Safari advice needed...what to bring

Hi gang!

I figured what better place to ask what to bring then here. Louise & I leave for Kenya 1/31 for a 14 day Safari. I will be bringing the folowing;

D100
F100 (backup cam)
500mm AF-S
80-400 VR
70-200VR
Wide angle (20mm fixed and maybe rent a 17-35)
converters....etc
Beanbag

My big question is do I bring my Gitzo 1548? Will I use it or just the bean bag? I know you have to pretty much stay in the rig you get but I am thinking maybe I should lug the thing with me? I don't want to spend more $$$ on a tripod that is smaller/lighter, anyway I have none left! *lol*

Help me decide eh! :roll:

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Hey George,

Sounds like a great opportunity. Hope you have a good trip.

While I'm sure folks with more experience in Africa than I (who has none) will offer more insight, I would think, if weight and/or space is at all an issue, you could leave the 80-400mm lens behind, if you have the 70-200mm and TC's. Also, why bring a fixed 20mm if you rent the 17-35mm?

Have a great trip man.

Cheers

Carl

George -- Without knowing what parks you're visiting and how you're travelling in country, it's hard to say for sure, but on a typical Kenya trip (Mara, Nakuru, Amboseli, Samburu), my advice would be to leave the tripod home. There is no use for it while out on game drives, so it's value is only in camp, and I would think with a D100 and 80-400VR, you'll do just fine without it. A beanbag is really all you need for support, but there are ways to make it easier to use by attaching something to the foot of your 500. Some people put a couple of pieces of the Wimberley flash bracket setup there -- I used the Walt Anderson panning plate between my 500 and the beanbag and found it to be a great setup, opening up opportinities for panning shots not possible with just a beanbag.

As for the wide angle end, if you're going to rent a lens, I would be more inclined to get something in the 24-70 range to augment your 20mm fixed. I think you'll find there will be good opportunities to use that range. As for bringing both the 70-200 and the 80-400, I personally think the overlap is a good idea to provide backup in case a lens goes down.

Given that you're shooting digital, you don't mention how you plan to store your files while you're there. Bringing a single digital wallet is taking a pretty big risk, because the roads are brutal and who knows if the hard drive will make it all the way through. Make sure you have your storage and backup plans well thought out, preferably making two independant copies of each file every time you head back to camp.

Enjoy your time in Kenya -- it's really like no place else and a truly awesome experience.

Thanks for the thoughts guys!

Matt, we are travelling to Mt Kenya (treetops one night, the Ark one night), then Aberdares for 2, then Samburu for a few days, then Sweetwaters, then Nakuru for a couple, then Masai Mara for a few more days...may have missed a day or 2.

The lake is what I am wondering about for a tripod and most bird stuff. Sounds like I will not need the tripod so far. Will continue to watch here.

Thanks!

Hi George,

I always try to take all my gear wherever I go, cos you can bet that if I leave something at home, I will want it for some type of shot!

To take your 1548 or not: I have always taken mine on safari cos there are always opportunities to photographs birds around the camps/lodges where you be staying. Depending on how your trip is set-up you may have time in the mornings between moving from one camp/lodge to the next when it will be useful. Also, if you will returning to the camp/lodge at midday, there may also be opportunities then when a tripod will be essential.

Other stuff to take - take your flash and BB. Make sure that you have a bracket that will mount on the "foot" of the 500 so you can use it on a beanbag.

You might consider taking a second beanbag. Some of the vehicles used for game drives have a hand-rail around the roof of the vehicle. With only one beanbag it is sometimes difficult to stabilise the lens; in other circumstances, such as shooting over the cab, you might need the extra height that a second beanbag will provide.

Take a soft 2-inch paint brush for cleaning dust off your equipment at the end of the day. You will also need an air blower. It will be dusty, just be sensible about changing lens and take a couple of sensor swabs with you.

Take a power strip for charging batteries etc; in future I will also always take an inverter with me. Kenya uses British-type electrical fittings (3-square pin plug) but to be safe take an adapter with other pin types. Two of the camps I stayed in recently didn't have mains electricity; one of them only had solar power with French-type connections.

I don't know if you have hired a driver/vehicle for the whole of your stay, or if you will be buying game drives at the different camps/lodges you will be staying at. In either case, don't assume that the drivers know anything about the requirements of photographers. They will get you close to the game but you will have to instruct them about light direction, type of backgrounds you want, approach, distance from subject etc - the type of thing that as a photographer is second nature and you don't think about any more. Most importantly, the driver will not recognise a good photographic opportunity. He will rush to poor views of a big cat (this is what most people seem to want) but do not expect him to recognise a fantistic shot with perfect lighting of something less charismatic. I'm not sure what the best way of dealing with this is, except to tell the driver that he may have to use reverse a lot!

