The best lightweight gear for filming wildlife – exploring Nina Constable's kitbag

"For me, one of the really important things with storytelling is hope," says wildlife filmmaker and self-shooting director Nina Constable. "We are living in a time when there are lots of stories of destruction or devastation, so inspirational people and habitats or species that are being restored are things I'm looking for."

While wildlife filmmaking is often associated with huge telephoto lenses and large rigs, Nina has built a successful career documenting wildlife and nature for the likes of the BBC, Sky and WWF, using first Canon DSLRs, then Cinema EOS cameras – and, most recently, the compact Canon EOS C70.

"As I'm working almost entirely independently, having lightweight kit that's easy to manage myself, while not compromising on image quality, is a key consideration," Nina says. "I have to carry all of my own gear, and I need to be able to move around a lot. The EOS C70 has blown my mind."

Here, Nina shares her journey into the world of wildlife filmmaking and the gear that allows her to always get the shot.

"I've always loved storytelling, but filmmaking wasn't something I ever thought was an option, or a viable career," says Nina. While studying for a degree in English, she became engrossed in photography and contemplated a shift towards visual storytelling. "Filmmaking seemed like a natural combination of two things that I really love: stories and photography."

Nina usually works independently, wearing many hats. "The way I work today – writing, filming, editing – wasn't something I set out to do, it's just the way it evolved," she says. "One of the things I really love is that I'm not reliant on anybody else. A lot of the things I'm filming aren't set up – I'm following someone doing their everyday work, and I have to be really nimble. Working alone means that my films very much feel like a conversation between two people, so it's more intimate than it would be with a larger crew."

With their small form factor, crisp image quality, hybrid capabilities and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, DSLRs were Nina's trusted partners for a number of years, most recently the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS-1D X Mark II (now succeeded by the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III). "People could be a bit surprised when I came to a job with a DSLR," laughs Nina. "But they were also surprised by the quality of the imagery. You can shoot in 4K on both of these cameras, and when you pair that with quality lenses, it creates a beautiful cinematic look."

Nina used the EOS 5D Mark IV to film beavers at dusk (when the animals are most active), leaning on its low-light capabilities to capture their unique behaviour, while the EOS-1D X Mark II – thanks to its high frame rates and fast autofocus – came into its own when filming fast-moving insects. "In my work in meadow restoration, bumblebees have been a focus," she says. "Being able to shoot at 100fps means you can slow things right down and see their wing movement, which is a really amazing thing to capture. You are also able to track and keep them in focus."

When asked to provide a more cinematic look for a longer documentary for Beaver Trust, Nina turned to the EOS C100 Mark II (now succeeded by the Canon EOS C70). "The transition from the DSLR to the EOS C100 Mark II was seamless because it has very similar functions but with added capabilities: ND filters, XLR inputs..." says Nina. "Having those capabilities was amazing, but I could shoot in a very similar way, as it's also quite lightweight. The sensor creates such a beautiful image."

"The EOS C100 Mark II showed me this real cinematic quality, and as my films are demanding more of me, I need features like XLR inputs," says Nina. "When I saw the Canon EOS C70, it seemed like it was basically what I'd been dreaming of." Now filming a sequel to her wildlife documentary, Beavers Without Borders, Nina has been using the EOS C70 to cover river restoration, traversing waterways and interviewing conservationists fighting for change.

Nina has also found that her workflow has benefitted markedly from being able to control functions via the LCD touchscreen, rather than having to go into menus. "Because of the touchscreen, flipping to 25fps slow motion is literally just two taps away," she says. "The EOS C70 has made filming much more enjoyable. I'm able to film the way I really want to."

Using a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R 0.71X on the RF-mount EOS C70 has enabled Nina to keep using her stalwart EF lenses until she upgrades to RF glass in the future. Her go-to lens is the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM – comparable to the RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM – for its flexibility when shooting nature scenes up close. "This is a really versatile lens that enables me to get wide landscapes but also zoom in for tighter, artier shots," she explains. With the wide aperture, you can get a really beautiful, shallow depth of field and work in low light."

A Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM and an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens (now succeeded by the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM) with a Canon Extender EF 1.4X II (now succeeded by the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III) complete Nina's must-haves in her compact kitbag. The RF equivalents would be the RF 50mm F1.2L USM and RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM. Canon's RF series lenses deliver faster autofocus performance, thanks to high-speed communication between the camera and lens. RF lenses are also typically smaller and lighter than their EF counterparts.

"The 70-200mm lens is really amazing for wildlife and, with the extender, means I can keep a respectable distance, but still capture some really beautiful shots," Nina says. "At f/2.8, I can shoot in quite low light – because with wildlife, you can never predict the weather or their behaviour."

While she leans on zooms for much of her panoramic and wildlife work, Nina's go-to for portraits and interviews is the prime lens. "I always say I'm not really a true wildlife filmmaker because I also spend a lot of time working with the people on the ground," she says. "But meeting somebody that has dedicated their entire lives to the protection of just one tiny animal or one species, that is what really inspires me."