I used to take photos with a Canon 50D and other more recent Canon Models. The lenses and related equipment I used in the photos are the following:
-Sigma 50-500 mm
-Canon 100-400 mm (Currently being used for bird photograpy)
-Canon 400 mm f5.6
-Canon 180 mm macro
-Canon 100 mm macro
-Canon MP-65 mm macro
-Canon 10-22 mm
-Canon Extension Tube
-Canon 1.4 Multiplier
-Gitzo Tripod Leveling Base
-Mongoose Tripod Head
-Really Right Stuff BH-55 Tripod Head
-Really Right Stuff Flash Bracket for off-camera flash
-Wimberley Tripod Head
-Manfrotto 685B Neo Tec Monopod with a 3232 Head, 17.6 lbs max weight.
I use both Canon macro flashes and a Canon 580X Flash. This last Canon Flash is used sometimes with a Lumiquest Diffuser.
For some photos I used a heavy duty tripod: Gitzo G1325 Mk II, which can hold a maximum of 26.5 lbs.
For bird photography a Better Beamer and a monopod are used regularly. The monopod is special, since it can be raised or lowered with only one hand. As you can see in the photos it has a foot-rest which you step on and then a hand-lever you press to raise or lower the tripod. All this can be done while working the camera controls with the other hand. On a regular tripod you waste valuable time adjusting its height and by the time you are finished the bird you were trying to photograph is gone.
But on January 2020 I realized using Canon gear was too heavy for my age, I was 74 years old then, and decided to go with Olympus Four Thirds cameras. I bought an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II 20.4MP Mirrorless Camera, an Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 Macro Lens, an Olympus Macro Flash STF-8, and an Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion Mini TTL R2 Flash. I use the Flashpoint flash with an AK Diffuser. Then, on August 2022 I bought an OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mirrorless Digital Camera, which is now my regular camera.
Olympus cameras are ready for any type of weather and they are really light in weight. Those two were the most important features I looked for. I own several other Olympus lenses and numerous types of diffusers which are essential for macro flash photography. I also use a Raynox DCR 1250 Super Macro Snap-on lens which I regularly use to get closer to my subjects without having to change lenses.
Useful Links:
http://www.kingsnake.com/westindian/ http://alfredo.colon.oiseaux.net http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/home-page.html http://www.flickr.com/groups/northamericannaturephotography http://www.birdsasart.com/ http://www.ircf.org/ http://www.fotografia101.com/ http://nd-magazine.com/ http://mikemorelphotography.zenfolio.com/ If you place the cursor over the top right portion of any
fully-sized photo it will display an "i", orange icon, which reveals the photo information and shooting condition details of the particular photo. These two photos of the equipment were taken with a Pentax camera.
