My name is Scott and I am a nature and wildlife photographer from Alaska.
I have the luckiest opportunity to live and work in one of the greatest regions for nature and wildlife. Life never stops in Alaska. When most people think things slow down even in the winter, for me, it just gets more busy and exciting. Nothing beats finding wildlife in the snow and there is always something different and amazing around every bend in the river and every crest of a hill.
For me it is all about reconnecting with nature, sharing the unique experiences and to put awareness to the beauty and wonder around all of us.
I read many of your comments and questions and I try to answer as many of them as I can.
For more information about me and my work : Instagram: instagram.com/sdwest11/ Facebook Page: facebook.com/sdwest11/ Website & Shop: westakphoto.com/
Thanks so much for this info, I just got the r5, and 200-800 is on backorder. I live near Yellowstone and trying desperately to learn this camera, while witnessing epic wildlife (Grizz) encounters.
What’s your daily strategy for finding moose? Once you know the species and know how to find the sign and everything, what do you do next? Do you get to the habitat and wait for something to happen or do you hike off trail until you find one?
What would be great if they contained a power source and a wireless link to link to your pc, laptop directly . Therefore if your in the field you could down load to a storage device and re use the card again.
Great honest reviews! I love crows and have them out back with eagles, whales and a lot of other birds. Washington State on a private island...vacation homes mainly. I have two cameras, one is the Nikon D5300 my late twin gave me back in 2018. First thing I did was buy a Nikkor 70mm to 300mm lens for it. I have a few more now including a Nikon 10mm to 20mm wide lens. I shot some beautiful landscapers with that one. I am going to pick up a used Nikon 200 to 500 soon as they are a good thousand less then a new lens of either choice! Gently used gear is a great way to add lenses. I have gotten very crisp photos out of this older Nikon with the 70mm to 300mm but I had to really tweak my settings. I also have a Sony A73 but the larger zoom lens I want is way more affordable for the Nikon. I have used the Sony for photo shoots etc. I will have to get more lenses but not a new camera anytime soon! I would love to travel to Alaska in the coming year....Made it to Hawaii last year for a few months with our daughter.
Hi Scott, that was an amazing and very comprehensive compo between the 6ii n the 8, plus u also offered some great work arounds. I particularly liked yr suggestion of adding a Batt grip on the 8 which not only doubled the battery but also provide a much better grip on the body thereby negating the advantage of the 6ii in that area. Great Stuff - hv Sub’d
Hey there. I’m take a camping trip for a few days was thinking McCarthy or down towards valdez/seward. Any good spots to check out? It’ll be Monday-Thursday timeframe.
Valdez or Seward will have more birds to photograph, but McCarthy is gorgeous. Seward or Valdez just work the heads of the bays along the beaches for birds.
Some great shots and footage. Just goes to show that any brand of decent camera and lens can yield amazing results in the right hands. Good to see you out and about, I hope your health and recovery are progressing well. Cheers, Robert. 😊
I’m starting my journey and I’m coming from a very old Nikon DSLR. After much, much research I narrowed to the Nikon and Canon. It seems to me that the most versatile camera is the Canon R5, and although it’s now a 4 years old platform, it will do 90% of what I need at a lower price point. Perhaps if I get really into it, I’ll upgrade to the R5 Mark II. It’s a shame Nikon took this long to catch up. Thank you for the great review. I learned a lot from your videos.
Z8 for same price would be my suggestion but R5 is great also. The Nikon lens selection is better currently also and glass is more important than the camera body.
like the camera except when the lens screen goes white or black in daylight did not get the manual with it and have struggled with how to set it right in doors the colour goes black and white out doors the ra goes better even though the batteries ar crap
*This camera/lens is my most likely upgrade to my T7 setup..perhaps lens first, then base for 2 camera carry..I'd love a step up to more light capture, but that's where the $$$$ isn't there for me, but I know what a difference it makes..you can definitely feel where you need upgrade in the field, handling & lens f-capacity for lighting. There are some beautiful lenses available that allow "reaching" work in the low light.. in the sense you do get what you pay for in the high end lenses...but knowing how to exploit what you have to the fullest is success multiplier, & improves your experience with upgrades
Great video! It really is about how you learn to use the system you have within its limits and wring out performance. I think I'm looking @ the Cannon RF100-400 for my T7 in meantime(have to verify compatibility..EF series I KNOW works but RF+adaptermay still serve better..?), want to eventually get a R7 body also (for better control fine tuning)..I'd be happy with the 2 bodies/lens sets for different "reaches". I have gotten great close proximity (I walk alongside, behind, in front of, whichever way our travels play out) video & zoom stills of wildlife with the EF18-55mm & EF75-300mm lenses..I'm not having the reach of the 400-800mm range lenses, but with my groundwork and the approximately $600 Walmart bought kit, I'm getting great joy of the flexibility as I use the less "professional" grade camera to great effect..I may have some awaiting epiphanies in becoming even more proficient with it.. Knowing how the autofocus systems work has been a learning experience for me.. I photograph whitetail deer in low light, THAT is a greater challenge..usually have to revert to manual focus, which is not as "refined" as I would like when it comes to touch/feel/control, but works(I FEEL where I can upgrade, but pics come out good..IF I DON'T PUSH LIMITS..such as bright scenes & chromatic aberration!😬). You have a nice "quiet" spot there, don't mind the background noise..can't hear it in stills! Thanks for a great video!
Thanks for the video. I have the Nikon 500 f4 vrll lens and the Nikon 180-600 lens, I tried both on my z8. both make amazing shots, but I noticed the 500 f4 has more reach than the 180-600 I wonder why?
In my camera, the burst function is Gray. Meaning that does not let me to switch it or select it, but is there is there a reason or a way that I can enable the burst mode?
I do have both and the Rf100-500 is a must for me. You don’t cover carrying these two lenses. I do a lot of walking around and you will definitely feel the weight over time with the Rf200-800 and if you’re shooting birds in flight your arms start to ache. Also the 100-500 is more compact and fits into a much smaller bag whereas the 200-800 only fits into the larger, heavier bag I use for my 500 prime. Finally, at 100mm I’ve taken a surprising number of landscapes and its closer focusing enables some ‘macro’ imagery. I’ve found it’s not just about reach.
Amazing images and footage! Quick question: some of the video clips are labeled as 4K@120p for the R7, and 4k@180p for the R8. Are you sure you didn't mean 1080p? I didn't think those cameras are capable of those frame rates at 4k. If I'm mistaken, then I've been seriously missing out!
This was pretty helpful. Thank you. I have been using the Sigma Sport 150-600mm for hunting a herding dog trials, with a Canon R3. I've been thinking of renting the 200-800 f/9 for when the trials start again in the fall. I am still a bit concerned about the f/9 as it can get pretty dark here in Florida, with a heavy cloud we often see in the afternoons. I "think" the R3 can handle the higher ISO without noise becoming too much of and issue as I really can't shoot slower than /2000 much of the time. There's plenty of slow to moderate "action" interspersed with sudden charging dogs in both sports.
If you set a 1.4tc on your sigma its same aperture as the 200-800. Plus the AF is somewhat iffy with the sigma lens and the 200-800 AF will be night and day in comparison. And yes rent it and see what you think. You can shoot some pretty low shutter speeds also with the IS of the body and lens which is nice.
You certainly get the bird! Great photography again. Hope you stayed dry . Your opening shot of the Whimbrel puts mine to shame, I was held back by a river and barbed wire fence! such is life and it’s what keeps us going out.
Great to hear the interaction between you two during your shooting! Agree with a previous commenter that the quality of the video and photos was great!
Scott with Heidi's photos she put there with you there was no ISO listed she was shooting the R5 with a 200 - 800 so what was the ISO , and those were some beautiful photos I love the Wandering Tattler .
