dandekarv Loc: Lake Forest, Ca, US

We are planning a trip to these countries.
Please suggest the places we should visit. We may not have much flexibility since we are going with the tour and other members may not be much into photography.

Can you also please suggest lenses for Nikon cameras. I have D810 and D4.

Do I need to take tripod with me?

Appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks

Dandekar

silveragemarvel Loc: Keller, Texas

I am interested in responses on this post. I will also be visiting Africa (Botswana, Zambia, S.Africa and Zimbabwe) in late June for Safari via OAT Travel.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

The most common comment about safaris here is that the game drives are often very dusty, and you cannot safely change lenses. The people that I am going to South Africa with in a few months tell me that most of the time their travelers do not need a strong telephoto - usually only up to 200mm is fine for most photos. But this is a small group - maybe able to get closer. I am taking a 100-400mm lens and will have a second camera with a 24-105mm lens (this camera is an APS-C "crop sensor" camera, so the equivalent focal length will not give me a wide angle capability).

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

www.shotspot.com and the Nikon 200-500 f5.6, and no, you will not need a tripod.

Terry in Indiana Loc: rural Indiana

No, don't take a tripod. In Kenya and Tanzania, many of the safari vehicles have bean bags you can use to stabilize your camera in the Land Rover. While many of the animals will be close, the drivers have to stay on the roads in the Kenya and Tanzania national parks, so it's nice to have a decent reach. I suggest putting a telephoto on one camera and a normal range lens on the other. You will find a telephoto is too much lens many times, but sure is nice to have one when the leopard is 100 yards away and you can't get any closer! :) You won't be getting out of the vehicle to photograph animals, and it's just too cumbersome to deal with in the Rovers. I've never taken a tripod with me and never wished I had.

South Africa may be a different story, depending on where you are going. Some are national parks...same comments as above. But many are private reserves, and the Rovers go off-road and can get very up-close and personal with the animals.

I concur that you should try to avoid changing lenses in the bush. So the best solution for me has been to put a different lens on each camera.

I've done 4 trips to Africa....Tanzania (Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara), Kenya (Masai Mara, Tsavo), and Botswana (Linyati, Okavango Delta, Kalahari). You will have an INCREDIBLE time!!!

If you have any questions, feel free to message me! :)
Terry Gray

LXK0930 Loc: Souh Jersey

I was on a similar trip about 25 years ago, and agree with the suggestions given. However, here ara a few more tips:
(1) Bring several zip-lock (or other sealable) bags to hold your equipment. You can not imagine how dusty the area is! I don't know how, but even in sealed bags, you will probably get dust on your gear. And expect to take a shower and change clothes after every outing.

(2) Preset your camera for the expected conditions. When you come upon wildlife, take several shots quickly so that you capture an image, because wildlife can disappear in the blink of an eye. After capturing your initial shots, take the time for critical composition, technical adjustments, etc. Note: Lions at rest seem to lay around all day, and seem to not be bothered by the vehicles. Leopards are never in any one spot for long, and are really skittish. Any animals on a hunt (or being hunted) move really fast.

(3) While, telephoto shots of one or two animals can be spectacular, don't neglect wide angle. The thing that separates a safari from a trip to the zoo is the scale of wildlife. A single wildebeest is interesting. A panorama of 10000 is jaw-dropping.

(4) Bring lots of insect repellent (DEET based). Skin So Soft does NOT work, despite all of those testimonials.

(5) NEVER, EVER get out of your vehicle unless OK'd by the guide. Aside from the major animals (which you can not outrun), there are snakes, scorpions, and other scary stuff lurking everywhere.

(6) Be prepared for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

MtnMan Loc: ID

Went to Zimbabwe and Botswana last year in May. No dust issues and Nikon 200-500 on D800 was great. Had to ask the driver to back up a few times but mostly not.

No use for Tripod and Monopod was awkward so didn't use it after one try. Beanbags useless on safari vehicles at four camps. They were all open seating. Handheld only option. I know some areas use different vehicles where you stand up and shoot through roof. Beanbags might work in that case. But none of our camps used that type vehicle.

No bugs!

