African Safari advice

OK, I am committed to an 11 day African safari, December 2-13. So I have lots of time to plan my equipment. Starting kit for me includes:

Oly EM-5
Oly 12-50
Oly mFT 9-18
Zuiko 135 mm f2.8
Oly 14-150 (maybe)
Lots of batteries
Oly Tough series 8000 for my pocket

I feel weak on the long end, wish there was a weather and dust sealed option at reasonable cost.

Suggestions? What am I forgetting? I'm sure there's a lot.

Oly 75-300 or Pany 100-300. With the new IBIS of the E-M5 you probably don't need the OIS of the Pany, but the price is still a lot cheaper for the Pany. You may want the weight savings of the Oly though.

One thing, you may want to get an E-PL1/E-PM1 or something similar to have one of the shorter lenses on so you don't have to keep swapping lenses out in the dusty conditions and missing shots.

Hans Gruber said:

Suggestions? What am I forgetting? I'm sure there's a lot.

Click to expand...

No thoughts at all on the Panasonic 100-300?

As close as I'll get to a safari may be looking at pictures, but lots of good photography has been done there with the 100-300.

I have an E-PL1 I will probably bring as a second body, forgot to mention that.

It seems like the Panasonic 100-300mm lens would be ideal, maybe even the Rokinon 500mm f6.3 lens if you don't mind MF.

Your E-M5 and kit lens should be weatherproof. The Olympus 4 3rds lens 50-200 mm f2.8-3.5 is weatherproof and version II AF is quick on m4 3rds I have heard though never tried it personally.

Would love to pick up a used 50-200, but there are some pretty severe weight restrictions on what I can bring with me, so size and weight matter. Not ruling it out though.

Hans Gruber said:

OK, I am committed to an 11 day African safari, December 2-13. So I have lots of time to plan my equipment. Starting kit for me includes:

Oly EM-5
Oly 12-50
Oly mFT 9-18
Zuiko 135 mm f2.8
Oly 14-150 (maybe)
Lots of batteries
Oly Tough series 8000 for my pocket

I feel weak on the long end, wish there was a weather and dust sealed option at reasonable cost.

Suggestions? What am I forgetting? I'm sure there's a lot.

Click to expand...

I do not know what you mean by safari, but in Kruger (South Africa) for example, you are only allowed outside of the vehicle in designated areas. That means that the long tele is your most important lens. If you truly are on safari all the time, then I do not know when you would use most of the lenses listed.

When my wife and I were in South Africa last August, we had two GH2 bodies, mine with the 100-300 on almost constantly, hers with the 14-140 on equally constantly. (the 14-42 might have come up from the bag once in 2 weeks!). With two bodies, put the 100-300 on the one with EVF, and say the 12-50 on the other, and let that be what you bring out. Leave the 100-300 on, you do not want the be missing the lens the 5 seconds the leopard shows in the entire trip.

Of course, if you combine with a week in a city, then you can use all the other lenses there .

Niels

Helpful thanks. I need the wide zoom for landscapes, cities/villages, et al. It's not all about animals to me. No doubt the 100-300 (or similar) will be critical, very worried about dust, however.

I did a trip to the Masai Mara last month and did not really use anything but the 100-300mm on my GX1. Many of the shots were at the long end. If you are going to the Mara you will regret not having 300mm focal length. My two cents...

Dust is a real concern in the dry season with Landrovers churning up the dirt. I did not change lenses on the game drives. One recommendation I read was to bring a pillow case to change lenses in.

My thread is here:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1041&message=40524858
Gallery here:
http://amphigory.smugmug.com/Animals/Masai-Mara/
None are cropped.

--
Cheers,
Edward
http://amphigory.smugmug.com/

Where are you going? With regard to weight limits are you talking about the puddle jumper flight to the camps? 15kg per person?

Hans Gruber said:

Would love to pick up a used 50-200, but there are some pretty severe weight restrictions on what I can bring with me, so size and weight matter. Not ruling it out though.

Click to expand...

--
Cheers,
Edward
http://amphigory.smugmug.com/

Hans Gruber said:

Helpful thanks. I need the wide zoom for landscapes, cities/villages, et al. It's not all about animals to me. No doubt the 100-300 (or similar) will be critical, very worried about dust, however.

Click to expand...

I would say drop the 14-150 and possibly the 135

The 14-150 is already covered by other lenses and the 135 is not really long enough for game and is too long for villages and people IMHO, anyway during the day the African light is strong so the F2.8 will not be too great a benefit and at night, 2.8 may not be large enough.

What you are missing is a low light lens, ie a F1.4 or 1.7 lens. A 20 or 25mm Panny prime for twilight and anything that comes along in the evening would probably do the trick.

Also wondering if a lightweight tripod and flash are good ideas. In the rural areas there is usually very little artificial light at night.

I think the biggest source of dust is driving in convoy along sand roads so a good camera bag is probably the best defense perhaps one with an added rainproof cover which would work against dust as well, I think in normal weather its not too big a problem so I reckon you will be fine but a little hand squeezed sensor and lens blower/duster will probably be a good idea.
--
S100, S6500, S5, F300, F200, F70, F11, F31 (deceased), Z5, V10, D40, EX1

Again, I forgot that, of course, the tripod, which I intend to bring. Recommendations along these lines appreciated as well. I like a wide-tele zoom for towns, villages, environments outside of the bush, where I am not sure what I am going to find. I am going to bring the 135 just because I like it. It's very small anyway. Looks like a 100-300 or similar for sure, maybe Oly will treat me with a weather-sealed one before December.

