Best Storm Photography Setup

[Brett Roberts]

As someone who went through a pre-purchase phase about a year ago where I researched the nitty gritty details of current DSLRs rather obsessively, this would be my pick for storm photography if money and size/weight were no object, and I were focused exclusively on stills (no video concerns):

Nikon D810
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
Nikon 70-200mm f/4 VR

For pure image quality in most storm situations, it's virtually impossible to top that setup without jumping to medium format (and even then, it's not necessarily a given).

Close runner-ups for bodies: (1) Sony A7r; (2) Nikon D750 or Nikon D610 or Sony A7.

The Sony A7s is an intriguing option, and for the specific case of night storm photography in the absence of significant lightning, it comes out on top. However, when averaged over all storm photography situations most of us encounter, I'm not sure its exceptional performance at ultra-high ISO is worth the loss of resolution. If money were truly no object, a bag with both an A7r (daytime through dusk) and A7s (after dark) would be perfect; the compactness of the mirrorless A7 series would make size/weight a non-issue, too.

If you're about to purchase your first serious camera and storms/weather/landscapes are your primary photographic interest, my advice would be to avoid the Canon system, despite its continued popularity. Their sensor technology has fallen far behind all the competition regarding dynamic range at low ISO, which is a huge factor for many daytime storm photos. They have great lenses -- arguably the best lineup on the market overall -- but to me, it's not worth that tradeoff (which is why I went through pains last year to switch to Nikon after a decade using Canon). Recent Nikon full-frame DSLRs and the Sony A7/A7r all use essentially the same sensors, and they're the best on the market at capturing high-contrast scenes for images shot below ISO 3200 or so. (Disclaimer: this certainly isn't a slam against current Canon users, as I was one too until very recently; plus, there are numerous scenarios outside of storms where Canon still offers real advantages: video, sports/wildlife/action, and night/astro, for example).

 

[Michael Snyder]

As someone who went through a pre-purchase phase about a year ago where I researched the nitty gritty details of current DSLRs rather obsessively, this would be my pick for storm photography if money and size/weight were no object, and I were focused exclusively on stills (no video concerns):

Nikon D810
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
Nikon 70-200mm f/4 VR

For pure image quality in most storm situations, it's virtually impossible to top that setup without jumping to medium format (and even then, it's not necessarily a given).

Close runner-ups for bodies: (1) Sony A7r; (2) Nikon D750 or Nikon D610 or Sony A7.

The Sony A7s is an intriguing option, and for the specific case of night storm photography in the absence of significant lightning, it comes out on top. However, when averaged over all storm photography situations most of us encounter, I'm not sure its exceptional performance at ultra-high ISO is worth the loss of resolution. If money were truly no object, a bag with both an A7r (daytime through dusk) and A7s (after dark) would be perfect; the compactness of the mirrorless A7 series would make size/weight a non-issue, too.

If you're about to purchase your first serious camera and storms/weather/landscapes are your primary photographic interest, my advice would be to avoid the Canon system, despite its continued popularity. Their sensor technology has fallen far behind all the competition regarding dynamic range at low ISO, which is a huge factor for many daytime storm photos. They have great lenses -- arguably the best lineup on the market overall -- but to me, it's not worth that tradeoff (which is why I went through pains last year to switch to Nikon after a decade using Canon). Recent Nikon full-frame DSLRs and the Sony A7/A7r all use essentially the same sensors, and they're the best on the market at capturing high-contrast scenes for images shot below ISO 3200 or so. (Disclaimer: this certainly isn't a slam against current Canon users, as I was one too until very recently; plus, there are numerous scenarios outside of storms where Canon still offers real advantages: video, sports/wildlife/action, and night/astro, for example).

How's this setup working for you?

This is a pretty big league set up you have going. Im trying to decide if I go with primes. I have the 10mm voigtlander, 18mm Batis, 24-70 F2.8 and the Batis 85mm with my Sony Ar7II.

Choices, Choices...

 

[Brett Roberts]

How's this setup working for you?

This is a pretty big league set up you have going. Im trying to decide if I go with primes. I have the 10mm voigtlander, 18mm Batis, 24-70 F2.8 and the Batis 85mm with my Sony Ar7II.

Choices, Choices...

I wish I could say this were my personal setup -- actually, it was only my ideal/dream setup (at the time of the post)!

To be completely honest, I haven't kept up with the latest developments in the DSLR world over the past 18-24 months. I bought my D610 in early 2014, and after filling out my lens collection, I've been content enough not to have a wandering eye for new gear.

As far as I'm aware, the D610/D750/D810 still lead the pack for consumer full-frame Nikons. Successors for the D610 and D810 are probably coming soon, though, which might bring a decent price drop on the current models when it happens.