All the camps we went to were fly-in only. We had a small group and leased our own plane so our experiences differed from many. Our group of six had our own vehicle or sometimes two. A few times we saw a few vehicles from our or another camp but mostly our vehicle was alone which may be why we didn't experience a dust problem.

There are six of these:

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-389048-1.html

Here is a video I made. This is of relatively low quality due to upload limitations at the time.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=py79IreuhSU

jwkeith

Having recently visited South Africa, I will restrict my opinions as to that location. I took my tripod and monopod andnever used either. You should take both an intermediate and longer focal length lens. I shot with the Nikon 200-500 on the D500 and the 70-200 on the D810. My shoot ratio was about 60-40 leaning to the longer lens. You will also want to bring a wide angle for those panoramic shots. As to locations I can make the following suggestions:

1. Consider a visit to Welgevonden Game Reserve in northern South Africa. Terrain is mountainous and different from the Kruger area and abundant wildlife. I stayed at the Nedile Lodge and highly recommend it.

2. If you are staying in Johannesburg/Pretoria area and have a free day you may want to take a day trip to Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Consider using Felleng Tours. I had multiple tours with them and was totally satisfied.

3. Lodges in the private reserves near Kruger can be expensive but if you don't mind downsizing a bit you may want to consider Tydon Safari Camp. This is a budget operation as far as costs but provides excellent service and wonderful game drives to both Sabi Sands Game Reserve and Kruger National Park. Well appointed tents on permanent platforms with AC and bathrooms.

4. Most of my group overpacked. Laundry service is available everywhere and is very reasonable. Turnaround time is often the same day.

5. Dust can be a problem. I prefer to bring a couple of pillowcases to cover my cameras while in motion on those open vehicles. They keep the dust off, cameras slide out of them easier then plastic, and they are large enough that one can even make a lens change with a bit of practice.

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

Being on a tour means that the tour rules the destinations and times. Be prepared to do a lot of shooting mid day but there will be a few times of early morning and evenings for much better light. Having 2 bodies as previously mentioned is the best method to avoid lens changing.

The best advice I can offer is to keep your emotions in check while on safari. There is nothing worse than having a scene already, leopard crouched with approaching deer, and while you are patiently waiting for the leopard to charge some yahoo beside you starts hollering about how he/she got "the shot" and spooks your animals. (don't be that person) Be professional and follow the action even if you think it's over as some other tidbit, according to Murphy, will always happen just after you put down your camera. Save the "Oh man, I nailed it" stuff for back at camp.

Have a solid method to save all your daily shots, whether that is taking a small laptop, portable hard drive with built in card reader or other such storage device and upload photos nightly or as often as possible. Use these only when attached to AC power as best as possible. You will find limited AC outlets to recharge batteries along the way so I would suggest taking your own "small" power bar and at least 2 battery chargers because you aren't the only one in need of power. Carting this extra equipment is a pain I agree but much less of a pain than having a once in a lifetime photo op in front of you and your batteries are dead or your card is full. If you use communal outlets be fully prepared for that same yahoo to pull your batteries so his can get charged.

Have fun.

tennis2618

I recently returned from my second trip to Africa--The safari was to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Previously we had been to Kenya, which was a great viewing area. But Botswana was a home run--absolutely wonderful. We had several people we did not know on each safari and none were photographers. However they all were fine with my desire to take good pictures. I learned very quickly that you should ignore them and take your best shots. Sit in the row behind the guide. Ask him to stop when you see a picture. He will and will be very helpful and patient when he realizes you are serious. Make sure you have a phone or pen and pad so you can notate your shots--what was that bird or animal, ask your guide--as you will have trouble recalling all of this later and often you will go through periods where you just keep seeing exciting shot possibilities. (A cooperative spouse is a great help.)

I too shot Nikon and I have the 800 with the f/2.8: 14-24, 24-70, 70-200, 2x teleconverter, and a couple smaller specialty lenses. For the most recent trip I added the Nikon f/5.6, 200-500 and it performed great. It isn't as good as my three regular lenses, but took great close ups and became my go to lens. B&H recommended it for a safari rather then Nikon's or other makers much more expensive and heavier long lenses. I also took a second camera so I wasn't changing lenses all the time. And no tripod as you really can't use one. A remote trigger is helpful and make sure you have stuff to clean your glass and keep it dry during rain!

