Linda S.

Hello! I am planning a 2025 African Safari. I am interested in large game (lions, gorilla's, elephants, etc. It is a bucket list vacation.

I just purchased the OM Solutions 150-600mm lens (300-1200mm 35mm equivalent), but is is not weather sealed. I have web pages that detail, by month, the overall weather for each month.

It appears that it is BEST to go when it is dry and dusty for that is when large game gather around shrinking waterholes.

If I do go then, what type of precautions should I take to protect the lens from dust? Has anybody been on an African safari who can tell me anything that they learned? Is the lens only good for borders, for which I don't have the skill set.

Anything I forgot to ask that I should know? Many thanks in advance! Linda

ricardo00

You don't say where you are looking at going in Africa, but as you mention, some months are quite dry and dusty whereas others some have some rain and others are very rainy. After the "light" rains the grasses become green and there are more bugs, which means more birds. Also it is often cheaper then plus sometimes more newborn animals. Since you mention only large game, presumably you aren't interested birds? And for gorilla's, there are only a few countries that you can see them (Rwanda, Uganda and the Congo I believe). Personally I wouldn't go to the Congo, to dangerous IMO. Your 300-1200mm again IMO is way too long for gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda, you will need a different lens. The jeeps in other areas are often fairly open but I would change lenses and add or remove TCs and would do it when we were stopped. Also would try to keep my camera/lens covered so during the sprinkles and dust I never had a problem (for example, would slide my camera/lens into a pillowcase or open backpack when not in use). I did of course take two bodies which I would strongly argue everyone should. Even new cameras can have problems. So you can put a closer lens on one body and your 300-1200mm on the other. You can have many animals, especially the large ones like elephants, giraffes as well as lions and leopards and cheetah extremely close to the vehicle. So a lens that can photograph at 50-300mm 35mm equivalent would be perfect to complement your other lens. And of course this should be on a separate body so you don't have to switch lenses.
Besides deciding when to go, you need to decide where (ie. private, public, vehicle or walking safari, etc). But Africa is amazing and no matter what you decide, I am sure you will have a fantastic experience!
PS. My wife and I first went to Africa 15 years ago (to South Africa and Botswana) and we thought we would never go back. Now we have gone back several times (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Madagascar). It is addicting for sure. And for wildlife photography, there is nothing that come close. Some of my pics are on flickr if interested and you can see the focal length I used for each shot. Our most recent trip to Tanzania where we went during the short rainy season inhere:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/60519499@N00/albums/72177720312511178

Dmazur Loc: Wisconsin

Weather patterns have been shifting, the beginning of the "dry season" may still see daily rain. You are correct, that most people prefer the dry season because water becomes a predictable attraction for wildlife, on the other hand, your sparse water holes may be populated by dozens of tourist vehicles that will interfere with getting the shot you want. So it may be better to travel off peak. There are still plenty of wildlife to see at all times of the year, but fewer tourists. Of course if you are trying to catch one of the big migrations, you have to go when they are happening.

Africa is dusty. If you can help it, try not to change a lens in the field. Even at camp or at your lodge, clean the camera and lens the best you can before changing it. If you have a back up body, definitely bring one. One of my bodies seized up on my last trip to Africa. I was very happy to have a back up to switch to, and later that night I was able to get my primary back on line. If you have two or more bodies, you may not need to change lens at all, one keeps your best zoom and the other keeps a more universal style lens or macro depending on your style.

If you are able to customize your tour, try to include a night excursion (with a strong strobe). You will find the shots challenging but rewarding. If you are travelling with a companion who also has a camera, decide if one of you will focus on video while the other takes stills during high drama encounters.

I would suggest leaving a tripod at home, unless you are trying to get the southern constellations. A collapsable trekking pole that can double as a monopod can be more useful. I also bring a webbing belt with me. Wrapped around my chest, I can hang the foot of the large lens through it, when trekking on foot. Keeps the camera secure in rough terrain but easily accessible on quick notice.

Have fun. It is a magical place.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

I went to Tanzania in the dry season and was able to witness, among other wonders, the wildebeest crossing of the Mara river. I am an Olympus user myself. And the dust is amazing as you note. DO NOT change lenses in the field, that is your best protection. Two of the three lenses I used were Pro lenses but my go to lens was not weather/dust proof but I had no issues with it at all. You’ll be fine. Enjoy your trip! FYI, I brought two Olympus cameras, one mounted with the 12-100 Pro and, most often, the other with the 75-300 lens and sometimes with the 40-150 Pro.

Linda S.

ricardo, thank you so much for this very useful information! This is my first wildlife photography trip. I am leaning towards going to S Africa for my nephew and his wife went there on their honeymoon last year and sung its praises.

I really enjoyed your photos of the birds. However, I have never taken photos of birds. They are very fast! I also appreciated your warning about the Congo. The pillowcase makes sense to me as it is compact when folded but large enough for the lens/camera.

It is an OM Solutions (formerly Olympus) OM-1 Mark ii. Since 2000, I have always had 2 camera bodies as my one camera died on my bucket list trip. So I had to use my cell phone for photos...not very good quality in 2000. I just purchased the 300-1200mm lens for micro 4/3s have small sensors and cannot take a lot of cropping. M 4/3s are relatively new to me. I started with digital cameras in 2000 with a Canon 5D. I ended with the Canon 5DM4. It became too heavy to hold. I do have a tripod but it isn't my favorite tool. I cannot change it quickly. I thought since all the advertising said "wildlife", it would make sense to purchase the lens for large animals.

