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Wildlife photographer Steve Perry gets his hands on the new Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens

The recently announced Nikon Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens caused a bit of a stir amongst wildlife and sports photographers – at least, the ones who shoot Nikon. It may be a third of a stop slower than its F mount DSLR predecessor, but it comes with $10K shaved off its price tag and its weight over its predecessor has been cut almost in half, too. But how does it stand up to the job of actually shooting?

In this video, wildlife photographer Steve Perry takes out a pre-production version of this lens, with its Phase Fresnel (PF) optical tech – which helps contribute towards its lightweight design – to give it a spin and see how it handles. Steve details the actual shooting experience and goes over the features of the lens.

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Using lens hoods in cold weather could be ruining your photos

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I typically tend to not venture out with my camera when it’s that cold, but it has been known to happen from time to time. One thing I hadn’t experienced when I had been shooting in the cold, though, is random lens softness. So, this video from Steve Perry surprised me a little. He noticed that he was getting very soft images on his Nikon Z9 when shooting wildlife out in cold (single digit °F) temperatures.

And this isn’t just a Nikon issue, either. His wife was having the same problem with her Canon EOS R5. During further testing, he added a Sony body into the mix and that one, too, was soft. Very soft. He was getting the same results with them all regardless of whether it was a Nikon, Canon or Sony camera and lens combo. It turns out that it might actually be a heat issue.

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Follow these ten tips to instantly improve your wildlife photography

Wildlife photography can be a very demanding, but also a very rewarding genre. If you’re trying to get better at it, Steve Perry has some useful advice for you. In this video, he shares ten tips that you can use at your very next shoot and get the most out of your wildlife photos.

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This in-depth Nikon D6 review covers everything wildlife photographers need to know

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If you wanted an in-depth and extensive review of how well the Nikon D6 performs for wildlife photography, then you’re in for a treat. This 44-minute wildlife-focused review comes courtesy of wildlife photographer Steve Perry over at the Backcountry Gallery, and it covers just about everything you could ever want to know about the D6 and how it performs for this task.

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Heading back outdoors to shoot? Check out this crash course guide to photographing birds in flight

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With lockdown restrictions starting to be eased in various parts of the world, many will want to get back into shooting photography outside of their home again. One excellent worthwhile genre you can cover that still lets you follow the social distancing guidelines which are still in place for most of us is bird photography, particularly when they’re in flight.

In this video, Steve Perry teaches us just about everything we could ever want to know to get started photographing birds in flight. As you’ll see, it presents a lot of great challenges. And learning how to overcome those challenges can also be useful in many other types of photography, too.

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Nature photographers, here are eight affordable accessories that will make your life easier

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All photographers have their favorite accessories they couldn’t imagine their lives without. In this video, Steve Perry suggests eight of those accessories that could make your life much easier if you’re a nature photographer and often use big lenses. Most of them are pretty affordable, and some are even DIY, so you won’t spend a fortune on them, yet you could really find them handy.

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7 more Nikon camera tricks to help you make shooting more efficient

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Photographer Steve Perry has shared some great tricks for Nikon shooters before. They help you customize your camera, and it looks like many of you liked the first video. Steve has now published another set of Nikon camera tricks that will make shooting more efficient and enjoyable. So grab your Nikon, and try out the customization tips from the video below.

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Nikon D850 review for wildlife photography

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It’s finally here!

The long awaited Nikon D850 review is finally finished! It took me 11 states, two countries, eight weeks, and 16,000 images to get it done, but here it is! This is a true field test loaded with real world examples, advice, and tons of tips for getting the most from all the new features.

Yes, it’s a bit of a long review, but I didn’t want to simply tell you about the new features, I wanted to show you how to use them as well. Nothing more frustrating than a review that tells you about some amazing new feature but leaves you clueless when it comes to using it, right? Well, rest assured this will give you all that and more. So, sit back, kick your feet up and enjoy!

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Shooting wildlife with a crop sensor vs full frame & 1.4x teleconverter

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The crop vs full frame debate will never end. Of that there is little doubt. The truth is, for the vast majority of people out there, there’s really going to be virtually no practical difference between the two. But there are times when one definitely shines over the other. Wildlife is one such case. Camera resolution being equal, the extra reach of a crop body can be a valuable asset.

The alternative is teleconverters. They’ve been around for years. Common in the days of film, and still used today by those wanting a little more reach out of their lenses. They do have their drawbacks, though. In this video, wildlife photographer Steve Perry talks about the advantages and disadvantages of shooting a Nikon D5 with a 1.4x teleconverter vs the cropped sensor Nikon D500.

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How to add some extra stability to your long lens shots on tripods

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Working with real big lenses is fun, but often troublesome.  Handholding with image stabilisation can help, but only until your arms get tired, which is where the trusty tripod steps in to give you a solid foundation on which to rest your lens.

But even when working with tripods, the view can sometimes be a little unsteady.  In this video, wildlife and nature photographer Steve Perry offers us a few tips to help improve stability when using big long lenses on tripods.

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