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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> African Safari - what should I take?
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04/06/2011 06:47:04 PM · #1
I'm conflicted. I don't plan on going back to Africa any time soon, so I want to have the right gear. The travel company is into restricting gear. So far, this is what I'm planning:
- 2 Nikon D300 bodies
- 85mm f1.4
- 60mm f2.8 macro
- 11-16mm Tokina f2.8

Should I add the
- 10.5 f2.8 fisheye
- 35 f2 (a FF lens so about a 50mm on my D300)

Should I bring my 120-400 Sigma 4.5-5.6 and Teleconverter, or rent more expensive glass?

I have 29 days - what do you think?
Thanks!!!!
04/06/2011 06:52:16 PM · #2
I don't see that much difference between the 35mm (or 50mm EQ) and the 85mm primes ... I'd look into renting a faster telephoto so you can get birds and other wildlife at reasonable speeds ... something like 400 or 500mm f/3.5 maybe?

But I don't use an SLR, so I'm just estimating ... :-)
04/06/2011 07:10:40 PM · #3
Your Tokina, a mid-range fast zoom like the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 and a long telephoto for wildlife (400mm or more). Leave the rest at home.
04/06/2011 07:11:52 PM · #4
I`m in the same boat, I leave for Africa in 24 days. I drove myself crazy trying to figure out what i would want/need for lenses.
Right now (i change my mind all the time) i`m planning on taking:
d300s
d60
10-24
35 f1.8
85 f1.8
70-300

I keep changing my mind on what to take for a long lens. Ive gone in circles between 70-300 f4.5-5.6, 70-200 f2.8 and a teleconverter, or a sigma 150-500. A friend that went recently said that the animals were either close enough that you didnt need a super long lens or they were so far away that no lens would reach.

are you taking the 60mm becasue you`ll be taking macros?
i dont think the 120-400 will autofocus with a teleconverter (i could be wrong on that)
04/06/2011 08:24:15 PM · #5
Thanks for the replies so far, folks.

GeneralE you're probably right - 35mm is overkill. I LOVE the 85mm - super-sharp! I looked into renting - it's almost $1K for 2 weeks plus insurance... I know it's a $10K lens, but still...

Yoda - no, the 120-400 doesn't auto focus with the Teleconverter, but I used it in Alaska to get blurry pics of wolves at about .4 mi, so I know what it can and can't do. I'm not thrilled with it and the teleconverter, so I'm hoping your friend is right - if they're too far away, I don't need blurry pics of animals I can't identify!! :)

I always travel with the macro b/c I like to take a pic of an interesting meal or market - it lets me get up close and is unobtrusive. It's reasonably tiny and light, so it fits in a corner of the bag.
04/06/2011 08:29:44 PM · #6
i would strongly consider renting a long prime such as a f2.8 300mm or something of that caliber. How often are you going on a safari. Take the right glass.

Borrowlenses.com has a great selection, as do several other choices....but the 300 2.8 is not going to put you back that much for 2 weeks...

Message edited by author 2011-04-06 20:35:59.
04/06/2011 09:18:51 PM · #7
Everybody is forgetting the most important thing to take on this trip!!!

me!!

:)
04/06/2011 09:22:23 PM · #8
I've been to Africa 5 times and have lived there for a while as well.

Like Yoda said, I've found that the animals are either pretty close (like within 50ft) or so far away that no lens will get a great close up of them. It really depends on where you are going. Right now is birthing season in most of the southern countries (maybe eastern as well, but I'm not 100% sure), and since you're not going *too* much after that, there should still be a plenty of animals running around. For most of the southern countries, they are still going to be pretty green from the wet season, so the foliage could be an issue, but again, that will depend on where you are going.

But of course, there are other things to photograph in Africa besides the animals! You are going to want something to photograph the people too! So something mid-range with a nice bokeh. I usually pair my 55 1.4 with a polarizer and/or a ND filter so I can open up the aperture and really isolate the faces. A macro is also great for bugs, flowers, curios, etc, and I always find myself wishing I had one when I'm in the marketplaces, so I'd recommend one of those if you have it.

For buffysnee, I'd recommend taking the 60mm macro, the 85mm or the 50mm 1.4 (I use the Canon 50 1.4 and it gives the perfect distance between subject and photog), then renting something long (300mm minimum) and very fast (f/2.8). The children often surround the foreigners while they play, so you'll want the 11-16 or the fish eye, but not both. The fish eye might give a nice feel to this kind of situation, but the 11-16 can do double duty as your landscape/African sunset lens.

