Birds of the Philippines
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 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.
4th Generation Designs Mongoose M3.6
Weight 779grams (1.5lbs)
We have gone to many places with our trusty Manfrotto 393 gimbals. All over the Philippines and in many different situations. But after all the hikes and carrying we wanted to get something lighter.
We have been looking at the 4th Generation Design gimbals for some time and we finally decided to get ourselves the M 3.6.
This is a compact, lightweight side mount gimbal. It is fully adjustable and has a very smooth operation. It is easy to pan even when on video mode.
It is more precise and smoother than the Manfrotto 393. Tracking small birds is much easier.
The downside is it is a sidemount so you have to grip the lens well before locking it in. It is awkward during the first few times but becomes second nature after using it for a while.
The 500mm is perfectly centered on the tripod because the lens foot is changed to a low profile foot that acts as the mounting plate as well.
The upside is the ease of operation and the smooth working of the pivoting mechanism.
The major advantage of this gimbal is the weight. It is only 1.5 lbs! The Wimberley WH200 II is 3.15 lbs more than double the weight. The Manfrotto is even heavier at 3.5 lbs. The small form factor makes it easy to pack.
It costs the same as the Wimberley and can support up to an 800mm lens.
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