Tanzania Safari

[william hbh]

<p>I am going on a Tanzania safari in December and is pondering what equipment to bring. I have search and read quite a few of the discussion threads as well as Greenspun's African Safari Guide. I don't have the dollar nor the muscle to bring with me big telephoto lens. I will be traveling in an extended Toyota Land Cruiser with raised roof. I have allowed myself a budget of US$1,000 to get additional equipment if necessary. My current equipment consists of Nikon D80, D300, 17-55 f2.8, 18-200 VR, 70-200 f2.8 VR, 50 f1.8, 10.5 fisheye, Tokina 11-17 f2.8, 1.7 teleconverter, and SB-600 flash.<br>

I am planning to bring both bodies (ie D80 & D300), the 1.7 TC, 17-55, 70-200 and maybe the Tokina 11-17. I will of course bring tripod, monopod and bean bag for support. Now, here are my questions:<br>

1) With the 70-200 + 1.7TC and 1.5 crop factor of D80/D300, my longest 35mm equiv focal length is 510mm. Am I right to think this should offer me reasonable reach? I look at the photos in Greenspun's article - all of them were focal length of 420mm or below.<br>

2) If I spend my $1,000 budget for a longer reaching lens, the choices would be Nikkor 80-400mm VR, Sigma 150-500, and Tamron 200-500. Should I spend the money for the extra reach? If so, which of the 3 lenses do you recommend? The Tamron seems to get reasonably good reviews. Or, I can get a used Nikkor AFS 300 f/4. That will bump me up to 765mm with the 1.7 TC although I think auto-focus will be a little suspect with the TC in low light. True? I would rent if I can but there is no rental service where I live.<br>

3) I love wide and that's why I am thinking of bringing the Tokina 11-17 but should I bother? Will I have opportunities to make good use of it.<br>

4) Should I bring the SB-600 flash and get a flash extender like the better beamer to go along with it. Do I need this type of setup for shooting the animals?<br>

5) For bean bag support, I am thinking to getting the Kinesis SafariSack. Anyone has experience using it? Or maybe I should DIY it to save some money.<br>

6) Finally, a little off topic here but I am dying to get my hands on one of the new micro four thirds. Preferably, the soon to be released Panasonic GF1. Check out the sample gallery at dpreivew. The picture quality is gorgeous. Now, they have a 45-200mm lens (90-400 equiv focal length). Maybe I should get this before my trip and forget about lugging all my heavy DSLR equipment? Hmmmm<br>

Any advise for this once in a life time trip for me is highly appreciated!<br>

Wil</p>

[snommisbor]

<p>I have been 3 times and every time I bring less and less because I found I never used a lot of things. I have a D300 and I found the best kit is the 80-400 VR and a wide angle type lens for shooting around camp, although this last time for my around camp type shots I just carried a small P&S for the wide angle shots. You don't need a flash because the one on your camera will work fine and for the times you would actually use one it was not worth it to me carry it across the world for the maybe 1% of shots you would use with a flash. Believe me less is more and makes it more enjoyable and trying to use teleconverters on 70-200 2.8 type lens just adds more weight and doesnt get you any better then what the 80-400 will get you. I carried mine all through the bush and it performs well.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>1. Do not be fooled by the photos taken by professionals. They can usually afford to get much closer to the animals than you will ever have the chance of getting, not only because of the money, but usually because they make much more sophisticated arrangements and can afford to stay much longer at places (and therefore get more chances to shoot).<br>

2. The crop factor DOES NOT truly multiply your reach! It's just a narrower field of vision. So, with a 300mm you will not REALLY have the equivalent of a 450 lens. Trust me on that one!<br>

3. You need a minimum of 500mm. If you want to avoid having to crop massively afterwards, you need a long reach. It does not have to be a very fast lens - most of the time it will be bright sunshine and you won't have a problem with light. Personally, I'd go for the Sigma 150-500 (if I'm not mistaken, it has OS on it, so you'll be fine).<br>

4. Forget about the monopod. It'll only cause problems in the jeep. The space there is very limited and having to take a step back to allow for the monopod to set is a pain for the other people. Your beanbag idea is the best. Remember, you'll probably be resting your big lens on the roof of the jeep.<br>

5. I agree with Rob. A long telephoto and a normal walkaround lens will be more than fine. Maybe a portrait lens if you get to stay a night or two with the Maasai (but count on forking out some money to allow you to get their pictures).<br>

6. Flash? What for? You're going night driving? And if you were, trust me, even an SB900 wouldn't have been enough.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

[JosvanEekelen]

<p>I think your 20-200 + 1.7x are ok. I doubt whether you can improve on it for USD 1,000. Forget the tripod because you will hardly find any use for it. And consider bringing your monopod, depending on the way of transport it may be very useful.</p>

