Equipment Recommendations

[James Graham]

Have some friends who will soon be going on Safari in East Africa. They have asked for some recommendations on photographic equipment to take with them. Here are the parameters:

1.They are not photographers, but have time & ability to learn the essentials of a new camera, etc.
2. They are interested in Canon equipment.
3. While they are not wealthy, they definitely want to get beyond the point and shoot phase e.g. A good SLR with several interchangeable lenses.
4. Of course, they want to bring back memorable images of their trip.

Your help and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.:http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...lies/smile.gif)

[Jeff Donald]

I used to lead trips to East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) and I'm leading a photo safari there in 2011, so I have a little experience. First I would recommend that they each have a camera, it's no fun sharing and you miss a lot of great photo opportunities with only one camera. The second camera could be a point-n-shoot like the Canon G11 or Canon SX20. Both cameras are under $500 and will allow for each person to shoot.

The dSLR I would recommend would be the Canon T1i with the 18~55mm IS kit lens for under $1,000. This would be great for scenics and is light and compact for traveling or shoots around the lodges/tents etc. I would recommend the Canon 100~400mm IS lens for the wildlife shots. Total cost of the package would be around $4,000, maybe more by the time they add accessories like extra batteries, battery charger to plug into vehicles, extra memory card, camera bag, cleaning accessories, etc. They could always cut a few corners, get only one camera etc. to save a few dollars. However, for a once in a lifetime trip I usually urge people to get the equipment they really need.

[James Graham]

Thanks Jeff...great info!

[Roger Clark]

I would recommend against the 100-400 L lens. It is not sealed and when you zoom the lens you pump air and dust into the lens and body. (yes I have a 100-400). I would recommend a 300 f/4 L IS plus a 1.4x TC:
gives the same reach, sharper image quality, lower weight and less cost. The Serengeti can be quite dusty, so dust on the sensor needs to be mitigated. On my first trip to Tanzania, a friend had a 20D and the 300 f/4 and got many great images. If I had to travel really light, that is the lens I would take (I have always taken 500 f/4).

Roger

[john jackson]

I like Jeff's idea of a high-quality compact for general shooting, but wonder if lenses such as 100-400 and 300 f4 are tricky for non-photographers to use. Might a 70-300 IS be a bit easier to handle?

[Nancy A Elwood]

I know you mentioned they were looking Canon, but I tell you the Nikon D300 or D300s with the Nikon 70-300VR would be a great combo. Then as a landscape lens the Tamron 17-50 f2.8. That all would cost around $2500. Or if the D300 was too much maybe the D90, but the D300 is weather sealed.

[Jeff Donald]

The dust factor is only critical certain times of year in the Serengeti/Masai Mara. Dust can be more of a year around factor if you travel north in Kenya, around Samburu. The 300mm f/4 IS would not be my first choice (and I own one) for a relatively novice photographer. If they are traveling north or during the long dry season then a few simple precautions can avoid most of the dust issues. The 100~400mm has IS as well and is much more versatile in a two lens outfit. Jumping from a small, light walk around lens to a 300mm will leave some big gaps in the system and many missed shots in my opinion.

[Roger Clark]

The dust factor is only critical certain times of year in the Serengeti/Masai Mara.

I'm surprised by your statement. You drive on dirt roads (or no roads at all around Ndutu) and within a short time of huge rain storms the land dries out so as you drive down the road you are in a cloud of dust. You stop and the cloud of dust envelops the vehicle. Or another vehicle pulls up while you are shooting and you are enveloped in a cloud of dust. Dust is always a factor unless its really muddy (been there then too).

The 300mm f/4 IS would not be my first choice (and I own one) for a relatively novice photographer. If they are traveling north or during the long dry season then a few simple precautions can avoid most of the dust issues. The 100~400mm has IS as well and is much more versatile in a two lens outfit. Jumping from a small, light walk around lens to a 300mm will leave some big gaps in the system and many missed shots in my opinion.

I understand, amateurs like zooms. But the 300 f/4 delivers sharper images at 300 mm than the 400 does at 400. Canon's MTF charts show the weakness of the 100-400 too. I own both lenses and for image quality I always chooses the 300 f/4 over the 100-400.

Some people seem to have a lot of problems with dust on sensors, so I developed this article:
http://www.clarkvision.com/photoinfo...hanging.lenses
But even with the above methods, some people have had problems with dust on sensors. I don't have any problems with dust on sensors, despite trips this year to Tanzania, India, Hawaii, multiple trips to the American southwest, all over the US, Puerto Rico, and Europe. And I have not had to clean my sensor even once on either my 1D Mark II nor my 5D mark II at all this entire year. The problem seems to be people who use lenses that are not sealed. Unsealed lenses (e.g. the 100-400) let air and dust into the camera when the lens is on the camera. All my lenses have sealed rear elements so no dust can the in the camera. The people I've discussed this issue with and have problems have lenses that are not sealed. Perhaps a new thread is in order about this subject.

