Which bodies to take on Safari
Nov 9, 2019 03:18:49 #
Two camera bodies with lenses of your choice, and a good a P&S with an electric viewfinder since
you will be in bright sunset and it can be very difficult framing a shot on the screen on your camera back.
I see you have a lot gear to choose from but I would really urge you to take a pocketable P&S for surprise photo ops when you don't have your other camera gear with you.
If you are taking a laptop with you, download your images to the laptop at the end of each shooting day and save each day's images both on the laptop and an external hard drive.
Have a wonderful trip.
you will be in bright sunset and it can be very difficult framing a shot on the screen on your camera back.
I see you have a lot gear to choose from but I would really urge you to take a pocketable P&S for surprise photo ops when you don't have your other camera gear with you.
If you are taking a laptop with you, download your images to the laptop at the end of each shooting day and save each day's images both on the laptop and an external hard drive.
Have a wonderful trip.
Nov 19, 2019 11:28:14 #
Having done that itinerary back in the film days, let me offer the following VERY IMPORTANT advice.
DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, REMOVE OR CHANGE A LENS while out in the field. 100% of everyone with interchangeable lens cameras managed to get dust and dirt on the innards I carried two Nikon F bodies, one with a 600mm mirror lens and the other with a 28=200mm. Worked fine.
Enjoy the safari.
DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, REMOVE OR CHANGE A LENS while out in the field. 100% of everyone with interchangeable lens cameras managed to get dust and dirt on the innards I carried two Nikon F bodies, one with a 600mm mirror lens and the other with a 28=200mm. Worked fine.
Enjoy the safari.
Nov 19, 2019 13:43:15 #
imagemeister wrote:
400 is not enough reach on FF.
Agreed. My friend with many safaris under his belt using crop sensor cameras just traded in his 50-500mm for the 150-600 giving him a field of view of up to 900 mm. Check out Benno Ibold's photos in the Nature Lovers group on fb, where he is the moderator.
Nov 19, 2019 13:56:18 #
xt2 wrote:
I’ve done three safaris and must say, if you pay enough for the guide, etc. You will be very close to he Big Five. I have shots where seeing the colour of a Leopard’s eyes was easy. I had no use for the biggest lenses. It is super fun... enjoy!
Cheers!
Cheers!
Thsnk you. This was my safari experience, and I have been preaching to closed ears that giant lenses aren't necessary and are generally a hinderance. The deciding factor is the quality of your safari. Don't get bargain basement safaris, get the best possible. And what happens on a good safari is not anything like you see on TV.
But consider that a Safari is a very expensive thing.
Nov 19, 2019 13:59:05 #
philo wrote:
If I go back i will take two bodies and 150-600 zoom and a 24 105. No tripod
I took a 150-600 and my 70-200. The 150-600 was a total waste. If you needed it you got a poor quality safari.
Nov 19, 2019 14:00:37 #
Nov 19, 2019 15:52:37 #
I have been on two Photo safaris, one to Tanzania and one to Botswana. I took different lenses with me on both trips as the country/locations(s), etc may require different lenses. Also a Photo safari is a completely different type of safari than a more public one. Avoid generalizations and do your homework for the specific safari you will be taking.
Here are two sets of recommendations for a photo safari:
http://www.eyesonafrica.net/safari-photography-2.htm
http://www.bythom.com/photographic-travel/africa/how-to-think-about-equipmen.html
Here are two sets of recommendations for a photo safari:
http://www.eyesonafrica.net/safari-photography-2.htm
http://www.bythom.com/photographic-travel/africa/how-to-think-about-equipmen.html
Nov 19, 2019 16:11:29 #
PixelStan77 wrote:
RL, You can't change lenses while out in the field on the safari. I would take the D850 with the 170-400 and the D5 24-70. Make sure you have a cleaning supplies when you come in from the field.
I own both the Nikon D5 and D850 and used both together on safari in Africa. I would do it the other way around by putting the 170-400 on the D5 and the 24-70 on the 850. Reason for this the 850 has twice as many pixels and little slower to focus. You can crop and still have a great picture with the 850. With the D5 you can zoom in and be much closer and if you get that picture you can blow it up and still have a great picture. You can change lens in the field but bring a plastic sheet like the ones a dry cleaners put over your clothes. Do it only when your stopped, no dust blowing and room to do it. Enjoy the Safari, been to Egypt, Tanzania and twice to South Africa and going back in May. That's my two cents!
Nov 19, 2019 18:17:27 #
SteveR wrote:
you can crop in p/p and the 850 should allow you more leeway for cropping than the D5 if I am correct. .
Nov 19, 2019 18:23:32 #
Bill P wrote:
How many safaris have you taken?
In ANY wildlife photography, sooner or later you WILL be in a scenerio where you WILL need the reach - and I do not have to be on any safari to realize this !! When an opportunity comes I prefer to be ready.....
BTW, we have not seen YOUR safari photos ....
.
Nov 19, 2019 18:28:35 #
When I was in Tanzania over 50% of my images were taken with a Nikon D 300s (1.5xcrop factor) with a 500mm f4 and 1.4x tele converter attached. And almost none of these were birds; they were large mammals. Long focal length lenses are usually what are needed on one camera.
Nov 19, 2019 19:04:06 #
imagemeister wrote:
In ANY wildlife photography, sooner or later you WILL be in a scenerio where you WILL need the reach - and I do not have to be on any safari to realize this !! When an opportunity comes I prefer to be ready.....
BTW, we have not seen YOUR safari photos ....
.
BTW, we have not seen YOUR safari photos ....
.
Just to get this out of the way, I don't post photos in the internet. NEVER. If you want to, congrats.
I was on a private safari. I live in the same town as one of the top ten zoos in the US. I knew the director. He put me in touch with the provider and all was done. I didn't just google safaris or view websites.
I fell victim to folks like you and schlepped a 150-500 Sigma all over and if you had been there I would have given it to you. Sooner or later I was never in a situation where I need a giant lens. I think too many people are blaming their lack of long lenses when they could have picked a better safari provider.
Nov 19, 2019 19:21:55 #
Bill P wrote:
Just to get this out of the way, I don't post phot... (show quote)
Congrats, aren't you SPECIAL ....- but not everyone can afford your perfect safaris ....or be as lucky as you
.
Nov 19, 2019 19:59:51 #
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