Safari Decision... leave the Oly 40-150 Pro behind?

Hello. I will be going on a safari in Tanzania. I was planning to take the PL 100-400 mounted on the Lumix G9, the Olympus 40-150 Pro mounted on the Olympus EM10 mk2 and the Olympus 12-40 Pro in my bag, or mounted on the EM10, with the 40-150 in the bag.

For space and weight reasons, I am wondering if I could afford to leave the Oly 40-150 Pro behind?

What are your thoughts?

I agree, i go with the 100-400 and 12-60 PL, I think you'll be fine.

Chizuka wrote:

Hello. I will be going on a safari in Tanzania. I was planning to take the PL 100-400 mounted on the Lumix G9, the Olympus 40-150 Pro mounted on the Olympus EM10 mk2 and the Olympus 12-40 Pro in my bag, or mounted on the EM10, with the 40-150 in the bag.

For space and weight reasons, I am wondering if I could afford to leave the Oly 40-150 Pro behind?

What are your thoughts?

Leave it at home, I can't think of a situation where you'd pick the 40-150. If you need a brighter telephoto, pack the 75mm f/1.8.

I'd also keep the E-M10 at home too. The G9 w/ 12-40, 75, and 100-400 would be an awesome and very capable travel kit for shooting critters in the bush

I would certainly want a back up, mount the 100-400 on the G9 and the 12-40 on the EM10!

Chizuka wrote:

Hello. I will be going on a safari in Tanzania. I was planning to take the PL 100-400 mounted on the Lumix G9, the Olympus 40-150 Pro mounted on the Olympus EM10 mk2 and the Olympus 12-40 Pro in my bag, or mounted on the EM10, with the 40-150 in the bag.

For space and weight reasons, I am wondering if I could afford to leave the Oly 40-150 Pro behind?

What are your thoughts?

That's a really good question. I've been reading up a lot on this same subject because I'm traveling to Londolozi in ZA next month, and the general agreement seems to be the following:

- If you can, bring everything. Safaris have like a million photo opportunities per day, or so I'm told 

- Bring at least two bodies. Changing lenses on the field seems to be a really bad idea.

- Bring three bodies if you can. Seriously, almost every account I've read emphasizes how bad the dust is! It'll be a hardcore test of your equipment, and it wouldn't be surprising if part of it fails in the middle of the trip.

- Depending on the type of safari that you're taking, there's two approaches: if you're going to somewhere like Kruger park, where the vehicles aren't allowed to leave the road, bring the longest lens you can find - the 100-400mm is ideal; on the other hand, if you're going on a private reserve, and the guides can leave the trails, then forget about reach - it's all about speed, and then the 40-150mm f/2.8 will be worth its weight in gold.

- Don't forget about the reach if you are a birder - you know you'll need it 

- Most of the really good animal closeups seem to happen at dawn and dusk, and so a fast lens is always handy. Or even better, a powerful flashgun - park rangers and guides are apparently OK with them, and the difference they can make is astounding.

Remember that this is all from hearsay. Take it with a grain of salt; but I've been on enough nature/wildlife trips in other remote locations to realize that it's sound advice.

I was thisclose to purchasing a used 40-150mm f/2.8, but then realized that my wife would kill me (the "safari excuse" will hopefully cover the brand-new G9, but I can't push my luck), and I already have both a Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 II and an Olympus 75-300mm II to cover my bases, and both together weigh almost the same as the PRO lens alone. Still, it's apparently the perfect private reserve safari lens, and if I miss some opportunities because I didn't have it I'll be really angry at myself... and my fear of the wife 

Bob657 wrote:

I agree, i go with the 100-400 and 12-60 PL, I think you'll be fine.

Thanks Bob. I don’t have the 12-60PL so Inhave 20mm less.

Chizuka wrote:

Hello. I will be going on a safari in Tanzania. I was planning to take the PL 100-400 mounted on the Lumix G9, the Olympus 40-150 Pro mounted on the Olympus EM10 mk2 and the Olympus 12-40 Pro in my bag, or mounted on the EM10, with the 40-150 in the bag.

For space and weight reasons, I am wondering if I could afford to leave the Oly 40-150 Pro behind?

What are your thoughts?

Just got back from Kruger NP with G85 & 100-300 ii.  Lens changing was not practical - not for dust, but because things unfolded too quickly or it was too inconvenient.  Two bodies is OK, but you will travel with the most usable option in your hands ready to go and it will be a pain fumbling for your 2nd body while a Lion suddenly emerges from the bush and crosses in front of you.  For me, this was the 100-300, and there were times where the reach was important.  But there were also plenty of times where I needed something shorter because the animals were right next to the road and I couldn't fit them in the frame!  I missed some good shots because of this.  On reflection, the classic ff equiv of 100-400 would have been ideal (e.g. Oly 40-150 with 1.4 adaptor or PL 50-200).  But then, I might have returned cursing that it was too short!