I already have (in 35mm terms) a 24-200mm Pro and a 80-300mm Pro. Given the close proximity of the animals to the vehicle, I may have to return the 300mm-1200mm (it weighs almost 5 pounds but the IS is fantastic!) The only other trip that I thought I would be using it on is this November going to Hudson Bay in Canada and photographing the polar bears. Given it cost $2700, it's expensive for only 2 uses. I could rent the lens instead.

You have given me a great deal to think about for which I am very grateful. I started to look at your photos but given it is almost midnight, I need to wait until tomorrow. I am looking forward to it for the bird photos were fascinating!

Thank you ricardo for all that you shared.

Linda S.

Thank you Dmazur for your insights. I especially appreciated the comment to leave my tripod at home! All kidding aside, the IS on the OM-1 M2 (formerly Olympus) is very impressive. When reading your post, I could "see" the dry season water holes with many! people gathered around. That would be very frustrating for me. If it is rainy, then there will be more bugs...so many decisions!

I am traveling by myself meeting up with a photographic tour. When I am close to finalizing the trip, I will ask about nighttime shooting. That said, I would have to practice at home first with the strobe as I have never used one before. The idea sounds very interesting though!

I do have two camera bodies. The webbed belt is interesting given the 300mm-1200mm (35mm equiv) weighs almost 5 pounds. I do have one question though. What is the "foot" of the lens? I would think it is where it attaches to the camera body but if it is hanging down while I am moving, wouldn't that put too much stress on where it attaches to the camera? I did search asking about the "foot" of the lens, but Google, in its infinite wisdom, returned "focal" length results! :(

Again thank you Dmazur. The water hole scenario, especially, requires some additional thought on my part.

Linda S.

Thank you mizzee for your Olympus comments. I have two OM-1 M2 camera bodies and thinking of taking the following lenses plus one more for a longer reach. 12mm-40mm f/2.8 Pro and the 40mm-150mm Pro.

I do have the 12mm-100mm Pro but it overlaps with the 40mm-150mm. I also have the 75mm-300mm but had thought that the 150mm-600mm would extend the reach enough so I wouldn't miss anything (but it is almost 5 pounds by itself).

So, I guess the big question for me is "do I need the 150mm-600mm f5-6.3 or should I use the 75mm-300mm and return the 150mm-600mm"? When you were there, was there a situation where you would have liked a longer reach? Were you mostly photographing large animals? I had visions of the animals being close but also farther away...

Again, thank you mizzee for the Olympus perspective and the lens that you brought.

zug55 Loc: Naivasha, Kenya, and Austin, Texas

Great album on Flickr! These are truly amazing wildlife shots. Personally, I am just as interested in landscapes and scenery as I am in animals. I am adding pictures from a recent trip to Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/zug55/albums/72177720311370578/
There are different ways to approach a safari photographically, and what you want to get out of this will determine the equipment you will take.

As ricardo00 stated, Africa is a big place, and without knowing where you plan to go it is difficult to give good advice. I would agree with pretty much everything he said.

I want to stress that changing lenses in the field is not advised because safaris tend to be dusty. So I would take two bodies, each with a dedicated lens. I use Sony full-frame equipment, and I put my trusty 24-105mm on one body and the 100-400mm GM on the other. I also have the 1.4x extender that gets me to 560mm. (The set from Lake Nakuru that I posted above was shot entirely with these two lenses.) You want to have a standard zoom because often animals get very close and because there are ample opportunities for great landscape shots.

Your 150-600mm lens (300-1200mm 35mm equivalent) would be great for birding, but probably too long for everything else. For all practical purposes, 600mm (full-frame) probably would be enough reach, certainly for larger animals.

Traveling during rainy season can be tricky (depending on where you go). Roads can get impassable during heavy rains. (I just noticed that you mentioned South Africa in a later post. There, roads tend to be a little better, depending on where you go.)

There are many safari threads on UHH--I would take some time to dig them up

gwong1 Loc: Tampa, FL

I like mizzee went to Tanzania and witnessed the Wildebeest crossing the Mara, amazing. Take two camera bodies and two lenses, one on each of the cameras. One for telephoto and one for wider shots, perhaps a 24-105 (48-205 35mm equiv.). We were told to take a hand towel to cover the cameras when not in use to avoid as much dust as possible. Take several lens cloths and keep a clean one in your pocket. If you have a rocket blower and wear a vest you may be able to use that as well. I found the dust manageable with precautions. We also took an empty bean bag and our guides purchased beans to fill them and collected them at the end of our tour to take home to eat. Overall enjoy and do not lose sleep over a dusty camera/lens. Hoping this helps. Gary

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Your tour provider will be able to answer this question the best. If they can't, you got the wrong tour.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

The best advice I would have for handling dust is something like these blowers for use on the lens before any other cleaning as the dust can scratch the front element. They are also useful for blowing dust off the exterior of the camera and for moving dust off the sensor. The latter should only be done indoors out of the wind and more dust.

wireloose

I also brought a top loading bag (Manfrotto) so I could drop the camera with the long lens in it if we paused or were in dusty conditions but put the second body on the floor, could flip the top and pull it out quickly when needed. A bean bag ( you can fill it with rice when you arrive) is also handy to have, a lot of my shots were in low light

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Weather sealed to me usually means sealed to moisture. Dust may not be an issue any more than with any other lens. There are plastic sleeves that can protect a lens against the elements.

photoman43

I have been on two African photo safaris. I used a dry bag to protect my lens and camera from dust (and rain if that were to occur). Something like this. Just make sure it is long enough to cover the lens and camera and that the diameter is wide enough too:

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/129029?page=sea-to-summit-lightweight-dry-bag-small-5-liter

ricardo00

Thanks Peter! Lots of good shots on your flickr as well. And good points. Happy travels!