African Safari
Aug 17, 2016 09:03:01 #
Bird Dawg
Loc: Georgia
Headed to Africa on a safari this October. Any tips for photography & packing to make this a really super trip. ( max of 44 # including camera gear ). 2 safari camps plus Capetown.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Aug 17, 2016 09:19:19 #
mas24
Loc: Southern CA
Don't forget extra batteries, charger, and memory cards. Many do forget. Have a good trip.
Aug 17, 2016 09:31:58 #
Keep in mind, the minute you step from the vehicle, you drop to the bottom of the food chain.
--Bob
--Bob
Bird Dawg wrote:
Headed to Africa on a safari this October. Any tips for photography & packing to make this a really super trip. ( max of 44 # including camera gear ). 2 safari camps plus Capetown.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Aug 17, 2016 10:45:04 #
rmalarz wrote:
Keep in mind, the minute you step from the vehicle, you drop to the bottom of the food chain.
--Bob
--Bob
That is the fun part.
Aug 17, 2016 10:46:41 #
300 mm lens. Monopod.
Both camps in South Africa? We were in Kruger Private Reserve in October 2009. Just coming out of winter, so the greenery is limited.
Both camps in South Africa? We were in Kruger Private Reserve in October 2009. Just coming out of winter, so the greenery is limited.
Aug 17, 2016 15:06:55 #
Might help to know what camera equipment you have available, Bird.
Aug 17, 2016 21:53:31 #
Bird Dawg
Loc: Georgia
I plan on taking my Nikon D7100 with a rental 80-400 lens. On the second body I will borrow my daughters D90 and put my 18-140 lens on it. I plan to take my Leica D5 for low light situations etc.
Aug 18, 2016 05:22:47 #
DaveHam
Loc: Reading UK
Africa is quite a big place - you will need to cater for the circumstances of your camps. Bush, in which case a shorter zoom, or savannah in which case the largest telephoto you can get.
Which camps? I've worked South Africa / Namibia / Botswana for ten years and know most of them.
Which camps? I've worked South Africa / Namibia / Botswana for ten years and know most of them.
Aug 18, 2016 05:49:26 #
Its hard to imagine but remember some of the animals get very close to you , so be prepared for those captures, have fun, we went last year. It will be brilliant for you.
Aug 18, 2016 08:10:18 #
jimfullwood wrote:
Its hard to imagine but remember some of the animals get very close to you , so be prepared for those captures, have fun, we went last year. It will be brilliant for you.
Excellent point. One of my favorite shots is of a young male lion who plopped down right behind our rover in Krueger Private...literally six feet below my rear row seat. If someone held my ankles, I could have petted it...or been its appetizer.
Aug 18, 2016 08:53:58 #
October is the best time for birding. It is spring there. there are many eagles and even the starlings are amazing.
Aug 18, 2016 08:56:22 #
Recommend a "bean bag" rather than a monopod. Usually there are 4 or more people in a safari vehicle and a monopod becomes rather clumsy. A backup camera is a good idea. If possible, a point and shoot with some reach (a Canon SX50 comes to mind) would fill that role splendidly. You will need at least a 300mm lens on your primary camera (500 mm would be better). I have been to Africa twice. Great photo experiences both times.
Aug 18, 2016 09:30:28 #
I just came back from Botswana last week. I had both a beanbag and a monopod. The safari vehicle (Toyota Landcruiser) I traveled in had tiered seating. There was no place to put a beanbag. I used the monopod or handheld the camera. I was using a Nikon D800 with a Nikon 200-500 zoom. On past trips in East Africa the vehicle had a pop top, so there was a place to rest the beanbag. I saw only 2 pop tops in the one week in Botswana and 3 days in Etosha (Namibia).
Aug 18, 2016 09:44:23 #
Beanbag vs. monopod: we need to know which camps you will be driving from. Different rover rules National Park vs. private reserves.
Aug 18, 2016 10:58:01 #
PaulB wrote:
Recommend a "bean bag" rather than a monopod. Usually there are 4 or more people in a safari vehicle and a monopod becomes rather clumsy. A backup camera is a good idea. If possible, a point and shoot with some reach (a Canon SX50 comes to mind) would fill that role splendidly. You will need at least a 300mm lens on your primary camera (500 mm would be better). I have been to Africa twice. Great photo experiences both times.
While I agree the monopod is too awkward to use I also found the beanbags completely useless for the vehicles my four camps had.
I recommend setting your camera on M mode with min aperture and min shutter speed of 1/500 and using auto ISO. I only figured that out theclast few days but it made shooting much easier than usind A and fiddling ISO. If your lens has good VR your images will be sharp. I used 200-500 Nikon on D800.
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