Wildlife photography is a difficult genre of the craft and often requires cutting-edge equipment to pull off, which in turn requires a high premium. Or does it?

I have done various forms of wildlife photography over the years, but it is not my bread and butter of photography. However, when I’m reviewing a pre-release camera, I am often given the tools to do so and expected to. For example, in Costa Rica, I was given an Olympus body and a howitzer of a telephoto lens on loan to photograph the local creatures. What I was holding while capturing shots of parrots, monkeys, and sloths was worth far in excess of $10,000 and it was, for the most part, necessary. To capture what I wanted, I needed a lens that could reach far into the distance and a body that could handle the settings needed. So, what on earth is the average photographer to do that doesn’t have that sort of cash.

Well, it’s not the cheapest genre to get into and never will be, but we’ve been in the digital realms of photography for so long at this point, that much of the cutting-edge tech of yesteryear has fallen in price. There is also the nether zone between old gear and new gear that can have a bargain. So, if you want to be a bird botherer on a budget, this video is for you.