Safari Equipment list + key deciding factors

[c.hammett]

(skip)

You also made a good coment about animals coming close at times. With
around 2 weeks in country I expect to get some close enough even at
200mm. But I still plan to rent 100-400 and use 1.4x on my 70-200
during bright day light hours.

You need wider than the 70-200. These shots were taken with my 24-105 L. I've also used my 17-40 L on safaris for w/a, but prefer the 24-105 as it bridges the gap between the longer zoom better.

I have posted these two shots before, but not sure if you've seen them (do pardon me if I'm duplicating for you here !). but here are a couple of examples of why you need w/a at times for the animals.

This shot was at 28 mm



These elephants were just as close as they look.... shot at 24 mm. They were maybe 10-15 feet from the back of the van. Note the dust !



This one of the lion and van was at 70 mm, but if you are in the van next to the lion, you see how you'd need w/a to get the shot.



carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'

 

[c.hammett]

Thanks Carolyn - I see you are using a 40D too so I will seriously
consider leaving this at home.

Hmmmm.... internal lodge shots.... hmmmm
--
Cheers!
Matthew
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwoodget
http://www.fluidpixel.com

Actuallly I was using a 10D with 24-105 L and a 20D with 70-300 DO IS on the shots last summer, as the 40D hadn't come out yet. I sold the 10D in September and bought the 40D, but kept the 20D for backup. I don't have a ff camera (except for film).

carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'

 

[Maryarena]

Don't know, if this has been mentioned as the thread is so long, but I took along a Vosonic external drive to backup all my photos. There are also other better brands, like Epson, but the Vosonic worked fine for me. Smaller than taking a notebook.

Have fun on your safari!

Gloria
--

'In this life we cannot do great things, but we can do small things with great love' Mother Theresa

 

[Luke Kukovica]

Thanks for the validation re 70-200 2.8 on Safari I just got the
lens yesterday and am in love. The 40d is also worthy of some serious
love.

I am not that happy with the 40D ..although I had it with me I did not use it much since I seem to have a problem getting in focus shots with it. sent it to canon once already and they did nothing for me. (the focus itself is fine but in the real world it does not perform ...at least mine doesn't) so I used my 20D exclusively.

my camera bag (backpack) weighs close to 15 kilos ..not something you want to hike with so I carry a smaller bag when shooting.

have fun

I think I'll take a Lenovo X61
power block/cable required for the later).

I'm mad on redundancy too. My main issue with CF is I want Extreme
III and 3x 80gig will be $300. Which would be minimum required.
--
Cheers!
Matthew
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwoodget
http://www.fluidpixel.com

 

[masak]

As I mentioned in a earlier post, I have been holding off putting my Africa shots on the web since I am planning a big slideshow/party this fall and wanted to keep the suprise factor. However several posters have wanted to see shots from Zanzibar in making gear and travel decisions. It occured to me that while my friends here surf through my site now and then, they don't visit this forum.

So I put them up password protected. If you are interested open the Misc folder on the home page and you will see 2 galleries. The password for each is the gallery name. They may be case sensitive, I don't know. I can not access it from my office computer, which is a good thing.

All were shot with a 20d or 30d. Alll the Stonetown shots are with the 17-85. I took the 70-300 with street shots in mind, because it is black. But the street are very narrow and it was too long for most of what I wanted to do. The Matemwe shots are with the 100-400, 17-85 and a very few with the 10-22.

Keep in mind that there is a cultural sensitivity to taking people shots. Some times it is genuine, some times they want a little money. They think you are pro and going to make money so they should too. I asked for close shots and generally got permission. Sometimes I was pleasantly waived off and I respected that. Some long shots I just took unnoticed. Also, I took some on the street blind by holding the cam mid chest and guessing. Some of those turned out pretty good.

Another approach I used with kids was to give them pens or pencils. Remember that most of these wonderfull people have basically nothing. The beach resort discouraged giving the kids money because eventually the wrong element will be attracted. Pens are preffered over pencils, which one 5 year old told us were for" little kids". We were told that the retractable kind are preffered, but the young teenage girls liked the marker type we had and went off writting on themselves ,just like here. We also used pens as barter with adults and sometimes simply gave them to kids. We had a bunch left over at the end and left them for the local school. Anyway, that is why you will see pens and pencils in some of the shots.