In respect of lens choice, during my recent trip in Tanzania, I used my 600 (for approx 60 percent of shots), 300 (for approx 30 percent of shots), 70-200 (for approx 10 percent of shots), and 24-70 (for a few landscapes), in that order. I took my 100-400 but didn't use it.

I was downloading to a laptop in the evening, make sure you have plenty of CF cards (3Gb per body). I wouldn't want to take a laptop into the field and use it.

Maybe I'll see you. I'm going to be at the Mara Safari Club from 24th Jan to 2nd Feb. If you have any other questions don't hesistate to ask or email me.

You'll have a great time.

Thank you Phil! Great stuf and very helpful!

As to my laptop, etc. I do have one to bring (Dell 300m) with a 60GB HD and a CD/DVD burner which I will also use. Secondly I have a tripper for the field. My workflow is shoot to the CF card, back it up to the tripper, save the files on card whenever possible to transfer to the laptop, burn CD/DVD. Then I have my images saved on Tripper, Laptop and DVD...one should make it back to the USA. :roll:

Would love to e-mail you but no address. We will be in Mara much later (Feb 11th, 12th, 13th) at the Mara Serena Lodge...

George,

Phil's idea of two bean bags is a good one but take them empty and get beans or rice locally to fill them. Saves weight on the plane.

Bob Ettinger wrote:George,
Phil's idea of two bean bags is a good one but take them empty and get beans or rice locally to fill them. Saves weight on the plane.

Should the beans and rice be cooked? Franks and beans or just plain?

Thanks Bob!

Despite it being a pan to take with you I would definitely take the tripod. As mentioned, around the lodges etc there will be times that you want it. On my safari last month I used my tripod a lot...while on the game drive vehicle. Granted I had the entire row to myself and so it was not too bad. It did take a couple of days to figure out the optimum... In the vehicle I had, it was actually to put 2 legs out of the vehicle and onto the steps and 1 leg i the vehicle....

Re: "drivers not being photographers" talk with ranger/driver ahead ot time and explain your goals and talk a bit about where you want the light before you go. Don't be afraid to pay a little bit for good wrok on the drivers part... Most all of the lodges I have been to will offer a private car for a modest to expensive fee... This is what I do the majority of the time now. This way, it doesn't matter if it an impala or a lion kill we stay with the sweet light....

I would happily chat more about this...my favorite topic....

Cheers,

Jeff,

Thanks so much for the advice! I certainly will talk to the driver. We have 4 people in the Van, it's all ours. Two couples going together so we are all friends and can work this out...good idea!

Thanks!!

George,

With four in your vehicle (either a Land Rover or Toyota/Nissan minivan/minibus type vehicle, a tripod is mostly useless. As others have said, a bean bag is the way to go. You can make a cheap one from a 5 pound bag of rice and duct tape (if you don't have one), which you can then leave behind at your last lodge. If you have one, bring it empty as mentioned.

On the trips I have taken to Kenya, I have always brought a small tripod, for the rare occasions when I could use one (either in the camp or at one location in the Mara where most drivers will go for hippos (note, however, that I have not been in several years so I don't know if they still go to this location, and if you are still allowed out of the vehicle). Shooting from outside the vehicle is prohibited in almost every other situation. However, at Sweetwaters, there is a blind overlooking a watering hole. There is a ledge so you can easily use a bean bag, but I guess you also could use a tripod there. Also, at the Ark, the "big" attraction is the watering hole which is illuminated at night. People sit and watch what comes in (they will even wake you if you request it if and when a specific species shows up). You could probably use a tripod there (you are inside, looking through glass), but the light is so poor that animal movement generally precludes significant photo opportunities, even at high ISO.

You should also check whether you have any weight limits. The 1548 plus whatever head you use is not lightweight. I have never brought a large tripod on my trips to Africa. Most recently I have used a Gitzo 1228, with a small ball head. In a pinch this can accomodate the 500. Indeed, several years ago I brought an old Slik U211 tripod (I think that was it) with a medium Kaiser ball head with an AS QR clamp. I used this to hold my 600 and 1.4x when shooting hippos at the aforementioned river location. By far not an ideal setup, but it worked when used with care. Since we were flying between some camps on that trip, we had some pretty severe weight limits.

One final thought on lenses, if you are going to rent a wide-angle, I would go with the 24/28-70 suggestion rather than the 17-35. There are not many times you will want or need 17-24, but the 35-70 range could be more useful.

Have a great time.