For Yoda, I'd recommend the 10-24mm OR the 35mm (you won't need both--but I'd lean towards the 10-24), the 85mm, and whichever long lens give you the biggest aperture at the longest mm, which I think would be the 70-200 with the teleconverter (especially since without the teleconverter, you can get 2.8)

As for other gear, I'd bring a polarizer and ND filter (as I mentioned above--and the polarizer is really necessary for the sky most of the time), a light-weight, sturdy tripod, and a small-to-medium reflector, if you have the room. Reflectors come in handy so often! Photographing people in the shade, photographing food, and even creating a bit of shade while you're photographing something else (don't laugh--you have no idea how often I did this). I also use my 5-in-1 reflector as a great soft box when I shoot people. I bring two flashes and flash cords (much cheaper than radio triggers and much more reliable in bright sun) so I can get that studio look even in the middle-of-nowhere outdoors.

And to protect your gear, I'd recommend bringing weather(rain, sand, etc)-proof bags, a garbage bag or two (just in case--I've had rain storms and sand storms sneak up on me in less than 20 minutes), and those little pellet things that I can't think of the name of that suck the moisture out of the air. I have three pretty big pellet-things in my case, which is over-kill, but, depending on where you are going, the humidity can be really bad, especially for your gear. The pellet-things cost $3-7 each, so they're not even expensive.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I've been to South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, most of which I have visited more than once. Malawi is the country I lived in. Unfortunately, I haven't been to Tanzania or Kenya, which are big safari destinations, but Tanz is next to Malawi, if that makes any difference : )

Message edited by author 2011-04-06 21:25:26.
04/06/2011 09:26:05 PM · #9
Don't go on safari without it
04/06/2011 09:35:23 PM · #10
Originally posted by David Ey:

Don't go on safari without it

ROFLMAO!!! :)
04/06/2011 09:39:03 PM · #11
Originally posted by geinafets:

... and those little pellet things that I can't think of the name of that suck the moisture out of the air. I have three pretty big pellet-things in my case, which is over-kill, but, depending on where you are going, the humidity can be really bad, especially for your gear. The pellet-things cost $3-7 each, so they're not even expensive.

I think those are silica gel crystals in those packets. You can often find them in medicine bottles ... I try to collect them when I remember ...
04/06/2011 09:46:20 PM · #12
Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by geinafets:

... and those little pellet things that I can't think of the name of that suck the moisture out of the air. I have three pretty big pellet-things in my case, which is over-kill, but, depending on where you are going, the humidity can be really bad, especially for your gear. The pellet-things cost $3-7 each, so they're not even expensive.

I think those are silica gel crystals in those packets. You can often find them in medicine bottles ... I try to collect them when I remember ...


They are called desiccant packs and many are made with silica gel...
04/06/2011 09:48:56 PM · #13
Yes! Desiccant packs! That's what I was trying to think of. And I do think mine have silica in them. Thanks guys : )
04/06/2011 09:50:20 PM · #14
Originally posted by geinafets:



As for other gear, I'd bring a polarizer and ND filter (as I mentioned above--and the polarizer is really necessary for the sky most of the time), a light-weight, sturdy tripod, and a small-to-medium reflector, if you have the room. Reflectors come in handy so often! Photographing people in the shade, photographing food, and even creating a bit of shade while you're photographing something else (don't laugh--you have no idea how often I did this). I also use my 5-in-1 reflector as a great soft box when I shoot people. I bring two flashes and flash cords (much cheaper than radio triggers and much more reliable in bright sun) so I can get that studio look even in the middle-of-nowhere outdoors.


i was actually wondering about a tripod. does anyone have a recommendation tripod suitable for travel?
04/06/2011 09:54:40 PM · #15
Originally posted by buffysnee:

African Safari - what should I take?


Me! Just sayin' :)
04/06/2011 10:06:37 PM · #16
I wish I could recommend a good travel tripod, but I have yet to find one that I think is worthy of being recommended. I have tried a variety (at least 6) of different carbon fiber tripods, but the feet (gosh, my English is really bad tonight, is that what you call the part that connects the camera to the tripod?) are always really terrible and the glue lasts about two seconds in African mid-day heat. The feet with the cork on them seem to be the worst, but the only tripod foot that I've found to last has been from a super heavy-duty Manfrotto tripod made for a 4x5 camera. So, yeah. Carbon fiber is the way to go due to weight, but I wouldn't expect it to last much longer than a couple weeks of daily use in super hot weather.