--
http://mitchseaver.zenfolio.com/

 

[bronxbombers]

I'll look forward to your pictures. Zanzibar is a 2 day optional
extension at the end of
a Tanzania trip.

i'd go for it.
no sure if you ever saw my photos from before (i haven't gotten to
add more or finish zanzibar yet though)
beautiful beaches and great monkeys at jozanzi forest.

Yes I did see your pictures (wonderful!) , and we do plan to "go for
it". Wish it were
this summer rather than summer '09. The way things are going with
the airlines, who knows if any of us will go anywhere !

carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'

do you have tickets yet?

i wonder what flights will cost, they were crazy enough when we went in december.

many airlines have stopped giving meals on LA-NY, I wonder if they will soon stop on NY to europe. better savior that sunflower seed. it's an eight hour flight.

or moreso I wonder what they will cost in 30 years....
maybe we shoulda used less in SUVs and saved more for planes....

anyway, however you get there, as you already know, it's fabulous over there and you'll have a great time.

 

[Pixelpower]

Hi Matthew,

Just came across your thread now. Do not have time to read all replies, so most of what I write may have already been said.

First up; I organise safari trips myself. That actually does not matter here, but I just mention it because what I'm about to write is what I advise my customers too.

All right... here goes.

Let's start with the gorillas; the Virungas are not exactly what one would consider "African climate". It rains a lot there, or there's thick fog. It's not that hot either, unless the sun comes out. And there's always about 100% humidity. So the first thing you need is a weather proof bag, like a LowePro AW series. But if you have that, getting your gear safely to the gorillas will not be a problem. Well, at least not if you are in good condition, lol.

A bit more difficult will be; getting the shots. Unless you get one of those rare occasions of photographing them in the sun (gorillas love to bask in the sun), there's not gonna be a lot of light. On top of that, sometimes you cannot get really close to them. Guides (rightfully) ask people to keep their distance to not invade the gorillas privacy. IMHO, that 70-200 F2.8 IS is the best possible lens to photograph them; not too heavy, a decent zoom range, IS (!) and F2.8. If I were you, I'd leave that 100-400 etc in camp. It will just add weight to your backpack. Make sure to crank up your ISO, even to 800 if needed.

The right body; well, at least one with a crop factor. So no 5D or 1Ds series. Personally, I prefer a 1D series as it is weatherproof. The 20D/30D/40D series has the annoying "feature" of stopping to work while in a damp environment (only to start working again when it get drier). But the 10D is an exception; that one just keeps on going.

I need to go now, but will give some more info later...

Ciao,

J.

--
Ciao,

J.

 

[Pixelpower]

Right... forgot to mention some stuff regarding the gorillas:

• leave tripod/monopod in camp; the surface in the forest is fully overgrown, very muddy, etc... no way you can put your pod anywhere safe/decent.

• also; do not only protect your camera; protect yourself as well. Lotsa nettles etc... so wear long trousers and good hiking boots. Don't forget; if you fall, your gear falls as well.

About the Tanzanian parks then:

• parks like Tarangire/Manyara are below the rift, NCA/Serengeti is higher up (above the rift), and according to season the weather may be quite different, so check before you leave to get an idea of what weather to expect. One thing that is always true; on the crater rim, it can be quite cold at night and in the morning. If you go out early (which I would strongly advise to avoid queues at the gate, and because the animals are most active then), bring some fingerless gauntlets (sp?) to warm your hands. Certainly if you intend to stay high on the rim (where the lone elephant bulls mostly are).

• The 100-400mm is a bit soft at extrame tele. Try to stay away a bit from 400mm, and certainly do not use the lens at its extreme apertures (eg 5.6 at full tele); while it may give you a good bokeh, it will add to the softness. There's light enough so put it on F6.3, F7.1 or F8. And if that is too much to get enough bokeh, then reposition and try to keep nearby objects away from your subject.

• Dust; I think it's a bit exaggerated. You just have to be smart enough not to switch lenses where there's a lot of wind and a dry surface. So do it only when the jeep is stopped, when seated, and keep it to a minimum. It's of course always better to have two decent bodies with your most used lenses, instead of just one body and then switch all the time.

