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About Gettle Photography's Gear

Our Gear

We’ve created a comprehensive gear list to share the equipment we use for the various types of nature photography we do. When a piece of gear is included in this list, you can trust that it has been carefully researched and rigorously tested in the field by us.

While we do have sponsorships from a few manufacturers, we only sought these partnerships because we genuinely believe in their products and have used them ourselves. We have chosen to decline any financial compensation for these sponsorships to ensure you receive our honest and unbiased opinions about the gear.

We have a wide range of equipment to support our diverse nature photography work, which includes capturing images of birds, wildlife, landscapes, high-speed flash photography, and extreme macro photography. Each of these different genres requires specific tools, and we have built our gear around our specific needs over a 40-year career.

Remember, while the right equipment can enhance your creative possibilities, it won’t make you a better photographer on its own. Ultimately, hard work, experience, and a good eye are what truly matter.

General Nature Photography Camera Gear used in the Field

This is the gear that we use daily on all our trips around the world and when we are shooting around our home. We have virtually identical gear…. mainly because we don’t share well!

  • Nikon Z9 This is our current main camera used for 90% of our photography
  • Nikon Z8
  • Nikon D5
  • Nikon D4S
  • Nikkor Z 800mm f6.3 PF
  • Nikkor Z 600mm f4 TC
  • Nikkor Z 600mm 5.6 PF
  • Nikkor 500mm f5.6 PF
  • Nikkor 180-400mm f4
  • Nikkor Z 100-400mm f4.5/5.6
  • Nikkor Z 70-200mm f2.8
  • Nikkor Z 24-70mm f2.8
  • Nikkor Z 12-24mm f2.8
  • Nikkor 200mm Macro
  • Nikkor Z 105mm Macro
  • Nikkor Z TC-1.4 Tele-converter
  • Nikkor TC-2.0 Tele-converter

 

Fill flash

  • Nikon SB-5000
  • Better Beamer or Mag Mod Flash Extender
  • Wimberley F-9 Off-camera Flash Bracket – This is the bracket that will work with The ProMediaGear Katana Jr Gimbal head
  • Nikon SC-29 Off-camera Flash Cord

 

Support

  • Pro Media Gear TR 344L and 344 Tripod
  • Pro Media Gear Katana Junior Gimbal head
  • Really Right Stuff BH-55 (large) and BH-40 (small) Ballheads
  • FLEXShooter Pro Ballheads – A very flexible head that we use when we cannot carry a full-size gimbal and a ballhead.
  • Black Rapid Strap with a Pro Media Gear SS2P3 rapid plug adapter – for carrying a second camera and or lens on our hip.
  • Pro Media Gear L-brackets and lens plates are on all our equipment

This is the gear we use for photographing hummingbirds in flight, flying squirrels, bats and songbirds in flight at the reflection pond, as well as leaping frogs, etc. Basically, any super-fast action that we want to freeze using high-speed flash.

  • Cognisys Sabre Camera Trigger – very versatile all-around camera trigger our “go-to” trigger
  • Cognisys Range IR Trigger – Small simple easy to use trigger great to throw in the bag for travel
  • Cognisys StopShot Laser Cross Beam Trigger – A laser trigger can be used in a crossbeam configuration when precision of subject trigger location is important
  • Cognisys High Speed Shutter – Electromagnetic shutter placed in front of the lens to work around shutter lag when doing extreme high-speed photography.
  • Godox V860 V2 Flashes

This is the equipment we use for doing macro photography in the field around home as well as around the world.

  • Nikon Z9
  • Nikkor 200mm Macro
  • Nikkor Z 105mm Macro
  • Canon MP-65E 1x to 5x macro zoom lens with Fringer EF-NZ adapter so the lens will mount on a Nikon Z-mount camera
  • Laowa 15mm Wide-angle Macro lens
  • Nikon Extension Tubes
  • Nikon 4T Close-up Diopter
  • Really Right Stuff Focusing Rail
  • Cognisys StackShot Automated Rail System – Yes, we do some focus stacking in the field but only around home
  • Nikon R1-C1 Macro Flash

 Macro Support in the field

  • Gitzo GT5540LS Tripod
  • Manfrotto 405 Geared Pan Tilt Head

This is the equipment Steve uses in the studio for extreme macro photography from 3x (full-frame house fly) up to 20x (full-frame tiny section of the housefly’s compound eye)

  • Nikon Z8 Camera body
  • 5X Mitutoyo Plan APO Infinity Corrected Microscope Objective – Mounted on a Wemacro tube set with reverse mounted Raynox DCR 150 tube lens
  • 10X and 20X Mitutoyo Plan APO Infinity Corrected Microscope Objective – Mounted on Thorlabs tube set with reverse mounted Thorlabs ITL200 tube lens
  • Canon MP-65E 1x to 5x macro zoom lens with Fringer EF-NZ adapter so the lens will mount on a Nikon Z-mount camera
  • Nikon PB-6 Bellows
  • Nikkor 105mm f4 Bellows Lens
  • EL Nikkor 50mm f2.8 enlarger lens (used in reverse on the bellows)
  • Nikkor 60mm Macro (for reversing on the bellows)
  • Nikon Extension Tubes
  • Nikon 4T Close-up Diopter
  • Wemacro automated stacking rail
  • Godox MF12 macro flash system

High-speed Macro Flash equipment in the Studio – Steve mostly uses this gear for photographing small insects in flight

  • Nikon Z9
  • Nikkor Z 105 Macro
  • Cognisys StopShot Laser Cross Beam Trigger – This trigger is used in a crossbeam configuration so precise location of the actual trigger can be controlled.
  • Cognisys High Speed Shutte r– Electromagnetic shutter placed in front of the lens to work around shutter lag when doing extreme high-speed photography.
  • Nikon SB-600 Flashes
  • Pocket Wizard Plus IV Flash Triggers

Macro Support in the Studio For the most part all the work in the studio is done on very sturdy lab workbenches

  • Think Tank Airport Addicted (Large) – Travel roller bag for use when we are bringing the big glass on a trip – will fit in most overheads
  • Think Tank Airport Advantage XT (Small) – Travel roller bag for use when we have size restriction and are not bringing the biggest glass – will fit in almost all overheads
  • ThinkTank Visions 15” shoulder bag – We use this as our second carry-on it will hold all our computer stuff as well as three small lenses.
  • Lowepro Super Trekker – For field use when we are carrying a LOT of gear.
  • Think Tank StreetWalker V2.0 – Nicole’s main backpack
  • Think Tank Urban Access 10 Sling – Small sling bag great for carrying a couple extra wide-angle lenses in the field
  • Mindshift MP-7 V2 Small Backpack – A mid-size backpack when we need to carry a bit more gear in the field
  • Black Rapid Strap with a Pro Media Gear SS2P3 rapid plug adapter – This is indispensable and something we will often use in conjunction with one of the smaller backpacks to carry our main lens and camera body.

Our Photography Gear Partners