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by o0oRichard on Wed Sep 21, 2016 2:51 am
o0oRichard
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Location: The Netherlands
In two months I will going to Borneo to photograph in the rainforest.

I will bring a tripod, but I was wondering if its a good idea to purchase a monopod fo when hiking in the rainforest or if a tripod is all thats needed.
I will be shooting with the Nikon d500 and D750.

Lens wise I will bring a 24-70, 70-200 2.8, 150mm 2.8 macro and I'm indoubt between the 200-500 5.6 and 300 2.8 due to weight. I will be doing some hiking trails of 2-3 days, where my luggage will be transported to the next location. Carying a tripod during hiking might be a burden so thats where a monopod might be better, but I'm not sure if a monopod would bring enough stability in the low light situations of the rainforest.

I've been looking for monopod and came at Gitzo and Benro. Anyone know if Benro is any good or should I just stick with a good gitzo.

Kind regards,

Richard
 

by Blck-shouldered Kite on Wed Sep 21, 2016 3:38 am
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I would say a carbon fiber tripod, not a monopod.    

With an entirely closed canopy, it will not take long to realize the mistake of relying on a monopod.  

I've worked a lot in our western tropical hardwood hammocks, not in eastern hemisphere rain forests.  But it seems the conditions are quite similar.  Unless a rain forest has been clear cut, low light is the limiting factor.  Those trees race for the sky and fill in every available opening that has light.   

If it is me, I am also bringing ample supplemental lighting options.  What about a dessicant to safe-guard that expensive glass?

And hey....my super-sturdy carbon fiber tripod is so light that I sometimes wonder what keeps it from rising.  :)  And there are several very high-quality brands.

Have a great time!

 


Last edited by Blck-shouldered Kite on Wed Sep 21, 2016 4:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
 

by o0oRichard on Wed Sep 21, 2016 4:00 am
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Blck-shouldered Kite wrote:I would say a carbon fiber tripod, not a monopod.    

With an entirely closed canopy, it will not take long to realize the mistake of relying on a monopod.  

I've worked in many of our western tropical hardwood hammocks, not in eastern hemisphere rain forests.  But it seems the conditions are quite similar.  Unless a rain forest has been clear cut, low light is the limiting factor.  Those trees race for the sky and fill in every available opening that has light.   

If it is me, I am also bringing ample supplemental lighting options.  

Hey....my super-sturdy carbon fiber tripod is so light that I sometimes wonder what keeps it from rising.  :)  And there are several very high-quality brands.

Have a great time!
The light (or lack of) is indeed my main concern why I'm doubting if a monopod would be usefull at all.

I have a good gitzo carbon fiber tripod with a wimberley head. The weight with head included is about 3.5kg count that with the camera's and lenses and U are looking at 10+ kg to be lugging around in warm and humid conditions. The weight is the only reason why I'm looking in a monopod direction. Normally I have no problems at all with using a tripod.
 

by Blck-shouldered Kite on Wed Sep 21, 2016 4:09 am
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I see. Lot's to think about. Let's see what others say.
 

by photoman4343 on Wed Sep 21, 2016 1:01 pm
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I would take the tripod. I use a monopod with my 200mm macro lens and flash for butterflies because the butterfly garden does not allow tripods. Holding a monopod still is very difficult for any macro shot even with flash.

To reduce weight, I would consider the new Nikon 300mm f4 lens in lieu of your 300mm f2.8. Then you would not need your Wimberley head. You could use a regular ball head or a uniball head. Make sure you have an extension tube with you too in that your 300mm lens can be used for certain macro shots where the shooting distance is too far for your 150mm macro.

Check out the equipment used by photographers who do Costa Rica macro workshops.

Joe
Joe Smith
 

by Phil Shaw on Wed Sep 21, 2016 2:39 pm
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You can probably hire someone to carry equipment that you don't want to carry yourself. Your guide should be able to organize this for you. It will probably not cost much and will bring economic benefits to the community that you are visiting.
Phil Shaw
Essex, UK
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by hullyjr on Wed Sep 21, 2016 3:32 pm
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I'll be the exception perhaps... I use a monopod almost exclusively when photographing birds in the wilds. Worked well in the rainforests of Thailand, Venezuela & Mexico. My sole focus is birds and unless you are in a controlled environment, like blinds or cars, the key is getting onto your subject as quickly as possible because the chances of following the bird are limited. For me a tripod is a hindrance, slowing me down. Clearly, if your subjects are more tolerant or stationary there is no reason to use a monopod. I use either a 500/4 or more recently the 600/4 so it is not a very stable system. My monopod is Manfrotto's 685B NeoTec Pro which allows for rapid changes in height. Aside from using flash, there is not much I can do about the light.

