Equipment

Details of the various equipment I use to record and photograph birds. Microphones, recorders, cameras, lenses, grips, cables, and more.

Bird recording equipment setup

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My complete bird recording gear setup.

Equipment summary

This is the current equipment setup I am using with my shotgun microphone. The basic idea of components remains the same regardless of specific equipment.

Component

Equipment

Notes

Microphone Sennheiser ME67, ME66 No longer available. Consider MKE600 or look on eBay

Recorder

MixPre-3 II, Zoom H4N Pro  
Peripherals K6 Power Module Optional but saves battery draw on the recorder
Rycote Shock Mount Grip  
Rycote Softie Windscreen The fuzzier the better
Over-the-ear headphones Optional with this kind of microphone
Angled XLR cable  

Microphone

I originally selected this shotgun microphone after reading a guide from Audubon on recording bird songs. They have a fleet of these microphones in use. I like it for its directional sensitivity. It does a good job of filtering out ambient noise but not so much that a pair of headphones are required. The microphone can be powered by phantom draw (taking power from the recorder) or by using a K6 Power Module.

Shotgun microphone

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Sennheiser ME67 and K6 power module
Type Shotgun
Brand Sennheiser
Model ME67
Accessory K6 Power Module

Recorder

Dedicated recorder

Sound Devices MixPre-3 II (a 32-bit float recorder)

This MixPre-3 II recorder by Sound Devices is an amazing piece of technology. Its ability to record in a format called 32-bit float allows you to not have to set gain levels while recording and prevents bird song audio files from clipping if they are unexpectedly loud.sound_devices_mixpre_3 II.jpg

Type Dedicated recorder
Brand Sound Devices
Model MixPre-3 II

Handheld recorder

Zoom H4N Pro

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Zoom H4N Pro handheld recorder
Type Omnidirectional handheld
Brand Zoom
Model H4N Pro

Peripherals

Windscreen

This windscreen does a great job of reducing wind noise during recordings. It has a foam core with a faux fur exterior and slips over the shotgun microphone.

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Brand Auray
Model WSS-2014 Professional Windshield - (14cm)
Wind noise reduction up to 25dB

Shock mount grip

This shock mount has a pistol grip handle and holds the microphone in a way that eliminates handling noise.

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Brand Rycote
Model  Rycote Lyre Pistol Grip Shock Mount

Cables

This angled cable enables the cable to flow a logical direction from the microphone into the shock mount.

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Type XLR M to Angled XLR
Length 1.5’

Headphones

Headphones are used in my setup, but any over-the-ear ones should do. It will help you hear the bird better and ensure you are aiming decently enough. 


Component

Equipment

Microphone Sennheiser ME67, Sennheiser ME66 (now MKE600)
Recorder MixPre-3 II, Zoom H4N Pro
Peripherals K6 Power Module
Rycote Shock Mount Grip
Auray Windscreen
Over-the-ear headphones
Angled XLR cable

Bird photography equipment setup

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My complete bird photography gear setup.

Equipment summary

I spent my first nine years as a hobby photographer with my original Canon camera setup: a Rebel T5i and EF 400mm lens. In 2022, I upgraded my equipment to Canon’s mirrorless lineup and RF lens line. I‘m not a spec expert, but I’ll share why I selected each piece and what I appreciate.

Camera Canon EOS R6
Lens RF 100 – 500mm F4.5-7.1 L is USM
Teleconverter RF 1.4x Extender Teleconverter

The camera body

Canon EOS R6

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Type Mirrorless
Brand Canon
Model R6

Why I chose it

In Canon’s mirrorless lineup, I chose the R6 because I didn’t need the added megapixels offered by the pricier R5.

Favorite features


Lens

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Type Telephoto
Brand Canon
Model RF 100-500mm

Why I chose it

Coming from a 400mm prime EF lens, I was looking for a bit more reach and versatility. The 100-500mm RF lens hits the sweet spot. One of the reasons I chose it, other than the superior image quality, is the in-body stabilization. This works in concert with the stabilization in the R6 camera body. I love this for video and when shooting on the wide end of the zoom.

Favorite features


Teleconverter

RF 1.4 Extender Teleconverter

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Zoom H4N Pro handheld recorder
Type Teleconverter
Brand Canon
Model RF 1.4x

Why I chose it

Birds are almost always small and far away. This recent addition to my setup gives 40% further zoom to every shot. It has the downside of letting less light into the camera and restricting the zoom range of the camera. It’s easy enough to pop on and off as needed.

Favorite features


Component

Equipment

Camera Canon EOS R6
Lens RF 100 – 500mm F4.5-7.1 L is USM
Peripheral RF 1.4x Extender Teleconverter