• I know a lot here will not disagree, but what is also very VERY useful is a superzoom lens. You cannot believe the amount of shots I am able to take while others are switching lenses because the animal is too far or near. They miss a lot of oportunities. And a superzoom does not need to be expensive. For instance, there's the Sigma 50-500 (alas, a slow focus), and the 35-350L (a real gem, certainly at today's second hand prices).

• Monopod/tripod; there's not enough space for a tripod in the jeep, so I personally opt for a monopod with speed-grip ballhead. I admit though that I rarely use it in the jeep itself. In a jeep I prefer a couple of beanbags. If you want the best ones, get them from Kinesis (kinesisgear.com I believe). I know Andy Biggs uses the same type. Other small tip; I have one of those monopods with a small tripod inside. Usefull for in camp shots (of course, not for heavy tele lenses and not when there's wind).

• Educate your driver/guide if needed. You may learn a lot from him (on wildlife), but he can certainly learn a lot about photography from you. You cannot believe the amount of drivers I see that position themselves direcly into the sun. For example, it is of hardly any use to go to the hippo pool west of Seronera in the afternoon.

• Please, PLEASE never push your driver to do thing against park regulations. They will often do as you say, in fear of losing their tip. But it's not good for wildilife. So keep your distance from newborns (be it grazers, cubs, or chicks), and never get inbetween hunter and their prey. And if you see other drivers do it; talk to them about it (AND to his customers).

--
Ciao,

J.

 

[c.hammett]

What great responses ! I've done 4 safaris, (but no gorillas), and you hit the best points. Two cameras are essential, each with lens (one w/a zoom and one with long zoom) to eliminate changing lenses, not only when there is dust, but when the action is fast, you don't want to be fiddling with lens changing.

And the kinesisgear.com bean bags J. mentioned are the very best and well worth the $$. Kinesisgear.com calls them "safari sacs".

http://kgear.com/r/

The bean bags in the vans are pretty dusty and dirty, and I for one don't want my camera near them. I stuff my kinesisgear safari sac with wadded up plastic dry cleaner's bags. It takes about 6, and they pack flat for transit, weigh nothing and fluff up inside the bean bag like a pillow for shooting. Trash them when you leave. No hunting for beans or rice to fill the bags after you get to Africa, or using your valuable weight allowance for them.

One other thing that I've found useful was to take several large plastic garbage bags to put your whole camera bag into if it really gets dusty. Like J said, dust is sometimes overrated, but when it is dusty, it is REALLY dusty. Here is an example from Masai Mara which I think can be one of the dustier places I've been.



carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'

 

[Pixelpower]

Forgot to mention something else but also very important; books!

Before you go, please read Dian Fossey's "Gorillas in the mist" (if you have not already done so). You will get an idea of what Virunga is, of how "sacred" it is to the eco-commnity, and why it is so important to keep it the way it is.

Another great book is "Dangerous Beauty" by Mark C. Ross. But be warned; it contains some chapters on what happened to him (and some of his customers) when he was attacked by Congolese rebels in Virunga. Please don't get scared; this will not happen to you! Things have changed a lot since then. But the reason why you should read the book is because it will show you how delicate the balance is. In Virunga, and by extend; the whole of Africa. Apart from the Rwanda-chapters it contains some great Serengeti/Mara chapters as well.

And some other books to take along with you:

• The Safari Companion by Richard D. Estes. This one is an absolute must have. Don't leave home without it, or I will personally swim over the big pond and come kick your a$$ in person. ;-)
• Personally I always add a birds guide to the Estes Guide. The best one IMHO is "birds of Kenia and Northern Tanzania" by Dale A Zimmerman.

Show us some pics when you're back, OK? This forum can use a bit of variety. Shots of kids, dogs and cats get boring sometimes

--
Ciao,

J.

 

[Christoph Stephan]

I am not that happy with the 40D ..although I had it with me I did
not use it much since I seem to have a problem getting in focus shots
with it. sent it to canon once already and they did nothing for me.
(the focus itself is fine but in the real world it does not perform
...at least mine doesn't) so I used my 20D exclusively.

There must be something wrong, I d not experience this problem with mine (I rather appreciate the spotlessness of skies as compared to my 20D - thanks to the dust buster!) . Do you have access to another service centre or is it possible for you to get it exchanged?
--
Chris

 

[c.hammett]

Forgot to mention something else but also very important; books!

