Safari Telephoto Lens Choice shooting both Film and Digital

[joel_turner]

Hello. I am planning a trip to Kenya and Rwanda (Gorilla Trekking)

this fall and am looking for general advice from all and

specifically from those who shoot both film (slide) and digital. My

current kit (relevant to this discussion) is comprised of the

following:

 

Bodies:

Canon EOS 3

Canon Digital Rebel

 

Lenses:

 

Canon 17-40 L

Canon 28-135 IS

Canon 50 1.8

Canon 70-200 F/4 L

Canon 300 F/4 non-IS

Canon 1.4x Extender

 

My dilemma is this. While I enjoy my Digital Rebel it is nowhere

near as full featured as my EOS 3 (AF, Metering, Predictive

Autofocus, High frame rate, bright viewfinder) which concerns me.

I'm especially leery about using my Rebel in the Virunga Forests as

I'm concerned that it is not environmentally sealed enough for that

environment (high elevation, moisture). In addition, my lenses may

not be fast enough for film and with digital the ability to quickly

change ISO and immediate feedback appears to be the appropriate tool.

I'm also concerned that in Kenya I do not have enough lens reach with

film based shooting. There are articles on the web about this but

they primarily deal with the decision of doing a film vs digital

safari and in many cases the authors already own the appropriate

telephoto lenses.

 

Based on this information, here are the scenarios I'm contemplating:

 

1. Go all film, don't add any focal length and spend about $1,000 on

film and processing. Use Provia 400 where needed and Push 1 stop for

extra speed. If I miss shots so be it.

 

2. Purchase a 20D, use the Rebel as backup and leave the film at

home. With the crop factor I should be able to cover 112 - 480

natively and 156 - 672 with the extender. I can also keep the 70-200

mounted on one camera and the 300 mounted on another to minimize lens

changes.

 

3. Same as above but purchase a 100-400 IS lens. It's not as sharp

and it's a stop slower but it replaces two lenses in my kit. Based

on my research, samples vary but by stopping down one stop the high

end softness can be eliminated. It does allow more compositional

freedom and can also be used as a handheld secondary birding lens for

group and flight shots. Downside if it breaks in Africa I have no

backup.

 

4. Shoot both film and digital and purchase a used Canon 500 non-is

lens or a Sigma 500 F/4.5. The Sigma lens is supposed to be very

good but at $3339 is not cheap. This gives me lens coverage with

film and extender at the telephoto range at: 300, 420 ,500 and 700.

Digital of course will be higher. I can also autofocus above 5.6

with the EOS 3 which can not be done with either the 20D or the Rebel.

 

I'm personally leaning towards number two as an option. There are of

course ancillary costs associated with that decision. I need digital

storage, the ability to backup remotely, extended power which adds

several hundred dollars to the decision. The addition of the 100-400

also has some merit. I can see it be used for a variety of purposes

other than safari. The last option is the least likely course of

action. Ideally I'd like to rent the lens but have been unable to

find a place that does. The rental jump seems to be from 300 to 400

to 600. I have no desire to carry a 400 2.8 or 600 to Africa.

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

[beauh44]

Hi Joel, I've never been on safari, but I'll be happy to give you my .02 cent's worth on your gear questions:

 

1) Nothing wrong with film, but as you point out, the cost is pretty high. The $1,000 could get you in the ballpark of a 20D

 

2) That would be my choice. I own the 20D and it's amazing. As you point out you'll have your DRebel as a backup and the crop factor will squeeze a bit more out of your telephoto lenses.

 

3) I'm not sure of your budget, but if I were thinking of what for me would be a once in a lifetime photo opportunity I would try to find a way to get the Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens. I suspect you could rent one. Another possibility, buy one, use it and re-sell it. You should get most of your money back if you take care of it. The images from this lens on a 20D are just unbelievable, even with a 1.4X TC. (That would push you up and over 1000mm with the crop factor of the 20D) The 500mm f/4L IS is pretty heavy but not as bad as the 400 2.8 or the 600mm. You'll also need a tripod/head that can take it.

 

4) See my answer to number 3 ;-)

 

Yes, it gets expensive shooting with digital too - the CF cards, some form of backup (portable HD like digibin) But again, if you don't anticipate returning any time soon, I'd do whatever I could to get that lens on a 20D and both of them on a decent tripod/head combination. You'll have photographs that will blow your mind. Good luck and have a great trip!

[mark_chappell]

Well, that is a bit of a dilemma. If you were just doing the gorillas (which I understand is a

substantial amount of hiking in mountain forests), I'd recommend option 2. You don't

want to carry much and you'll need all the speed you can get. However, you're

maximizing your travel buck by also going to Kenya, and there the 500 mm will probably

be highly useful (even with digital crop factors). You don't always get as close to your

subjects as you'd like, and for smallish things like birds you usually need as much focal

length as possible. The one major disadvantage of the two 500s you mention is that they

are not stabilized. That means you'll need a hefty tripod IF you use them much in walk-

around mode. It's been many years since I was in Kenya but I believe the standard

procedure is to drive around in vehicles that you do not get out of. In that case, you need

a beanbag (easy to transport) but not a tripod with your 500.

