to use the 70mm-200mm lens.

I'm leaning towards making sure that whatever I buy all the lenses etc. are interchangeable between the two cameras. I have a tripod already. I have not used it yet, but will in the future.


----------



## Tony S (Mar 10, 2014)

Wait before picking out a new camera. Finish your education, learn to use what you have until it no longer matches up to your skill level.  By the time you do that there are a couple of things that will happen. 

 First by then you will already know what equipment will be required for your needs. 

Second, with the way things are changing so fast new equipment will be available that will be so far ahead of what is available today.

third, by the time you finish your education you might go a completely different direction than what you are looking at now. 

Take your time.


----------



## unpopular (Mar 11, 2014)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Before you look for a pro "Landscape/Wildlife" camera you need to do a couple of other things first.
> 
> 1. Get a degree in business.  Successful Professional Photography is 90% business 10% camera time.



First of all, a professional landscape photographer will be chasing after the gallery market or going for residency or grants. I'm not saying that business sense isn't needed, but it's hardly the same game as a portrait mill.

Second. How many of you who suggest this actually have business degrees? Business is kind of a joke degree, well maybe not a joke degree - but won't have a lot of value unless you already have business sense and it is really my opinion that you either have business sense or you don't. Most people don't and is why business students are such a joke. 

I think it's far more valuable to really look at yourself and ask if you have what it takes to run a business - if not, consider hiring an accountant and office manager as a part of your overhead - though, if you're really interested in galleries and grants, that might not really be necessary. Now, if you're planning on running a portrait mill to support your genuine interests, then definitely think twice and be honest with yourself.


----------



## unpopular (Mar 11, 2014)

Oh - and also I am unsure that a whole two or four year degree is really necessary either. Many communities offer small business incubators that will help. Usually the local library or community college is where these programs are housed.

Like I implied above, "get a business degree" has become kind of cliche advise that really is intended to drive in the point that running a photography business is mostly business - which is certainly valid. But I'd venture to guess that 99% of people who recommend this or like those comments do not have a business degree themselves.


----------



## table1349 (Mar 11, 2014)

unpopular said:


> gryphonslair99 said:
> 
> 
> > Before you look for a pro "Landscape/Wildlife" camera you need to do a couple of other things first.
> ...




Anyone that wants to start their own business needs the best possible tools for the business they want to get into.  Thing is, that doesn't just mean the best body or lens, but more important the tool of knowledge.  Landscape/wildlife photography is filled with talented people that don't have two nickles to rub together from their landscape/wildlife bussiness. They take great photos and can't sell them for anything close to any kind of reasonable money.  Unless you are one of the very top landscape/wildlife photographers to survive you do weddings, portraits, senior photo sesions etc. and running a successful photography business isn't something most people can create out of the air.  The TV channels are filled these days with shows dedicated to saving failing resturants, hotels etc. because the owners had no clue what they were getting into or how to run a business.  

These days "Professional photographers" are a dime a dozen and most are earning their living with other jobs.  Having an education in something that can pay the bills goes a long way with trying to get your own business started.  Especially if you want to eat.


----------



## unpopular (Mar 11, 2014)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Landscape/wildlife photography is filled with talented people that don't have two nickles to rub together from their landscape/wildlife bussiness.



This probably has more to do with supply and demand than it does to do with the individual business practices. Landscape photography is a form of fine art, certainly having business sense is important to anyone who wants to start up, but there just isn't a huge market. This market isn't as relatively easy to pursue as, say, low-end senior portraits. (nothing wrong with bread and butter, mind you)

But my larger point is saying "go back to school and get a business degree" I don't think is terrible helpful, nor even really necessary. There is often plenty of community-based support for entrepreneurs.


----------



## table1349 (Mar 11, 2014)

unpopular said:


> gryphonslair99 said:
> 
> 
> > Landscape/wildlife photography is filled with talented people that don't have two nickles to rub together from their landscape/wildlife bussiness.
> ...



I understand how you feel, but if someone doesn't have a chosen fallback, then business is one of the best out there currently for getting into the general job market.  If the OP had said I want to do Landscape, Wildlife articles I would have suggested a Journalism Degree instead.  The good old Liberal Arts degree just doesn't mean as much in the working world as it used to.  Sadly I have seen too many of these types of individuals that want to jump into something like photography and their fall back job usually has the phrase _"would you like fries with that?"_ attached to it.  Of course those kinds of situations are ripe for a new reality show, but I personally don't find reality shows based on other peoples misery to be entertaining.


----------



## LenKaiser (Mar 11, 2014)

Wow, ok. lol Looks like a can of worms has opened. 