Before you go, please read Dian Fossey's "Gorillas in the mist" (if
you have not already done so). You will get an idea of what Virunga
is, of how "sacred" it is to the eco-commnity, and why it is so
important to keep it the way it is.

Another great book is "Dangerous Beauty" by Mark C. Ross. But be
warned; it contains some chapters on what happened to him (and some
of his customers) when he was attacked by Congolese rebels in
Virunga. Please don't get scared; this will not happen to you! Things
have changed a lot since then. But the reason why you should read the
book is because it will show you how delicate the balance is. In
Virunga, and by extend; the whole of Africa. Apart from the
Rwanda-chapters it contains some great Serengeti/Mara chapters as
well.

And some other books to take along with you:

• The Safari Companion by Richard D. Estes. This one is an absolute

must have. Don't leave home without it, or I will personally swim
over the big pond and come kick your a$$ in person. ;-)

• Personally I always add a birds guide to the Estes Guide. The best

one IMHO is "birds of Kenia and Northern Tanzania" by Dale A
Zimmerman.

Kensta Books in Nairobi publishes two excellent books that you can buy in most safari lodge gift shops... "Jonathan Scott's Safari Guide to East African Animals" and "Jonathan Scott's Safari Guide to East African Birds". Both are excellent with Scott's magnificent photographs shot with Canon equipment. The first few pages of each book are dedicated to wildlife photography with a lot of good suggestions from Scott. Then each book has full pictures and descriptions of animals and their lifestyle and habitat. I highly recommend these in addition to the ones J. mentioned above.

Show us some pics when you're back, OK? This forum can use a bit of
variety. Shots of kids, dogs and cats get boring sometimes

--
Ciao,

J.

carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'

 

[c.hammett]

I'll look forward to your pictures. Zanzibar is a 2 day optional
extension at the end of
a Tanzania trip.

i'd go for it.
no sure if you ever saw my photos from before (i haven't gotten to
add more or finish zanzibar yet though)
beautiful beaches and great monkeys at jozanzi forest.

Yes I did see your pictures (wonderful!) , and we do plan to "go for
it". Wish it were
this summer rather than summer '09. The way things are going with
the airlines, who knows if any of us will go anywhere !

carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'

do you have tickets yet?

Oh no... we have definite dates, lodges, etc. from the ground agent, but no prices on any of the trip yet and probably not till fall. Airlines generally don't accept reservations till 331 days out, and it is not that point yet.

i wonder what flights will cost, they were crazy enough when we went
in december.

At the rate they are going they will probably start charging per camera lens as well as per bag. They really should start charging for really fat people as well as fat bags !

many airlines have stopped giving meals on LA-NY, I wonder if they
will soon stop on NY to europe. better savior that sunflower seed.
it's an eight hour flight.

We have two 10 hour flights when we go to Kenya - about 10 hours from DFW to London and a long layover (we get a day room at the airport Hilton) and then 10 more hours to Nairobi. S. Africa was worse... it was over 18 hours to JoBurg from Atlanta, and about 22 hours coming home thru Atlanta, and neither of those included the DFW - Atlanta leg . S. Africa was non-stop except for refueling in Cape Verde where we were not allowed off the plane.

or moreso I wonder what they will cost in 30 years....
maybe we shoulda used less in SUVs and saved more for planes....

Right..... but I like my SUV. I like being as big as everyone else on the streets to have a fighting chance with the bad drivers !

anyway, however you get there, as you already know, it's fabulous
over there and you'll have a great time.

Of all my travels, East Africa is my favorite "non art" related trip for sure !

carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'

 

[F1 Forever]

I'm headed to South Africa in February. So, if you had your choice would you take your 300mm F/4 L or your Sigma 50-500mm F5.6-8. I've got a 1.4X and 2.0X for each to go on my 20D but I can't afford the weight of both the prime and the zoom.

--
****
http://www.pbase.com/f1forever
'Believe those searching for truth. Doubt those who have found it.

