Doug’s Gear

 

Bodies

 

One of the most common questions I get from photographers is which camera body I prefer between the Mark IV and the 7D.  Even though I wrote a popular online setup guide for the 7D, the Mark IV is my body of choice.  I just returned from a week of photography in Costa Rica and my 7D never even made it out of my camera bag!  Mark IV RAW files look awesome compared to those from the 7D, and ultimately it’s all about image quality for me.  High ISO performance is much better in the 1D Mark IV, as are build quality and frame rate.  The 7D does have some compelling features (I particularly like the AF options and interface), and it’s a relative bargain.  Image quality is good.  But it’s no 1D Mark IV.

 

Lenses:

 

I specialize in hand held bird flight photography.  I use both the 500mm f/4 and the 600mm f/4, but it’s the 600mm that sees most of the action.  The 500mm f/4 is an excellent lens, but I usually have to pair it with a 1.4x in order to get the reach that I want.  Adding a 1.4x slows down your AF noticeably and drops your maximum aperture by a full stop.  I normally go with a bare 600mm f/4 lens; this gives me the added reach without an aperture or AF penalty.  That’s a photo of me with my trusty 600mm and Mark IV at the top of the page.

The 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L lens has essentially replaced the 70-200mm f/4L in my camera bag.  It’s incredibly sharp, very compact, and offers a wider zoom range than the 70-200mm without having to resort to using a teleconverter.  Also the IS is outstanding.

 

Flashes:

 

Camera Support:

 

Camera Memory

 

Camera Cases

 

Accessories

 

Software