[jyoungman]

<p>I think a critical factor is whether your vehicle will be able to leave the roads. If your vehicle is confined to the roads, as is the case in South Africa, you will need the reach. Otherwise, maybe not. </p>

<p>I took a bunch of photos on a vacation in SA with the Sigma 120-400 OS lens. I needed the OS, partly because I was shooting with a D70s, which doesn't have such great low-light performance. Low-light performance is key becasue **all** your photos will be taken between 0600-1030 and 1600-1830. The reason for this is not that the light is unflattering between 1030 and 1600, it's because the animals all hide away from the sun and the camera. It's too hot.<br>

Dusk is the better of the two times, but of course it has low light. The light isn't always low, it just gets that way. I have photos taken at 400mm at 1/2000s at f/5.6. Photos with EXIF data at <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jay/SouthAfricaSafariMarch2009">http://picasaweb.google.com/jay/SouthAfricaSafariMarch2009#</a><br>

If you put the 1.7 TC on the 70-200, you;ll have what, f/4.8 with a field of view similar to a 340mm lens on a DX sensor? I did take pictures at 400mm, so maybe I'd have wished for more length. Given the great camera you have (in comparison to mine) I'd go for the Sigma 150-500, because the sensitivity of the camera would probably make the aperture a non-problem.<br>

Take the SB-600 for taking photos of people in camp. The strong sunlight will require you to use fill flash in quite a few shots. However, forget the flash extender, you will not need it during the day and it will be no help at night.<br>

Wide lenses won't be much help in the vehicle. If animals get close enough to give interesting perspectives with the 17-55, you will need to close the windows.<br>

The bean bag is a great idea. I used a "Wind-Bag" and it was totally awesome. See <a href="http://www.orms.co.za/product.php?a=view&product=1207&PHPSESSID=51a9ee286827689ee3106d284aa2d980">http://www.orms.co.za/product.php?a=view&product=1207&PHPSESSID=51a9ee286827689ee3106d284aa2d980</a> for details. <br>

I did use flash with the long lens, but not in the safari park, just for closer animals in rescue centres or in captivity (example: http://www.photo.net/photo/9696316)<br>

When planning your equiment, expect to use both bodies, one lens on each. I missed a critical shot while fumbling with equipment (a pack of African Wild dogs wandered past; they're so rare in that part of Africa that many rangers working in the park had never seen them).<br>

If I were going on safari to South Africa again I would:</p>

<ol>

<li>Avoid spending money on a still longer lens, instead I'd get a body with a crop sensor and better high-ISO performance than my current D70s (say, a D90).</li>

<li>Pay the premium to stay in the park to get the full benefit of the dawn and dusk (I had to drive out before dusk, because of the gate closing times).</li>

<li>Maybe buy a second wind-bag to avoid needing to move it from side to side all the time.</li>

</ol>

 

[jyoungman]

<p>I forgot to say that something you really need on the type of safari I did is <strong>height</strong> . I rejected plenty of photos for poor composition, but more for being partly obscured by foreground vegetation. This will likely not be a problem if your vehicle is allowed to leave the roads.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>I would certainly bring both bodies as it is important to have some backup. If you can afford a Nikon 300mm/f4 AF-S, I would get that. 300mm should be quite long on a DX body for safari. Add your TC if you need to photograph smaller birds. For anything closer, you have the 70-200.</p>

<p>Tripods and monopods are not that useful on safari vehicles.</p>

[william hbh]

<p>A big THANKS for everyone here taking the time to give me some much needed pointers.<br>

Marios, thanks for pointing out the 1.5 crop factor doesn't equal reach!<br>

James, thanks for sharing your photos and for pointing out whether the vehicle will be allowed to leave the roads. I will certainly find out from my agent. Good tip re dawn/dusk shooting and the benefit of staying in the park.<br>

Shun, would the TC17 work OK with the 300/f4?<br>

I will do some more research on the Sigma 150-500. Has anyone have experience with this lens? In particular, its image quality and focus speed. Also, would f6.3 at the long end be too slow?<br>

Thanks so much again for your comments.<br>

Wil</p>

[vivid_earth_photographics]

<p>Whatever new equipment you choose, choose it EARLY and get used to it. The time to learn the limits and strengths of the 80-400mm Nikon is not in the safari Rover. For $1400 or so it is expensive but affordable compared to the options. It is also HEAVY compared to most lenses you are used to. I got it for a trip to Alaska and don't use it a lot but when I do, I love it. I can't afford a $8000 faster lens, so this was the choice. In bright light it is tremendous fun to use with quite good results. VR is a life-saver with such a long lens.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>The TC-17E II will work on the 300mm/f4 AF-S, but Nikon's AF system is designed to work with lenses that are f5.6 or faster. Putting the 1.7x TC on the 300mm/f4 will give you a 510mm, f6.3. Expect AF to hunt a bit even during the day. That is why I would never get any 150-500mm f6.3 zoom for my Nikons.</p>

