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 p.77 #7 · African safari talk...recommendations? | |
cambyses wrote:
Speaking of gear for Sabi Sands area, those of you who have experience there, which one of the following options do you think would work better? These options are based on the gear I have, assuming I won't want to buy or rent any new gear.
Option 1:
Bodies: Sony A1, A9II, and A7RV
Lenses: Tamron 35-150, f/2-2.8, Sony 200-600mm, and Sony 600mm f/4G plus 1.4x TC
Monopod (is it necessary, or should I leave at home?)
Pros:
- 600mm f/4 delivers better IQ, and can also be great if we come across any birds
- One Sony system only: No need to duplicate chargers, memory cards, etc.
Cons:
- One Zoom only. My wife and I cannot shoot with Zooms at the same time.
Option 2:
Bodies: Sony A1 and A7RV, Nikon Z9
Lenses: Tamron 35-150, f/2-2.8, Sony 200-600mm, Nikon 180-400 f/4E (w/ integrated 1.4x TC)
Monopod (if needed)
Pros:
- Both myself and my wife can have a Zoom which, based on what I have read, can be extremely useful in Sabi Sands. I would mostly shoot with Z9+180-400 and my wife would mostly shoot with A1+200-600.
Cons:
- Two systems: Sony and Nikon. Adds to accessories.
- No 600mm f/4G
From the total weight perspective, the two options are somewhat similar.
So those of you with experience in Sabi Sands, which option would you go with? I think it really boils down to how useful 600mm f/4 would be, and the extra hassle of carrying two vs. one camera system.
Thanks...
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Unless you are into birds, there is not much use for a dedicated 600mm lens. Most animals are close enough for shorter lenses.
Taking two systems is a real pain, I've done that a few times and each trip I cursed myself for taking all those bodies and different lenses. Unless you are a pro at juggling different systems it can be counter-productive. My muscle memory is not so good and I tend to fumble with the controls unless they are all in the same place and do the same things.
On my recent trip to Kenya I took the 400 2.8, 70-200 2.8 and a 24-70 2.8. The most used was the 70-200, the 400 saw only 10-15% of the action. I had taken a 1.4x with me but took it off after a single use, it was not needed at all.
If you can, the best strategy is to keep the lenses mounted on different bodies and just pick up whichever rig you need. I have them all inside dry sacks to prevent dust etc, it is so easy to just slip off the cover and start shooting. While in the vehicle, I have them sitting inside a roller (carry on size) with the lid closed. There are dividers inside that keep them from talking to each other. Over the years I've found this system to work best in the field.
With the monopod, it is usually best not to take it with you anywhere in Africa, but strangely, in Sabi Sands, some of the vehicles do not have a window sill or a bar in the right place, so no place to keep your bean bags or rest your cameras. You then have to hand hold the rig, which can be painful after a while. So perhaps this is the only place where a monopod would be useful. At least that was my experience.
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