Safari Photography?

gsgary · Feb 9, 2009

It would be 300mmF2.8 minimum for me but i have that already

Overread · Feb 9, 2009

Alex do look into the possibilty of renting a lens like a 400mm or longer (or a 300mm f2.8) for when you get there - I think the added range will be a big bonus to you (and you can use the TCs as well)

As for other stuff- take as much silica gel as you can find (hot humid is not good for cameras!) some sealable plastic bags to store kit in when not in use (again with silica gel in the bags). That should help keep things dry - though its not as bad as rainforests!
If where you are going is very dusty a lens changing bag might be a help so that you can change kit without worrying about dustspots on your sensor - also if its looking to be very dusty then look for clear glass filters for your lenses (good quality ones of course) as they can be wiped clean quickly without worries of scratching the front element of your lens (UV is not needed as most modern lenses have UV coatings already).
A beanbag for resting kit on when your in the jeeps, maybe a monopod as well for heavier lense if there is space - a tripod is a good idea if you think you will get time for landscapes early in the day, but don't expect to be able to use it all the time - since you will likley be in the jeeps for most of the trip.

RyanLilly · Feb 9, 2009

A friend of mine, while in Tanzania, came home with some great shots using a 400mm prime, a 70-200, and a 1.4 and 2x teleconverter. The main benefit of this setup is combining your choice of converter with either lens. I have been to South Africa one, but it was unfortunately before I was into photography, but this is probably what I would bring if going back there.

the 70-200 will be very limiting on its own, I mainly recommend it because its a lens that you will want to have anyway, and it works very well with teleconverters.

You may also want to look into some third party long glass, like sigma. You can get more reach for less money, especially is you don't plan to use these lenses as ofter as others.

Also you will still get some use out of you shorter lenses for landscapes and such, There are different parks that raise animals and help reestablish populations, there you can get very close to big cats and wild dogs, physically play with baby lions, and even pet full grown elephants.

Depending on how structures your schedule is there are some very cool places to go. Shoot me a PM I you would like any more info about the places that I've been and what not to miss.

-Ryan

Katier · Feb 9, 2009

I think a second body is a good idea. Couple of reasons, precaution against faults/theft/accidental damage, and you can have both setup with different lenses.

Getting a good long lens would make sense, probably a 300mm with a teleconverter (or even two teles so you can have a 300/420 and 510 all with only packing one long lens. Keep the shorter zoom on the backup body for shorter range images.

anubis404 · Feb 9, 2009

Overread said:
first of a lens on any camera has the same zoom range that it will have on any other -regardless of crop or not, you don't get more range out of a crop sensor.
What is different is that a crop sensor camera will only read the middle areas of a lens and will ignor the outer areas of the image totally.
eg:
Take two 10MP cameras, one crop sensor and the other fullframe and put the same 200mm lens on each.
On the fullframe camera the full image from the lens will be captured and recorded by the 10MP sensor and that data in turn put onto the photo from the camera
On the crop sensor camera the sensor will only record the middle areas of the shot - and it will put this onto the 10MP sensor

thus when you compare the two the crop sensor camera shot will look like you have taken the middle area of the fullframe one and blown it up larger (though with improved image quality - generally speaking). The image looks as if its come from a longer lens, but infact its only come from the same 200mm lens. The differences are less if you compare a 10mp crop to a 20mp fullframe camera = now the fullframe can crop and get an image from the middle areas same as the crop sensor camera of comparable quality.

wiki might explain it better: Crop factor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I understand that part of it, but my original question stands. What is the physical difference in a 200mm FX lens on a DX body and a 300mm DX lens on a DX body?

anubis404 · Feb 9, 2009

RyanLilly said:
Summer(northern hemisphere) is a great time visit South Africa, its the dry season and there is hardly ever a cloud in the sky. The great thing is that you can use slower(cheaper) glass or teleconverters and still get awesome shots. Like others have mentioned Buying big glass might not be a good investment if you don't plan on using it much in the future. So I will suggest forget about upgrading your shorter lenses, they wont be that usefull and you don't need the extra speed during the day. A 70-200, is a lens I feel is so versatile that just about everyone shold have one anyway. Couple that with a 1.7x or 2x converter and you really have a good starting point for game drives. Now I shoot canon but I expect the 70-200 2.8 and teleconverters from Nikon to be just as good as canon. Even with any oem teleconverter, the quality is still very high, even for moderate enlargements, and the IQ will still kick the ass of consumer quality lenses. With the converters you can certainly make good quality prints, especially with how much you can stop down, and use base iso, with the availible light.

Clouds work as natural diffusers, and harsh sunlight all over the place really doesn't help your shots. I prefer cloudy days for shooting, just because the light is very soft and flattering.

AlexColeman · Feb 9, 2009

Yeah, I will have to look into a glass rental when I get there. Also, I should get the 70-200 with which TC? I have a 16-85 and 50 1.4 so it is really just the telephoto range. Thanks.

Overread · Feb 9, 2009

1.4 or 1.7 TC is the best investment a 2*TC is more tricky adaptor (mostly it only works really well with tacksharp prime lenses).
As range is important and the 1.7 appears to be well made I would say go for the nikon 1.7 TC

RyanLilly · Feb 10, 2009

anubis404 said:
Clouds work as natural diffusers, and harsh sunlight all over the place really doesn't help your shots. I prefer cloudy days for shooting, just because the light is very soft and flattering.

I understand the usefulness of couds then doing portraits and the like, but there's not much you can change about the weather. You can however us the sunlight, very low humidity, and perfect mild temp, to your advantage. Plus capturing the bright sun and how it plays on the terrain and animals, is all part of the natural beauty of South Africa.