Which camera to bring to the jungle?
May 3, 2015 07:15:41 #
marram101 wrote:
Hi....I'm going to Africa for 3 weeks this summer. I'd like to buy a small, not a SLR or mirrorless camera, to take good photos while running around the jungle. I like the enthusiast compact cameras (Canon G15,Pany Lumix FZ-1000,etc.) but would like to have one with greater telephoto range. What cameras would you recommend?
Can you define " running around in the jungle" is this ala Tarzan dressed in a loin cloth or more like a white hunter with cargo pants. Loin cloth and lack of pockets may influence choice and advice I can offer.
May 3, 2015 07:24:35 #
I would try a Panasonic Lumiz TZ60/70, very compact easily goes in shirt pocket, takes excellent images and has a x30 zoom shoots RAW and has a view finder.
I was in the Costa Rica jungle recently and I rarely needed to use zoom, although you need to watch out for "logodiles" which are very common and they don't bite"
I was in the Costa Rica jungle recently and I rarely needed to use zoom, although you need to watch out for "logodiles" which are very common and they don't bite"
May 3, 2015 07:36:59 #
A friend of mine just returned from Africa to photo the mountain gorillas, his longest shot was 50ft. When my wife and I went the longest lens I had was 300mm which was not long enough, my wife had a SX50 which saved the day. But we were out in the plains no jungles.
May 3, 2015 07:49:44 #
mcveed wrote:
What the h*ll are you talking about? What racial stereotype are you referring to? You do know what a jungle is do you?
First time he wrote some similar level of idiocy about one of my posts, I started to quit UHH. I'm not sure if he writes comments like this on purpose. Might just be looking at life's subjects through the wrong end of the lens.
May 3, 2015 07:58:58 #
MontanaTrace wrote:
First time he wrote some similar level of idiocy about one of my posts, I started to quit UHH. I'm not sure if he writes comments like this on purpose. Might just be looking at life's subjects through the wrong end of the lens.
Just a wind up merchant Sit back and enjoy the show!
May 3, 2015 08:18:59 #
marram101 wrote:
Hi....I'm going to Africa for 3 weeks this summer. I'd like to buy a small, not a SLR or mirrorless camera, to take good photos while running around the jungle. I like the enthusiast compact cameras (Canon G15,Pany Lumix FZ-1000,etc.) but would like to have one with greater telephoto range. What cameras would you recommend?
"Jungles" are no more dangerous to cameras or people than many cities around the world. At least the animals in Africa won't steal your gear. For that matter any beach on a windy day can do more harm to a lens or camera body than any jungle.
May 3, 2015 08:29:57 #
Sorry to see this has turned into a battle of wits over a witless comment...
Africa has very dense rainforest (home to the silverback gorillas and other amazing creatures and plants) but most people go to see the savannah habitats where the "big five" and other typical African species can be found.
A read an article that reviewed the Canon SX50 as the "best safari camera". This and equivalent "bridge cameras" are bigger than a simple point-and-shoot, but offer everything you might need - from wide angle to superzoom to video. This has the advantage that on safaris it can be difficult to change lenses because things can get very dusty. The bridge cameras have a single lens that spans the whole range and yet they get good results. Many of the hoggers here use them and they have great photos.
Now: if you are really going into the jungle, you need to be aware that other than dust, moisture is the greatest enemy of your equipment. If you are staying in an air-conditioned room, you want to put your camera in a big zip-lock bag when you take it outdoors and do not remove it for about ten minutes or so - after it has warmed up. Otherwise moisture can condense on - and in - your camera.
Also - I have put up a few short videos on travel health for those going to the tropics. Worth watching.
http://www.rainforesteducation.com/about2/travelhealth.htm
You need Hepatitis A vaccine, malaria prophylaxis, and probably a Yellow Fever vaccination. Yellow Fever vaccine is the one vaccine for which there are still requirements to document to enter certain countries * and so sometimes even if you have no exposure you can encounter problems if you do not have the official "Yellow Card" with that vaccination documented. For example, while neither Lima, Peru nor Rio have any risk of Yellow Fever, you cannot enter either Brazil or Peru within ten days of being in the other country without a YF vaccination - they don't know where you went and they don't want you bringing Yellow Fever into their country. Usually you have to get this from your state health department. I stopped providing this vaccine because it cost me over $1,000 for a box of five and the health department gets it cheap and gives it for $100 or so. And it is a little heart-breaking to have a few bottles of that expire in the refrigerator....
* One exception: meningitis vaccination is required to go to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage.
Africa has very dense rainforest (home to the silverback gorillas and other amazing creatures and plants) but most people go to see the savannah habitats where the "big five" and other typical African species can be found.
A read an article that reviewed the Canon SX50 as the "best safari camera". This and equivalent "bridge cameras" are bigger than a simple point-and-shoot, but offer everything you might need - from wide angle to superzoom to video. This has the advantage that on safaris it can be difficult to change lenses because things can get very dusty. The bridge cameras have a single lens that spans the whole range and yet they get good results. Many of the hoggers here use them and they have great photos.