 

Given the choice, I'd vote for the 500 over the 100-400 (although the latter is an

amazingly useful lens for landscapes and suchlike). Consider taking a 500 instead of the

300. However, you probably don't want/need a 500 for the gorillas and I don't know

whether a 70-200 is all you need for them or if the 300 will be valuable.

 

I highly recommend going all-digital but you will need to get a backup device or spend a

fortune on CF cards to hold all the images you're bound to take. If possible, carry a

laptop. If not, get a BIG portable hard drive device. One with a small LCD screen may help

you delete obviously bad images if you run short of space. You could use the various JPEG

modes instead of RAW, but the latter carries much more information, and why skimp on

image quality on what's likely to be a trip you won't repeat often, if ever.

 

Once you sort out what to take, go without second-guessing and have a great time!

[wildpicture]

Joel, I would advice option 2 or 3. Depending a bit on how you can/want to spend. For Virunga you want to travel as light as possible. The hike up to the gorillas is tough and slippery. Not a hike on which you want to carry around too much equipment. Because light conditions can be tempting, an IS lens wil be helpfull. Although with digital you can also easily shoot at 400iso.

 

For general safari in Kenya the 100-400 is ideal. I don't know which parks you'll visit but in most you get pretty close to the animals. Normally in film a 400mm will be enough, apart from close up portraits or small birds. So the 100-400 on digital giving you 160-640 with IS and high ISO speeds is perfect. The IS feature is really helpfull as most photography will be done from Landrovers or little busses with open roofs. So no way you can use a tripod. And no window mount either , unless you have your own private vehicle. That makes the 100-400 with a beanbag the ideal option.

 

For option 2 and 3 you will of course also need several CF cards (and spares) and some way to download the day's shoot in the evenings. And spares batteries of course! Not all lodges will have electrical power in the evenings, so using portable harddisks, laptop and battery chargers can sometimes be a bit tricky.

 

I would forget about option 4. Renting a lens for several weeks is VERY expensive. It will probably be cheaper to buy it second hand and sell it again after the trip! But the main disadvantage is that such a lens is big and heavy. In Kenya it may be nice. Specially if you have your own vehicle. But what when you have to share your vehicle with 4 or 5 other people. You'll be very hard pressed to get any decent shots that way. Also where would you leave such an expensive lens in Virunga? I am sure you won't want to carry it on the hike. And in general flying with bigger lenses is becoming more and more of a pain these days. Many airlines have weight restrictions on carry-on luggage and they are sometimes very strict about it. A friend of me had to check in his 500/4.5 because his bag was over 5kg (11lbs). You don't want that to happen!

[jreades]

It's worth figuring out how much the storage of digital photos will cost you too --

admittedly it'll be re-usable storage, but I don't know how I'd feel being reliant on a

portable hard drive or laptop half-way up a mountiain in Uganda. Personally, I'd be

tempted to go with a mix: digital and film and play to the strengths of each as best you

can.

 

If you're primarily interested in the game animals (the 'big five' and so on) then you

could safely get by without having all of the reach of 500 * 1.4. I was shooting with

something (it was a loan and before I really paid much attention to such things) with

something in the 300 range with a 1.4TC and didn't feel like I missed many shots (of

course I missed *some* shots, but if you're always switching lenses you'll also miss

*some* shots). If

birding is your thing, however, then you'll absolutely need to go longer.

 

I also wouldn't underestimate the value of a good wide-angle lens in Africa since the

scenery is just so mind-numbingly awesome and something in the 20-30mm range would

be invaluable for setting the scene for your gorilla and game photographs.

 

Bear in mind, however, that many places may have restrictions on how much weight you

can bring on a small plane or on how much the guides are willing to assist you with. Do

you really want to be carrying a 17-40, 70-200, 300, 500, 1.4TC and two camera bodies

on

your back? How will you feel sheperding those through the joys of corrupt customs

officials ("Ah, you look like a professional. There is a surcharge of... ummm... $200 for

professional photography").

 

I guess that if I were to sum up my recommendations they would be:

 

1. Go for versatility -- one good, long prime should be the only prime that you take. It's

hard to anticipate where and how you'll be shooting so some good zoom lenses will be

very useful. This would lead me to give the 100-400 some serious consideration.

 

2. Go for simplicity -- try to ensure that all lenses can be used on all cameras. Take the

fewest lenses that you can while still ensuring that you have the widest possible overall

range of focal lengths. The 28-135 might be reasonable here, or perhaps just the *very*

lightweight 35/f2 or 50/1.8?

 

3. Go for fun -- none of your trip will be enjoyable if you have to spend your entire time

with a support team of camera case bearers and are always worried that if you let bag

number four out of your sight then your longest lens is history... if you can't manage it all

on your back comfortably for extended periods of time (you'll be hiking in the jungle) then

I'd probably go back through and narrow down the options rather more aggressively.

