Camera Drone on Safari

My husband flies RC helicopters as a hobby.  He is considering getting a Walkera H500 to provide me with a new way to photograph wildlife and scenery.  He is a fanatic for safety, so no flying over people. 

Has anyone ever taken a a camera drone on an african photo safari?  I was wondering what the laws for the use of drones in places like South Africa, Botswana, etc. might be.  I guess I can contact some of the game reserves, lodges and park services, but I thought it was an interesting enough topic that I would ask here first.

Liz

I have had one experience with a drone flyer while I was photographing birds. Before he arrived all was peaceful and after he flew overhead, I had nothing to shoot and left the area.

Drones may not be illegal (yet), but have you considered their effect upon wildlife and other persons on safari?

I would have written permission in my hand before i attempred to take any kind of drone into a foreign country.

Found out that drones are currently banned in South Africa.  They are also banned in two national parks here in the US.  

Neither hubby or I have ever heard the noise a small electric camera drone makes. He thought it would be relatively silent. However, that is probably his comparison to the big seven foot rotor, 3 HP gas helicopter he flies.  That thing is very noisy. very smelly and not something you want near kids.  

After more thought, I told him no drone.  The money can be better used when Canon finally comes out with a 7D replacement.

Thx for the input.

Liz

Just google "conservation drones" and you will find extensive information on how drones are now being used in the wild. This article is just one of them.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-n ... 180950078/

That being said, if I were on a photo safari, I would not want drones anywhere near the area where wildlife I could photograph might be. If we cannot hear the drones, what makes you think the animals cannot hear them?

Joe Smith

Here's a video that may be of interest to you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtce7OLOZcU

Please note how the wildlife reacts to the drone passing over!!!

These machines are opening a lot of doors, but they sound like ten thousand mosquitoes flying overhead! About 57 seconds into this video you can get a faint idea of the sound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4hy8R5Y7Mo&app=desktop

Joe

SantaFeJoe wrote:....they sound like ten thousand mosquitoes flying overhead!

Joe

...almost like a real light plane!

Gary Briney wrote:

SantaFeJoe wrote:....they sound like ten thousand mosquitoes flying overhead!

Joe

...almost like a real light plane!

Can they dress up the drone to look like some large bird?  Maybe a prehistoric ornithoid? 

I could be wrong, but here is my first reaction and I believe it will be my permanent feeling regarding these things.  BTW, this is not analogous to fish-slinging.


1.  I envision multiple drones harassing wildlife in the future.  Don't forget, you can get right in the face of wildlife (even dangerous species) with one of these machines.....literally.
2.  I pity the wildlife.  I really do.  It is hard enough for them to make a living out there.  People are this selfish. 

Joe, they already know it scares the heck out of the wildlife.  They do not care.  But the sad part is that if wildland administrators continue to allow their use long enough......The wildlife will become conditioned to having these things hanging around them all the time.  Now is that what the rest of us want? 

3.  These are the same people who get upset when there are regulations.  Why?  Because it is all about them.

4.  Here is the inevitable scenario:  You are in a blind or otherwise peaceful situation, photographing wildlife and then............ you know the rest.    

5.  Public administrators should ban drones on all public lands..........now.  They are going to cause a lot of controversy.

6.  But you who have them should be able to use them, right?.....because it is all about you and having your fun.

Am I wrong about this?

Robert King
www.itsaboutnature.net

What about hot air balloons? Do they frighten wildlife? I have seen many photos from photographers the flew over herds of animals...and with airplanes as well. 

I live in an area known for it's ballooning, and I can tell you that when balloons fly over, the dogs go crazy. This is especially true when the burners fire up. I've seen videos from Africa and the same is true for wildlife. Planes are much the same unless they are flying high and then you are looking at wildlife scapes from a distance. Mostly, it's the noise. The disturbance with balloons or planes doesn't compare to a drone or helicopter, though. Some of the coolest photos I have seen are taken from planes.

Joe

Maybe we as nature photographers can set the bar a little bit higher by refusing to use drones.

After more thought, I told him no drone.  The money can be better used when Canon finally comes out with a 7D replacement.

I'm glad you came to that conclusion and I wish all wildlife photographers would come to the same conclusion.  As Dougc wrote above, nature photographers should start a campaign against the use of drones. If we start now, maybe we can nip this problem in the bud.

John

I have done a balloon ride in the central Serengeti, and the balloons do scare the animals. Even if the burner is not lit and you are drifting quietly, a grazing animal, like a zebra, when it notices this huge thing in the sky, takes off running away.

The BBC has used drones for incredible video. One, as I remember was dragonfly cam: a very small camera in a very small package. The animals didn't seem to mind.

The larger it is, the more impact. It is bad enough on safari to have to deal with packs of safari vehicles, but when they are all still, the silence that is broken only by birds singing and animals foraging is wonderful. If drones were buzzing about, it would ruin the experience, so I would oppose drones, except for special permits for documentary films.

Roger

"……..so I would oppose drones, except for special permits for documentary films."
- See more at: http://www.naturescapes.net/forums/view ... 9#p2334459

At this time…...that's about how I feel about it; i.e. permitted documentaries might be an exception.  It seems that would greatly limit the harassment to the wildlife and prevent harassment to the nature photographer with "traditional" equipment/techniques.  

Robert King
www.itsaboutnature.net

Just because we don't hear the drone doesn't mean the animals can't hear it. They may have a different hearing range.

I took my Iris Quad to Kenya in May.. To be honest I used it once and felt there was too much impact on the wildlife. Lions alerted from 100yds away etc.

Given that they do crash and that the LiPO batteries can easily ignite if punctured I didn't want to be responsible for a animal getting injured or starting a fire in the Mara I grounded it.


Just my 2 cents.
Lou

I think its bad enough sometimes that my SLR "clicks." It would be great if I could get the performance of my 5DIII in a mirrorless (or truly silent) design. Most of the wildlife I shoot is truly wild and it spooks very easily. I couldn't imagine a drone buzzing overhead and ruining the idyllic settings that I so carefully insert myself into. It would ruin the experience for both me and the wildlife that I enjoy. I say leave the drone at home.

Thanks, Lou, for your first hand experience and truthful opinion! Some users of drones try to make it look different than it truly is.

Joe