Safari planned: advice please

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Looks like my wife and I might be doing a safari at Kruger next April if all goes to plan. This will be our first and probably only safari and I obviously want to make the most of it.

So a) I'm looking for some general hints and useful tips from those that have done safaris before

and b) some advice on the best camera gear to take. I've got a 5dmk3 and am thinking of using it with my Sigma 150-500. Is it worth having a second body (which I'd have to buy, but could get s/h from the classifieds here) and if so what would people recommend for a budget of £300-400? My other lenses are Canon 18-35L, 24-105L, 50mm1.4 and 70-300. What would be the best combos to use? One thing I've seen is that it's not a good idea to switch lenses while on s game drive because of potential dust issues and the fact that inevitably you miss the best shots while between lenses!!

Thanks in advance.
 
Hi Larry.

I am fortunate to be able to spend a week per year in the African Bush camping with friends and am a Canon user like you and my 1st choice body is a 5Dmkiii. I use a Canon 100-400 on this, and am sometimes short of some reach, so your Sigma 150-500 should be ideal for most of what you will see (as ever, birds are a special case!)

I can be extremely dusty in the bush (Kruger may not be as bad as the areas I visit in this respect) however both for convenience and keeping the sensor clean, I minimise the lens swapping I do by carrying a 2nd body. Until recently this was a 7Di, which I perversely kept my 'wide' lens on - I carry the exact same 2 lenses as you mention - Canon 18-35L, 24-105L with the 24-105 getting most time on the body. I find I am frequently shooting in poor light - mornings and evenings, and the limited high ISO capabilities of the 7Di frustrated me, so I have recently bought a 6D as me 'wide body.

I personally don't bother with camera support beyond a bean bag (though the majority of my wildlife viewing is done on foot, often walking 6-10km at a go, so weight is a big issue for me.

I also carry a couple of old cotton pillow cases to wither drape over, or keep my cameras in whilst travelling in vehicles - it keeps most of the dust out, and still gives easy and quick access to the cameras as required.
 
If you're on a walking safari, the weight can be a killer in the heat. Kruger is quite busy and "touristy" than say Etosha or Chobe, so the vehicles can be busy. Also, I think I shot most.of the big five at about 70mm, you can get quite close. It wasn't a case of there's an elephant on the horizon.
 
All I can add to the excellent advice already given is to find out if you will be able to charge batteries and what plug type they use where you are staying
And either take a laptop with lots of storage or a lot of memory cards you will be taking a lot of shots :)
 
LCPete said:
All I can add to the excellent advice already given is to find out if you will be able to charge batteries and what plug type they use where you are staying
And either take a laptop with lots of storage or a lot of memory cards you will be taking a lot of shots :)
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South Africa use the old UK 15amp sockets http://www.iec.ch/worldplugs/typeM.htm

I always carry a little, self-powered backup device. It has an SD card slot, a USB slot and you connect via WiFi to copy the files. Thinking of upgrading to something like http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...k8z0010bbk_nesn_1tb_my_passport_wireless.html
 
Re. back-up and charging - where I go there is no electricity, so I carry one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/NOCO-UltraSafe-GB30-Starter-Lithium/dp/B00M1OUBES

It has a USB output port, so with a suitable charger provides loads of power for a week in the bush. You can also jump start your vehicle with it!!!!

For back up, I don't (beyond running duel cards in my 5Diii body for some redundancy). However I take lots of moderate sized cards, and swap them out daily, irrespective of how full they are and tuck them aways safely until back in the UK. I'll also swap a card out after a particularly good sighting.
 
April is getting into autumn, so it won't be so hot, and there's less chance of rain. Unfortunately it's not the best time to see game, because the bush will be thick and lush at the end of the hot/wet season. Winter is much better, but there's not much you can do about that if you're committed to April. Don't forget malaria prophylaxis, it's important.

Your camera and lenses should be fine, and will cover most eventualities. I agree with the idea of a second body, mainly to have a shorter lens option available instantly. Dust won't be such a problem as it is during the winter, which is bone dry, but it's better to avoid changing lenses on the move if possible. You might want to think about a macro lens too, some of the most interesting 'game' comes with 6 or 8 legs!

You might want to check https://www.outdoorphoto.co.za/. The site owner is Hedrus Van Der Merwe who is also a professional wildlife photographer, and there are some other pros and very experienced photographers on the forums. Register (free/instant) and you'll get first class advice from locals. Outdoorphoto also rent gear from their shop in Pretoria, and I think they have an outlet in Nelspruit (close to Kruger), which might be worth looking into if you want a second body or another lens? FWIW, I'm a member of the forums but have no other connection with the site.

Enjoy it!
 
Thanks for the various replies. I'll follow up some of the suggestions.

@MartynK we're tied down to April so will have to make the best of it. We have family working out in Malawi at the moment and that's the only time we can visit them: the safari is just an added bonus. :) Thanks for the outdoorphoto link, much appreciated.
 
Haakon said:
Just don't count on it being able to jump start a diesel Landrover...
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They claim it will...and I intend to put to this test late next week, once the device has completed camera battery charging duties, with a diesel Landcruiser.
 
whyone said:
They claim it will...and I intend to put to this test late next week, once the device has completed camera battery charging duties, with a diesel Landcruiser.
Click to expand...


Check the Amazon reviews - loads of people say it won't do a diesel - it's an experience I have had with the standard jump start battery packs - they just don't have umph and wouldn't start my 2litre tdi - I have a large Clarke tools one now designed for diesel and that'll start it even if the battery is so flat the central locking won't work [emoji5]️
 
Haakon said:
Check the Amazon reviews - loads of people say it won't do a diesel - it's an experience I have had with the standard jump start battery packs - they just don't have umph and wouldn't start my 2litre tdi - I have a large Clarke tools one now designed for diesel and that'll start it even if the battery is so flat the central locking won't work [emoji5]️
Click to expand...
I am equally skeptical, I just thought I'd give it a go because I can. Hopefully it wont be needed for real (and if it does, we have several full-sized back-up batteries.

The bottom line is, it is more than capable of keeping batteries for 2 heavily used Canon bodies fully charged for 7 days in the bush.
 
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