I just thought of something else. In my flashes, I use rechargeable batteries. Count on NOT being able to find good batteries there, so if you don't use rechargeable, bring way more than you think you'll need. Even though I use rechargeable, I still have four full sets for each flash, just in case something happens and I can't recharge at night (no electricity at the lodge, rolling blackouts, car trouble that prevents you from getting to where you originally intended to sleep, etc). If you are using rechargeable, know that a plug adapter will not be enough. AA/AAA(etc) chargers do not have built-in converters like most other electronics, so you will need a proper converter.
04/07/2011 12:10:31 AM · #17
Originally posted by geinafets:

...but the feet (gosh, my English is really bad tonight, is that what you call the part that connects the camera to the tripod?) are always really terrible and the glue lasts about two seconds in African mid-day heat. The feet with the cork on them seem to be the worst, but the only tripod foot that I've found to last has been from a super heavy-duty Manfrotto tripod made for a 4x5 camera. ...


I think you're talking about the mounting plate. It typically has a thin pad of rubber-like synthetic or cork between the plate and the camera, to keep the camera from getting scuffed.

R.
04/07/2011 12:39:29 AM · #18
Originally posted by buffysnee:

.....

Yoda - no, the 120-400 doesn't auto focus with the Teleconverter, but I used it in Alaska to get blurry pics of wolves at about .4 mi, so I know what it can and can't do. I'm not thrilled with it and the teleconverter, so I'm hoping your friend is right - if they're too far away, I don't need blurry pics of animals I can't identify!! :)

.....


Oh, I just can't let this stand, the distance you can reasonably expect to shoot sharp clear photos depends on a ton of factors, two of the most important are accurate focusing and atmospheric conditions, there are a load of great shots out there that have been taken at a distance of miles and are still quite sharp.

Here are two examples, the first at 4 miles (exactly!) the second at 13.5 miles, the difference is that the 4 mile shot was taken in Miami and it's humid thick atmosphere, the 13.5 mile shot was taken in Colorado, in the clear crisp air of the Rocky Mountains.

(the far towers are @ 4 miles exactly, the closer white building is about 3.4 miles, and the house & boat are about 3 miles away, the palm trees that are out of focus in the foreground are at .34 miles, and this is only a 400mm lens.)

(13.5 miles - 1:1 crop, the full shot is listed below the picture)

So, if conditions are not too bad, you can still get some pretty decent performance even at long distances, the biggest thing is to understand that longer lenses do more than just bring your subject closer, notice how the Miami supermoon shot compresses distance, there's a mile of distance from the boat to the towers, yet it looks like they are very close to one another. This is something that can be exploited to really compress landscapes, so that those distant mountains look big on the plains with the little animals in front for scale, that sort of thing... Don't rule out that long lens just yet, and don't think that you need the expensive f/2.8 glass to get good shots, just take your time, be careful to focus correctly (often this requires manual focusing especially at long distances..) and you can get some really great stuff out of a long lens, even if your subject is miles away.

Message edited by author 2011-04-07 01:00:15.
04/07/2011 02:47:34 AM · #19
I live in Africa. - Not in wild Kenya, but in Barberton, 80 Km from the Kruger National Park. Should be in there each weekend but because of life happening manage about 3 visits a year. To fotomann_forever and vawendy [and any other DPC'ers] I'll provide free board and lodging if you want to visit me, just get here.

It is most important to understand when you will be taking those fabulous shots. 90% of the time, it is from 5-8 in the morning, and 4-7 in the afternoon - golden light time.

Most animals do take up 1-2 meters of Depth-Of-Field and one regularly needs to use f/8 to get the whole subject sharp. Animals tend to move around as well.

Because of the above points: low light, moving subjects, middle f/stop, speed is your friend.

Bring your macro, there are bugs all over the place, keep you busy from 10-3.

Filters are a good idea, the light can be very harsh from 10-3.

Remember to let your equipment acclimatise, often you cannot dash out of the airconditioned car/chalet to take a quick snap of the elephant on your stoep, as the camera will fog over because of the humidity.

The rainy season is continuing on past it's normal period this year, so be prepared.

A beanbag works really well if you have your own vehicle.

A monopod is better for use on Safari vehicles, as you have a stable platform, but can swivel from side to side easily.

