mandy_wong

<p>I used to work on a whale watching boat, and I can tell you that a tripod is useless, and I would skip the monopod as well. For whale work, the shutter speed will be so high that it won't matter. If pressed to choose one lens over the other, I would choose the 100-400 lens. Canada has strict whale watching guidelines, and any good tour operator will stick by them. While you will sometimes get lucky with a close encounter, the majority of the time you will be shooting from a decent distance (especially seals/birds - they tend to spook if boats approach too close).</p>

<p>I went to South Africa 2 years ago with a D80 and a 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens (an old one, non-VR). I can't comment on the lenses in terms of quality, but I would definitely say that you will appreciate having the extra 100mm. I even found my 300mm inadequate at times. I also agree with the comment that whatever lens you choose, you should get one with VR. I wish I had upgraded to a newer VR lens before the trip. If you're like me and don't have the money to spend on a backup body, I would bring along a point and shoot camera. I used it for video (nothing fancy, just something to show my friends) and found myself pulling it out a couple times when there wasn't enough time to change to my wide angle lens. Although, this entirely depends on the type of safari you're going on. I was the only semi-serious photographer in my group, so I didn't feel justified asking them to wait while I fiddled with gear.</p>

<p>I stayed at Sacha Lodge this January, and first off, I'll say it was amazing! There are two possible licks that they can take you to, depending on whether or not there are parrots/parakeets to be found. From what they told us, you are fairly far away in the blinds (I don't remember exactly, but I think it was around 100 feet?), but I'm guessing that the 100-400 should be enough. Keep in mind the parrots might not be at the lick. We were lucky that even though the parrots weren't at the clay lick, they were flying along the edge of the Napo River so we saw them from our boat, and didn't have to pay the entrance fee.<br>

Even though you didn't ask, when you do the tower excursions, there isn't a lot of room, and sometimes you're shooting from the bridge, so although you can bring a tripod, it won't be useful most of the time. Image stabilization is highly recommended. I shot with a 200mm lens and it wasn't nearly strong enough. One of the birders I talked to said next time he would bring a scope and shoot with a p/s through it.</p>

<p>I was there in December and it was the trip of a lifetime! You can expect to get a lot closer to the animals that usual. I'm used to sea lions skittering away at the sight of humans. On the Galapagos, they're practically tripping over your feet while you're trying to maintain the 6 feet of distance.<br>

People have pretty much covered the land needs, so I won't bother restating. The only thing I would keep in mind is that my guide told me that you are not allowed to use a flash within 10 feet of an animals. However, lighting there wasn't a problem except when the animals were hidden under bushes. I might be tempted to leave behind some of the gear just because I was so hot there and the realities of trying to disembark off a dinghy.<br>

As for underwater, I'm not sure if you're a diver, but if so, seriously consider a strobe for your underwater pictures. Although the viz is pretty amazing, you'll just get better shots with a strobe. This is especially true for sharks which are often farther away and hovering in a current, which causes an oily-looking thermocline. I got along fine with my built-in flash, but my friend's strobe setup took much nicer pictures. Although, we both got better macro shots when we dove our P/S cameras with built-in flashes.</p>

<p>I was in an organized tour, so you definitely have the advantage of being able to spread out your gear and have room to move around. I was often leaning over my friends' laps in order to get my shots. Also, I definitely agree with your friend about getting dust in the sensor. I went in the southern part of Kruger in December, and dust was a huge concern! I think you'll be happy with the lenses you chose. Have a great trip!</p>

<p>I'm an amateur photographer, and I went to South Africa last year and did Cape Town, Joburg, and Kruger with a 18-55mm and 70-300mm lens. I now have a 18-200mm lens and if I were to go again, I'd probably leave the other two behind. On the safari, I found it difficult to change lenses in the truck (not to mention all that dust getting on the sensor), and ended up using my point and shoot to take landscape photos. I admit that I would have liked a bigger zoom on the safari at times, but for the most part my 300mm was fine. I would recommend getting a lens with IS since 95% of my shots were taken from the truck with no tripod.</p>

<p>Hi Marco. I've spent quite a bit of time photographing orcas, and the bad photos far outweigh the good ones. But those few good photos were definitely worth all the time and effort. Since you mention that you're going specifically to see them hunting sea lions, my guess is that you're going with a research vessel, which means you'll get some great shots!<br>

First, I'd suggest a good zoom lens (200-300mm) with a polarizer lens. I've seen people use fixed focal length lenses, but I consider zoom lenses to be far more versatile. You'll definitely appreciate being able to zoom in, but if the whales come in close, you don't want to miss shots while changing lenses! As for the polarizer lens, I consider this a must because I missed the opportunity to have a great shot by not equipping my polarizer last summer. It will also help you bring out the colour in the water. This probably goes without saying, but shoot with a fast shutter speed and wide aperture. Also, I don't tend to find tripods useful but a monopod may be useful just to help with the weight of the camera.<br>

Second, watch for the whales' pattern and anticipate where they are going to surface. Manually focus your camera on that point, and tweak it if necessary when they do surface. If you wait for them to surface, then aim your camera and try to auto-focus, they will be gone before you get a decent shot or you will end up with all blurry shots. This is going to be tougher with transient killer whales as they tend to stay down longer and don't breathe as repetitively. Also, all bets are off while they're foraging since their movement pattern will be much more erratic.<br>

The best times to take pictures are in the mornings and late afternoons, and I've found that some of the best shots have land in the background, especially when taking pictures of larger groups of animals. Shoot in digital if you can and take lots of pictures. You'll end up deleting a lot, but the ones that work out will be worth it.<br>

Finally, don't get stuck behind the camera so often that you miss just enjoying the beauty of these animals. It can be far too easy to spend more time looking at them through a viewfinder or on a LCD then actually watching them. Have a great trip and I hope you get a lot of good shots.</p>