Photos and videos of wild birds found in the Philippines. We travel all over the Philippines to document and take pictures of birds. Our goal is to make this site a resource of information and images about wild birds of the Philippines.

Photography Gear

In this section we will show some of the gear we use to photograph birds. We use a lot big heavy gear to photograph these small birds. Wild bird photography in the Philippines is quite challenging. Even the process of building a rig is not easy. We found it very difficult trying to decide which pieces of kit to purchase from the many choices available. There is always a trade-off, weight, portability, price, quality, and performance. With new items always entering the market its not an easy task filtering all the information.

In this page we will talk about the gear we use, our favorite bits of kit, what we like and what we don't like. Hopefully this will be helpful for those who are thinking about similar gear and are looking for some field reviews. Our experience is based on our trips in the Philippines which has its own unique challenges to the wild bird photographer. We have a nation of 7,107 islands, rainforests, mountains, rivers and dirt trails, sun, rain, moisture, extreme heat and some cold weather. Its not easy to prepare for every situation, so its nice to have gear can handle the varied outdoor conditions.

Unique to the Philippines is the challenge of taking pictures of birds that are very wary of humans. We have visited a few other countries and bird photography is usually easier in other countries because the birds are friendlier. The habitat destruction, the hunting by humans and the general lack of infrastructure make Philippine Bird photography more difficult. I think these challenges are sometimes reflected in the kind of gear we choose.

We will keep updating entries to keep track of the performance, reliability, and durability of these products.

<b>Think Tank Hydrophobia 300-600 V2.0</b>
Field Tested for one year

This is the best raincover we have used. We have used trash bags, cheap clear plastic covers, and the generic camo rain covers and they all are half baked compared to the Think Tank Hydrophobia. The Think Tank is a very sturdy design and we have used it for a years worth of trips. It has proven to be very durable.

This model is for the 300 f2.8 to the 600 f4. The cover comes in two pieces, the first will fit lenses from 300 f2.8 to 500 f4. The second piece is for the 600mm f4.

This cover comes with an integrated lens cover so you can cover the lens when transporting in the rain or if the wind is strong and the rain might wet the front element of the lens.

It has openings on the left and right side where you can slip your hand in to control the camera and lens functions. The openings can be closed with adjustable elastic cords.

You must buy an eye piece for your specific camera. The eye piece works very well and is very comfortable with a good amount of foam making it a pleasure to use.

You can shoot and control the camera easily. In addition you can change the battery and CF cards even with the rain cover attached. It is loose enough to switch TC's in the rain. But I have not tried that yet.

You can roll the whole thing into the front section when it is not raining and it will just occupy the space of the lens hood. A very useful design feature. This makes the Hydrophobia ready to deploy the moment it rains.

It works. The lens and camera stay dry. We have used these covers in many different locations and conditions. Rainforest, beach storms, and even Batanes rain and wind. When we are in the middle of nowhere with no shelter in sight and its pouring we are always so happy we took the time out to get proper rain protection.

It is a thoughtful design made for extreme wet weather shooting. If you want to keep your gear dry you can use a garbage bag but that is a flimsy solution at best. This bag is not cheap at around $160.00 plus the eyepiece which is $35.00. But the gear it is protecting is very expensive and it seems like a good price to pay to insure that everything stays nice and dry even in the worst conditions.

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Think Tank Hydrophobia 300-600 V2.0 Field Tested for one year This is the best raincover we have used. We have used trash bags, cheap clear plastic covers, and the generic camo rain covers and they all are half baked compared to the Think Tank Hydrophobia. The Think Tank is a very sturdy design and we have used it for a years worth of trips. It has proven to be very durable. This model is for the 300 f2.8 to the 600 f4. The cover comes in two pieces, the first will fit lenses from 300 f2.8 to 500 f4. The second piece is for the 600mm f4. This cover comes with an integrated lens cover so you can cover the lens when transporting in the rain or if the wind is strong and the rain might wet the front element of the lens. It has openings on the left and right side where you can slip your hand in to control the camera and lens functions. The openings can be closed with adjustable elastic cords. You must buy an eye piece for your specific camera. The eye piece works very well and is very comfortable with a good amount of foam making it a pleasure to use. You can shoot and control the camera easily. In addition you can change the battery and CF cards even with the rain cover attached. It is loose enough to switch TC's in the rain. But I have not tried that yet. You can roll the whole thing into the front section when it is not raining and it will just occupy the space of the lens hood. A very useful design feature. This makes the Hydrophobia ready to deploy the moment it rains. It works. The lens and camera stay dry. We have used these covers in many different locations and conditions. Rainforest, beach storms, and even Batanes rain and wind. When we are in the middle of nowhere with no shelter in sight and its pouring we are always so happy we took the time out to get proper rain protection. It is a thoughtful design made for extreme wet weather shooting. If you want to keep your gear dry you can use a garbage bag but that is a flimsy solution at best. This bag is not cheap at around $160.00 plus the eyepiece which is $35.00. But the gear it is protecting is very expensive and it seems like a good price to pay to insure that everything stays nice and dry even in the worst conditions.

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