 

[bronxbombers]

We have two 10 hour flights when we go to Kenya - about 10 hours from
DFW to London and a long layover (we get a day room at the airport
Hilton) and then 10 more hours to Nairobi.

yeah a stop over is nice.
we took a night in amsterdam (should've taken two probably).

or moreso I wonder what they will cost in 30 years....
maybe we shoulda used less in SUVs and saved more for planes....

Right..... but I like my SUV. I like being as big as everyone else
on the streets to have a fighting chance with the bad drivers !

although if everyone had regular cars....

anyway, yeah, i'm not for getting a little itty bitty thing either, don't feel good with all the giants around you. A reasonably large and reasonably efficient car or small suv like a subaru forester.

anyway, however you get there, as you already know, it's fabulous
over there and you'll have a great time.

Of all my travels, East Africa is my favorite "non art" related trip
for sure !

yeah, it's fabulous.

 

[c.hammett]

I'm headed to South Africa in February. So, if you had your choice
would you take your 300mm F/4 L or your Sigma 50-500mm F5.6-8. I've
got a 1.4X and 2.0X for each to go on my 20D but I can't afford the
weight of both the prime and the zoom.

--
****
http://www.pbase.com/f1forever
'Believe those searching for truth. Doubt those who have found it.

I don't know if this question is directed to me or someone else. When we went to S. Africa / Botswana/Zimbabwe, I took a 70-300 DO IS on one camera and a 17-40 L on the other. It worked great. Check my galleries for S. Africa here to see how that worked:

http://www.pbase.com/chammett/south_africa_botswana_zimbabwe

carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'

 

[F1 Forever]

Thanks for the reply. It appears you had a good trip! I hope mine is as fruitful.

I suspect I'll end up taking my 17-35L, and my 50-500 and add my old trusty 50 f1.4 just for grins! If I get lucky with the weight I'll take my sigma 24-105.

--
****
http://www.pbase.com/f1forever
'Believe those searching for truth. Doubt those who have found it.

 

[Pixelpower]

An easy answer; leave the 50-500 at home. Focus is way too slow compared with that prime. Go for the 300mm with a 1.4x TC!

--
Ciao,

J.

 

[c.hammett]

We have two 10 hour flights when we go to Kenya - about 10 hours from
DFW to London and a long layover (we get a day room at the airport
Hilton) and then 10 more hours to Nairobi.

yeah a stop over is nice.
we took a night in amsterdam (should've taken two probably).

We thought about a "real" stopover, but decided to go on through like we always have en route to Nairobi. I hope to never seen UK airports again though. The UK security carryon restrictions last summer made it tough to get camera gear there along with a change of clothes, Rx, and any other essentials in the ONE item allowed. Took a lot of thinking ahead.

or moreso I wonder what they will cost in 30 years....
maybe we shoulda used less in SUVs and saved more for planes....

Right..... but I like my SUV. I like being as big as everyone else
on the streets to have a fighting chance with the bad drivers !

although if everyone had regular cars....

quite true... but there are the pickups (at least where I live) that will always be the worst drivers out there......

anyway, yeah, i'm not for getting a little itty bitty thing either,
don't feel good with all the giants around you. A reasonably large
and reasonably efficient car or small suv like a subaru forester.

With anything smaller than a good sized SUV where I live, you cannot see around an adjacent BIG SUV or pickup next to you at an intersection, and it can be very dangerous in heavy traffic as well. When everyone else downsizes, I will too. Meanwhile, I won't whine when I fill the tank. I'll just think "safety" !

anyway, however you get there, as you already know, it's fabulous
over there and you'll have a great time.

Of all my travels, East Africa is my favorite "non art" related trip
for sure !

yeah, it's fabulous.

There is something very difficult to explain to someone who hasn't been there, about seeing the animals in their natural habitat. An experience we had last summer watching the reunion of a lost lioness with her pride was very enlightening in seeing absolute love and joy that can be expressed in the animal world. I must have take 200 shots of that. reunion...... about 10 lionesses all together, falling all over the "prodigal daughter" and licking and loving on her. It was priceless !

carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'

 

[mattwoodget]

I just returned to this thread after some time - thank you very much for your insight.

Good call on the Lowepro bags - I'm hunting for one now. Considering the Vertex 200 and the Computrekker, as I will be taking a laptop.
--
Cheers!
Matthew
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwoodget
http://www.fluidpixel.com