You will have fun with the leeches in Borneo. I remember one biting me on my nuts while at Danum Valley!

Cheers,

Jim
Jim Hully
Grayslake, IL
Images now at https://www.flickr.com/photos/138068378@N06/
 

by whitehead on Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:59 am
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o0oRichard wrote:In two months I will going to Borneo to photograph in the rainforest.

I will bring a tripod, but I was wondering if its a good idea to purchase a monopod fo when hiking in the rainforest or if a tripod is all thats needed.
I will be shooting with the Nikon d500 and D750.

Lens wise I will bring a 24-70, 70-200 2.8, 150mm 2.8 macro and I'm indoubt between the 200-500 5.6 and 300 2.8 due to weight. I will be doing some hiking trails of 2-3 days, where my luggage will be transported to the next location. Carying a tripod during hiking might be a burden so thats where a monopod might be better, but I'm not sure if a monopod would bring enough stability in the low light situations of the rainforest.

I've been looking for monopod and came at Gitzo and Benro. Anyone know if Benro is any good or should I just stick with a good gitzo.

Kind regards,

Richard
I photograph solely in tropical forests and every person has their own way of doing it. So I won't tell you what you should take :+) - just how I personally do it if I am "hiking" in the "jungle" (I am a nikon user normally) .... body, 90 mm macro (light weight), sb400/500 flash for macro (again small and light weight) and an 80-400 or a 300 pf with a 1.4x depending on the "hike" and/or the weather (80-400 is heavy on long hikes so I save weight with the 300 to carry more water). Sometimes I will take a plastic 18-55 kit lens if I think there will be a "view". Nothing else unless I am after something very specific. I am always mindful that there is never any light and all my macro is under flash. I am mindful that mammal sightings that last long enough to take a shot are usually at canopy level were the will be sufficient light but you will need some length - ground mammal sightings are usually over in the blink of an eye so I treat them as good experiences rather than photo opportunities when "hiking". For ground mammals I use other techniques (hides and traps).

Occasionally I will take a very small lightweight travel tripod if I am going to be seeing a waterfall but don't carry a mono or tripod normally.

If you have never been in a tropical forest before you will love it - its special - a time forgotten, a time before man.
 

by ChrisRoss on Wed Sep 28, 2016 10:26 pm
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I've done a bit of photography in rain forest including Panti Forest and Fraser's Hill  in Malaysia.  The local photographers in Singapore tend to use tripods and long exposures with no flash as they regard the resulting images as better due to very reflective feathers in some species.  A lot of target birds will sit very still allowing quite long exposures if you are patient.  I have shot with this photographer:

http://confoley.com/gallery/

and you can see the results he gets, he often shoots without flash.  If you have Firefox you can get an Exif plug-in FXIF which will allow you to see the shooting data and you'll see a lot of shots are at shutter speeds well below the hand holding threshold.  Even if you could handhold at say 1/30- 1/60 with IS the technique often requires holding on target and waiting for the right moment when the bird is still. You'll also note shutter speed varies widely, there are situations like along streams where there is much more light and the bird is active.  However birds like trogons, frogmouths and pittas will normally ever be found in deep shadow under the canopy.  If you stick with a monopod or handhold you will limit your opportunities significantly.

What you can achieve will depend on the type of trail, a cleared road with open sky above opens a lot of opportunities, you also get a lot of birds along such an edge, compared to a foot trail under the canopy which is much darker.
Chris Ross
Sydney
Australia
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by Des on Thu Sep 29, 2016 5:06 am
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Hi Richard, I visit Borneo annually (north, west & south) so here are some of my thoughts...

It will ultimately depends on how you work and what you're comfortable with. You did not say which part of the island you'll be visiting. If visiting the north then tripod is fine while on boats - assuming you're not on a budget, general wildlife watching tour. Otherwise space might be a problem.

I no longer use a tripod inside the forest, in preference to be more mobile and faster to shoot. Avid bird photographers often use long teles and stay for longer periods at a given spot. That way a tripod is very useful. I would recommend using a flash (with extender) for fills as it can be very dark under the canopies. Sympathetic use of flash should not look unnatural. For macros I almost always use flash.

If you're doing any long exposures then obviously some sort of support will be necessary. I'm not a landscape shooter but have done a number of 'jungle-scapes' without the need of a tripod. This can be done by careful placement on various stable surfaces with a cable release/self-timer. I cannot justify lugging a tripod while guiding when I do landscapes so infrequently. But if this is your thing, then a small lightweight CF unit might do the job without being overly cumbersome.

Speaking of tripods, I have seen and used other Gitzo knock-offs. They are just that. I have returned to Gitzo and to me it is all that I will use. I don't even think about it when I grab mine stepping out. It just works. That's how all equipment should be, IMO.