If you are in control of the shoot, [vehicle, people etc]:
1- get a shot in quick, to capture the happening.
2- move in closer, and to the better angle, slowly.
3- try to get the sun behind you.
4- wait on the ready, something is bound to happen, last for 3 seconds, and be over.

Post the results when you are back home.

Message edited by author 2011-04-07 02:58:04.
04/07/2011 04:14:41 AM · #20
A super long lens is not really suitable unless you are on open plains! In places like the kruger park (incidentally will be there 2nd week in August) The scrub and bush is going to obscure your vision anyway a fast 300, 400 or at the most 500 is all you will need and may I dare say not prime as you may have to zoom back quickly no time to grab the 2nd camera or change lenses. Take a macro for the often overlooked small five. Ant Lion, Buffalo Weaver, Elephant Shrew, Leopard Tortoise and Rhinoceros Beetle! And a wide angle for the sunsets.
04/07/2011 05:01:06 AM · #21
Originally posted by sulamk:

A super long lens is not really suitable unless you are on open plains! In places like the kruger park (incidentally will be there 2nd week in August) The scrub and bush is going to obscure your vision anyway a fast 300, 400 or at the most 500 is all you will need and may I dare say not prime as you may have to zoom back quickly no time to grab the 2nd camera or change lenses. Take a macro for the often overlooked small five. Ant Lion, Buffalo Weaver, Elephant Shrew, Leopard Tortoise and Rhinoceros Beetle! And a wide angle for the sunsets.

I would agree on the zoom over prime theory. A guy at my work was near Kruger a week or two back and came upon an elephant so close even his 150-500 Sigma was too much. He could only get half the head in!
I also agree with having a wide angel for landscapes, a mid range lens (macro is a bonus) and a long zoom.

On a side note - if anyone is passing through the Johannesburg area it might be cool to meet you some time. Shoot me PM if you will have time when you are here.
04/07/2011 09:51:30 AM · #22
When I went I took the 100-400 and the 17-40. The 100-400 was on the camera most of the time. If you take two bodies then you can have a wide to mid range on one and the long lens on the other. With all the dust your best not to change lenses anyway.
04/07/2011 10:27:14 AM · #23
Since home is less than 30mins from Kruger park, I can offer the following suggestion:

The park is still fairly green and lush, so you'll probably not get many shots of animals far away without the brush and trees interfering with the shot. The animals you see will probably be within a 200m boundary, and possibly as close as 5m if you're having a good day (see thumbnail below). So, a super long tele like a 500 is probably not going to be much good unless you're up on a hill looking down over the trees into a valley.

With Kruger, the animals move quickly....you get only a few seconds to get *that* shot. Very rarely do things stay still long enough to change lenses, so this is not a viable option for me. Either have 2 bodies with lenses that cover the range, or 1 body with a good general purpose lens.

TIP: a handy tip for stabilizing the long range lenses is to have a little bean bag that you can rest the lens on the window-sill or car door of the truck. Much better than hand-holding.

Lion taken about 2m away from my car. You cant appreciate the size of him in this image, his head would've fit in my car window quite easily.

Message edited by author 2011-04-07 10:30:48.
04/07/2011 10:59:23 AM · #24
Originally posted by gcoulson:

TIP: a handy tip for stabilizing the long range lenses is to have a little bean bag that you can rest the lens on the window-sill or car door of the truck. Much better than hand-holding.

If you're going to be shooting from a car window there are mounts which have the equivalent of a tripod head, which clamp to the window.
04/07/2011 11:01:46 AM · #25
Wow, this is a ton of great info!

I'm still not sure about the fast prime tele or my already-owned 120-400 slower lens.

We'll be in Kenya and Tanzania, at all of the various parks in a circle starting in Nairobi. There will be some non-safari village visits, so I think I'm covered for those.

I'm NOT a bug person, so, sorry all, I won't be bringing back pics of the "small five" - I just can't bring myself to point my camera at a bug on purpose! That's just me, I know there are some great shot possibilities if you're into that stuff. If one lands near my travel-buddies can expect screaming and flailing (just enough not to break my gear). :)

I'm liking the suggestion of monopod for the safari vehicles - originally I had though tripod, but perhaps if I have a gorilla pod and a mono pod I'll be ok - I don't have a tripod that's going to travel well in my gear restrictions.

I will have 2 bodies, and on a trip like this I do exactly as was suggested - wide angle on one and tele on the other to be prepared for anything, and not have to change in the dusty environment.

28 days to go - maybe I should practice-pack now!
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