BarbB, I'm not sure of the cost differential, but if cost is not a significant factor, or it may be pocket change compared to the total cost of your trip, but I'd opt for the extra body, as it would serve two different purposes--a back up in case the prime camera gets damaged (it does happen).

I've never been on one of those safaris, but can you hand hold a 400mm with a 1.4 converter (almost 640 mm equivalent, not to mention the f/stop loss) steady enough to get the shot not showing any vibrations? Remember both your subject and you may be moving! I may be considerably older than you, but I find my maximum hand held range is now about 300MM; that is not a disparagement of youth, it was great when I had it, but those days are passed . Most of what I've read here on UHH from those who have made similar trips say that even tripods are next to useless (just like on ships and boats) as you will most often be in moving trucks on unfinished roads. .

Enjoy the trip and please post some photos when you return.

Nimbushhopper,

Thank you for reminding us that Memorial Day is a recognition and "Thank You" to those vets who didn't make it home!

It is not a thank you for serving that unfortunately, seems to be today's emphasis. The all Veterans holiday is Veterans' Day, and they are due the same "thanks for serving" and are honored for their time in the Services. The post V-N situation was an unfortunate aberration of that tradition and is slowly and thankfully is getting corrected.

BarbK

In my somewhat less than professional opinion, once you switch to RAW captures, you are going to have larger files filling up available file space. I have basically the same setup as you except that I use a Canon 60D, Win7 PRO and PSE 14 for most of my processing. My Camera is generally set for Large-fine files; I usually shoot in JPEG unless it is a really important shoot, ie. kid's weddings, family affairs, etc. in which case I also use RAW + JPEG so if I mess up some setting or forget to change, I can still recover the prints with RAW much better than JPEG opened in the RAW processor and with a lot less time, but they are done at my schedule with no pressure for immediate results.

If you are shooting RAW in continuous shooting mode and processing them all in RAW, the amount of time you must be spending in PP must be awesome, why? For almost immediate showing of the shots on a projector, large TV screen (or similar equipment), I would think the JPEG would be more than adequate. So long as the focus, exposure and compositions (no heads cut off) are OK, the public will be happy seeing and/or having them. A few years back our Camera Club was asked to take pictures of an 'open to the public' kids (with at least one parent) at a skating event and print a 4" x 6" photo for each kid. Pictures were all taken on the ice while skating. Four of us took pictures, all JPEG; we limited the number of shots per card to about 15-20 so we didn't have any downtime at the printer; we all had extra cards, and one person ran the printer. We only had a couple of bad shots--too slow a shutter speed, camera shake, etc., and those were retaken in a studio like area we had set up in advance.

I didn't hear any complaints and by eliminating extensive PP, the printer was mostly able to keep up so the waits were not very long.

That's strange, I bought the 60D shortly before the 70D was commonly available, and I remember the comments on UHH were mostly about it's better Video capability even after it was more available. Even Canon's ads mostly concerned Video; I don't remember any other features being praised.

To be perfectly honest, I had then just purchased a new camera that suited my needs (no "super" video) so maybe I didn't give a dxxx!

Good-Better-Best? Especially in photography doesn't that depend upon how and for what type of shots the camera is to be used? I find the higher burst speed to be more than adequate. The only times I've seen the processor slow is when I've used a high burst speed for several seconds and have an ungodly number of similar, almost identical, shots to process. In that case the composition is gone when the camera has processed them all so it doesn't really matter. Using a high burst speed you should know that the shot you want won't last for a second try; isn't that why we use the function? I think the number of auto focus points is more than adequate, but I almost always limit the AF to the center spot point. I know better than the camera where I want the focus; using any more than one point results in an average focus sharpness; that's not what I want.

Lastly, I had no intention of recommending the 60D over the others, but was just suggesting that the OP take a look at some other options depending upon his requirements and save some $$ if the 60D would do the job.

I'm not a pro photographer, and will agree with you up to a point, but but don't condemn all Real Estate photographers for the sins of a few; I have a hard time thinking that good real estate agents would accept lousy prints. When we listed and sold our house in MA, the photographs, both still and video, were generally very good; there was one taken of the front of the house that showed too many roadside trees & shadows that hid the house. I called the agent and she agreed so I took another photo from the middle of the street shot from closer to "our side" of the street and they used mine instead. I never heard of any complaints, but to my way of thinking, he was taking pictures of our house and spending our money so we had the last word. In a tough market the house sold within 30 days.

Pres Johnson definitely; he tried to micro manage the war and lost it. Not sure about McNamara, I think his main fault was ignoring the specifications, mostly for planes, and trying to force a one specification for all use plane onto the fighting services. Despite his "smarts" he never managed to realize that a jet fighter/bomber designed for off land use couldn't be safely landed on a carrier.

I shoot with a Canon 60D with the same 18-135 kit lens. I too find it to be a good around town walk around lens, but when we are traveling, or I know the shots will be distant, I mount a 70-300 mm zoom lens for the longer reach.

I am very happy with the 60D, but one point that 'rman1953' doesn't seem to have recognized is that the 70 & 80D's, which replaced the 60D, primary improvements were in their video functions. I very seldom take videos, two or three times in five years, I saw no reason to buy the 70D over the 60D. Except for the video they are essentially the same camera so why pay a lot of extra money for some feature I wasn't going to use? Depending upon his planned use, he may want to check Canon's on line store for a factory rebuilt camera and save some photo $ cash.

I'm sure that you realize that McD and all the others go out of their way to tell customers that the 1/4 lb. weight is before cooking not as served.

And how does he expect the northern end of a southbound dog to have any interest at all?

That type of behavior is what gives photographers, be they pros or amateurs, just being pushy and abusive when taking pictures of events. I suspect that he was too dumb and/or inconsiderate or both to ask the Reverend or the bride the her rules were in her church. With such total inconsideration, I surprised she didn't have him escorted out and ask for a guest who could take pictures. Someone must have had a camera.

I'm sure he will get badmouthed all over town so I'd think he won't be doing weddings for very long.

Wingpilot, I don't have any good explanation either, and when I first saw your reply, I thought perhaps we were in the same general area, but we are about 2000+ miles apart.

The prolific cactus is in a window at the back of the house, sheltered from the road lights, and we back up to a conservation area so it gets full fall-winter darkness; plants at the other parts of the house get more light, and the older two may have a second blooming, but not four.

I am in no way a horticulturist, so my thought is just to appreciate it when the surprise occurs and don't mess around with a plant that is older than I am.

It shouldn't be; my rule is when I'm not sure because of the lighting or subject is to use the next higher speed available and let the camera set the f-stop and ISO. Seems to work for me!

Mike, Very nice photos! For that longer lens, you may want to consider a 70-300 although never had a Sony they may not make one. When I was looking for a longer lens to supplement my canon 18-135, I opted for the Tamron 70-300 to go on my Canon 60D crop sensor camera. That choice was dictated by my question of whether I could hand hold a longer lens steady enough, and I can handle that, but most often use the +/- 250 mm length( Regis hand's to shoot 800 mm hand held I don't have, but then she doesn't have my years either). I dislike hauling a tripod around and the time (and shots) missed during the set up.