Help needed: trip to Botswana, Namibia, South Africa

M

Merumeni

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At the end of this year I will be heading down to South Africa for a self driving trip through the Kalahari (Botswana) Etosha (Namibia) and down the coast before turning back to South Africa. Half way I will fly into the Okavango delta and back to Maun.
It is just a fun and holiday trip.

What kind of equipment would you take with you?
The trip involves wild life, landscape, cities and anthropological aspects. I am planning to have with me:
M6 0.85 and my M9
50 rigid Summicron
Canon 28 ltm
Nikkor 85 2 ltm
35 C-Biogon
25 Biogon
50 Planar
15 CV Heliar

- and I know already that this is nuts.

Plus there is the “safari” question: even though I am not very keen on taking shots of hippos and lazy lions I might like to have more than a 50 when running into them. I still do have a Nikon D300 with an 80-400 and a 105 2.8. I know exactly that this is too much.

What would YOU do?
Cut off the hippos (this is the tele D300)?
Go just digital (M9 plus 15, 25, 50 and D300 80-400)?
Or would you stay Leica (adding an Elmarit 135 2.8?).
 
I went on a photo safari in Botswana five years ago; took nothing but a digital point-and-shoot, and didn't find myself wishing I'd brought something else. We were so close to the animals, the guys with the huge lenses (and yes, only the guys had huge lenses) looked ridiculous. Birds might merit some longer glass, but otherwise your lens selection should be fine.
 
At least choose either 25 or 28, and only one 50 lens.
Get a Pelican case to store stuff dust and dent free, you can padlock it and chain it down so nobody takes off with your gear.

Other gear involves a good pocket knife, Duct tape, WD-40, pair of tough pliers, aspirin, flashlight, solar charging kit for electronics, water purification tablets, etc etc etc

Sounds like fun, this trip! Enjoy!
 
Spent a month in SA a few years back and fully empathise with your dilemma. In the end I took my R-D1 with CV 15, 25 & 35, plus a last minute purchase of a Canon super zoom compact (SX1 (I think it was), for the wild life stuff. Probably not a choice most folks around here would consider, but I found the two covered just about all my needs, with the CV 15 the least useful overall.
Sold the Canon soon as I got home as it was stupidly noisy above ISO 200, although With LR 4 noise reduction I've salvaged a few shots more recently, and anyway the gap between daylight and darknes is so brief down there I'm not sure higher ISO is as much of a deal as in, e.g. Scotland where I live!
Came home with a couple of thousand shots and no regrets about my hardware choices. Today, it would be M9 with 35, 50, 75, and maybe a Fuji or Pana with about 24 to 600 equivalent zoom
Enjoy your trip...
 
Sounds exciting.
Can't tell you what to do, but suggests that you reflect a little on what you actually used last time you travelled.
I always try to travel light and minimize the equipment I bring, and mostly I end up bringing too much anyway. I have never regretted the few times I dared only to bring a fast 28 or 35mm and one camera. A small P&S has mostly been perfectly fine as backup.
I can't really relate to the safari part - sorry.
 
I would concur with trying to travel light, though 400mm on a cropped SLR may still not be enough in some cases. One thing I did find tough in South Africa was colour balance, especially at altitude. Some way of calibratign colour balance might be useful.
 
i had no idea what dusk light was.. i was born in South Africa.
One moment light, next using matches to find one's car..
The ultra wide may not be useful, but is tiny and light.
The DSLR first choice in bag! Zoom lens. Filters.1A and PZ.
Spare batteries. Bring antibiotics etc when away from larger cities.
Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban are 1st world..
DO NOT do street photography except Cape Town.
The small towns ought to be fine, but don't carry stuff,
like one would in safer climes..
I carry a P/S Digital. Only. NO watch, jewelry.
On Safari, take reasonable care. Make sure about fuel, water.
This is serious desert. Kalahari and Etosha.
Okavango will be magic.
 
Africa is DSLR country, to me.

I've brought 28/50/80-200 (on full frame) and the zoom was on the camera most of the time. Towns and villages, the 50 was on. I would wish for a bit more reach sometimes; a 80-400 would be very nice. Perfect Africa lens on full frame.


XD11-008-Edit.jpg


-Charlie
 
I lived there for a few years and have done safaris in those areas. I agree with others about digital and zoom. You will get close to some game, but your zoom will likely be the most used lens. I had a zoom with max of 300mm and it wasn’t enough. Morning and evening are best times for game viewing, so low light ability is very useful. Also because of the low light aspect, either a light tripod or monopod (which I used a lot) will help. For quickly changing positions but maintaining some stability, a monopod was surprisingly nimble. As the animals appear and vanish quickly, you won’t have much time for the shots so forget about changing lenses. No time, and if you are in their winter season, which is dry, dust is everywhere. To complement your 80-300 zoom, I’d also consider a wide angle to show context and landscape. Personally, I’d stick to the Nikon digital and travel light and compact. Agree with others about safety etc.

Enjoy the trip. They are amazing places.

Steve
 
My safari experience in the Okavanga was back in the film days. All my shots were with a 300 and many x1.4.

Today I would take the D300 and 300 f/4 on one body. A mid-range zoom on the other body. Enjoy.
 
I looked over some old shots. Shooting wildlife, Steve is spot on with the low light, WA and monopod suggestions. You're up before dawn and out at sunset and some "wide" is useful in your group - too many tele shots and you'll underplay the scale of the theater.

"Seeing into Tomorrow"

XD11-026.jpg


28mm and I would have liked wider.

-Charlie
 
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