So if space / weight are a worry, I don't think you need the three lenses.  In your posn, I'd take either the 40-150 + 1.4 or the 100-400.  Perhaps the 40-150 + 1.4 given the extra speed (useful on dawn / dusk game drives).  And also a wider lens on a 2nd body for context shots and for animals close to the vehicle. The 12-40, sure, though given the unpredictability, a PL 12-60 would provide more flexibility without too much loss of speed.

Kharan wrote:

Chizuka wrote:

Hello. I will be going on a safari in Tanzania. I was planning to take the PL 100-400 mounted on the Lumix G9, the Olympus 40-150 Pro mounted on the Olympus EM10 mk2 and the Olympus 12-40 Pro in my bag, or mounted on the EM10, with the 40-150 in the bag.

For space and weight reasons, I am wondering if I could afford to leave the Oly 40-150 Pro behind?

What are your thoughts?

That's a really good question. I've been reading up a lot on this same subject because I'm traveling to Londolozi in ZA next month, and the general agreement seems to be the following:

- If you can, bring everything. Safaris have like a million photo opportunities per day, or so I'm told

- Bring at least two bodies. Changing lenses on the field seems to be a really bad idea.

- Bring three bodies if you can. Seriously, almost every account I've read emphasizes how bad the dust is! It'll be a hardcore test of your equipment, and it wouldn't be surprising if part of it fails in the middle of the trip.

- Depending on the type of safari that you're taking, there's two approaches: if you're going to somewhere like Kruger park, where the vehicles aren't allowed to leave the road, bring the longest lens you can find - the 100-400mm is ideal; on the other hand, if you're going on a private reserve, and the guides can leave the trails, then forget about reach - it's all about speed, and then the 40-150mm f/2.8 will be worth its weight in gold.

As I mentioned in my original question, I will be going to Tanzania.

- Don't forget about the reach if you are a birder - you know you'll need it

yes I am but the Pl 100-400 will cover that.

- Most of the really good animal closeups seem to happen at dawn and dusk, and so a fast lens is always handy. Or even better, a powerful flashgun - park rangers and guides are apparently OK with them, and the difference they can make is astounding.

The Oly 12-40;if f2.8 like the Oly 40-150.

and I don’t want to use a flash gun.I don’t own one and would not want to use one. Just a principle I guess.

Remember that this is all from hearsay. Take it with a grain of salt; but I've been on enough nature/wildlife trips in other remote locations to realize that it's sound advice.

I was thisclose to purchasing a used 40-150mm f/2.8, but then realized that my wife would kill me (the "safari excuse" will hopefully cover the brand-new G9, but I can't push my luck), and I already have both a Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 II and an Olympus 75-300mm II to cover my bases, and both together weigh almost the same as the PRO lens alone. Still, it's apparently the perfect private reserve safari lens, and if I miss some opportunities because I didn't have it I'll be really angry at myself... and my fear of the wife

Yes but in your case you are covered i.e. 35-100 and 75-300. In my case, if I don’t take the 40-150 f2.8, I have a gap between 40 and 100.

gnik1 wrote:

Chizuka wrote:

Hello. I will be going on a safari in Tanzania. I was planning to take the PL 100-400 mounted on the Lumix G9, the Olympus 40-150 Pro mounted on the Olympus EM10 mk2 and the Olympus 12-40 Pro in my bag, or mounted on the EM10, with the 40-150 in the bag.

For space and weight reasons, I am wondering if I could afford to leave the Oly 40-150 Pro behind?

What are your thoughts?

Just got back from Kruger NP with G85 & 100-300 ii. Lens changing was not practical - not for dust, but because things unfolded too quickly or it was too inconvenient. Two bodies is OK, but you will travel with the most usable option in your hands ready to go and it will be a pain fumbling for your 2nd body while a Lion suddenly emerges from the bush and crosses in front of you. For me, this was the 100-300, and there were times where the reach was important. But there were also plenty of times where I needed something shorter because the animals were right next to the road and I couldn't fit them in the frame! I missed some good shots because of this. On reflection, the classic ff equiv of 100-400 would have been ideal (e.g. Oly 40-150 with 1.4 adaptor or PL 50-200). But then, I might have returned cursing that it was too short!

I am going to Tanzania and from what I read, the wildlife is further away then in Kruger, where you might get away with a 40-150 + 1.4.

