Your Single Biggest E. Africa Photo safari Question?

<p>Hello Everyone,<br /><br />I had originally posted this in the Nature forum and member Matthew Brennan kindly suggested a better fit here -- thanks Matthew. In any event, I will be traveling to Uganda, East Africa in February, 2012 and would like to find out from forum members: <br />"What is your <em>Single Biggest Question about</em> preparing for or going on a <em>photo safari in Uganda</em> OR East Africa more generally?"<br /><br />Thanks so much and Happy Holidays,<br /><br />Best,<br />J. Paul</p>

<p>Typically I read that there is a weight restriction for clothing/equipment when there is a small airplane portion of the travel. If memory serves me correctly, it is 12kg. My 600mm lens weighs 6.5kg by itself not counting its travel case. Is the restriction strictly enforced? What can be done to accommodate heavier camera kits? Sorry that is two questions but they would weigh heavily on my mind as well as baggage.</p>

<p>I've been to Africa three times (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana) but it was all done through land travel and therefore weight/size was never a problem. Neither was air regulations about gear (and let me tell you, air travel within Africa is a massive pain in the neck most of the times and that is, I'm truly sorry to report, due to the people at the airports - largerly untrained, slow, mostly bored and uninterested...generally, not a good experience).</p>

<p>My main concerns would be protection and security, BUT let me clarify this: I'm not talking about protection from the people there (even though I have heard personal reports from travellers who had their gear stolen in Uganda by bandits stalking the gorilla trails), but about gear protection. Africa is dusty! VERY dusty. ALL the time, even during the rainy season. Dust gets everywhere, even if you never, ever change a lens! 3-4 days down the line and you'll discover your sensor looks like it's been bombarded. And there the trouble begins: do you clean it? How? Is the environment clean enough to ensure that when you open your camera more dust will NOT go in? Should you go for the wet cleaning method for those truly persistent specks which show up on EVERY image from f/8 and above?</p>

<p>I have spent a total of three months in Africa and I've destroyed one sensor in my attempts to keep my camera clean. And of course, this goes for lenses (I had to have all my lenses professionally cleaned after my return). Can you prevent this? No, not really. Can you live with it? Weeeell, it depends. If you don't mind spending tens of hours cleaning your images using PS or LR AFTER your return, then sure, you can live with it. But if you don't, then you need to think about that and sort some solution out. In my last trip I had a small makeshift tabletop tent (just big enough to cover my upper torso and hands) and would put that up whenever I could (and situations permitted) to clean my camera in. Did it work? It was about 70% effective. Dust WILL get everywhere. Was it better than nothing? Oh, absolutely.</p>

<p>Thanks so much for your responses Allen and Marios.<br>

Certainly the weight restriction or limitation is a major frustration while the ubiquitous dust is all pervasive and as timeless a challenge as the Sands of the Sahara!! Thanks again guys, much appreciated, Happy Holidays and Happy shooting.</p>

<p>use film.</p>

<p>I traveled in Botswana and Zambia in October. We were fortunate in not facing the dust problem (at least most of the time) so often mentioned. I was careful not to change lenses in the field with only one or two exceptions. We were told our maximum weight would be something like 25 lbs for luggage and 10 lbs for the carry-on (camera). I planned for this and used a soft "gym type" bag for clothes but a good Think Tank Disguise 70 since it accepted a Nikon body on an 80-400 VR. I used this lens on a D80 most of the time, so there was a theoretical 600mm effect. I also had my D700 with a shorter zoom. So the reach of the 600 is desirable, but I'm afraid that the weight and bulk of a true 600 would be too much. We had a single engine 12 pass Cessna Caravan for one flight but three other flights in Zambia were on excellent twin engine BAE turboprops. No one ever weighed my camera bag. Our tour group's checked baggage was weighed together and nothing was said about any excess. Note, however, that on the final South African Airways flight to Joburg from Zambia one couple was challenged by the check-in agent and had to check their carry on because of weight! I checked in with a different woman and nothing was said (I kept the bag on the floor). So...prepare for the worst, but you may be quite fortunate. Some luxury tour companies have NO restrictions on weight and state this in their ads, but they are more expensive than the excellent Road Scholar one I took. Could I have taken a 600? Probably not. BTW, I saw one group in Chobe Park with huge lenses. I don't know if those were their own lenses or supplied by the tour company (some do this). This was my fourth trip to Africa but the first where I faced more serious weight restrictions, though, fortunately, they were not enforced in my case. Good luck!</p>