1st safari advice

AMac

AMac

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Alex
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Hi everyone,

At the end of June I am off on my first safari, in Tanzania Selous Park.

I am using a Canon 550D and have hired a 100-400 L lens. My normal lens are 28-105 and 17-40, and I have bought a spare battery.

I am going to have a practice with the lens this weekend at a local park/zoo.

Does any one have any tips/advice that you might like to share with me.

As always thanks for any help,
Alex
 
Get another spare battery. And several spare memory cards. And a spare camera is a good idea.
 
Agree with above - 2 bodies is a very good idea indeed. You need to keep lens swapping to the absolute minimum. The African bush is typically a very dusty environment and plays havoc with digital sensors. Take a good bag to keep your camera / lenses sealed from the outside when not in use.

Also, I would recommend picking up a bean bag camera support.

It is likely you will be shooting in low light conditions (dawn / dusk / into bush) so see how far you can push your camera at higher ISO settings.
 
I would recommend a battery grip. On my 500D the balance shooting with a 100-400mm was much better with the grip attached. Depending on where you are staying power might not be reliable, I found that 3 batteries were enough, but 2 would have been pushing it. The battery grip also gives you the option of AA batteries in case of extended generator failure.

I used a mono-pod but a bean bag works excellently as well. You will struggle to set up a tripod in the vehicle unless there's only a few of you in there.

You will never have enough memory. I would recommend allowing for 10GB+ per day unless you are constantly reviewing and deleting.

Finally, take a pair of good binoculars much nicer than looking through your viewfinder all day.
 
My advice is don't get out of the landrover unless you can see 500 metres in every direction!
I was chased by an elephant at Lion Sands in the Kruger some years ago on a lunchtime walking safari, apparently it was so hot all the animals would be sheltering. Wasn't true as it transpired!
 
One thing you will find is that airline weight limits soon start to be the most important thing in deciding what you take. Spare batteries are essential. A battery grip is not, it's just extra weight for zero extra benefit.
 
As above dust is your enemy - a good way of combating this during lens changes is to get a heavy duty polythene bag and cut the bottom out - you can protect you kit and see what you are doing - I blagged one from an aquarium shop about 4 years ago and it's travelled all over africa and doubled up a rain cover at Brands Hatch.
 
Hi guys,
thanks for your advice, I will get a 3rd battery, the copies are not much and seem to work ok. I will get a large clear plastic bag. I was thinking whilst out I would just leave the 100-400 on all the time, use the 17-40 just around the camp for views.
I had not thought of a bean bag, might pop to Jessops at the weekend.
I having a practice with the lens this week, I have not used a lens with image stabilization before, is there a reason why I would not just leave it turned on all of the time?
Cheers again,
alex
 
Try looking online for an empty bean-bag. You can fill it when you're in Tanzania. I really like this one from Wildlife Watching. A double-bag rests easier on a window and the cord means you can easily retrieve it when dropped.

Yup, leave the IS on all the time. Just remember to give it a second to settle down before shooting.
 
You cannot guarantee that you will be in a position in the safari vehicle to be able to use a bean bag. With the 100-400 being image stabilised you should have no problem provided the driver turns the engine off when you stop.
 
DoctorJ said:
My advice is don't get out of the landrover unless you can see 500 metres in every direction!
I was chased by an elephant at Lion Sands in the Kruger some years ago on a lunchtime walking safari, apparently it was so hot all the animals would be sheltering. Wasn't true as it transpired!
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Please don't be frightened of the animals - respect them, use common sense, but there is no need to be scared of them.

I am fortunate to have travelled to Mana Pools national park (in the Lower Zambezi Valley) annually for the last 12 or so years.

We are fully self supported, camp in the bush and do 90% of our viewing / photography on foot, unguided, without a gun.

Over the years I have spoken to bull elephants no more than 10' away from me, let them know you are there (their eyesight is very poor, and you really dont want to surprise them) and they'll be fine (family groups are a different matter and must be given space), I have shared the shade of Natal Mahoganies with packs of Painted Dog on more than one occasion and have watched lions squabble and devour kudu, buffalo and zebra from 25' (the noise is incredible) and recently crawled on my stomach to within 30' of a cheetah and her two young on an impala kill - camera was properly dusty after this little adventure.
 
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A few snaps - all taken without the aid of a vehicle:

20091005_906dxo_533x800.jpg


67-IMG_5446_800x533.jpg


Ele_2.jpg


Ele_7.jpg


IMG_16851.jpg
 
whyone said:
Please don't be frightened of the animals - respect them, use common sense, but there is no need to be scared of them.

I am fortunate to have travelled to Mana Pools national park (in the Lower Zambezi Valley) annually for the last 12 or so years.

We are fully self supported, camp in the bush and do 90% of our viewing / photography on foot, unguided, without a gun.

Over the years I have spoken to bull elephants no more than 10' away from me, let them know you are there (their eyesight is very poor, and you really dont want to surprise them) and they'll be fine (family groups are a different matter and must be given space), I have shared the shade of Natal Mahoganies with packs of Painted Dog on more than one occasion and have watched lions squabble and devour kudu, buffalo and zebra from 25' (the noise is incredible) and recently crawled on my stomach to within 30' of a cheetah and her two young on an impala kill - camera was properly dusty after this little adventure.
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Completely agree with all of this and your photos are absolutely stunning. My original post was slightly tongue in cheek, we did surprise the elephant (and it then surprised us!). Your lodge will have a policy on going out on foot, I have been to Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro in Tanzania and they didn't allow you out on foot at all, but if you get the chance to go, do. You will see things you never would from a vehicle.
 
Big Andy said:
Yep, very mad, but also very envious. Would you mind telling us which holiday/safari company you use to organise that as that is how it should be in my opinion.
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Hi Andy. Thanks for your kind comments.

Mana Pools, as well as being a UNESCO world heritage site is, I believe, the only NP in Africa which permits visitors to walk in the bush, unguided (at your own risk of course). Access to the park is restricted and permits are needed to both entre and camp. The park is remote and facilities are very limited (long drop toilet and braii stand - that's your lot. You need to carry in everything you need -'water (we draw water from the Zambezi for washing) food beer, fuel etc etc. I am fortunate to have friends in Zim with suitable vehicles and trailers (and gas refrigeration - generators are not permitted in the park.

It is a truly wonderful park and is not for the faint hearted,but it does spoil you - you'll never want to view animals from the confines of a safari vehicle ever again.

I can put you in touch with a remarkable guide who operates a camp in the park - I guarantee he'll give you the wildlife viewing time of your life!
 
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Hi,
Great photos Ian, if I come back with some of them I will be over the moon.

Well today I have been out practising with 100-400, it is very easy and comfortable to use, I think at one stage I said I would hire one because I would not use one enough to buy one, erm I may have changed my mind !

Any how my question regards the IS function, I have been to a small animal park. I have left the IS on mode 1, turned on all of the time When I press the shutter half way I hear the focus beep and a small click form the IS lens, which I guess is the IS working.

if I recompose slightly or and wait for a min for the animal to be in a suitable position and I have released the shutter form the half way position. Then when I am ready press the shutter fully, with out much pause at half way.
Will the IS function work or do I need to always wait for a half a second with the shutter pressed half way? ( so do I have to wait for the click sound form the lens)

Well that feels like a lot of words to ask a short question :) So I hope it makes sense.
 
Safari advice?

Don't spend all your time behind the camera. Get out from behind it and just savour what's all around you! It's too easy to get carried away with the camera and forget to take in the view and enjoy the experience.

Some of the best images from my trip to Governor's Camp in Masai Mara and Tsavo are recorded only in my memory.
 
digital said:
Safari advice?

Don't spend all your time behind the camera. Get out from behind it and just savour what's all around you! It's too easy to get carried away with the camera and forget to take in the view and enjoy the experience.

Some of the best images from my trip to Governor's Camp in Masai Mara and Tsavo are recorded only in my memory.
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Yes, that is good advice, sometimes you can be so focused lol on getting the photos you miss the experience.
 
A pillowcase is also good for changing lenses inside.. And who would leave home without a pillow and towel anyway ;)

Personally I would also take 2 bodies especially since I'd go with the wife :)

Enjoy the trip!
 
UI know thisot my is not my thread but I would just like to thank all the replys. I am going on safari to Tanzania in July and its my first safari experience so all these little tips like pillow cases to change lens and multi batteries, all very helpful.
 