Have a great time.

ramblinmen Loc: Manassas, VA

We just did a Tauck Safari last August-September (Tanzania, Kenya Classic Safari). They did not provide bean bags to rest your camera on so I used a bean filled head rest bag (think those U shapped for flying). With only one camera and two lenses I had to switch lenses inside a pillow case (D-300S... 18-200mm, 80-400mm) and brush everything down at the end of the day. The roads are a mess and dust is a constant issue. You will find the drivers try and keep a constant speed of 40+ mph because to go any slower allows the vehicle's tires to go further into the ruts and makes for a rougher ride. A tripod is a waste of time as others have pointed out you must remain in the vehicles while out on the game drives (2-3 per day). You stand when the vehicles stop and shoot from under the raised roofs or through the "windows" if seated. We had up to 7 people (sans driver) in each Landcruiser and rotated around the interior so we all had the opportunity to experience banging our heads off the sides and roof (bits that don't extend up). There were complaints from some guests that never seemed to understand this is what a Safari is all about.
We would do it again .. in a heart beat.

jaycoffman Loc: San Diego

There are common threads that run through all these answers and that's because that's what you'll need in Africa on safari. While a medium zoom will capture most of the shots you want on our safari the really best shots were taken with longer senses (leopards, cheetah in action, white rhino, etc.). Also, the action changed very quickly--I took a super-zoom bridge camera (Nikon p600) and did well but missed many shots because it wasn't quick enough or versatile enough to change quickly. When I got home I immediately bought a DSLR. Dust is an issue but the amount depends on the time of year. I always carry a towel to wrap my camera in when it's dusty and to act as a substitute sandbag when necessary--I advise something like that. We went in September/October which is the end of the dry season in equatorial Africa and more dusty but fewer tourists and less foliage to camouflage the animals. That probably gave us more opportunity for long distance pictures. So check the time of year you are going and learn what to expect. Take lots of memory and batteries and charge the batteries whenever you get a chance as many camps have really limited electricity. Next time I go I'll also take an extra power pack. Once there don't think twice about what you didn't take just enjoy every minute.

MtnMan Loc: ID

Just to note that all four camps we stayed at had battery charging capabilities in our rooms. We stayed at high end camps.

My Nikon DSLRs don't require frequent battery charging because I don't use the LCD much. I started each day with a full battery because I could but one extra battery for each camera would have suffised for the entire eight days of Safari.

crphoto8 Loc: Anaheim, California

I went on an OAT safari (Ultimate Africa) last year with a Canon 5D, 17-40 L, 24-105 L, 70-200 L and a 1.4 TC. I used the 70-200 + TC, giving me 98-280, about 95% of the time. I used the 24-105 in Victoria Falls including a helicopter tour and in a village visit. The 17-40 was used only once, inside the village chief's hut. There's no need for a tripod. It's hard to shoot while a vehicle is moving on dirt roads but the guide will stop if you ask him.
The animals are used to vehicles, they consider them as just another part of the wildlife there. We got quite close especially to lion prides but herbivores kept more of a distance. I have some nice shots of leopards and birds from some distance. Luckily there was enough light most of the time so the telephoto + TC with a max f5.6 allowed me some good images. Many times I took a photo of some herbivore that wasn't paying attention to us. Then upon hearing the click of the shutter the animal would look at me and I could take another image of that! I had no backup camera but used my iPhone to take a few images that I posted on FB once we got to our camp. That's how I kept in touch with family and friends during the safari. Enjoy, it's a trip of a lifetime!

ron1012

I just returned from a SA trip. All of the posts are on target. I did not experience dust problems , since it was at the end of the rainy season. I had my Canon 80D with a Sigma 150-600C, Canon kit 18-55 IS, EFS 55-250 IS, and NIKON COOLPIX PS. (I used it at Victoria Falls since it was VERY wet). I used the 150-600 about 70% of my shots most other shots were with the 55-250. I used a WD My Passport Wireless Pro for SD back up each night. You might want to purchase this book to help with your planning. Have a great trip.

https://www.amazon.com/DK-Eyewitness-Travel-Guide-Africa/dp/1465427112/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489766312&sr=1-1&keywords=eyewitness+travel+south+africa