Hans Gruber said:

OK, I am committed to an 11 day African safari, December 2-13. So I have lots of time to plan my equipment. Starting kit for me includes:

Oly EM-5
Oly 12-50
Oly mFT 9-18
Zuiko 135 mm f2.8
Oly 14-150 (maybe)
Lots of batteries
Oly Tough series 8000 for my pocket

I feel weak on the long end, wish there was a weather and dust sealed option at reasonable cost.

Suggestions? What am I forgetting? I'm sure there's a lot.

Click to expand...

I been to Kruger Park but this was before my MFT days. I used a panasonic super zoom and i can tell you from my experience you are going at it all wrong. Anything can happen and you need to be ready to take the shot.

• DO NOT change lenses while on Safari due to the dust. Instead you will need multiple bodies equiped with 100-300mm and a short to mid zoom.

• The rest areas has tame birds and great for close up shots.

• I stayed outside the Kruger park in a breeding area and had a chance to get up close to the smaller animals like frogs, giant butterflies and bats. I don't think you will need a Macro lens because most of fairly big.

• Wide lens is a must

If I am going back there i would take

G3 + 100-300
GF2 + 45-200
or
Buy GX1 and used 45-200
GF2 + 14mm

25mm for close up in the rest areas.

If it was me, I'd take the 100-300 and leave it permanently attached to the EM5, and consider a fast standard prime (either the 20/1.7 or 25/1.4) for the PEN. Pack the 9-18 just in case but I bet you'll hardly use it. You might also consider either the Zuiko 14-54ii for a fast standard zoom, or wait to see whether the new Lumix X35-100/2.8 is affordable.
--
http://x10-user.blogspot.com/
http://jonschick.smugmug.com/

Lumious Landscape has an article and the guy used a gh2 a 100-300 and I can't remember what his other choices were. He is a ff shooter but was satisfied with his experience iirc....

Bill

--
Bill Wallace

http://bwallace.zenfolio.com/

"I'd rather laugh with the Sinners than cry with the Saints"

Hans Gruber said:

Oly EM-5
Oly 12-50
Oly mFT 9-18
Zuiko 135 mm f2.8
Oly 14-150 (maybe)
Lots of batteries
Oly Tough series 8000 for my pocket

Suggestions? What am I forgetting? I'm sure there's a lot.

Click to expand...

The 135mm will be probably the most useless lens. Way too short for wildlife, way too long for people. The 9-18 should take care of landscapes and people, and get one of the 300 zooms for the wildlife, and get some sort of a portrait lens.

I would recommend the Panasonic over Olympus, because it's a faster lens, and you are already at a disadvantage with the noisier E-M5 sensor. Fast shutter speed is going to be more important than image stabilization of any kind, because no IS is good enough to keep the furs and feathers sharp. It's better to have higher and noisier ISO with fast shutter speed, than blurry whiskers.

I would throw in the 45 mm for people portraits. I did not take a portrait option on a trip to the Amazon and Andes, and regretted it.

I would suggest a monopod plus a mini-tripod or a beanie bag over a full sized tripod - setting up the tripod takes too much time.

Finally, Terry Banet ( http://www.dpreview.com/members/3158224999 ) from this forum recently went on a Safari with two µ4/3 cameras, and I am sure she can give a very specific advice http://2guysphoto.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/terry-banet-safari-photographer/

Vlad

I am going on my sixth safari in Sept though all previous trips were in film days (1969 - 1986). So from a full frame perspective I used a fast 70-200 a good deal. On a couple trips I had a 400 though at f5.6 max it was a bit slow early and late in the day. My experience has been typically heading out to view game from just after dawn until mid-morning and then from late afternoon until dusk. As such faster lenses are best. I had a tripod and a mirror 500 f/8 in '78 and have to say getting out to shoot lions with that set up was thrilling (not going to happen in todays world). Bean bags are a good thing though you have to keep asking your guide to shut off the motor.

I just posted an album (on dpreview) of photos of AC45's racing in San Diego and practicing on San Francisco bay taken with a 14-140 and found that even with strong light I was wishing for a faster lens. That said I was totally happy with the AF speed of the GX1.

I could not agree more about all the comments regarding dust. With Nikon F and film I was careful but it was not critical. M4/3 cameras have big exposed sensors and not even a mirror to cover them are a whole new challenge. Keeping batteries charged could also be an issue that I will have to take up with organizers during camping locations (though these days they must have it wired). I think keeping a long zoom on one body and a wide to medium zoom on another would be a good way to go. I am thinking of two very different approaches:

GX1/EVF2 mounted with 14-140
(buy) new G or GH body or E-M5 with Oly 50-200
Plus 20/f1.7

• or -

Canon 5D mkiii
70-300 f/4-5.6L (on most of the time)
24-105 f/4L
--
George J

http://picasaweb.google.com/gfjewett

GeorgeFJ said:

I just posted an album (on dpreview) of photos of AC45's racing in San Diego and practicing on San Francisco bay taken with a 14-140 and found that even with strong light I was wishing for a faster lens.

Click to expand...

I would like to comment that your shots were taken at ISO 200, whereas you could easily have raised ISO up to 800 on your GX1 without a noticeable hit on the IQ. The Oly is not going to be as good at ISO 800, but still quite good.

Vlad

Tripod.
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M9/50Cron/28Cron/50 Noctilux 0.95
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28346880@N05/