stephen_louw

Good post -- I have the same problem on a Mac Powerbook. Good scans in the end though.

Stephen

I use the BH-3 ball head with a Gitzo 1325 tripod and it�s a super combination. I chose the BH-3 rather than the larger BH-1 to cut down on weight. The BH-3 lives up to the manufacturers claim, and can genuinely support a lens combo up to 300mm f2.8. Unless you use this sort of lens (I don�t) there is no reason to carry the excess weight.

 

I chose the 1325 as I find the smaller Gitzo carbon fiber tripods to be rather flimsy, expensive toys that, contrary to the manufacturer�s claims, do not properly support a medium lens, tc and flash.

I have a similiar setup (a bit heavier f 2.8 lens) and went through the same debate myself. In the end I decided against the lighter carbon fiber hiking tripods (Gitzo 1 and 2 series) as they really are not able adequately to support a camera with a moderate sized lens (+TC and flash) and are very short. Instead I settled on the Gitzo 1325, which is light (2 kg) but a little long (60 cm when folded) but very sturdy and tall enough for any situation. Tripod's are expensive, and it makes more sense to buy a good one that is able to do the job properally than to spend a bit less on what, for me anyway, would be easy to carry but inadaquate. The 1325 is the entry level in the Gitzo range. (Dont know the Manfrotto/Bogen equivalent).

 

Stephen Louw

I have imported quite a bit of stuff from B&H (to Johannesburg) on four seperate

occassions and have not had any problems. Certainly I have never been asked for a

bribe and have always got my stuff delivered to my door in a reasonable time. For

lenses they are a lot cheaper than buying locally, however the 10D can actually be

bought cheaper in South Africa than the cost of B&H + postage + duties.

Stephen Louw

I second Vic's remark. Try treating the locals as people rather than animals in a zoo and you will have a much better tourist and photographic experience. There is a lot more to India than finding our that your currency goes a long, long way with the "hindi's" (sic)

South Africa, like any other country inthe world, has its problems, and there are places you should be especially careful of. But don't let the prophets of doom scare you off. Keeping your gear underwraps is a good idea, but you would do that anywhere you travelled to, unless you wanted to attract crime.

Generally, South African roads are good, and you will not need a 4x4. Some places require this, but they will tell you in advance.

Stephen

Dear Harry

I am not an expert, but I cannot imagine you will have any trouble entering South Africa (where I live). Just make sure you declare everything on entry so that you are able to take it out without any problems. Customs will not try to bribe you in South Africa either, although this may happen in Ethiopia.

In terms of car hire, the best way to do this is to link it to your airticket. If you are flying South African Airways, this is very easy to do. Inside South Africa, the cheapest internal flights between Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg are via Kulula.com, which will then rent you a car (Tazz or Golf) at ZAR150pd (approx. $15pd), unlimited milage.

Hope this helps

Stephen Louw