Roger

[philperry]

Another possibility would be a Canon EOS 50D or 7D with a 70-300mm DO IS lens and a 300mm f4 with 1.4x fitted. That would avoid some dust problems of the 100-400 and still be portable and versatile.

[Jeff Donald]

Originally Posted by Jeff Donald
The dust factor is only critical certain times of year in the Serengeti/Masai Mara.

I'm surprised by your statement. You drive on dirt roads (or no roads at all around Ndutu) and within a short time of huge rain storms the land dries out so as you drive down the road you are in a cloud of dust. You stop and the cloud of dust envelops the vehicle. Or another vehicle pulls up while you are shooting and you are enveloped in a cloud of dust. Dust is always a factor unless it's really muddy (been there then too).

I just haven't had huge issues (except with video equipment) with dust, except in the summer, July and August mostly. I've dealt more with mud and pushing vehicles stuck in mud. There certainly are areas of Kenya and Tanzania that are dustier than others, but avoiding the drier months helps with dust.

I advise photographers to be cautious towards dust, when we encounter it, and not leave their camera bags open. I also recommend that they use plastic bags to cover their gear while traveling. Use a small point and shoot to get shots from the vehicles while were traveling between camps/lodges. When on a game run I recommend they place plastic bags over their gear and put the camera/lens inside a plastic bag until there's a shot. This minimizes the exposure to dust.

I really haven't experienced any abnormal dust issues with the 100~400mm L IS. I find that beginning photographers find it easy to operate and very versatile for getting a wide variety of shots. Because it covers a nice range, it could stay on the camera most of the time and actually help reduce the exposure to dust when making frequent lens changes, that beginners often do with fixed focal length lenses.

[philperry]

I have used the 100-400 zoom on East African safaris and it is very versatile and takes great pictures. Yes Africa is dusty, but a cloth bag (attracts less dust than a plastic bag ?) helps keep dust within limits. The newer cameras have dust-cleaning features which helps a lot.

[Kathy Westover]

Hi - I am wondering if you would recommend any multiplier/teleconverter for the lenses you've mentioned. I am fairly new to this. Thanks!

[Roger Clark]

Kathy, I would not recommend a teleconverter for the 100-400, nor the 70-300 DO lenses mentioned. You would lose autofocus on consumer cameras (when the TC makes the system f/8 or slower) plus the image quality is not good enough in my opinion.

A killer serious starter system today would be (if Canon; Nikon folks would have to give the equivalent Nikon equipment here):

Canon 7D
24-105 L IS (or low cost 28-135 IS),
70-200 f/4 L IS
300 f/4 L IS
1.4x TC

The 300 f/4 + 1.4x TC on the 7D would give more pixels on subject than a 500 mm lens on a 1D Mark III. The combination is a relatively light outfit with a lot of capability. All rear sealed lenses so dust is minimized.

Personally, when on safari, I've learned to keep my big lenses out and ready. I never cover them up as it takes time to get them ready when encountering a subject. On my last trip I used on of those gardener's knee pads under the bracket I set on top the vehicle with a Wimberly mount and 500 f/4 lens. I kept the rig on top even while moving, unless going down a rough road at higher speed. Keeping the system on top and ready to shoot except for a shower cap on the front lens. I had to hold on pretty well to brace myself as well as keep the equipment safe, but I was ready when approaching a subject. Sometimes the first one there can get the shot before a bird flies away or an animal turns away. As the vehicle is slowing I take the shower cap off and am ready to shoot as we come to a stop. With sealed lenses, I don't worry about dust.

For Jay: yes I periodically check for dust at f/22 to f/32. On my 1D Mark II, is is difficult to get rid of all dust at those f/stops. On my 5D Mark II, it has not been a problem, even in the above situations. If I do a macro slow f/ratio image, I also shoot what is called a "flat field" image (or several), e.g. of the blank sky (with the focus in the same position as the macro shot), then that flat field can be used to correct the main image, fixing any dust and light fall-off. (Flat field methods were first developed by astronomers a couple of decades ago for correcting irregularities in early CCDs, and they still use the method today.)

Roger

[mikeojohnson]

I have been to Tanzania twice, Botswana once and Rwanda once, along with Zambia and Mozambique.

I have used the same 100-400 on all of these trips. In my opinion, it is the best all around Canon safari lens.

I have sent it into Canon once in 6 years for dust cleaning. Remember, you can have quite a bit of dust in the lens before it shows on your images.
Mike

[Andy Biggs]

I lead 6 safaris each year in Africa, and this is a very very common question with some of my travelers. I would get whatever camera feels good in the hands, starting with the least expensive model. And by all means the 100-400mm is the best safari lens for east Africa. Lenses stay around a long time, but cameras come and go. Another thought is to get one of the 70-300mm (or is it the 75-300mm?) jobbies to save some money.

