Photographic Equipment has changed in leaps and bounds in recent years, with so much choice out there for photographers of every level. For first time safari goers, how do you choose the right equipment for your photographic safari? Which camera is ideal for a safari? Should I get a D-SLR? Which lenses can I get to best utilize the photographic opportunities and not be limited creatively? These are all questions that can have multiple answers depending on your photographic style. However, outlined below are some useful tips that will make answering these questions a little easier.

Cameras

The camera manufacture (ie make) is not as important as the type of camera best suited for wildlife photography, we recommend that a Digital single reflex camera is used as your primary camera and as an optional secondary camera a ‘point and shoot’, for those moments when a D-SLR is just not practical.

Choosing a camera

Things we suggest that you consider when buying a D-SLR

• Shutter-speed – try to get a camera the can take more than 5 frames per second, you will thank us when you have managed to capture that cheetah hunt.
• Resolution – we recommend no less than an 8-mega pixel camera, this can quite easily produce a large print and you will be able to do some marginal cropping without affecting the quality of the image
• ISO Ratings – a good range of ISO settings which is useful in low light photography, noting that the bulk of animal activity is at dawn and dusk so this is important.
• ‘Low noise’ capabilities – noise is what film photographers often called film grain, but in the digital age this not as appealing.

Lenses

One of the great benefits of a D-SLR system is that you have a lot of options when it comes to lens choices. This is the single greatest influence on your photography results, so invest wisely in this area. We recommend that you buy the best quality lens that you can afford, put the bulk of your budget into the lens.  However this is also where most of your weight in your camera bag will come from. So – the question remains – what is necessity and what is over kill … read on.

Zoom lens vs fixed lens

Zooms lenses are effectively 4 or 5 fixed lens combined into one lens. For manufactures to be able to build them they have to compromise on optical quality, basically they are the ‘jack of all trades’. They have their place and are a great weight saver, but they are optically inferior to fixed lenses. Where as a Fixed lens has only one focal distance, makeing them less versitile, but the manufacture would have less thing to consider when building these … so the optic’s is of the highest quality.

Our suggestions when buying a zoom lens

• Buy zoom lenses with a fixed aperture that you can control with the lowest aperture possible.
• The lower the zoom range, the less comprise on optical quality, so basically stay away from 20 – 500mm type lenses.
• Ideally buy a lens built by your camera manufacturer, there are however some good quality third party lenses out there, the Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 jumps to mind.

Our suggestions when buy a fixed lens

• Consider getting 1.4 and 2 times converters, these will make your fixed lenses more versatile.
• Get a fixed lens for specialist photographic fields, i.e macro photography, telephoto, ultra wide angles. And use a zoom lens for general photography.

Other things to consider when buying lenses

• Built-in stabilizers (IS, OS & VR), these are extremely useful when photographing wildlife which is always on the move and tripods are not always practical.
• Lenses with a manual override – your lens will struggle to focus on the leopard in the thicket, so to be able to focus manually will be a great help.

Read more at: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/travel-photography-which-lenses-to-take

Other Equipment

Their are hundreds of gadgets and gizmos out there that will fill your camera bag or box. It is important to note that there is often a luggage limit on domestic flights within African countries, this is a variable weight but work on 20kg (44 lb) worth of luggage – in total. That is not a lot! So pack you camera bags with what you need not what you want! And maximize your equipment so to get the best optical quality vs weight.

Things to consider

1. Bring a camera bag instead of a hard box (Pelican), these are easier to pack and are capable of carrying more equipment.

2. Bring a monopod instead of a tripod.

3. Even better is empty beanbags, most camps and lodges would be happy to lend you some rice while you are staying with them.

4. Bring along a small amount of canned air and a cleaning kit, dust is a real problem in Africa. Remember to pack the air into your main luggage.

5. Consider getting a normal UV lens filter, to act as added protection for the front of your lens. Safari life is bumpy and this could save you a few bumps and scratches. Just note that is will effect the image quality.

6. Power adapters, do a bit of research on your destination and bring the right plugs and adapters.

7. Extra batteries are a must, as power to re-charger batteries are not always available. We suggest you pack enough to be self reliant for 3 days of solid shooting.

8. As a bare minimum bring a card reader and USB powered external hard-drive to back up your images.  If you have a small laptop this might also be well worth bringing.

Read more at: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/travel-photography-what-to-take-in-your-kit

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