On the lens front, I think my experiences chasing over the past few years have pushed me more in favor of zooms than before. Changing lenses in the heat of the chase has cost me some good shots. Right now, I have a 14mm, 18-35mm, 24-85mm, and 70-200mm. I still think the setup I described in the post you quoted (14-24 + 24-70 + 70-200) would be ideal, especially with a VR version of the 24-70. A big collection of high quality primes might work well if you're mainly a structure fanatic and stay back -- although, even in that situation, good shots can be surprisingly fleeting. Otherwise, my view based on experience is that primes generally aren't well suited for this hobby. Their main advantage (tack sharpness) is less important for sky photography than many other areas, while their main disadvantage (inconvenience/clumsiness) can be crippling in some chasing situations.

In your case, the 24-70/2.8 should serve you extremely well for semi-close tornado shots, as well as for dusk/nighttime structure and lightning. While the combination of a 10mm and 18mm may not be as convenient as something like a 12-24mm zoom, those FLs are strictly for structure, and you can usually spare the extra 10 seconds to swap lenses when you're that far away. My main recommendation would be to spring for a quality 70-200mm or 70-300mm zoom for distant tornado shots, rather than a series of telephoto primes.

 

[Matt Nicholson]

Hi All! I've been a Canon shooter for many years. Currently, I'm shooting/videoing with a Canon 7D and 7D Mk II, using either a 17-40mm f4.5 L, a Canon 24-70mm f2.8L, or my Canon 70-200mm L II (with and without a Canon 1.4X II Extender). There are many cheaper routes to choose. Any Full-Frame sensor cameras (EOS 6D, 5D series, EOS 1D series) are going to yield less "noisy" images. If $$ are tight, just try to keep your ISO as low as possible on a tripod, so you can slow the shutter a bit to get the most out of the available light. For Livestreaming, I use a separate phone mounted by Joby mounting gear. Happy Hunting!

 

[Troy Scheiber]

Nikon D610 with Zeiss 135 f/2 Apo sonnar TZF.2 if you have the cash.

 

[Michael Brown]

I am going out this year with Sony A7Rii with 16-35 f4, 24-70 f2.8GM, and 24-240. I have the Sony Rx10ii for video and backup. Would love to hear from someone who has used the Rx10 series cameras for severe storm photography.

 

[Paul Knightley]

Hi Michael. I bought the first edition of the RX10 in 2014 and have used it ever since. You can see examples of storm photography on my blog at http://ukstormchaser.blogspot.co.uk/

I have found it to be a dependable and rugged camera - the dust and moisture protection certainly helps! Performance is pretty good in low-light - I shoot in raw and process in Lightroom. I find I usually need to sharpen somewhat and try to bring out a bit more contrast, but that is more true about shooting RAW than the camera per se. The 200 mm lens has served well as I rarely need to zoom too much. The only thing I would appreciate is a wider lens - then again I can always shoot a series of shots and combine later. The f/2.8 from 24-200mm is very nice!

Full manual control, including the ability to fit an external shutter is great. I also bought a timer trigger, which is nice for timelapse. I'm not sure whether its reaction time is good enough for a lightning trigger, though, so I've not got one of those.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I dumped all the high end Nikon brand equipment that I had been using for the last 30+ years as a photojournalist and storm photographer and simplified everything down to a single Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 micro four thirds camera with two high end zooms covering everything I require. This camera is insane. I used it to shoot genuine Cinema 4k footage during Irma and the results were amazing. Now I'm simply waiting for the global shutter 8k Lumix 6 or 7 that should be out by the summer of 2020. I also use an Olympus TG5 for quick shots. The days are long gone (or going quickly) where you need heavy, expensive lenses and giant camera bodies to create good images on film, especially for what little stock image marketing remains. If you are selling giant landscape images in a gallery, that might be different.

 

[Jock Elliott]

I don't chase, but I have a mad, passionate love affair with photographing the grandeur of the skies -- sunrises, sunsets, epic cloud structures, etc.

My primary camera is a Sony RX10 Mk IV, 24-600mm (e), lightning fast autofocus, quiet when zooming during video. When out and about I sometimes stick a Canon G12 in my pocket or a weatherproof Fuji XP90.

This is a 12-panel composite shot with the RX10.



This is a five-panel panorama shot with my HX400V:



And this was shot last night with my "crap" camera, the XP90



The RX10 Mk IV has some weather proofing. I wouldn't use it in a hurricane without additional protection, but I have had used it in the rain with no ill effect.

Here's a video taken in the rain. Extra trivial points if you name the source of the music.

Cheers, Jock

 

[B. Dean Berry]

Right around the end of last spring, I got a Nikon D5600, which I have yet to learn how to shoot with. For video, I use a Sony CX-440.

I also use an Olympus TG5 for quick shots.

I remember you going to the Olympus TG5. How well does that shoot? I understand the video is in 30fps 4K?

 

[Steven Marshall]

"Best" set up? IMO depends on your intent with your images. Long gone are the days when you have to spend a years income on camera gear. I run a dual head set up on a tripod....one side is a cellphone mount, and the other side has a video camera that cost me $199 that gives me as good of a video image as the $20,000 news camera I used to have to haul. The cell phone is great for live video...remember the days of "first look" 3 line cell video with a 40 pound "portable" computer? Yikes. Glad those days of over. Unless you're producing videos for the commercial market or tv ( meaning you expect to be paid handsomely for it) not much use in spending a ton anymore. My Iphone gives me video as good as I used to get with the huge panasonic DVC that ate batteries for lunch.