So if space / weight are a worry, I don't think you need the three lenses. In your posn, I'd take either the 40-150 + 1.4 or the 100-400. Perhaps the 40-150 + 1.4 given the extra speed (useful on dawn / dusk game drives). And also a wider lens on a 2nd body for context shots and for animals close to the vehicle. The 12-40, sure, though given the unpredictability, a PL 12-60 would provide more flexibility without too much loss of speed.

And I don’t want to buy the PL 12-60 because I have the great Oly 12-40 Pro AND I don’t have any money to spend on “similar” lenses. So that is not an option. Thanks for your comment though.

All good.

Sounds like its the 12-40 and 100-400 then.

IMO it’s a tough decision?

My wife and I went to South Africa last year with 3 cameras ( FF, APS-C and MFT) and the most used focal length was 70-200mm on the FF camera.

I used the 100-400mm on the APS-C mainly for birds and small animals, and it was great for doing portraits of the big animals and cats, but for any of the big animals up close - elephant, rhino , giraffe, buffalo I found the 100-400mm on the APS-C camera was too long.

I had a Metabones adapter as well and never felt the need to put the 100-400mm on the MFT camera. It was good to have the Metabones as a backup, but it never got used. We used a 12-60mm on the MFT for video and for landscapes, and for wide herd shots.

Your choice needs to be made with some idea as to what animals you will see and how close you will get to them.

In the private game reserves where we went, if I only had MFT to use (choose) the 40-150mm Pro would be on the top of my list giving me 80-300mm FF [edit: covering the focal length range we had with the] actual 70-200mm we used with our Canon FF..

Peter

I certainly wouldn't personally take the risk of going on an expensive photographic trip without a spare camera body. Cameras can and do fail, and a safari is a rather harsh physical environment.

Chris

absoluutbeginner wrote:

Chizuka wrote:

Hello. I will be going on a safari in Tanzania. I was planning to take the PL 100-400 mounted on the Lumix G9, the Olympus 40-150 Pro mounted on the Olympus EM10 mk2 and the Olympus 12-40 Pro in my bag, or mounted on the EM10, with the 40-150 in the bag.

For space and weight reasons, I am wondering if I could afford to leave the Oly 40-150 Pro behind?

What are your thoughts?

By the way ....Oly 12-40 mm Pro is in the bag ...but during safari's it does not come very often out of the bag .... during any of my safari's ..

thanks. Having never been on a safari, I read about animals being close to the jeep and I started to wonder if the Oly 12-40 Pro was sufficient for those shots and the PL 100-400 for the farther away shots. You are saying that in your case, you use the 40-150 more.

Only when in the evening I sometimes use it ..... and put it on my old E-M5 .

Choices choices

C Sean wrote:

Chizuka wrote:

Hello. I will be going on a safari in Tanzania. I was planning to take the PL 100-400 mounted on the Lumix G9, the Olympus 40-150 Pro mounted on the Olympus EM10 mk2 and the Olympus 12-40 Pro in my bag, or mounted on the EM10, with the 40-150 in the bag.

For space and weight reasons, I am wondering if I could afford to leave the Oly 40-150 Pro behind?

Yes...

What are your thoughts?

I would bring the 40-150 but if you want to leave it behind to make your trip easier than go ahead. In truth for my next potential safari I'm looking at slimming my gear down to two bodies and three lenses. The G9 + 100-400 will cover 80-95% of your safari encounters.

Thanks CSean. Your slimming down version is the most I would take and have!!!

Terrible Photographer wrote:

Chizuka wrote:

Hello. I will be going on a safari in Tanzania. I was planning to take the PL 100-400 mounted on the Lumix G9, the Olympus 40-150 Pro mounted on the Olympus EM10 mk2 and the Olympus 12-40 Pro in my bag, or mounted on the EM10, with the 40-150 in the bag.

For space and weight reasons, I am wondering if I could afford to leave the Oly 40-150 Pro behind?

What are your thoughts?

Leave it at home, I can't think of a situation where you'd pick the 40-150. If you need a brighter telephoto, pack the 75mm f/1.8.

I do not own the 75mm! So that is not an option. I mentioned in my question what lenses I have to work with, and that is all I have.

I'd also keep the E-M10 at home too. The G9 w/ 12-40, 75, and 100-400 would be an awesome and very capable travel kit for shooting critters in the bush

I will not leave the EM10 behind because I would not go on any trip without a backup camera. Also, it will have a lens mounted on it, ready to take pictures. How many shots have you lost because you were busy changing lens?

Perhaps in the future it might be worth considering getting the Olympus 12-100 PRO? That way with that on one body and the Panasonic 100-400 on the other you'd have the range covered! My concern with not taking the 40-150 would be that you'll have a sizeable gap in coverage between the 40mm long end of the 12-40 and the 100 short end of the 100-400. I've just bought the 100-400 myself, and discovered that there's a lot of things it's just too "long" for.

Chris