robert51 wrote:
Going on African safari looking for recommendation for DSLR camera and lens for a beginner
The game lodge will call and wake you before sunrise giving you time to shower, dress and get to the main hall for breakfast. The seasons are reverse from the US so make sure you dress in layers for the weather where it is cold and wet at times.
Once gathered your game warden will help you into the 'jeep'. Typically a Land Rover with three rows of bench seats on platforms with a canopy but no sides. Most of the trails are dirt roads and fairly easy to keep a camera steady on, but at times you will think you were in a rowboat on the open seas when you are trying to get a shot on the run. The warden will stop when they see something interesting though and make sure everyone has had a chance to get their shots and then some.
At brunch the warden will find a place overlooking the valley and setup of a tray on the front of the truck with coffee, tea, fruits, nuts, South African biltong, etc. Depending on the weather I suggest coco with a little Baileys!
About an hour later you will return to the lodge and wait out the day. Lunch is always good and the time is yours, but other than birds very little moves.
A few hours before dusk you will be called to the evening game drive and the process starts over with you coming back just after dark. Dinner is always good!
With that said here are some points to think about.
- If this is your first time, do you want to worry about photos or enjoy the moment? While a DLSR (even in Auto) with a nice telephoto lens is a good way to go some of the posts have also pointed out that a Point-N-Shoot is also a good choice.
- Your shots will either be on the run in the back of a bumpy truck or dead still on a platform and to make things interesting the animals will either be quite a ways away or several feet from you. A long lens sounds good, but is heavy and needs a monopod while a short lens will miss some shots. A telephoto is a good choice.
- And finally remember that you will mostly be shooting after sunrise and before sunset. A polarized filter is nice, but learn how t use it and when. A lens hood may be a good choice too.
I took at Canon T2i with the kit telephoto lens along with a UV and polarized filter in a backpack for my first trip. I read the manual on the flight over, but felt overwhelmed at the time and left the camera in Auto the entire time. I wish I had taken more time to learn how the polarized filter worked. On the game drives I varied between shooting and just staring in amazement.
Don't forget to buy a power adapter for your electronics. They run 220 there and have a very different wall adapter. The front desk may have one, but don't rely on it.
Hints
Contact your lodge for information on everything: Transportation, weather, power adapters, etc.
Ask questions about everything! They are very well trained.
- My guide Jon said the more questions you ask the more he will show you.
Don't expect to see anything, but be ready for anything!
- On a very rainy morning my guide said he would go if I wanted, but warned we wouldn't see much and of course I wanted to go. Right out of the gate we saw a few zebra and I was happy. A few minutes later we saw a huge herd of deer and I was happy. Seconds later we found two cheetahs that had just made a kill and stayed there for an hour just watching. He was happy!
Do not leave the vehicle unless you are told too.
- Two men went around a large bush to... and moments later ran as fast as they could screaming all the way to the the truck with a rhino chasing them! LAF
If you want a DSLR, then buy a nice one with the best lens you can afford, but once you are there focus more on the experience. A game drive will change your life!