| Western Grebe rushing on a lake in San Jose, California. It is their mating ritual.
Nikon Z9 w/ Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 S | F5.6 | 1/2500 sec | ISO 800 |
DPReview community member Shun Cheung, known as shuncheung in the forums, has taken up the challenge of writing about what he carries in his camera bag on photography journeys for our What’s in your bag? spotlight series. The series showcases the diverse gear and photography of our community, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.
Check out Shun’s gear and fascinating nature photography experiences below. His remarkable journey began in the early 1970s and has evolved through the film, DSLR and mirrorless eras, so he has quite a wide range of photography from it all.
Submit your photos and story to be featured in ‘What’s in your bag?’
Meet Shung Cheung (shuncheung)
Home base: San Francisco, CA USA
Favorite camera and lens: Nikon Z8 paired with the Nikon 600mm F4. Shun favors this combination for wildlife photography because the latest version of the 600mm is significantly lighter than earlier models and includes a built-in 1.4x teleconverter, allowing him to switch between 600mm and 840mm when photographing birds and animals.
Typical photo scenes: Wildlife and nature photography, especially birds and coastal habitats around the San Francisco Bay Area. Shun also photographs landscapes and travels internationally to destinations such as Antarctica, Africa and the Galapagos Islands for wildlife and nature photography.
“I’ve been photographing since the early 1970s, when one of my high school teachers took a group of us hiking and introduced us to photography using a Minolta SRT-101. Several of us bought the same camera so we could share lenses, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”
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| Sally Light Foot crabs in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.
Nikon D7000 w/ AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F4 ED VR @ 250mm | F5.6 | 1/200 sec | ISO 200 |
What’s in Shun’s bag
- Primary cameras: Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z9 for stills, and a Nikon Zr for video.
- Lenses: Nikon 600mm F4, 400mm F4.5, 100–400mm, 70–200mm F2.8, and 24–120mm F4. The 600mm F4 is a favorite because the new version is much lighter than earlier models and has a built-in 1.4× teleconverter for quick reach between 600mm and 840mm.
- Tripod: A sturdy Gitzo tripod, often accompanied by hex wrenches and a Leatherman tool for adjustments in the field.
- Filters and accessories: Spare batteries, charger, external microphone for video, and sunscreen. Shun also highly suggests to always carry insect repellent…
- Camera bags: MindShift BackLight 26L and 36L, as well as the Gura Gear Kiboko 30L. These carry two or three camera bodies and several lenses, with the Kiboko being especially useful for two long telephoto lenses.
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| Shun’s camera bag
Photo: Shun Cheung |
What are your favorite destinations?
Shun describes himself as a nature and wildlife photographer who loves to explore exotic destinations like Antarctica, but also appreciates the appeal in returning to familiar locations to capture the best seasonal activity. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area gives him easy access to parks, wildlife refuges and coastal habitats, where he often photographs a variety of domestic birds.
“My favorite destinations for nature photography are Antarctica, Africa, and South America, especially the Galapagos Islands. I was fortunate to have visited all three, for the first time, in the 1990’s. Since then, I have been back to each one several times.”
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| King Penguins in St. Andrews Bay on South Georgia Island
Nikon D700 w/ AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm F2.8 @ 70mm | F8 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 200 |
Any of those destinations uniquely memorable?
“My most memorable experiences include visiting the king penguin colony on St. Andrew’s Bay on South Georgia Island, where thousands of noisy penguins are calling nonstop. Also just as memorable was the wildebeest migration crossing the Mara River in Tanzania. For those international destinations, I tend to travel with a photo group with a dozen or so photographers.”
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| Wildebeest migrating across the Mara River in the Serengeti, Tanzania
Nikon Z9 w/ Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 S | F5.6 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 400 |
What’s special about local scenes vs international ones?
“While I visit international “exotic” locations once or twice a year, I capture many of my best images locally. I tend to revisit those locations over and over, so I understand them thoroughly and can visit only when the weather and lighting are favorable. I am fortunate to live in San Francisco, with many local parks and seashores.”
“For example, the pride of Madeira flowers tends to bloom from late March to mid-April every year along the San Francisco Bay, and the Anna’s hummingbirds will have a feeding frenzy on those flowers. During that time of the year, I may visit the flower hot spots two to three mornings a week between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., capturing several hundred images a morning. Digital photography is, of course, the norm now, but 20 years ago, I told myself I could never have done that with film. Film and processing costs would have been prohibitive to use five rolls of film a day, three times a week.”
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| Anna’s hummingbird feeding on Pride of Madeira flowers.
Nikon Z9 w/ Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 S | F4.5 | 1/2000 sec | ISO 1250 |
Shun really enjoyed writing the content for this spotlight article, and would be grateful for you to join him in discussion in the forums.
If you’d like to share your photography setup, tell us about your main camera, lens choices, key settings and strategies. Your photos and story could be featured in the next article!
Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you’re selected for a feature, we’ll be in touch with next steps.
Submit your photos and story to be featured in ‘What’s in your bag?’