[Roger Clark]

And by all means the 100-400mm is the best safari lens for east Africa.

Perhaps this is subject and shooting style, but looking at my images, I would say the majority were done at 700 mm, and many at 1000 mm. The 1000 mm is needed a lot for birds. The focal lengths in order of numbers of images that I have used in Africa: 700 mm, 1000 mm, 500 mm, then shorter. So the 100-400 seems short and you can't add a TC and still have autofocus on consumer cameras, and the lens is too soft at 400 to benefit much from a TC anyway.

So please comment on why you think the 100-400 is the "best safari lens for east Africa." Is that what you use most?

Roger

[Andy Biggs]

Roger, my response was really for the original poster and his friends' needs. The 100-400mm on a 1.6x body is the best combo if that is all you take with you. Personally, I take much much longer lenses than that. Historically I have always shot with full frame 1 series cameras with a 100-400mm on one and a 500mm mounted on the other. And my southern African safaris I used a 400mm DO as my longer lens, or perhaps a 300mm f/2.8.

Most of my published images have been taken between 200mm and 700mm, split between my 100-400mm, 400mm DO or 500mm.

I now shoot with Nikon equipment, and my primary wildlife lens is the 200-400mm f/4. I shoot with D3, D3x, D300 and D700 cameras. Depending on need and reach, I will switch cameras as needed. I have resisted purchasing the 500mm VR, however I think I likely cannot avoid it any longer. The 200-400mm is the best lens for Botswana, hands down, as my subjects are typically closer and I prefer to use zoom lenses to frame my shots. And the 200-400mm allows me to also add a teleconverter if needed.

So back to the original reason for my chiming in. Something like a digital Rebel with a 100-400mm lens is the easiest and best solution for a one-camera combination. I see the combo all of the time on my Tanzania safaris, and I really cannot recommend anything else as a starter kit. It isn't the least or most expensive, for sure, but it certainly is the most flexible.

[Jeff Donald]

The majority of my clients want to shoot the big mammals, lions, elephants, rino, giraffe, hippo etc. Very few are interested in birds except for the occasional vulture or stork we find along the way on a carcass. Some of the lodges have bird feeders and birds will come quite close and may actually exceed the minimum focus distance of a long telephoto lens.

I've had clients rent long lenses and they lack the experience and technique to get consistently good shots from the lens. They end up frustrated by image quality compared to the person next to them with basic consumer camera and lenses. The real trick for most clients is to know their gear before they leave by practicing with it.

[Andy Biggs]

Jeff, your experience mimics my own. Most of my travelers (I have around 80 each year just for my African safaris) bring what they already own, and have experience with the equipment. And most are only interested in mammals. For those that rent big lenses, I always encourage them to rent it at least a week before their departure, and I have them mimic the shooting situation we have in Africa. This increases their sharp photographs.

[Michael Bertelsen]

James, how about the Sigma 150 - 500 different zoom and is lighter than the Canon 100-400 but I would still throw a Storm Jacket over the whole thing, just to keep the dust out.

Michael Bertelsen
www.algonquinparkphototours.com

[Roger Clark]

Roger, my response was really for the original poster and his friends' needs.

Andy,
OK, that makes more sense to me.

The 100-400mm on a 1.6x body is the best combo if that is all you take with you.

I agree that, if that is the only lens you take, it is very nice. But I would argue one can do better for similar cost. For example the 100-400 on a 1.6x crop body like the 40D (10 megapixel, 5.7 micron pixel spacing) versus a 300 mm f/4 lens and a 1.6x crop 7D (18 megapixels with 4.3 micron spacing). The 300 f/4 +7D would give almost identical numbers of pixels on the subject. Add a 1.4x TC and you have about twice the pixels on a subject (by area). The combination is lighter, smaller, and higher frames per second.

I now shoot with Nikon equipment, and my primary wildlife lens is the 200-400mm f/4. I shoot with D3, D3x, D300 and D700 cameras. Depending on need and reach, I will switch cameras as needed. I have resisted purchasing the 500mm VR, however I think I likely cannot avoid it any longer. The 200-400mm is the best lens for Botswana, hands down, as my subjects are typically closer and I prefer to use zoom lenses to frame my shots. And the 200-400mm allows me to also add a teleconverter if needed.

I wish Canon had a 200-400 lens in the same class as the Nikon lens. I agree that it would be an ideal safari lens for many destinations.

Roger

[James Graham]

Thanks to everyone for the overwhelming response to my question. Lots of good information that will be very useful.
Wow!:)