South Africa Holiday--Recommended Gear?

<p>I just decided it was time to use up some spare frequent flyer points and 'buy' myself a trip for two weeks to South Africa in mid-late May. We'll spend about a week each in the Cape Town area and the Kruger National Park, with a few days in Joburg thrown in somewhere. Obviously, since I'm posting on this forum, I'm a bit of a photo enthusiast, and since I'd like to maximize my potential during the trip, I'd like to learn your opinions on what gear I should be sure to have around. <br>

What I have at the moment is: Canon 50D with Tamron 18-270 f/3.5-6.3VR (which is my partner's camera); Canon 50D with (all Canon lenses) 15 f/2.8 Fisheye, 16-35 f/2.8L II, 24-70 f/2.8L, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, 2x extender. I also have tripods, monopods, and a 580EXII flash. <br>

I figure I'm probably missing something at the longer end of the spectrum, particularly for the Kruger park portion of the trip. I wonder if anyone here has an opinion of what I should be bringing of the equipment listed above, as well as what I might want to add to the panoply....</p>

<p>I'm a nature photographer from the US currently shooting in SA for four months. You should bring it all. Maybe leave the Tamron as it's a bit redundant. The 70-200 with 2x should be fine.I would also leave the monopod and bring the tripod.<br>

Have you considered the Cape Peninsula (South of Cape Town) as a primary destination? It's one of the most stunningly beaufitul and photogenic places in the world. Kruger has also been photographed to death and it will be difficult to create a body of work that stand out much from what's already been done.<br>

If you came a bit later in August and September the profusion of wildflowers is world-class.<br>

In any case have a great trip. Be very careful of your gear here. Muggings and theft are very valid concerns. Be sure all of your gear is insured.</p>

<p>Here are a few bird photos from here.</p>

<p>www.wildnorthwest.org/sa_birds/just_birds.html</p>

<p>Brett</p>

<p>Thanks for the help! The timing is pretty much unchangeable, though the destinations are not. And I'm a 100% amateur, no interest/ability to sell anything, so any shots I take will be just for me and my friends/family. We'll be based in Noordhoek while in the Cape area, which I believe is south of the city, but beyond that I have no fixed plans.</p>

<p>What did you use to shoot those pictures you posted, by the way? I really like quite a number of them!</p>

<p>They were shot with the 400mm f5.6, with the exception of the terns and gulls, which was the 70-200. The 400 is the best flying birds lens made IMO - easily hand holdable and high-quality fully open. If you were going to get a bigger lens and don't want to break the bank, this is the obvious choice from Canon.</p>

<p>You will be very well positioned to explore the Southern Peninsula, only about 15-20 minutes from the National Park. A rental car is mandatory. You can see lots of baboons bear Noordhoek - and even more in the park (that's what I'm here photographing).</p>

<p>Be sure to visit Strandfontein if you like birds. It's a world class spot for waterbird photography. Easy pickins.</p>

<p>We've been to Kruger three times and as amateur photographers we love the pictures we took there! The north / northeast of the park is less crowded and enchanting, along the Shingwedzi river and the Pafuri area, where we spent two mornings with a group of elephants bathing in the deep river, and no car beside ours. <br>

We rented a medium-sized SUV (4x2) like the Honda CRV or Nissan X-trail at the Kruger International Airport and took most our shots with Sigma 100-300 f/4 + 1.4 teleconverter, Nikons 70-200 2.8 and 300 f/4, this one sometimes coupled with a 1.4 teleconverter. So the 400 f 5.6 would be nice, but a 100-400 zoom with IS would be my choice from the Canon range. Remember in Kruger you shoot from the car, so IS is a good thing. We used 5kg Maize Meal bags bought at the supermarket as beanbags to stabilize the cameras.<br>

You can check some of the results and other info on the trips at our website <a href="http://www.photorats.art.br">www.photorats.art.br</a> (.br is for Brazil)<br>

