African Safari pics, add your own!

[Bob657]

This discussion has been an eye opener for me, and apologies for crashing this thread with only a 1 inch sensor. We did our first safari in July and then only for a few days. Now I see what really skilled photographers can do, I think I would have been much better off with either an m4/3 (probably OM10) or something like a FZ1000, both of which I considered before opting for the ZS100 (on the grounds of weight and portability).

Anyway, looking at these photos, especially yours Bob, I can see a few clear lessons.

1. There is no substitute for good glass. The shots from your 300mm lens are absolutely stunning!

Thanks for the comments!

2. You need a lot of patience and and a large amount of luck with animals. I am guessing also that you didnt just shoot these in a couple of days but were on safari for at least a week.

I was on safari about a week, my usual routine though is 10 days to two weeks on safari. This time we also went gorilla trekking.

3. "Framing" the shot is hard on a tiny EVF. In fact, I probably spent more time looking at animals through my binoculars, than via the camera.

True, but an important part of safaris is to enjoy the experience and not just take pictures!

4. Even with good equipment, skill and experience will have a huge effect. Seeing your photos, I can see I still have a lot to learn.

Thanks, improving is part of the fun for me - I have a ways to go still! Fwiw, this was my fifth safari and I take pics of birds daily at home, so there were thousands of bad shots in the trash before these.

For me, the interest of the African experience was the vast scale of the landscape as much as the excitement of seeing individual animals. I just couldn't capture that!

And you may never be able to!

Sigh!

Since you're in the UK you're much closer to Africa than I am in California, Ithink you'll be going back soon.

--
Bob G
Visit my website at:
http://bobgreenberg9918.zenfolio.com

 

[vallecano]

Hi Bob:



Nice work. I have not been back to Africa since I changed from Pentax to 4/3 so I have to add a few from my Pentax days. Thanks for starting this thread.

 

[srvdp1]

This discussion has been an eye opener for me, and apologies for crashing this thread with only a 1 inch sensor. We did our first safari in July and then only for a few days. Now I see what really skilled photographers can do, I think I would have been much better off with either an m4/3 (probably OM10) or something like a FZ1000, both of which I considered before opting for the ZS100 (on the grounds of weight and portability).

Anyway, looking at these photos, especially yours Bob, I can see a few clear lessons.

1. There is no substitute for good glass. The shots from your 300mm lens are absolutely stunning!

2. You need a lot of patience and and a large amount of luck with animals. I am guessing also that you didnt just shoot these in a couple of days but were on safari for at least a week.

3. "Framing" the shot is hard on a tiny EVF. In fact, I probably spent more time looking at animals through my binoculars, than via the camera.

4. Even with good equipment, skill and experience will have a huge effect. Seeing your photos, I can see I still have a lot to learn.

For me, the interest of the African experience was the vast scale of the landscape as much as the excitement of seeing individual animals. I just couldn't capture that!

Sigh!

All true. A few months ago my cameras consisted of a Canon 1DX and Olympus EM5. I had all of the usual questions/concerns regarding image quality vs. weight vs. cost since I decided I'd get a second body and additional glass. Relative to the cost of the trip, some extra expense was "justified" in my book--although I did not need any arm twisting to buy more camera stuff. In the end, I thought that two 4/3rds bodies with 4 lenses would give me great flexibility, a backup in case of camera failure, and the ability to avoid lens changes out in the bush. Plus it would stay under the weight restrictions of the airline in Africa.

For me, I enjoy photography so I don't mind spending money and carrying more weight (both to a point of course) to have better pictures. The ZS100 is a great camera, very compact, and has a nice zoom range. In fact I just bought one for my mother-in-law after the safari, knowing that she wouldn't need that much zoom and would be able to take it on her trips/hikes very easily (compared to say the FZ1000). So if you do another safari or trip where more reach is needed, then obviously you can look at adding a superzoom. But for now, I'm guessing that the ZS100 will be more than adequate for travel and everyday photography.

 

[Bob657]

Really nice shots, as we know it's the photographer much more than the gear that makes everything work! Fwiw Pentax is great gear of course.

Bob G
Visit my website at:

Zenfolio | Bob Greenberg Photography

Welcome to my website! My passion is to highlight nature in its beauty and strength, both locally and during my travels. I hope you enjoy seeing the world through my eyes!. Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoy seeing my work!

bobgreenberg9918.zenfolio.com

 

[Lawrence W]

Thanks Bob,

It is just the two of us, me and my son on a private tour of Lamai Serengeti, Kigelia Ruaha and Sands River Selous, 4 nights each, all in Tanzania.

Which lens should be mounted on the G7 and the EM-1 as I go for the game drive still puzzles me. 12-40/f2.8 and 35-100/f2.8 in the early morning and evening game drive, 14-140 on my walking safari with only 1 camera, 100-400, and 14-140 broad daylight?