George DeCamp wrote:we are travelling to...... Sweetwaters,...

Hi George,

You've already had excellent advice, so I don't have anything further to add other than I would also take the tripod for around camp if I were you.

But my real reason for writing is that I spent 3 months at Sweetwaters a few years ago studying Black Rhino for my MSc Thesis. We were on foot all the time which was fantastic, but unfortunately not something that 'tourists' there can do.

Presume you will be staying at 'Sweetwaters Safari Lodge' (luxury tented camp)? If you are, there is plenty of opportunity (if you're lucky) to take decent pictures right in the camp with your tripod. There's a water hole right in front that wildlife congregate at through the day mostly. The 'barrier' between the camp and the watar hole is simply a ditch with an electric fence at the bottom - this has the advantage of keeping the wildlife a safe distance, but without any obvious obstacle. It also means you can easily take pictures at ground level (rather than the overhead viewing platform - excellent for viewing, not so good for photos).

During the three months I spent the odd day off just sitting at the edge of the ditch with a 300mm lens snapping at any wildlife that came to drink - got some really nice pictures of elephant and giraffe this way, even getting full frame of an elephant's head with water dripping from its mouth with only the 300mm! He was close!

Say hello to Morani when you see him - an approachable black rhino that's too friendly for his own good he has to have 24hr armed guard!! I spent many a long day just chilling with him waiting for him to give me some decent fresh footprints to draw/measure......

Any advice, just ask away.

Cheers,
Simon
In sunny Bolton...

By the way, in case you're wondering how a student could afford to stay at a 'luxury tented camp' in Kenya for 3 months - we didn't, instead we were living in the converted stables of Adnan Koshogi's home a few miles away that had been 'acquired' by the Kenyan government now that Adnan was persona non grata......

If you get a chance to go and see Adnan's house, its worth a nosey, talk about extremes of ostentatious vulgarity....

Cheers,
Simon
In sunny Bolton...

I have been to East Africa twice with Joe and Mary Ann McDonald. We used 2 bean bags because we were able to shoot from both sides of the vehicle. If that will be your situation take ones with straps or take bungy cords to attach them if your vehicle has rails. I took tripod the first time and a monopod the second time. I now have a carbon fibre tripod and would take that if I ever get to go again. There are lots of opportunities at some of the camps to use it.

I agree with Phil about lens usage. I did not have a 300mm but did have a 100-400. I used it as much as my 500mm 4.5. Take extenders too.

Lots of extra batteries, of course, for camera and flash.

You will probably take most of your gear out of the vehicle at lunch and each night as it gets too hot to leave it. If you leave any of it at the desk or have a porter carry it for you DO NOT leave your passport or cash in it or in your room. I had my passport and $1000 stolen. Only because East Africa Ornithological Safaris was the operator was I able to continue and only had to spend about 48 hours back in Nairobi, with the help of one of their people, getting everything replaced. Spending time at the jail making reports in Nairobi was an experience in itself!!!!

The comments about the driver are right on. The one I had in Tanzania on my own didn't have a clue about photography and could have ruined that part of the trip. Make sure he is willing to ask other drivers about any wildlife seen.

You will have a wonderful time and I would go back in a second.

Holy smoke....this stuff is just GREAT, thanks everyone!!!

Am I excited?

http://www.decamp.net/kenya.html

George and all-

this is a brief email, since I am composing the email on a $1.75 per minute Iridium satellite phone from the middle of the Serengeti. Life is good.

Anyway, leave your tripod at home. Just too much to deal with, and not enough opportunities to use it. Your lens selection seems well placed, and I just used something similar on this trip, except a different brand. I will post my complete comments in 2 days when I get back to civilization, but here is my placeholder for a longer response.

Side topic: this safari was/is the most amazing I have ever had. Ever. This will be called the 'big cat' trip, as we saw numerous large prides, lion kills and cheetah kills. Just amazing. Photos and trip report to follow.

Kwaheri (goodbye in Swahili)

Andy

Lots of good advice thus far. Just two additional thoughts. While I agree with almost everything Phil said, I would disagree on the 100-400. Having that and the 300, it was the former that was my most used lens. It's a question of ease of recomposition for me when you can't just up and move to change the composition. On the tripod, I've brought one each time and questioned my sanity when I did. You're not likely to use it in the vehicle in my experience. There simply isn't any advantage over a beanbag. (What I will bring this next trip is a window mount, however. That strikes me as more useful in the vehicle.) I've ultimately been glad to have the tripod for two uses, (1) stitched panoramas and (2) sunrise (and before) and sunset (and after).

Hope you have a great time!

Rich