The "Sniper" Loadout: Wild Camping with the Sony 200-600mm & ZV-E1
There is an old saying in hiking: "Pack light, freeze at night." Or is it "Pack light, travel far"? I can’t remember, because I usually ignore it.
My philosophy has always been: Pack heavy, get the shot.
For my latest wild camping trip to the Long Mynd in Shropshire, I decided to leave the sensible kit at home. I didn't want wide-angle GoPro views of me walking. I wanted compression. I wanted texture. I wanted to capture wild ponies from a postcode away with absolute cinematic clarity.
To do that, I turned to a rig that looks frankly ridiculous on the side of a hill: The Sony 200-600mm G lens mounted to the tiny Sony ZV-E1.
Here is a breakdown of the "Sniper" loadout, why I hauled a 100L Bergen up a hill, and why the Benro Tortoise might just be the best tripod ever made.
The Glass: Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
Let’s address the elephant in the room (or the pony on the hill). This lens is a beast. It weighs over 2kg. It takes up half my backpack. It is not a "vlogging" lens.
But the results? They are untouchable.
I have used this lens for all sorts of projects. You might remember some of my Sony 200-600mm Street Photography Videos, where I used it to capture candid moments of people from a distance. Or the Digital Distraction film, where the compression turned ordinary street scenes into abstract art.
Why take it wild camping?
Compression and reach: At 600mm, the background is pulled right up to the subject. On the Long Mynd, this meant I could stack the layers of the Shropshire hills behind the ponies. It offers incredible close-up detail, and can turn a landscape into a painting.
The Engine: Sony ZV-E1
I get asked a lot why I pair a massive G-Master lens with a tiny "vlogging" camera.
The Sony ZV-E1 is, pound-for-pound, the most powerful camera I own. It has the same sensor as the FX3 and the A7SIII. That means:
Dual Native ISO: incredible low light performance (essential when shooting at f/6.3 on the lens).
4K 100fps: I shot the ponies in S&Q mode. Slowing down a horse's mane blowing in the wind by 4x creates an instant "BBC Earth" feel.
Stabilisation: The Dynamic Active stabilisation, combined with the lens OSS, meant I could actually get some usable handheld shots at 200mm, although the tripod was essential for the long end.
You can see the results of this combo in my Smoke Man Short Film. It’s a cinema camera in a compact body, and when you stick it on the back of the 200-600mm, it’s a weapon.
The Rock: Benro Tortoise 35C Tripod
If you put a 2kg lens on a flimsy travel tripod in 40mph winds, you don't get footage. You get a blurry mess. Or a smashed lens.
I brought the Benro Tortoise 35C.
I have written before about lightweight tripods, specifically in my K&F Concept Lightweight Tripod Review. That tripod is great for hiking with a standard setup. But for the 200-600mm? You need carbon fibre stiffness.
The Benro Tortoise is unique because it has no centre column.
Stability: Without the column, the spider sits directly on the legs. It is rock solid. In the high winds on the Mynd, it didn't budge.
Low Angles: I could splay the legs and get the camera inches from the ground. This is crucial for wildlife.
Weight-to-Strength: It’s substantial enough to dampen vibrations but light enough (just about) to strap to a pack.
It is, quite simply, the best tripod I own for heavy payloads.
The Mule: Snugpak 100L Bergen
Where do you put a 600mm lens, a tripod, a winter tent, a sleeping bag, stove, food, and clothes?
You don't put it in a "camera bag." You put it in a Snugpak 100L Bergen.
This bag feels close to military issue. It is essentially a cavern with straps. It swallows gear.
The Main Compartment: Held the Hilleberg Soulo, my sleeping bag, spare clothes, tripod, and the lens (wrapped in a bin bag!)
The Side Pouches: Food, stove, water, and the ZV-E1 body.
The Comfort: It’s designed to carry heavy loads. Once it’s on your back, the weight distribution is surprisingly good, even if you do look like a fat paratrooper who got lost on the way to the drop zone.
The Shelter: Hilleberg Soulo
Finally, the home for the night. The Hilleberg Soulo.
This is a 4-season, freestanding solo tent. It is expensive. It is slightly heavier than many ultralight options. But when the wind picked up to 40mph on the exposed hillside, I was glad I had it.
I’ve used this tent in some serious conditions—check out my wild camping blogs.
On this trip, I admittedly made a meal of pitching it (my hands were frozen, and I got the poles mixed up while rushing—check the vlog for a laugh), but once it was up, it was a bunker. It didn't flap. It didn't bow. It just sat there and took the abuse.
The Result: Was the Heavy Gear Worth It?
Hauling 25kg+ up a hill is never fun. But looking at the footage on the monitor makes the back pain vanish.
The Sony 200-600mm captured the ponies in a way a drone or a standard zoom never could.I tend to find I either come away very disappointed or very impressed after using this lens, there’s not much ground in between. Read the blog post here for the 200-600mm “Sniper loadout”. The Benro tripod kept it steady. The Hilleberg kept me alive (or at least, dry-ish).
See the results for yourself:
1. The Adventure (The Vlog): Watch me struggle with the gear and the wind in Searching for wild ponies...
2. The Payoff (Cinematic Short): See the 4K slow-motion glory in Wild Camping with my Sony 200-600mm
3. The Files (For Editors): If you want to use this footage in your own projects, I have uploaded the full set (181 clips!) to my library. You can buy them here: Clip Pack 318 - Long Mynd Wild Ponies
Browse my other Stock Footage Collections: