Lens choices for Botswana safari

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Andyman

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Andy Reed
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Hi,

I’m looking for some advice on which kit to take on our upcoming trip to Botswana. Wildlife photography isn’t something that I do a great deal of so I’m hoping someone with some more experience could offer some advice.

Currently the longest reach lens I have is the 70-200 2.8L. I have a 1.4 extender which I have to admit has hardly ever been used. I’m trying to work out whether this will really be long enough or whether I should look at hiring something like a 100-400. I did wonder about hiring a long prime but was slightly concerned that it might be too restrictive.

We have two day stop off at Livingstone and Victoria Falls so I’ll definitely be taking the 17-40L and 50 1.4 as they cover me for more general shooting and landscapes.

So, should I take the 70-200 or hire something more suitable for the safari aspect of our trip? What are people’s thoughts on the most suitable safari lens? Is a high quality long prime practical?

FF body by the way…

Cheers,
Andy.
 
The 100-400 is obviously the most versatile but doesn't have the greatest aperture at the wide end.

Unfortunately the long primes are very expensive even to hire - £200 for the 500mm f4 or £150 for the 300mm f2.8 for 1 week, and you presumably will be gone for longer than that.
 
Are you flying using light aircraft? Botswana has very strict luggage limits on internal flights into the Okavango Delta.

Botswana is very varied. In Makgadikgadi Pans you'll need all the reach in the world and then some. In Chobe and the Delta, smaller lenses will often do as the land is quite scrubby and so you can get closer to things (and not see as far anyway!)

Are you a birder? Birds need all the reach in the world too.

In all honesty, I'm not convinced a 70-200 will be enough. I'd be tempted to hire a 300 f/4 IS. Then you can leave the TC on the camera and swap between 70-200 and 300 without exposing the insides to dust. Or, if you are feeling flush a 300/2.8.

If you're spending money on a Botswana safari then hiring something probably makes sense. I would pic a prime over a zoom I have to say for the quality and I would take the 70-200.

My safari kit has for the last 5 trips been two bodies (do you have a spare? in case on fails and also to run two different lenses) with 70-200+1.4 on one and either 400/4+1.4 or 500/4 more recently on the other.

For Vic Falls, take grads or you may well end up with flat white skies...
 
Uneducated_Rick said:
...and you presumably will be gone for longer than that.
Click to expand...
Yes we'll be away for two weeks.

The 500 f4 would be very nice but like you say expensive to hire. The 300 f4 is a little more reasonable to hire.

One other consideration we have is weight limit. Since we're taking a light aircraft into the Okavango Delta our limit is 12kg. Something like a 500 prime would REALLY have to be worth taking in order to account for a third of my baggage allowance. :)

I've never done a safari before but I have a suspicion that much of it will be done at dawn or dusk. I wonder whether a fast lens will be vital.

Andy.
 
Hi Paul,

Yes, I think the weight limit will be a major consideration to the extent where I had thought it might mean choosing between the 70-200 and one other long reach lens, but possibly not both. Great tip to keep the TC attached to avoid dust problems. I like the idea of being able to swap between the 70-200 and a 300 prime. My other half is taking my spare (10D with a 70-200 f4).

Most of our itinerary has us in Chobe and the Delta so it sounds as though you’re suggesting 300mm + 1.4 TC might be enough. This is our rough outline itinerary. You’re obviously far more familiar with the terrain than I.

http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/bro...botswana_explorer_under_canvas/standard_tour/

Yes, definitely taking grads. I was toying with taking my carbon tripod too as it may double for a mono-pod on safari.

I'm certainly not a birder in this country but having read about the variety of species out there I may well be. We’ll have to see about that. It would be nice to be prepared.

Andy.
 
Sounds like the perfect time to upgrade to a higher res camera so you can crop harder or at least that's what you tell your wife? 5D mk2 with a 50D for the long shots? :D
 
I can't recommend the 100-400L enough - I recently hired one for my safari in Kenya and it is a fantastic piece of kit.
My only problem was that reasonably often I needed a wider angle for some shots or when the animals were so damn close I couldn't get them all in shot.

