What to pack for a safari

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munkee

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Booked our tickets to Mozambique last night. Most of the time will be spent riding but we're spending a few days on safari in Gorongosa national park. What would you recommend I pack in my camera bag? Current kit list comprises...

Nikon D7000
Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G
Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G

The obvious addition would be a long tele or zoom lens but which one?
 
A very sensible question which I should have anticipated. Let's say £1,000. Most of my kit is second hand. I don't have much call for long lenses day-to-day so I'd probably look to buy something for this trip and then sell it on afterwards. With that in mind I could probably even afford to spend a bit more than £1,000.
 
I'm no expert in tele lenses. Or Nikon for a mater of fact. But you'll probably want something as long as possible. That in mind, look at Sigmas 150-500. Probably best for your budget. Second hand or new. You'll still have some cash left to play about with.
 
I would have thought that a good 70-200mm would do the trick. The safari drivers can get you quite close to the animals.
 
A big zoom will be the order of the day - you'll probably want the reach and the less lens changes you make the better.

That pretty much narrows it down to the sigma's (I'll let others start the arguement over which one) or the Nikon 80-400mm, which is a decent lens but not the fastest focussing.

If it was me, I'd look to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a second hand nikon 200-400mm then sell it on my return for minimal, if any, loss. If you're going all that way, why compromise unless you think the weight will be excessive.

Mike
 
Sigma 150-500mm - 2nd hand + you get some spending money left over

I use my 150-500mm every day- super lens

Les :thumbs:
 
Go for sigma 50-500, huge range. Save you having to change lens which aint a bad thing with all that dust.
 
As above, Sigma 150-500 or 50-500. I had the former and now have the latter. Both are outstanding. And heavy.

The extra 100 at the short end of the 50-500 will be useful as means you probably won't have to change lenses and so lose shots: things quite often pop up unexpectedly and nearby.

Enjoy the trip. We did Governor's Camp on Masai Mara and it was awesome!
 
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Would you be better off renting a a long lens, if it's something you won't use later?
 
Another vote for the sigma 150-500, very hand hold able, it's not heavy compared to a 400/500mm prime, great image quality, pick one up secondhand for less than it costs to rent a prime lens for a trip. I'd buy a second body as a back up and stick a shorter zoom on that to cover landscapes etc.
 
The 150-500 might not be heavy compared with a 400/500 prime but you still notice the weight after a few hours of carrying it around. I certainly had aching shoulders last year after carrying one in Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands for a few hours each day...
 
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'll be sure to pack plenty of pants. Time for some googling now.

I hadn't considered renting but I'll definitely look into that. I guess my biggest concern would be the insurance implications of taking a rented lens abroad.
 
munkee said:
Booked our tickets to Mozambique last night. Most of the time will be spent riding but we're spending a few days on safari in Gorongosa national park. What would you recommend I pack in my camera bag? Current kit list comprises...

Nikon D7000
Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G
Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.4G

The obvious addition would be a long tele or zoom lens but which one?
Click to expand...

Lots of bug repellant. "Bug off" spray :)
lots of bottled water and beef jerky and chicken jerky.. if possible.. invest in a digital camera which includes flash,..
And shouts incredible shots from away the zoom in feature has no limit in distance.
Hey... plezd to meet u.
 
Insect repellent, sunscreen and some sweets to suck, (Safer than fluids to drink which you should have enough of anyway).
 
We used our tele zooms more than regular lenses on safari in Africa. That's a 150-500mm sigma FF for my mate and 70-300mm crop for me.

Now that's not Mozambique, but Kenya we got mega close to the animals, Tanzania we were struggling at the tele end to get close enough.

I don't know Nikons but it looks like that's a crop. Sticking a 150-500 on a crop is going to be great for that leopard 200m away but rubbish when a lion is trying to crawl under the bus (these things were 30 minutes apart).

Personally I'd get something like a 70-300 and hope you get close, and put the extra towards a second body (or rent one). And stick one of your primes on it, probably the 50mm but anything wider would be a bonus (18-55 kit?)

I can't stress enough how dusty we found it, my mates camera was more brown than black with dust after the mara to nairobi 6 hour drive. My mirror was not in a good state (one of the items was a hair) despite the lens and body being attached and immaculate from the UK. The lens only came off after the fact to remove said hair - and body and lens were apparently weather sealed.

Again not the same area but for us weight wasn't an issue, we only did a couple of walks most of it was game drives. On which basis - take something to sit the camera(s) on / wrap around it to prevent dust while not using it. The vehicles we were in weren't exactly clean or with nice cushioned surfaces.

Take every piece of camera cleaning equipment you own that'll fit. Including sensor stuff if you have it and know how to do it. Don't start experimenting there.

And non-camera related but take some hand gel!

Enjoy :) Remember to put the camera down and soak it up a few times, I didn't do this enough.
 
jmc41 said:
...but Kenya we got mega close to the animals, Tanzania we were struggling at the tele end to get close enough...
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Which reminds me; different parks have different rules. On Masai Mara vehicles are allowed to go off-road and so you can get really close-up to the animals. On Tsavo they have dug a ditch alongside the road and piled the soil and rocks up to create a barrier over which vehicles are not allowed. A long lens is pretty much essential there.

It may be worthwhile checking the arrangements for Mozambique.
 
A Nikon 70-200 VR II would be perfect but you'd do we'll to pick up one for a £1k.

Maybe try the Sigma equivalent or look at hiring the Nikon for a week or 2?
 
I'd get the 70-200 VR I on a crop like the D7000 which could be had for under £1k. Hiring is an option from lenspimp or lensesforhire, but worrying about the safety of something that isn't yours in a foreign country might take the shine off the holiday.

Theoretically buying a clean used Sigma 50-500/150-500 or Nikon 70-200 and selling it shouldn't cost you any money reselling if you buy smart.
 
LensFettish said:
A Nikon 70-200 VR II would be perfect but you'd do we'll to pick up one for a £1k.

Maybe try the Sigma equivalent or look at hiring the Nikon for a week or 2?
Click to expand...

How about the f/4 version of the Nikon 70-200mm?
 
The f4 isn't bad but its not as good as the f2.8 - the 2.8 mkI isn't too bad if you couldn't stretch to the mkII

The 70-200 2.8 II is probably our most popular lens
 
70-300 should do it, I'd find 200mm a bit too close but if you are right up with the critters....take a compact with you :)
 
http://www.gorongosa.org/

You could have a look at the sigma 50-500mm rather than the 150-500mm if you wanted a 1 lens solution. You could also look at hiring a lens, but I would do a bit of research with google before hand and see what images poeple have posted and what lenses they used when they visited the park.

Looking at the website and the fact it states about staying to marked tracks / roads, having experienced something similar at the Kruger National Park I was shooting animals between 70 and 840 (300mm with 2x and 1.4x TC stacked) plus a 1.6x crop. The choice of lens will depend on how close you can get to the wildlife.

You also have to take into account the weight of your camera gear for taking onboard aircraft as hand luggage as this could also restrict what you can take.
 
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