alastair_anderson

<p>Thanks very much for your replies. A friend has alerted me to a website that has caused me to rethink this. The last time I was in SA I tried to investigate hiring but was unsuccessful. Perhaps this was because I was only looking at a Nikon rig. It seems though that I will be able to hire Canon equipment in Durban and it will be a lot cheaper than buying and then attempting to resell. That said, I think I've come to the conclusion that if I were to buy I'd probably be prepared to spend a bit more and get the 7D and the Mark II version of the lens. It would have a better resale value anyway.</p>

<p>Again, thanks a lot for your contributions.</p>

<p>Hi everyone,<br>

I'm looking for some quick advice. Can anyone suggest a combination of camera and lens suitable for wildlife (South African game reserve) and particularly birds?<br>

Although I can outlay around £2,000 I intend the cost to be as low as possible, I'm thinking around £500 max. In other words I'm intending to recoup most of the money. I'm living in Europe. Hiring equipment in South Africa is fraught so it is my intention to buy a camera and a single telephoto zoom lens in the UK and sell both when I return.<br>

My question for the forum is what camera and what lens. I'm considering either Nikon or Canon. I'm posting here because I've been banned from the Nikon forum - I managed to irritate a moderator. I'm thinking either Nikon D7200 and 200-500 lens or an appropriate Canon camera with the latest 100-400 lens. I am more familiar with Nikon DSLRs but have owned a film EOS camera in the past.<br>

Any thoughts?</p>

<p>I'd be most grateful.</p>

<p>Thanks for the detailed information, everyone and the lovely photographs - very inspiring.</p>

<p>Anyone know what size and kind of filter will fit a 105mm Tessar f 3.5?</p>

<p>M3 or M2 (each has strengths and weaknesses) become digital by having a replaceable sensor, fitted as easily as changing a roll of film. Indeed this sensor should approach the thinness of film and slot into the same space. Thus it would obviously be full frame. We could begin with something equivalent to the current Canon 50 megapixel sensor, which could of course be discarded as the technology develops. Existing M2s and M3s should all work with no conversion required - somehow the slot in sensor will also incorporate the battery and SD card or equivalent. Miniaturisation should mean that everything can fit into the space available for the film canister. I'm sure I have every chance of seeing it.</p>

<p>M3 with summicrons - 50 and 90</p><div></div>

<p>If digital were allowed with modern cropping capability I'd pick a wider lens; as it's specifically excluded I'd say M3 with Apo summicron 50.<br>

The single lens constraint is unreasonable. If limited to one lens then a camera with a fixed lens is better: Hasselblad Superwide perhaps.</p>

<p>I think I worked it out. The other modes only kick in when automatic exposure modes are selected.</p>

 

<p>Camera only has 4:</p>

<p>forced flash<br>

commander<br>

external flash<br>

suppressed flash</p>

<p>According to the manual there should be others:</p>

<p>auto<br>

slow synchro</p>

<p>These latter two are missing. </p>

<p>I was wondering if anyone else had encountered this.<br>

Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>Thanks for all your responses. They have been very helpful.</p>

<p>Thanks for the responses. For the moment I'm sticking with film anyway. It's great to use the M3 again.</p>

<p>Been using my M3 and I really enjoy being able to focus with both eyes open. I was wondering whether any of the digital M cameras have a .85 option. I wish they would offer a .92 magnification as on the M3.</p>

<p>Thanks, Jochen. I didn't think there were electronic contacts. So in aperture priority mode the camera will set a shutter speed based on the amount of light hitting the sensor through whatever aperture has been set. I would probably use manual mode most of the time.</p>

<p>Quick question. I've never owned one of these. I'm thinking of buying a digital M camera. Can someone explain how A exposure mode works. How does the camera know what aperture you've set? Do modern M lenses have electronic contacts?</p>

<p>Anyone know how much the Leica M-A will cost in the UK and when it will be available? I've always wanted a brand new M2.</p>

<p>Mini garden</p>

<p>No notable bokeh, but I'm following the theme by using a fast Sigma, though this time at f8.</p><div></div>

<p>There are better tools, but it's the workman that counts.</p>

<p>Some modern lenses are designed to perform best wide open. (Actually I'm mainly thinking of Leica F2 primes).</p>

<p>Sounds like you were lucky (if that's an appropriate word - I'm more lucky because my lens hasn't been dropped!). All I can think of is that you should check the focus accuracy at a variety of distances. If you can't see an impact mark then it probably wasn't dropped from any great height. It may well be fine.</p>

<p>Capable of becoming a stone cold killer:</p><div></div>

<p>Normally a sweet little cat:</p><div></div>

<p>Ara, can we see a few more examples?</p>

<p>I take one camera and only 2 cards, and they aren't very big: CF Sandisk Extreme Pro 32gig; and SD Sandisk Extreme Pro 16gig.<br /> I also take my 11 inch (small) MacBook Air and download the day's shots in the evening.<br>

I shoot raw only, no back up, on the CF card and overflow to the SD card. <br>

Perhaps I'm taking too much of a risk, but I trust this equipment. It would be different if I was shooting professionally.</p>

<p>In case you hadn't seen it here's the link to the post that Robert refers to above:<br>

http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00cQ9H</p>

 

<p>I used this lens on a D800 in the Kruger National Park in South Africa in August last year and I was very pleased with the results.</p>