An ideal setup would be one body with the 100-400, plus a second body with a something like a 17-85.
I just risked a few quick lens changes and luckily managed to get away with very little dust

Edit: Also, if you're in a driving safari, a camera beanbag (such as one of Dean's - http://www.camerabeanbags.co.uk) worked fantastically well, much better and less cumbersome than a tripod

Edit2: Take lots of memory - I got through about 16gig in 5 days, taking 8mp raw images
 
Both times I have been in Chobe and Moremi, I only had my old 75 - 300 on an EOS 300v film camera, and on the whole this was long enough. There were a few times where longer would have been nice, but equally there were times where shorter was needed too!

My next trip out there, I will be taking my 70-200, a 1.4x, a 2x (a poor IQ shot is sometimes better than no shot IMO) and a 300mm prime, as well as a walk around lens, but I will not be on light aircraft.

Take plenty of CF cards with you - I took 10 - 12 rolls of 36 exposure film in 2 days, plus around 300 shots on my digital P&S both times.

Just a word of warning at Vic falls - if there is plenty of water going over, you will potentially get damp - so maybe take a rain sleeve / bag for your camera.

I have found that monopods are good in the safari trucks I have been in, I would have been uncomfortable using bean bags due to the height of the side rails.

Have a great trip!
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. So from what I have I'm torn between the following two options.

Option 1:
17-40L
50mm 1.4
70-200 2.8L
Hire a 300mm prime (2.8 or 4)

Option 2:
17-40L
50mm 1.4
Hire a 100-400

Option 2 certainly sounds a lot lighter. Having experienced the light on safari how much value would you place in the faster lenses? Lets say I were hiring a 300 prime. How often is f4 going to be limiting?

I've heard Victoria Falls can be a little damp. How easy is it to go walking around there? Are you fairly free to roam around and is that even possible?

Andy.
 
Andyman said:
Thanks for the advice everyone. So from what I have I'm torn between the following two options.

Option 1:
17-40L
50mm 1.4
70-200 2.8L
Hire a 300mm prime (2.8 or 4)

Option 2:
17-40L
50mm 1.4
Hire a 100-400

Option 2 certainly sounds a lot lighter. Having experienced the light on safari how much value would you place in the faster lenses? Lets say I were hiring a 300 prime. How often is f4 going to be limiting?

I've heard Victoria Falls can be a little damp. How easy is it to go walking around there? Are you fairly free to roam around and is that even possible?

Andy.
Click to expand...


I have only been to the zimbabwe side of the falls, but there was wide paths and you could go pretty much where you wanted. Don't know if the Zambia side is similar though?

My old zoom was an F4 - 5.6, and I have found it be fine around 7 / 7:30am, but the zebra's and giraffes we saw then were not moving very fast! I used ISO 400 film. Others, will no doubt have different experiences though.
 
I've just seen that you have a 5D. I'm not sure that a 300mm would be enough for a full frame sensor, so another reason for the 100-400 :)

I've got the first 2 days of our Kenya trip up here, mostly taken with the 100-400
 
They're all just using the 100-400, no TC envolved.
No TC needed for most the shots (image shrunk, not cropped) :)

IMG_4501ss.jpg
 
Cheers!

Good luck with your lens choice anyway. Safari was such an amazing experience for me and I'd love to go again (maybe with a second camera body, a lot more time and on a self drive or with my own driver :))
You'll love it!
 
I've not got that one uploaded to Flickr yet, but here's some of the main info you're after

Camera Model: Canon EOS 30D
Shutter Speed: 1/640 sec
Lens Aperture: F/5.6
Focal Length: 400mm
ISO Speed: ISO-200
Date: 09Apr/2009 09:08
 
Andyman said:
Thanks for the advice everyone. So from what I have I'm torn between the following two options.

Option 1:
17-40L
50mm 1.4
70-200 2.8L
Hire a 300mm prime (2.8 or 4)

Option 2:
17-40L
50mm 1.4
Hire a 100-400

Option 2 certainly sounds a lot lighter. Having experienced the light on safari how much value would you place in the faster lenses? Lets say I were hiring a 300 prime. How often is f4 going to be limiting?