Well first I'm currently going to school to get an Associates Degree in photography. I think this will help me because I do not know any photographers that can "take me under their wing" so to speak and teach me photography basics and what have you. But this degree will certainly help teach me how to do various things in the field, plus the school I'm going to also as the core classes makes you take a business class that is just for photography students teaching you about contracts, the photo business and what have you, so I do believe that will be helpful. As for a complete degree in business, I'm sorry that is not going to happen for me. Others I'm sure it might be great, but for me that is overkill IMO and I'm an artistic person, going to school for business would probably make me not finish. I know myself. Photography, I _*KNOW*_ I will finish this 2 year degree. I plan on finishing school definitely and learning everything I can as I go along. 

As far as a fallback, I actually do have something other than McDonald's! Before I started school for photography i was a web designer for 7 years professionally, so if I have to I know I can go back to doing that freelance or even with a firm. I prefer to make it with photography though and give it the best try I can. I actually do plan on offering web design services for photo clients for things like Weddings, Senior/Graduation, and so on. Take the photos and offer a personal web space with their photos nicely put online for them to give links to their families and what have you. I figured that since I have the knowledge of web design, I might as well use it along with taking the photos. 

I realize that Landscape & Wildlife photography most likely are *NOT* money makers. I knew that going into this. I do those things because I love wildlife, nature and landscapes and want to preserve them as much as possible. Love, however, does not pay the bills.  So to pay the bills I figure that I'll have to do Weddings and other events if I want to continue as a photographer. As far as having business sense goes, I'm pretty good i think and running my own web design business for 7 years I learned many things that I can take to a freelance or wedding etc. photography. Could I learn more? Probably. I've been thinking about adding a couple of business courses for just the fun of it into my classes at school.


----------



## unpopular (Mar 12, 2014)

LenKaiser said:


> I realize that Landscape & Wildlife photography most likely are *NOT* money makers.



As I like to say, if you're getting an art degree for the money, then you're doing it wrong.


----------



## djacobox372 (Mar 12, 2014)

Can u afford a pro setup?

600mm is a standard pro wildlife focal length, a modern pro version of this lens sells new for almost $10k (the 800mm is nearly 20k).

Personally I'd recommend a crop body over full frame, you'll usually be heavily cropping wildlife photos anyway why pay extra for a full frame?


----------



## djacobox372 (Mar 12, 2014)

unpopular said:


> As I like to say, if you're getting an art degree for the money, then you're doing it wrong.



Sort if like becoming a lawyer and expecting to enjoy your life.


----------



## LenKaiser (Mar 14, 2014)

unpopular said:


> LenKaiser said:
> 
> 
> > I realize that Landscape & Wildlife photography most likely are *NOT* money makers.
> ...



Yep i have to agree. I'm doing it for the love. 



djacobox372 said:


> Can u afford a pro setup?
> 
> 600mm is a standard pro wildlife focal length, a modern pro version of this lens sells new for almost $10k (the 800mm is nearly 20k).
> 
> Personally I'd recommend a crop body over full frame, you'll usually be heavily cropping wildlife photos anyway why pay extra for a full frame?



Nope cannot afford those prices. That is one reason why I was getting info now, so I know what I need to do in the future. I've found some nice lenses that I could probably use that are not too terribly costly. I plan on getting another camera body, but i want to ensure that I get one where I can use the same lenses on both cameras that I have just in case.


----------



## aaz (Mar 16, 2014)

Look no further: Nikon D800 plus Nikon FX lens 14-24 2.8.


----------



## Mike_E (Mar 16, 2014)

For landscape if you're going Nikon then the 150mm f5.6 on a Toyo 45A.

For wildlife one of the 7xxx's  The DX will help with the reach you'll need.  Plus, it won't ruin your arches.


----------



## djacobox372 (Mar 16, 2014)

You might consider the manual focus 600mm 5.6 nikkor.  Lets you get shots similar to a $10k lens but for less than $1500.  Mf is not that hard to deal with unless you're shooting birds in flight.


----------



## LenKaiser (Mar 16, 2014)

With the setup I have now I've already turned auto focus off. It annoys me lol.


----------



## Stevepwns (Mar 16, 2014)

I would recommend a crop body.  The D7100 is a great camera.  I use the Sony A77.  Spend your money on the best lenses you can afford. There is no reason for you to spend your money on a full frame camera.  Both of the bodys I recommend are 24mp cameras that allow for heavy cropping. You can get either for 700 to 800 bucks.  Then spend big money on the lenses.  They are more important than the body.


----------

