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Photographing Wildlife with Sony G Master Lenses

Wildlife photographer Gustav Kiburg users Sony's renowned G Master telephoto lenses for his work, in his own words he talks exclusively to Park Cameras about why he uses these lenses and what impact they have on his work.

Tell us a little about you, Gustav Kiburg:

Wildlife photography is my greatest passion. I travel throughout Europe to find the best sites for wildlife photography. I started with Minolta gear as a hobby photographer, my hobby grew and now I am a Sony ambassador, I give lectures and demonstrations about wildlife photography and about how to get more out of your Sony camera. I also work as a photography guide.

Why do you use Sony?

I enjoy taking pictures with Sony cameras because they are very innovative, which helps me as a photographer to take better or great pictures. The quality of the sensor is also very important to me, along with camera reliability. I use the Sony FE 70-200GM f/2.8 GM OSS lens for birds in flight because it is a very fast lens which has outstanding sharpness; together with the A9 it's the perfect way to capture bird in flight combinations. The Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens I use for all kinds of wildlife that is further away, the lens is fast and sharp; and together with the 1.4TC it's a great combination.

What do you use the Sony A9, FE 70-200mm G Master & FE 100-400mm G Master lenses for?

I use this combination for all sorts of wildlife and in all circumstances (weather/low-light) for birds in flight, kingfishers, eagles, hawk's and squirrels. The lenses give me the advantage that I have the speed and sharpness that I need to get great pictures.

This photo was taken in low-light, very windy circumstances, I needed to react very fast to be able to take this picture, without the speed of the camera and lens this would have been almost impossible.

How does shooting on Sony help your work as a nature photographer?

The auto focus is very fast and reliable. It is important to me as a wildlife photographer to have the the preciseness and the reliability of the auto-focus system which Sony provides! 

Dynamic range is something every photographer should take in to consideration. To be able to have so much information as there is in the files from Sony is just a pleasure to work with, especially in low light conditions.

The file size, especially from the Sony A7RII is great to have. It's not always possible to be as close to the wildlife as I want to be, so to be able to crop into the images and still being able to use them for print is amazing. The sharpness and quality of the GM lenses surprised me at first - they are mind-blowing lenses. That feeling of seeing incredibly sharp and focussed images shot with GM lenses is hard to describe.

The photos above were taken in a forest using the Sony Alpha A9 and the 100-400mm G Master lens. The bird was very vigilant (nervous). I got such sharp pictures with this combination that it nearly looks like it is 3D. I am amazed that such a sharp lens provides such high resolution. I would have expected this only to see with Prime fixed focal lenses.

Gustav uses the following Sony gear:

Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Telephoto Zoom lens

Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS Telephoto Zoom Lens

Shop online & in store at Park Cameras for loads more Sony mirrorless cameras and Sony lenses.

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By Park Cameras on 01/02/2018