Neil McIntyre Nikon
Neil McIntyre is a professional wildlife photographer based in the Cairngorms National Park. From there, he runs his photo tours and image library. His work is widely used in magazines and books. In October his latest book,
Chasing The Deer, will be published. Lavishly illustrated with more than 200 pictures, it follows the life of the red deer through the seasons. Visit www.neilmcintyre.com.
AS WITH many other photography genres, the mirrorless vs DSLR debate is a highly topical one in wildlife photography. Last summer, after months of deliberating, I did make a complete equipment change – but not to mirrorless, I stuck with DSLRs and, after more than 30 faultless years with Canon, I switched to Nikon. I have never been of the mindset that one manufacturer was better than the other.
At this moment in time, with mirrorless as a serious viable option, why would I choose this route? For me, it was very much lens based, and the main defining factor was the AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens. About a year before my decision, two clients turned up on one of my workshops with this lens, hot off the press so to speak. As soon as I saw the compact size, realised how lightweight it was, and that it was as sharp as pin, I knew this was a lens for me. Yes, it’s f/5.6, but I used my Canon 500mm f/4 lens at f/5.6 nearly the whole time anyway.
For many of my chosen subjects – such as red deer, mountain hares and ptarmigan – climbing hills or walking a fair distance to reach a certain species or scrambling about seaweed-covered shorelines after otters is commonplace. Being able to move fast and have manoeuvrability has always been important to me. Carrying a large f/4 500mm plus a tripod was the norm, and I was more than used to heaving it around with me; there was never any real equivalent alternative, certainly for me – until this 500mm PF arrived. Have I regretted it? Not one bit. It is a joy to use and I can carry it all day without a thought.
I was already familiar with the basics of using and finding my way round the menus on Nikon cameras, as many clients had come on tours with them over the years, so the switch was not that daunting. Body-wise, I choose the D6 to replace my Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. With the D6’s fast autofocus, high ISO capability and 14fps frame rate, attached to the super-light and sharp 500mm PF, it is a brilliant combination. The speed I now have has undoubtedly allowed me to get shots I would have missed in the past.
Of course, I see the advantages the mirrorless systems have – the silent shutter is certainly a notable one and of huge benefit to wildlife photographers, particularly for more-sensitive subjects. Will I add one to the kit at some point? I am pretty sure I will, but it will be alongside my DSLRs, as they will all have different jobs to do.