What should I take to Africa?
Feb 15, 2019 23:18:23 #
When I go to Africa I take spare socks and underwear as well anything that wards off malaria. I also think that you should take something that plugs you up when you have the runs. Don't bring super short shorts or chaps with rear end cut out. They don't understand that aspect of American "culture". If you think that you might not be able to tolerate the local cuisine, load up on Kraft individually wrapped cheese slices, Cheerios, and Vienna Sausages. They travel well and never go bad. Don't drink the local water. Catch rainwater in a sanitary vessel like a coke bottle. My favorite camera and lens combo are a Canon 5D Sr with a Canon 18mm PC lens. Good luck and don't ever go anywhere without protection.
Feb 15, 2019 23:27:36 #
My South Africa travel in November 4-16 2018.
Used Globus tours , great travel ,great hotels,
Lots of food. Same issue with the 44 lb, and duffle bags recommended . 11 total people in are tour. We were the only ones with the 44 lbs. All the rest of the people brought regular luggage 50 lbs and Carry-on with another 20-30 lbs. Cpap machine . My camera bag was 27lbs. 2 cameras 24-70, 70-200, 200-500 lenses. Could have left the 200-500 home very little use of it. Animal are super close to the trucks I was in. NO dust what’s so ever.
Very little clothes, ended buying close in Africa. No Weigt of camera bag or any carry-on in the Airports. The small plain was A 70 Passager plain.
However if you are traveling to Botswana the 44 lbs Will be Inforce. But there’s lockers at the Aiport to leave the extra pounds.
Have Fun , Greatest trip ever.
If your going to Victoria Falls bring a Polorazier Filter.
Used Globus tours , great travel ,great hotels,
Lots of food. Same issue with the 44 lb, and duffle bags recommended . 11 total people in are tour. We were the only ones with the 44 lbs. All the rest of the people brought regular luggage 50 lbs and Carry-on with another 20-30 lbs. Cpap machine . My camera bag was 27lbs. 2 cameras 24-70, 70-200, 200-500 lenses. Could have left the 200-500 home very little use of it. Animal are super close to the trucks I was in. NO dust what’s so ever.
Very little clothes, ended buying close in Africa. No Weigt of camera bag or any carry-on in the Airports. The small plain was A 70 Passager plain.
However if you are traveling to Botswana the 44 lbs Will be Inforce. But there’s lockers at the Aiport to leave the extra pounds.
Have Fun , Greatest trip ever.
If your going to Victoria Falls bring a Polorazier Filter.
Feb 15, 2019 23:46:08 #
I just finished my 3rd trip to Africa. A 300 mm lens will work great. A 600 mm (35 mm equivalent) is pretty far for a lot of the possible pictures and you do not want to change lenses on the road due to dust. This is one time that you should consider a second body and either a 24-70 or 70-200 equivalent zoom. Rent one if you need to get a second body. BTW, I prefer the close up faces that you get with a 70-200.
If you have luggage weight issues, put the camera and a lens in pockets.
The white reflected in the cubs eye is the vehicle behind us. I easily could have blown hard and moved the cub’s fur. A 300 mm lens misses this.
If you have luggage weight issues, put the camera and a lens in pockets.
The white reflected in the cubs eye is the vehicle behind us. I easily could have blown hard and moved the cub’s fur. A 300 mm lens misses this.
Feb 16, 2019 01:06:22 #
Good thought about the food. I usually take a jar of peanut butter with me on trips to France, so I guess I can do it for Africa, too.
Feb 16, 2019 02:10:51 #
David in Dallas wrote:
Good thought about the food. I usually take a jar of peanut butter with me on trips to France, so I guess I can do it for Africa, too.
These places are good at taking care of tourists: plenty of food at the hotels/camps and places to buy snacks and drinks. Pack light. Everywhere that I went, laundry was available. Casual clothes and laundry allows you to take a couple of pairs of pants, 4-5 shirts, a sun hat and an extra pair of shoes. As for the roads, I still find a skiff of African dust in the creases of my camera pack. Also make sure that you have a 9’ extension cord or 220 V power bar and the correct plug converters for your CPAP. Outlets can be rare in a room, poorly situated and generators go off at midnight in some camps. Have fun. You are headed to beautiful places with amazing wildlife and interesting cultures.
Feb 16, 2019 05:25:05 #
wdross
Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado
AFPhoto wrote:
Next week I will be leaving on a three week trip t... (show quote)
Your 12-40 and the 300 would probably be enough. The 17 isn't much weight. If you have the room, take it too. The other two lenses that you might want to rent and take would be the 7-14 f2.8 and/or the 12-100 f4 Pro IS lens instead of the 12-40 lens. I could be wrong about the 7-14 because it may not see that much usage, but with the 12-100 you will only loss one stop, gain IS stability, and gain a wider zoom range. I took the 12-100 across Germany for 11 days and want for nothing using that lens. But the 300 that you have will see usage in Africa. You might want to take the 1.4X teleconverter for the 300 also. With the two lenses, the 12-100 and the 300 with the 1.4X tele, traveling with you, you will change out your lenses the least and maximize your potential for great shots the most.
Feb 16, 2019 13:49:07 #
Bill P wrote:
Wow, I just answered this to another post yesterda... (show quote)
I have no idea what may have been the problem with your lens. I was going to refer everybody to the photographer I know who has taken several trips to Kenya and others to Namibia with fantastic results with his Sigma 50-500. I must say, however, that I would rank him as a pro-level photographer in skill, but it is not his job. With the fantastic shots that he has gotten on his safaris, I have asked him why he doesn't contribute to NatGeo or elsewhere. His reply was that he cannot afford the type of equipment necessary. As I said, he shoots with two Canon crop cameras, a Sigma zoom (now a 150-600), and a shorter lens. I have a photo of his packed backpack on my other computer which is in need of repair. He weighs it to the gram. As I said previously, he also is very spartan in the clothing he takes, relying on being able to wash what he takes quite often.
Feb 16, 2019 15:08:37 #
For examples of photos taken with the 50-500, the photos of Benno Ibold may be seen by going to Facebook and pulling up View of the Planet. Pull up the timeline photos. Just about all of these photos are Benno's. There are a few contributions. Most of Benno's are watermarked and the telephoto ones were taken with the 50-500mm.
Feb 16, 2019 22:01:37 #
wdross
Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado
AFPhoto wrote:
Next week I will be leaving on a three week trip t... (show quote)
Again, I would suggest taking the 12-100 f4 Pro IS, 300 f4 Pro IS, E-M1mrII + battery, and extra battery. This allows you to leave the tripod home while maximizing image stabilization. With the 12-100 you can take close-up pictures of 0.6X to 0.4X magnification. Total weight for equipment - 5.3 pounds.
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