<p>I am afraid that Marios' comment on the "crop factor" leads to more confusion. When you put a 300mm lens on a D300 or D80, you will get the 450mm angle of view on FX (35mm film). Therefore, a 300mm lens is already quite long for safari animals, except for birds. When I went to Tanzania and Kenya in two separate trips about 10 years ago, my longest lens was a 500mm/f4 and I was shooting film back then. The OP's 70-200 and an additional 300mm/f4 should be very sufficient on his DX DSLRs. Add a TC (preferable a 1.4x but the 1.7x is ok) to the 300mm for smaller birds.</p>

<p>Nikon's 80-400mm zoom has the advantage of VR, but its AF is, at least to me, unacceptably slow and is soft on the 400mm end. The 300mm/f4 AF-S is optically better but it does not have VR.</p>

[doug_harhai]

<p>One suggestion on renting, William, since you mentioned that there are no places nearby to rent. You can rent online. I am going on safari in October and I am renting from Lensrentals.com. No affiliations with it, just thought I would pass it on. There are other places too.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>One more thing, especially since it was mentioned two or three times: in almost every game drive I went while in Kenya and Tanzania, the vehicles were not allowed to leave the paths. Yes, there were tons of paths leading pretty much everywhere, but vehicles kept to them at all times. Apparently there has been a lot of pressure in preserving nature lately. An example: visits to the Ngorongoro Crater (for me, one of the most beautiful places on earth) are now limited to half day visits (you can only enter at certain times from one specific place and you HAVE to be out 5-6 hours later at most). Same for Maasai Mara (for reference). The Serengeti is different as chances are you'll travel through it for more than one day, so...<br>

I don't agree with the low-light advice. True, all your drives will be from 0600 to around 1130 and then again in the afternoon, but it gets light REALLY quickly and, one of the reasons you get up so early is because you need to cross the distance between your camp (or lodge or hotel) to the park. I had my D700 with me but at no time did I have to raise the ISO to over 400 for game-drive shooting. Light was more than enough. (Of course, to be honest, I was faced with pretty good and sunny days - if it would have been very cloudy that might have been a different story...I don't know).<br>

Check out some photos at http://www.mariosforsos.com/gallery/6232925_AMQTX#492775750_XHyQv</p>

<p>and have all the fun in the world...;-)</p>

[richard_crowe4]

<p>"RENT" a lens from eBay....<br>

O.K., I know... eBay doesn't really "rent" lenses but, it does to the next best thing (or a better thing).<br>

I am not sure of the resale value of Nikon glass but, I am pretty sure that it compares with the resale value of Canon lenses.<br>

Purchase the lens that you want (don't worry about the cost but, make sure it is a popular lens and that you are paying about the going market rate or less for that lens - preferably an OEM Nikon). Charge it with Pay-Pal Credit. Test out the lens to make sure it is operating properly, use it on your trip and then sell it when you return.<br>

You will probably recoup your investment before your first payment is due to Pay-Pal.<br>

You will lose little, if any money and if you do lose a bit of cash, consider it a rental charge for providing the proper lens for a once in a lifetime occasion.</p>

<p> </p>

[william hbh]

<p>Marios, thanks very much for sharing your photos and I enjoy them very much. Were these taken with your D700 and on the animal shots, I am curious what are the typical focal lengths?<br>

Thanks .... Wil</p>

 

[herman_hiel]

<p>If you're interested in birds you should have at least a 500mm! Consider renting one. Even for mamals, a long lens is a plus: we once saw a leopard resting on a branch, in a bush. I stacked a 1.4 and a 2x multiplier on my 500mm and I needed it. Don't worry about logging your equipment: you'll be spending most of your time in a vehicle, so it doesn't matter.<br>

Forget about the tripod and flash; I take a monopod and seldom use it. My beanbag is homemade; I fill it up with rice or beans bought locally and at the end of the trip give it away. And I usually take most of my gear and am happy most of the times.<br>

I think nobody mentionned a pair of binoculars; you won't want to be without them.<br>

Since we're going to Tanzania in November, if I have any usefull news, I'll post it.<br>

Enjoy!</p>

<p> </p>

[william hbh]

<p>Thanks Herman. Yes, binoculars are already on my packing list. Have a good trip in November and I look forward to your post on any latest useful news. Wil</p>