AMac said:
if I recompose slightly or and wait for a min for the animal to be in a suitable position and I have released the shutter form the half way position. Then when I am ready press the shutter fully, with out much pause at half way.
Will the IS function work or do I need to always wait for a half a second with the shutter pressed half way?
Click to expand...

When you half-depress the shutter button then the IS will start up. It will stay in action until shortly after you release the shutter. I got into the habit of keeping the shutter half-depressed if there was even a small chance I'd want to take a shot in the near future.
 
take a cushion for your behind, it is a really bumpy journey! don't forget to look out for the birds too - take some bins. The guides will try and get you some great photo opportunities - the guides from my experience were very keen to get us some shots (a little too keen sometimes!). and don't hesitate when taking a photo - I missed quite a few as the jeep would just go without warning us! enjoy it and don't just see it from being behind a lens it is the most amazing experience. lucky you!
 
Hi everyone,
well I have been having a go with the 100-400, IS seems to work well, I do get a few blurred when the animal is moving and I an trying to follow it, should I use mode 2 then and will that only work if I am panning, rather than the animal coming towards me.
 
Yes - Mode 2 is designed to stabilise for left right movement.

Remember that at 400mm you are using a bucket full of zoom, so every small movement will be magnified and the (somewhat) dated IS on the 100-400 will struggle at lower shutter speeds. To absolutely guarentee sharpness you need to really ramp your shutter speed - 1/800th or better (I'm being a bit loose with this - erring on the side of caution!). However in reallity that just is not possible (especially on a dawn game drive) without ramping the ISO to insanity.

So it boils down to practice! Keep cracking at it and should be able to get your techique nailed - but remember IS won't prevent movement blur on a moving subject - so you'll need to keep the shutter consistent with the animal you a following.

I generally leave my 100-400 in mode 2 for safari - on the basis that if something is stationary it's easy to hold the camera steady, but with movement a little extra help is appreciated. Swapping from mode 1 to 2 and back is just an added distraction!

Another point to note - focus modes - If your subject is moving then it could be moving away from your focus point. Depending on the DOF this may or may not be a problem. If shooting moving subjects then AI Servo may be preferable to One Shot as you can track your subject.


Hope this helps a bit
 
Hi Paul,
thanks for that, i am trying to stay at the same focal length in speed, but I think looking back now it will be easier to stay at higher speed, I also have the focus spot set to just the one in the middle, then I should know what I am selecting.
Leaving on mode 2 seems like a good idea, I only have the lens for the weekend to practice before my holiday at the end of June, as I am hiring the lens, better practice a bit more lol
 
Yes,
Sussed it, once I have set the Al servo, it was much better, mode 1 or 2 did not seem to make so much difference.
I cant think of a reason why I would not just leave it on al servo, the only thing I can think of is it might pull on the battery a bit more.
 
There should be no problem leaving in AI Servo if you are not planning to focus - recompose and shoot (as the focus will track to where your selected point is). I generally found that I was swapping fairly often between modes.

There is a third focus mode which is "supposed" to combine the best of both modes, but I must admit I've never really had much faith in it!

Something that will suprise you is how much the game generally stands around (or in the case of lions - lay around) not doing very much! Of course that can change quite quickly and birds seldom stay still.
 
The Selous is a great location, so you in for a great safari. A few tips that you may find useful.

Back Button Focusing

This is almost a right of passage for wildlife photographers. It separates the focusing from the shutter release button to the * or AF-ON button. This allows you to capture a range of situations without changing any settings.

Once set, put your focusing mode to AI servo, as you can use the following techniques to capture images.

If you want to focus and recompose, you simply focus with the */AF-ON button before taking you finger from the button. Then recompose before releasing the shutter (half depressing the shutter no longer causes it to refocus)

It would also allow you manually focus too.

If you subject quickly moves off, then push the AF-ON/* button and you can start tracking your subject. Then push the shutter when you want to capture the action.

Will look up the 550D manual online to give the correct change settings.

Depth of Field

Can be a real killer in the field, especially when you get caught up in the moment in a dynamic environment. It is important to always be considering the three way relationship between the following

1. Distance from your subject
2. Your Aperture
3. Focal Length

For example, those close ups at 400mm are going to require you to stop down, else the lions eyes will be in focus, but the nose not.