4 days to go!

Lawrence, changing lenses depends where you are as some places are dustier than others. It also depends on how many people are in the vehicle if you have room. Where are you going? Which camps?

--
Bob G
Visit my website at:
http://bobgreenberg9918.zenfolio.com

 

[Lawrence W]

Love your photos very much.

What lens is appropriate to shoot the river crossing?

That's quite something, five weeks a year! We've been five times, this trip was to the Masai Mara (we saw a big river crossing) and trekking in Rwanda for gorillas and golden monkeys.

We've been to Tanzania, Botswana and Kenya several times, also to Zambia and South Africa. It really is addictive!

Bob G
Visit my website at:
http://bobgreenberg9918.zenfolio.com

 

[Bob657]

Thanks Bob,

It is just the two of us, me and my son on a private tour of Lamai Serengeti, Kigelia Ruaha and Sands River Selous, 4 nights each, all in Tanzania.

Sounds great, I haven't been to Southern Tanzania but understand it's really something.

4 days to go!

Have a great time!

Bob657, post: 58280202, member: 909557"]
Lawrence, changing lenses depends where you are as some places are dustier than others. It also depends on how many people are in the vehicle if you have room. Where are you going? Which camps?

 

[Bob657]

For the river crossing it depends on what you want to show, I used a 35-100 for a wider view. Seeing a crossing is quite rare btw. Last year we waited 3 days by the river before one happened, the animals would come right to the edge then stop and go other directions! Last month we were lucky to see it in one sitting, we were at Serian Nkorombo Camp in the Masai Mara so the other side of the river from where you'll be. Fyi, there is a website www.herdtracker.com that shows where the herds are in real time.

--
Bob G
Visit my website at:
http://bobgreenberg9918.zenfolio.com

 

[Lawrence W]

Yes, the 100-400 will be always on one camera. Just want to try it out if EM-1 or G7 works better. For stills, I would prefer EM-1, for for its 4K video, G7.

Heard so many people advised against changing lenses, especially on a mirrorless camera.

What is your advice?

Is there much use for the tiny 9-18 for a Tanzania trip?

 

[Bob657]

I agree about lens changes on any camera, but if you're careful it can be ok. As far as the 9-18, it depends on what you want to shoot, in the Serengetti there are vast open areas although the most Northern section is more rolling hills. I don't knowabout the southern area.

 

[Aasmund G]

Wow, these are truly spectacular. I seem to recognise a couple of spots in Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara (I might have photographed the same buffalo ) and Serengeti!

 

[Lawrence W]

I decided to leave the 12-40/f2.8 behind, taking a super lightweight 20/f1.7 to shoot in the camp. The 15 kg limit hurts.

Leaving Hong Kong for Tanzania tonight. Looking forward to my safari..... who knows, may be I get addicted. For similar reason, I went to Alaska 3 times, the bears, bald eagles, and fishing just grow on me!

Thank you all for giving me impervious advice.

 

[Bob657]

Have a great trip!

 

[Adgadg]

I just returned from a trip to Kenya, Uganda and R'wanda. We only had 2 days of safari in Masai Mara and Murchison but we saw an incredible amount of wildlife.

Most of the time I used the 100-400 on the Gx80, sometimes I switched to the 7-14 or 25mm 1.4 on the g7 for landscapes. I preffered the 35-100 f2.8 for photographing people from the car.

I already uploaded some wildlife pictures on flickr, the gallery will be completed during the coming weeks.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/142773372@N06/albums/72157672197855280

Regards,

Arie

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/142773372@N06/

 

[Elderly]

These were all taken in Tanzania with my EM5 and 14-150, the only lens I took.

I didn't need anything longer as I didn't want to recreate reference book type images of animals.

 

[Bob657]

Nice shots Arie, it looks like a good trip! In the future it's best if you post the pictures here, many don't like to click on links.

 

[Bob657]

Thanks for posting, I really like the Kudu shots.

 

[Adgadg]

Thanks.


I'll post them when I'm finished editing, although I think Flickr quality is superior compared to dpreview. Still much more work to do.

 

[Isabel Cutler]

...and I really feel the pictures would be even more spectacular if you adjusted many of their exposures, because they're overexposed. It's entirely possible that your monitor is to blame and you're not seeing them as overexposed as I do - but a look at the histograms peaking at the right does indicate overexposure.

Hope you'll forgive me for making a screen grab of one of them to illustrate what I mean:

Here's the original:





and here's my darkening:





Isabel



--

Galleries by Isabel Cutler

www.pbase.com

Isabel Cutler

Explore Isabel Cutler’s 8,250 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[Bob657]

Thanks Isabel, you are right, they are a bit over exposed.