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

Knowing your gear is a key to shoot quality photos. Getting shots that are in focus with the right exposure is also just as important. Everything else is secondary. I started doing photography in 2014 with a Canon Rebel XSI and upgraded to a Rebel 5T (18 megapixel) a couple years later. I just ordered a Canon 90D (32 megapixel) which is a significant upgrade from my current Rebel 5T. The most common lens I use while chasing is a Rokinon 14mm F2.8 lens which is a really solid wide angle at a great price. I tend to use the "get close - shoot wide" strategy when chasing.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

What about the photo software preferred by all y'all?
Photoshop Elements; or the full version?
GIMP?
Others?
Does the 'Elements' software cover lens correction, CA, and de-noising . . . etc?
If not - then which software covers that?
Do any of these programs also have built in training wheels - for dummies like me?
Other preferred programs?
and - why?
Looking into software - ATM.

-Thnx!

PS-
My gear?
Using a Canon T7, EFS 10-22mm/f2.8, EF 50mm/f1.4, EFS 55-250mm/f4-5.6 IS, and the better EFS 18-55mm IS kit lens.
Nothing fancy . . .
My avatar was shot with an old (very noisy) Minolta DSLR - BTW (Quinter, KS May 23rd,2008)

 

[Ethan Schisler]

I edit my photos primarily in Photoshop 2019. I had upgraded to 2020 version, but for some reason I had severe issues with it on my Macbook Pro 16" when I upgraded to Big Sur, it caused my computer to continuously crash (I have a fairly good video card and 32gb of RAM). Adobe told me it was likely an issue with their software, so I just downgraded. I know most people use Lightroom, I never really personally cared much for it, but it is a good way to store your photos and organize them.

Current gear I shoot with for chasing:

Sony A7RIII/Sony A7SIII + 12-24mm F/2.8 GM/24-70mm F/2.8 GM. I use both for video and stills. Sometimes I use my 24mm F/1.4 for stills as well or night-time stuff as its wide and fast. I actually sometimes prefer the A7SIII for stills as the color science is amazing for JPEGs straight out of the camera and requires little to no editing on my part and the file sizes aren't huge. Not to mention the autofocus is top notch, even coming close to my A9 II for speed, just crazy how far technology has come.

12.2mp is honestly enough for even large prints I've found and more than enough for social media. Having a 12.2mp sensor is also incredibly useful for low light as the pixels are much larger and I can get up to 12,800 ISO or higher and get a super clean image. Something years ago I'd never dreamed I'd be able to do.

I also picked up an A7S (the original) for super cheap this past summer (It actually still performs incredibly well given it was released back in 2014 and the one I got only had a shutter count of 100 when I got it). The only reason I got that was the price was too good and I wanted to pick up a camera for my fiance to learn photography and videography as she has been chasing with me for going on 3 years now and wants to start shooting photos aside from her phone.

I have several other lenses, but the above 3 are the ones I use the most. I like using the 100-400mm for good compression on landscapes for distant tornado shots or just general landscapes, but I don't like changing lenses, so I usually just stick to 2 bodies and 2 different lenses. I recently got a mount so I can mount a mirrorless camera in my car and it's working fairly well (Gripper 115XL) with zero issues. Can't wait to use it next year.

 

[Dave C]

What about the photo software preferred by all y'all?
Photoshop Elements; or the full version?
GIMP?
Others?
Does the 'Elements' software cover lens correction, CA, and de-noising . . . etc?
If not - then which software covers that?
Do any of these programs also have built in training wheels - for dummies like me?
Other preferred programs?
and - why?
Looking into software - ATM.

-Thnx!

PS-
My gear?
Using a Canon T7, EFS 10-22mm/f2.8, EF 50mm/f1.4, EFS 55-250mm/f4-5.6 IS, and the better EFS 18-55mm IS kit lens.
Nothing fancy . . .
My avatar was shot with an old (very noisy) Minolta DSLR - BTW (Quinter, KS May 23rd,2008)

Photoshop and Lightroom together are 9.99 a month. Elements is easier to use and works great, I used it for years until I had needs that could not be met by Elements. Elements has a RAW processor that will eventually get out of date since it is bought once and used for a while. It has a basic filter for applying lens profiles to correct distortion and CA. Elements is only up to date for a year or two and then you need a new version.

The subscription software are always up to date. Unless you do heavy layer editing, masking, etc. than I think Elements is a good deal for basic editing, but if you need more advanced features and the most up to date than the subscription is not bad. I have not used GIMP in a long while, but unless it has changed a lot, the user interface is tougher to learn than Adobe products. It can do a lot if you want to learn it.

My rule for cameras and software is buy something affordable and master it until it holds you back, then upgrade to more advanced gear. Truly none of the product mentioned are bad, and I think you might want to consider your needs and budget and pick. Not a lot of totally wrong choices here.