Cheers, Cristian</p>

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<p>I'm an amateur photographer, and I went to South Africa last year and did Cape Town, Joburg, and Kruger with a 18-55mm and 70-300mm lens. I now have a 18-200mm lens and if I were to go again, I'd probably leave the other two behind. On the safari, I found it difficult to change lenses in the truck (not to mention all that dust getting on the sensor), and ended up using my point and shoot to take landscape photos. I admit that I would have liked a bigger zoom on the safari at times, but for the most part my 300mm was fine. I would recommend getting a lens with IS since 95% of my shots were taken from the truck with no tripod.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the replies; I ended up going for a 100-400 IS zoom upon receiving advice from the friends who will be hosting us for part of our stay in RSA. Their point was that the less I have to change lenses in the dusty environment, the happier I'll be. I will also have a second camera (a crop sensor model) along with me with a Tamron 18-270 on it; not the greatest lens in the world, but with quite a good range of focal lengths, so we should be covered. <br>

Mandy, I'm curious if you did a self-driving safari in Kruger? That's what we'll be doing, borrowing our friends' 4x4 for the trip. Figure we'll be able to suit ourselves as far as whatever support we need (such as using a bean bag support on the windowsill or similar). </p>

<p>I was in an organized tour, so you definitely have the advantage of being able to spread out your gear and have room to move around. I was often leaning over my friends' laps in order to get my shots. Also, I definitely agree with your friend about getting dust in the sensor. I went in the southern part of Kruger in December, and dust was a huge concern! I think you'll be happy with the lenses you chose. Have a great trip!</p>

<p>All three times we were self driving in Kruger. In our view is the finest way to go. No dust (closed windows + air conditioning), hours by the animals. We saw many upscale and top-notch Land Rovers staying by rhinos for no more than 10 mins... and people looking bored.<br>

even if a sighting is crowded, you wait for 10-15 min and get a good spot.<br>

big beanbags worked fine for us. Arthur Morris and Kirk sell pro ones, if you like. We bought real beans or maize at the market.<br>

Cheers, Cristian</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I went to Cape Town, Joburg, Kruger, and Botswana last September. I think the 100-400 IS and an 1.4x extender is a good idea, as it gives you plenty of reach. (I used this combo myself.) Of course 2x is even longer, but the reduced IQ and light might not be worth the tradeoff. I would highly recommend a second body with the 24-70, so you don't have to change lenses. Need not be a fancy body-- the lightest Rebel would suffice. The flash might be difficult to use, since it's a bit obtrusive. Remember that you'll probably be carrying equipment and other bags, so it'll be difficult to baby a camera with a big flash attached. While I was in Kruger (private guide in minivan) and on the Botswana safari (open sided Toyota landcruiser) the conditions made it impossible to use a monopod or tripod. I saw other safaris that were much more compatible with photographers, but we didn't book for such a purpose. But the tripod would be useful (and useable) for any landscapes you might do, and there's lots of breathtaking vistas. Heed the warning about hiding your equipment from view while in Cape Town or Joburg. Cheers!</p>

 

<p >Hi James…</p>

<p >Thought you may find this interesting…</p>

<p >You can rent cameras and lenses from <a href="http://www.lensrental.co.za">www.lensrental.co.za</a>. They are based in Johannesburg and can arrange for drop off at Johannesburg International Airport (OR Tambo). They also have designed packages specifically for visits to the South Africa game reserves.</p>

<p >On the lens front, particularly for wildlife</p>

<p >1. <strong> </strong><strong>Sigma 120-300mm</strong> – Combine this with a 1.4x teleconverter and you have a versatile and quality option for a visit to the park. I used it recently on a trip to the Kruger, for the first time, and was amazed with the results. </p>

<p >2. <strong>Canon 100-400mm</strong> – The lens provides versatility and range, in my opinion, the results can often be soft; although I used it recently and happy with the results; although images were soft as stated. Coupled with a 1.4x teleconverter you may find a reduction in focusing speed, particularly in lower light conditions.</p>

<p >3. <strong>Canon 300mm f2.8</strong> - Combine this with a 1.4x teleconverter and you have one of the best lenses ever made by Canon.</p>

<p >4. <strong>Canon 500mm/600mm</strong> – Although bulky lenses the proof is in the quality that they delivery. Excellent choices for birding.</p>

<p >On the everyday front, you cannot go wrong with a <strong>Canon 24-105mm f4 IS</strong>.</p>

<p >Enjoy the trip to South Africa. I’ve been here for 25 years.</p>

<p >Paul</p>