I've heard Victoria Falls can be a little damp. How easy is it to go walking around there? Are you fairly free to roam around and is that even possible?

Andy.
Click to expand...

Andy

Lots of good advice here. But Botswana is very different to Kenya and Tanzania. Game is often less dense and you don't tend to get the same sweeping views as you do on the East African planes. On that basis, I would think that reach is a bit less of an issue.

I don't think f/4 will be a huge limit. The 5D is pretty good at ISO1000 and if you use Noise Ninja or similar, you will potentially get very usable pictures at ISO1600. f/2.8 is going to give a very shallow DoF so you probably wouldn't want to use it too much.

I think I would go for the prime over the zoom to be honest. It will net you sharper pictures. Check the weights but can you do 70-200 and 300/4? It's what I would do in that position I think. It's light enough to handheld, the 300/2.8 is a bit of a beast after a while.

Although the advice about beanbags is good, there are often view places to use them in the open Land Rovers used on safari. Often, a rolled up fleece on the bar in front of you will suffice. If you do take a beanbag, take it empty and fill it with rice from the camp when you get there. I've never bothered in southern Africa.

There's a picture of a typical vehicle in southern Africa here.

On the fleece note, the Delta can be very cold in May/June at night. Take a fleece and possibly even a jumper. Although it is hot during the peak of the day, at night it can sometimes even freeze! And dawn is cold when you first go out. A beanie hat is worthwhile as a precaution too.

Vic Falls can get wet, especially in May/June. First time I went, I ended up having to hang out my travellers cheques to dry! Take some plastic bags to wrap stuff in. You can get good pictures from some spots that are drier though so don't worry.

The Zambian side is well pathed as well and you get to explore the "rainforest" on that side, which is in the spray. Your hotel, the Zambezi Sun, is in a great location just five minutes walk from the Falls.

If the wallet can stomach it, take a microlight or helicopter flight over the Falls. It is truly stunning.

Agree on the memory issue. First time I went I shot 40 rolls of film in 10 days. Last time, 50Gb in 8 days!

Hope that helps

Paul
 
Hi Paul,

Great advice, thank you. I really need to weigh some camera gear to figure out what’s possible. As much as I would usually prefer to have a lens at least as fast as f2.8 I think the weight will prevent it. The 300 2.8 is almost 1.5kg heavier than the f4. The hand-hold weight is something worth bearing in mind since we do have the option of walking and canoe safari excursions.

The trip we’re booked on guarantees us open-top Land Rovers which look to have quite low sides. I suspect a beanbag support won’t be as much use as it would be in an enclosed vehicle with windows. I was thinking a mono-pod would be far more practical.

Thanks for the advice with regard to temperature. We were expecting it to be chilly but probably not to the extent of needing beanies. :) Is the temperature roughly the same over in Victoria Falls? Presumably it can get hot enough during the day for shorts and t-shirts.

50Gb! Crikey... I think I have around 30Gb worth of cards so I may invest in a couple more.

Just googled microlights over Victoria Falls... which Debbie saw over my shoulder. I tried to sell it to her on there being no glass ruining the photos but she wasn’t buying it! Something tells me I’ll be doing that one alone while she follows in a helicopter :)

Cheers everyone,
Andy.
 
Vic Falls is normally warmer as it is further north. I haven't been cold enough to need a hat every trip but it can be useful sometimes. Definitely shorts and t-shirt in the day.

I don't think you can take pics from the microlight as you could drop it and hit the prop. When I did it you gave them a roll of film to run through their camera mounted on the wing. Don't know how they work in the digital age!
 
One further question for you guys who've done safari. With the exception of two final days in Livingstone our entire trip will be in tented campsite accommodation (albeit fairly luxurious tents). I've asked about charging batteries and they say the only charging facilities will be if I bring a 12v cigarette lighter style charger to plug into the Land Rovers.

I have 9 BP-511 battery packs (mostly 2000mAh) to power my 5D and Debbie's 10D. I just wonder what your experience of battery requirements is. Are 9 packs likely to get us through 8 solid days of safari?