If you're bringing the 300/2.8, then a monopod might be necessary, depending on your bicep! I shoot with the 200-500/5.6 the past two trips and often at ISO3200. This might be another determining factor.

Hope this helps & hope you have a great trip.
Regards,

Des
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by o0oRichard on Sat Oct 01, 2016 5:48 am
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Location: The Netherlands
Des wrote:Hi Richard, I visit Borneo annually (north, west & south) so here are some of my thoughts...

It will ultimately depends on how you work and what you're comfortable with. You did not say which part of the island you'll be visiting. If visiting the north then tripod is fine while on boats - assuming you're not on a budget, general wildlife watching tour. Otherwise space might be a problem.

I no longer use a tripod inside the forest, in preference to be more mobile and faster to shoot. Avid bird photographers often use long teles and stay for longer periods at a given spot. That way a tripod is very useful. I would recommend using a flash (with extender) for fills as it can be very dark under the canopies. Sympathetic use of flash should not look unnatural. For macros I almost always use flash.

If you're doing any long exposures then obviously some sort of support will be necessary. I'm not a landscape shooter but have done a number of 'jungle-scapes' without the need of a tripod. This can be done by careful placement on various stable surfaces with a cable release/self-timer. I cannot justify lugging a tripod while guiding when I do landscapes so infrequently. But if this is your thing, then a small lightweight CF unit might do the job without being overly cumbersome.

Speaking of tripods, I have seen and used other Gitzo knock-offs. They are just that. I have returned to Gitzo and to me it is all that I will use. I don't even think about it when I grab mine stepping out. It just works. That's how all equipment should be, IMO.

If you're bringing the 300/2.8, then a monopod might be necessary, depending on your bicep! I shoot with the 200-500/5.6 the past two trips and often at ISO3200. This might be another determining factor.

Hope this helps & hope you have a great trip.

thanks for the info on this subject.

I will be starting at bake Np and then move towards Mulu and kinabatangan.

About the 300 2.8 and 200-500 5.6 I'm not sure yet. Even with the 300 2.8 i think it will be a fight vs light so higher iso's would be needed. even more so with the 200-500 5.6. U said u shoot with iso 3200, that should be doable with both the d750 and the d500. I will just need to practice with editing higher iso shots :)

In my bag are a sb-710 and sb-48 flash with extender and a foldable soft box and a gorilla pod to clamp the flashes to something if needed.

I guess I will have to go with the tripod since I do want to take some photo's of the landscape as well. 

kind regards,

Richard
 

by o0oRichard on Sat Oct 01, 2016 6:02 am
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whitehead wrote:
o0oRichard wrote:In two months I will going to Borneo to photograph in the rainforest.

I will bring a tripod, but I was wondering if its a good idea to purchase a monopod fo when hiking in the rainforest or if a tripod is all thats needed.
I will be shooting with the Nikon d500 and D750.

Lens wise I will bring a 24-70, 70-200 2.8, 150mm 2.8 macro and I'm indoubt between the 200-500 5.6 and 300 2.8 due to weight. I will be doing some hiking trails of 2-3 days, where my luggage will be transported to the next location. Carying a tripod during hiking might be a burden so thats where a monopod might be better, but I'm not sure if a monopod would bring enough stability in the low light situations of the rainforest.

I've been looking for monopod and came at Gitzo and Benro. Anyone know if Benro is any good or should I just stick with a good gitzo.

Kind regards,

Richard
I photograph solely in tropical forests and every person has their own way of doing it. So I won't tell you what you should take :+) - just how I personally do it if I am "hiking" in the "jungle" (I am a nikon user normally) .... body, 90 mm macro (light weight), sb400/500 flash for macro (again small and light weight) and an 80-400 or a 300 pf with a 1.4x depending on the "hike" and/or the weather (80-400 is heavy on long hikes so I save weight with the 300 to carry more water). Sometimes I will take a plastic 18-55 kit lens if I think there will be a "view". Nothing else unless I am after something very specific. I am always mindful that there is never any light and all my macro is under flash. I am mindful that mammal sightings that last long enough to take a shot are usually at canopy level were the will be sufficient light but you will need some length - ground mammal sightings are usually over in the blink of an eye so I treat them as good experiences rather than photo opportunities when "hiking". For ground mammals I use other techniques (hides and traps).

Occasionally I will take a very small lightweight travel tripod if I am going to be seeing a waterfall but don't carry a mono or tripod normally.