The Magic Number 7 -

The brain is able to remember between 4-7 decisions in a process. Treat each picture like a Golf Routine, and it become an ingrained part of your approach. A good starting point would be something along these lines;

1. Select Aperture
2. Check Shutter Speed (in the viewfinder before you take the shot)
3. Adjust ISO - To get shutter speed or for desired effect
4. Check Light Direction
5. Exposure Compensation
6. Apply Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Threes

I teach people to use this idea when capturing an images. Look for to include a minimum of three elements which can also be implied.

I also include overarching themes in this category.

Plan Your images

I would recommend thinking of a list of images you want to capture. Go one to 500px or flickr and try to understand different images you may want to capture. For example, elephant with trunk in the air.

Once you have made a list, jot down things like exposure compensation, shutter speeds, aperture, little techniques.

In my experience, if you come across a similar scene, it will enable you react, already knowing what kind of settings you want to be using.



100-400

The sweet spot of this lens is at F8, particularly @ 400mm. I would recommend trying to shoot at this aperture, though only do so if you are not pushing you ISO to high and introducing a lot of noise.

On a 550D - probably ISO800 and above?



Camera Stability

Which camp are you staying at?

In open vehicles, as you get in Selous, bean bags are far less useful if you are not sitting next to the driver.

I attach a manfrotto superclamp to the roll bars of open vehicles, then attach a tripod head.

Ebook

I have a free ebook on photographing wild dogs, of which Selous has a great reputation. It also covers a lot of the technique covered above, which you could apply to all wildlife.

http://rjohnsonimages.com/blog/?p=638

Finally

Just enjoy it....! Africa is a wonderful destination, I am more guilty than most of getting stuck behind the lens.
 
Lots of posts on the forum about back button focusing, which I use exclusively. Did take a while to catch on with the wife though. Basically it's separating the AF from the metering and shutter release. Why on safari?

- Very easy to focus & recompose because you can just focus on the subject, then recompose the shot without having to do it AGAIN if you need to take another shot. It's like instantly switching between MF/AF.

- If shooting something stationary like a prone lion, you can focus ONCE, then maybe adjust manually and keep snapping photos of that perfect moment without fear of the camera suddenly looking for a new whisker to focus on or messing up your manual focus. Press shutter release --> image. No exceptions.

- When tracking something moving, you can stop AF if they go into grass, behind trees etc and still keep shooting if you want. Without back button AF you'd have focus locking on the foreground distractions if you keep pressing the shutter button half way. If you stop pressing it, you can't take photos!

There is an alternative to back-button AF which is maybe more friendly to casual users, just use the AF-OFF button on your camera to stop AF from working. So it's completely reversed from back button AF.. but I find it works better when you are explicitly telling the camera to focus all the time, instead of trying to find the AF-OFF button when you need it - you will forget about it.

How long does it take to get used to back button AF? Maybe 2 weeks.. YMMV :)
 
vaizki said:
Lots of posts on the forum about back button focusing, which I use exclusively. Did take a while to catch on with the wife though. Basically it's separating the AF from the metering and shutter release. Why on safari?

- Very easy to focus & recompose because you can just focus on the subject, then recompose the shot without having to do it AGAIN if you need to take another shot. It's like instantly switching between MF/AF.

- If shooting something stationary like a prone lion, you can focus ONCE, then maybe adjust manually and keep snapping photos of that perfect moment without fear of the camera suddenly looking for a new whisker to focus on or messing up your manual focus. Press shutter release --> image. No exceptions.

- When tracking something moving, you can stop AF if they go into grass, behind trees etc and still keep shooting if you want. Without back button AF you'd have focus locking on the foreground distractions if you keep pressing the shutter button half way. If you stop pressing it, you can't take photos!

There is an alternative to back-button AF which is maybe more friendly to casual users, just use the AF-OFF button on your camera to stop AF from working. So it's completely reversed from back button AF.. but I find it works better when you are explicitly telling the camera to focus all the time, instead of trying to find the AF-OFF button when you need it - you will forget about it.

How long does it take to get used to back button AF? Maybe 2 weeks.. YMMV :)
Click to expand...

Plus one this.

Your keeper rate will dramatically increase.
 
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