Also thanks very much for the lens advice. I have now booked a 300mm f4 for the trip to accompany my 70-200 2.8. The 300 2.8 would have been preferable but the luggage allowance prevents it.

Andy.
 
Hi Andy

I wouldn't risk that I have to say. I've typically used about a battery a day on average and with 2 of you taking pics, it may be a bit tight. I'd either get more batteries (cheapies from 7dayshop or similar) and a car charger. I normally take lots of batteries as it is easier.

Paul
 
I've got a bp511 car charger that wasn't very expensive and charges the barreries fine. Certainly lighter than lots of batteries
 
Ok, cheers. I did wonder whether it might be closer to a battery a day. I've ordered a couple of extra batteries and one of these chargers just in case. Hopefully that'll plug straight into the Land Rovers.

http://www.sterlingtek.com/canbp511acba.html

Is this what you have? Any idea how long this might take to charge a 2000mAh pack? I guess we could probably keep that charging whilst we're out on a game drive.

I was a bit uncertain about how packs might handle the conditions. I know how poorly they perform in the cold.

Andy.
 
Batteries are fine out there. You shouldn't have too many problems as it won't be cold for long! I have certainly been able to charge a battery comfortably on a standard game drive...
 
No contribution to the lens discussion, just thought I'd share my envy of you! I'd love to go on safari!
 
Andyman said:
:) yes, to say we're excited about this trip is a bit of an understatement. Its going to be awesome. We also have the chance to do walking and canoe safari during the day which sounds incredible.

Andy.
Click to expand...

Canoe safari sounds very interesting, how does that work with crocs and hippos?

I can thoroughly recommend a walking safari, we had a great time doing that in Kruger. At one point we had to run for a large rock to get away from Rhino displacing a couple of hyena in the process. That was an interesting experience. it wasn't just about the big stuff though, we saw a chameleon right up close and a leopard tortoise (though after that we started to see tortoise everywhere)

We are off to Namibia in July and I had hoped to do the same in Etosha but they don't offer the facility.

Any time I could do a walking safari I would.
 
trapper501 said:
Canoe safari sounds very interesting, how does that work with crocs and hippos?
Click to expand...
You'll find out if I'm still posting after July 19th :D. Hopefully it works with a very long lens.

Walking safari sounds amazing. Definitely looking forward to that. How far do you normally walk on one outing? I'm just wondering how much you're likely to want to carry on that kind of trek.

Andy.
 
Andyman said:
You'll find out if I'm still posting after July 19th :D. Hopefully it works with a very long lens.

Walking safari sounds amazing. Definitely looking forward to that. How far do you normally walk on one outing? I'm just wondering how much you're likely to want to carry on that kind of trek.

Andy.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it must vary enormously, but we set out just before dawn and drove to a place to leave the landrover then walked for about 30-40 mins before stopping for breakfast on the big rock, then walked back. Two rangers with rifles, one in front one behind, and about 6 or 8 people.

Unhappy rhino
IMG_1150.JPG


Unhappy hyena
IMG_1166.JPG
 
Make yourself a man mounting the 17-40mm L on the 5D to take some lion shots! :D
 
jimlizard said:
Make yourself a man mounting the 17-40mm L on the 5D to take some lion shots! :D
Click to expand...

Hahaha - not as silly as it sounds - last time I was in Moremi (the game reserve in the Okavango) I was shooting lions on film with a 28-90mm - my 75-300mm was too long!

But I was sat in a jeep on the road, and they were sat on the verge at the edge of the road!

This was taken with a p&s, exif says about 28mm - plus I was on the far side of the truck! Rubbish shot - but proof we were there!

335523747_cDd4x-M.jpg
 
Andyman said:
:) yes, to say we're excited about this trip is a bit of an understatement. Its going to be awesome. We also have the chance to do walking and canoe safari during the day which sounds incredible.

Andy.
Click to expand...

Ooo a mokoro trip! I really fancy one of those - hoping to get to do one next time we go. Did a boat safari in Chobe a few years back, and that was amazing!

Hope you have a great time!
 
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