 

A ballpark suggestion to consider would be:

 

1. 28-135 or 24-85

 

2. 100-400

 

3. 500 (maybe)

 

4. 1.4xTC

 

Assuming that the 100-400 works with a TC then the first one that I'd *consider*

dropping is the 500 since it will be by far the heaviest of the lenses. It would be a very

tough call because obviously the reach and speed of a long prime is wonderfully useful

and ideal for some types of shots in Africa (based on my limited experience) but it's the

one with the least flexibility for framing a photograph when it might be impossible to

relocate (because you're shut up in a Land Rover in the middle of a pride of lions or

because if you move then the alpha male gorilla is going to get very, very unhappy).

 

HTH

[joel_turner]

Thanks for all the input so far. I need to clarify a couple of things based on responses.

 

I have not done the gorilla hiking myself but have read reports on it including the scouting report on Joe McDonald's web site. He used (film at the time) a Sigma 120-300 2.8 and a 28-135 IS. You absolutely do not need a 500 focal length for this. While you are restricted from approaching the Gorillas too closely once you make contact and set up, the gorillas do not follow these rules and often approach within several feet of observers. Digitally If I went with a 100-400 IS I'd bump the ISO up to 400 minimum for the shooting conditions, with film the 70-200 and 300 would suffice and I'd carry Fuji Provia 400 and push it as needed. The other thing to bear in mind is that most trips you use porters to carry equipment for a nominal fee.

 

Another clarifier - I own 2 CF cards already but would need to get at least several more in the 1GB range for the 20D. I also own an Image Tank with a 20GB hard drive which would need an upgrade. The Gorilla lodge and some of the tented camps in Kenya do not have electricity so at the very least multiple batteries and/or a high capacity battery like the one at DigitalBattery.com would be needed for parts of the trip and then recharged at various points. I really do not want to bring a laptop on the trip but must if I go digital. I should have said up-front that I plan on shooting RAW and will need storage accordingly.

 

Weight is a factor. My flight back from the Mara is on Kenya Airways which has a strict weight limit. I can't carry 40lbs of equipment.

 

I am going on a private safari so there are no other people in the van to worry about other than the wife :-) Surprisingly this was not that much more expensive than joining a group tour and cheaper than going on a published photography safari where 3 per vehicle is the norm.

 

To respond to Jon, the 100-400 does accept the extender but my understanding is that performance is significantly reduced, your minimum aperture is F/8 and autofocus is not possible. Not a good combination. I also see Beau and Mark's argument about the IS on the 500. Digitally that becomes an 800 lens digitally and that's before the extender. Even with a beanbag I'm not sure what my keeper percentage would be based on sharpness.

 

A big factor for me is not the film vs digital argument (each has it's own use) but the performance between an EOS 3 and the Digital Rebel. Perhaps the 20D will close the functionality gap.

[mark_chappell]

<I> I also see Beau and Mark's argument about the IS on the 500. Digitally that becomes

an 800 lens digitally and that's before the extender. Even with a beanbag I'm not sure what

my keeper percentage would be based on sharpness.</i><P>

 

If you have the IS 500, your keeper percentage on a beanbag will be very, very high.

Beanbags are pretty stable at reasonable shutter speeds. They work quite well even with

non-stabilized lenses (I've used them successfully with an old 800 mm + 1.4X, at 1/200

or higher). With an IS lens, they'll work very well indeed.<P>

 

But as others have said, you <I><B>don't</b></i> want to be carrying a 500 plus tripod

up a steep, challenging trail to the gorillas.

[herman_hiel]

Joel,

you have enough info on the safari side; here is a bit on the gorillas: to start with, check the travel thread, as there are - or were - a couple of articles on gorillatrekking. I went to the Virunga on the Ugandan side and that is some 8 years ago. In that part of the world, things do change fast. Besides the trackers, we had locals carrying our backpacks, which is neat, as the going is tough. When we made contact, we spent exactly one hour with them. So you don't want to fiddle with gear. Tripods or monopods were out of the question, as well as flashes. You might use the shoulder of a carrier as a tripod? Lightconditions can be very unpredictible; if you make contact on a rainy day - which is not unprobable - light is very poor. So to be able to switch ISO is unvaluable. So get a DSLR!The closest we were allowed was 5 meters (15 feet); when they moved, we moved. You should be OK with your present lenses. If you want more info, mail me directly.

BTW I hope you will also videofilm; this is a meeting of once in a lifetime. Enjoy.

[milan_korvin]

For a safari in Tanzania, I was based in a camp without electricity. I bought a DC 12V AC 220V 300w convertor and recharged every evening camera batteries and Archos storage battery without problem. Laptop is big, heavy and breakable: I let it home. I used a 500 4.5 Sigma, pretty fine but not so sharp as a Canon IS or a Nikon 500 f4, but good performer for the price. I shot slides and digital, and must say that digital is much more flexible (iso setting, color rendition etc..)Next time will do pure digital. So I believe that option 2 is my favorite, with a wide angle zoom, a dc/ac convertor and a 40gigs strorage.