If you have never been in a tropical forest before you will love it - its special - a time forgotten, a time before man.
Thanks for the info.
I've just looked at and weighted my bag and its 12.5 kg as it is atm.
The gear is:
D500 + 300mm 2.8
D750 + 200-500 5.6
150mm 2.8 macro
70-200 2.8
24-70 2.8
18-35 3.5-4.5
15mm wide angle macro
sb-710 flash
sb-48 flash
flash extender
softbox
1.4 en 2.0 TC
Flash bracket and macro bracket

The biggest weight by far is the 300mm 2.8 with 3kg. I'm afraid that if I will leave the 300mm 2.8 at home I will regret it when I'm in the rainforest. Both of my camera's do well to about iso 3200, but it needs some decent postprocessing (high iso postprocessing is something I must learn). With the 300mm I could keep iso levels lower, which result in better quality photo's.

As far as I know the 80-400 and 200-500 are about equal quality lenses. How high do u end up with the iso with that lens? Are the photo's U make for yourself are do U also sell them? I do sell photo's on regular basis, so I need to get them at good quality for magazines and prints.

Macro wise I had already imagined it would be a lot of flash macro photography but i think i have the equipment needed for that.

kind regards,

Richard
 

by Des on Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:41 am
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o0oRichard wrote:
Des wrote:Hi Richard, I visit Borneo annually (north, west & south) so here are some of my thoughts...

It will ultimately depends on how you work and what you're comfortable with. You did not say which part of the island you'll be visiting. If visiting the north then tripod is fine while on boats - assuming you're not on a budget, general wildlife watching tour. Otherwise space might be a problem.

I no longer use a tripod inside the forest, in preference to be more mobile and faster to shoot. Avid bird photographers often use long teles and stay for longer periods at a given spot. That way a tripod is very useful. I would recommend using a flash (with extender) for fills as it can be very dark under the canopies. Sympathetic use of flash should not look unnatural. For macros I almost always use flash.

If you're doing any long exposures then obviously some sort of support will be necessary. I'm not a landscape shooter but have done a number of 'jungle-scapes' without the need of a tripod. This can be done by careful placement on various stable surfaces with a cable release/self-timer. I cannot justify lugging a tripod while guiding when I do landscapes so infrequently. But if this is your thing, then a small lightweight CF unit might do the job without being overly cumbersome.

Speaking of tripods, I have seen and used other Gitzo knock-offs. They are just that. I have returned to Gitzo and to me it is all that I will use. I don't even think about it when I grab mine stepping out. It just works. That's how all equipment should be, IMO.

If you're bringing the 300/2.8, then a monopod might be necessary, depending on your bicep! I shoot with the 200-500/5.6 the past two trips and often at ISO3200. This might be another determining factor.

Hope this helps & hope you have a great trip.

thanks for the info on this subject.

I will be starting at bake Np and then move towards Mulu and kinabatangan.

About the 300 2.8 and 200-500 5.6 I'm not sure yet. Even with the 300 2.8 i think it will be a fight vs light so higher iso's would be needed. even more so with the 200-500 5.6. U said u shoot with iso 3200, that should be doable with both the d750 and the d500. I will just need to practice with editing higher iso shots :)

In my bag are a sb-710 and sb-48 flash with extender and a foldable soft box and a gorilla pod to clamp the flashes to something if needed.

I guess I will have to go with the tripod since I do want to take some photo's of the landscape as well. 

kind regards,

Richard
Prepare to get wet, especially Sarawak, during this period. Downpours are heavy and can last an entire day. So here's wishing you some good weather.

If you're comfortable with flash, light should not be an issue. Where a 2.8 (or even f4) comes into it's own, is AF speed. So action shots will favour the 300 over the 200-500.
Regards,

Des
_____________________________________________________________

captivatingnature.co.uk
 

by whitehead on Tue Oct 04, 2016 3:05 am
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Location: Thailand
o0oRichard wrote: The biggest weight by far is the 300mm 2.8 with 3kg. I'm afraid that if I will leave the 300mm 2.8 at home I will regret it when I'm in the rainforest. Both of my camera's do well to about iso 3200, but it needs some decent postprocessing (high iso postprocessing is something I must learn). With the 300mm I could keep iso levels lower, which result in better quality photo's.

As far as I know the 80-400 and 200-500 are about equal quality lenses. How high do u end up with the iso with that lens? Are the photo's U make for yourself are do U also sell them? I do sell photo's on regular basis, so I need to get them at good quality for magazines and prints.



Richard
Hi,

No I don't sell. 

I would recommend having who you are going with (operator?) spell out exactly what the "hiking" includes and what the potential targets are. For my own hikes I am doing  anywhere between 4 and 15 ks a day, depending on terrain, and even in good weather I could not handle 12.5 kgs plus kit and water (I am not a young sprightly thing though) . But they may have it worked out to support you well and let you pick and choose your gear to suit. 

As Des has mentioned the 300 would get you a potential equivalent of 2 stops of shutter speed in low light - my 80-400 would be a no go on the forest floor in poor light even at ISO 3200, you may just have a chance with a 2.8.



Paul
 

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