Now: if you are really going into the jungle, you need to be aware that other than dust, moisture is the greatest enemy of your equipment. If you are staying in an air-conditioned room, you want to put your camera in a big zip-lock bag when you take it outdoors and do not remove it for about ten minutes or so - after it has warmed up. Otherwise moisture can condense on - and in - your camera.
Also - I have put up a few short videos on travel health for those going to the tropics. Worth watching.
http://www.rainforesteducation.com/about2/travelhealth.htm
You need Hepatitis A vaccine, malaria prophylaxis, and probably a Yellow Fever vaccination. Yellow Fever vaccine is the one vaccine for which there are still requirements to document to enter certain countries * and so sometimes even if you have no exposure you can encounter problems if you do not have the official "Yellow Card" with that vaccination documented. For example, while neither Lima, Peru nor Rio have any risk of Yellow Fever, you cannot enter either Brazil or Peru within ten days of being in the other country without a YF vaccination - they don't know where you went and they don't want you bringing Yellow Fever into their country. Usually you have to get this from your state health department. I stopped providing this vaccine because it cost me over $1,000 for a box of five and the health department gets it cheap and gives it for $100 or so. And it is a little heart-breaking to have a few bottles of that expire in the refrigerator....
* One exception: meningitis vaccination is required to go to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage.
May 3, 2015 08:30:17 #
OldEarl
Loc: Northeast Kansas
marram101 wrote:
Hi....I'm going to Africa for 3 weeks this summer. I'd like to buy a small, not a SLR or mirrorless camera, to take good photos while running around the jungle. I like the enthusiast compact cameras (Canon G15,Pany Lumix FZ-1000,etc.) but would like to have one with greater telephoto range. What cameras would you recommend?
You may be surprised. If you want to run around in the jungle, Central America or Vietnam might be a better choice, If I were planning three weeks in Africa, it would be in the highlands or savannah which are lush with wildlife. I would recommend something with a zoom capability and personally I would rather have an SLR with something in the 70-200 range.
May 3, 2015 08:47:40 #
sb wrote:
Sorry to see this has turned into a battle of wits... (show quote)
I bought a Canon SX60 about a month ago. Wow! Is it loaded. The in-camera HDR is a very nice feature. No lens changing and toting lenses.
May 3, 2015 08:49:04 #
Hi, I have just returned from three weeks to S. Africa. I took a Canon SX50. (50x zoom) My brother in law had a Canon SX700 with a magnetic loupe on lcd (30x zoom)Both took excellent shots. I'm so sorry you had to put up with such stupid remarks from your unfortunate use of the word "jungle". We went from Joburg to Golden Gate N.P. to Drakensberg mountains to Midlands Meanders to Swaziland (passport again) up through Blyde River Canyon and finally 5 days in Kruger N.P. We were well away from any jungle or Ebola. We did take malaria pills as a precaution ( in-expensive in Africa) B&B's and Chalets were inexpensive and very friendly. You will be pleasantly surprised as to how much that area can resemble travelling around Europe or the U.S.(good highways and accommodations)
May 3, 2015 09:25:13 #
If you are going to East Africa which is the main area for safaris, you will be in a savanna not a jungle. Most(I would say 95%) of your pictures will be taken from a open truck with 4 to 8 people in it. The last time I was there in 2008 I had Panasonic FZ 50 it worked out very good. You will see animals up close. We had a lion under one of the truck to get out of the sun. The only snake I saw on 3 trips was in a bird mouth as it flue overhead. Take lots of storage and an extra battery. I am sure you will enjoy your trip. Would love to go back.
May 3, 2015 09:35:06 #
Dsrapa
Loc: Outside of nyc
I took the Panasonic zs30 ( replaced by newer model). Need as much zoom as you can get. Wildlife are fast and/or distant for the most part. Probably Tarzan would be too. Take lots of sd cards. Have been in Ethiopia Kenya and Tanzania, South Africa and Botswana. Some jungle, some plains, some swamp, some city,and more. Have a great trip!
May 3, 2015 09:39:20 #
May 3, 2015 09:49:58 #
Jim Bob wrote:
How the hell did you take that poster's comment as a racial stereotype? If you got offended by that comment...you dod't belong on this forum.Maybe funny to some, offensive to others. I fall in the latter camp. Racist stereotypes continue to hound us.
May 3, 2015 10:09:42 #
Jim Bob wrote:
Maybe funny to some, offensive to others. I fall in the latter camp. Racist stereotypes continue to hound us.
I agree with mcveed. What ARE you talking about? I have hunted in Zimbabwe and saw no jungle where I was. What I saw was open wooded areas that gave long views, from 50-1000 yards. Where I am in California the manzanita is literally a jungle and is near impossible to walk through.
Maybe you should get your head out from a dark place and realize that words like jungle have no racial meaning unless people like you want to make it one.
Dennis
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