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African lens help !! Please share your experience :)

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I would bring both a 35mm-DSLR and long tele (prime or zoom) to get big bright lion eyes (at least to show to your kids you went to Safari) and a wide angle lens and the S2 with a couple of lenses to get environmental wildlife. The 35mm-DSLR weight nothing. And I think it is a challenge to create pictures with a super tele that different from others, I think there is always a possiibility.
To be honest, the quality of pictures by D800E and Leica S2 are not that much difference. Why bother to use the MF lens which is good for only slow environment over the big aperture with VR (or even zoom) 35mm -DSLR lens. I don't think, in general, you can tell from pictures whether which ones are taken by Leica S2 or D800E.
The bonus is you can get the African landscape with freezing stars, milky way or star trails with the 35mm DSLR. I don't believe Graham will go to Safari without his D600 :)
Well! This is a MFD forums, what can I say? Try to post the same title in LUL or Fm Forums and the responses would be very interesting:)

Best
Pramote
Pramote,

When I was on Safari last time in 2010 I took a D3s and D3x combo with 14-24, 24-70, 70-200VR and a 200-400VR. On the Land Rover I was shooting almost always with the 70-200VR or 200-400VR. I also had a 1.4x converter.

I'd definitely consider the D800 as an alternative body to the D3x that I took (also the D800 was only a glimmer in it's designer's eye anyway then). For the Lion shots and so on I did find the Nikon AF, VR and shutter rates helpful in snagging sharp shots from an open vehicle. I used a monopod but some of my fellow shooters had wimberly's mounted on the LR cross bars (this was Sabi Sabi where they have open Land Rovers - :thumbs::thumbs: btw for that place - been there 3x ).

Token bulls-eye Lion's eyeball shot :)
 
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baudolino

Active member
Does the Contax 350/4 with the adapter auto focus on the S2?

Just curious?
Yes, it does. Automatic aperture also. Behaves just like a native Leica S lens.

Image below - Leica S2 / 120 mm - cropped image. Great blue turaco in flight. Took me about half an hour of repeated attempts to catch the bird like this. Would have been great to have the 350mm Contax lens via an adapter, at the time (plus heavy tripod and a Wimberly head... but I probably would not have wanted to carry all that equipment with me in the first place).

 

OliverM

Member
Be careful with giraffes.

First day you take 50 pictures of any giraffe you cross. And you blame those stupid tourists who don't even slow down and contemplate the beauty.
Second day, after 325 pictures of giraffes, you start waiting for a nice group in a great landscape.
From the 3rd day on, you don't stop anymore and blame those stupid tourists who seem so fascinated by any standard giraffe.

Back home, you start showing your giraffes to your friends. Normally after the 50th, 75th for the most robust ones, they all sleep !

Also, you need sometimes 2 cameras to take the large animal. Like here with my son, I took the legs, he took the head. Easy to stitch afterwards.
 

OliverM

Member
More seriously, safaris are great experiences.

You must be aware that dust is everywhere, and when the car stops suddenly to watch an scene, you must wait 10-20 seconds before dust comes down.
Not a situation where you want to change your lenses.

As shown above, you can be quite close to animals, so you need an wide angle, also for beautiful landscapes.
And as you are a hunter, you will be frustrated not to have a long lens.

What I would do is take the MF + dslr / 300 or 400 mm.
You sell the dslr when you are back, if you buy it used it shouldn't cost you much.
I doubt it is easy to sell a contax 350 that you will "never" use again.

Enjoy your trip, and take the time to stop the car, feel the nature, walk (only in safe areas), stay in the middle of a herd of elephants, etc.
 

Landscapelover

Senior Subscriber Member
Pramote,

When I was on Safari last time in 2010 I took a D3s and D3x combo with 14-24, 24-70, 70-200VR and a 200-400VR. On the Land Rover I was shooting almost always with the 70-200VR or 200-400VR. I also had a 1.4x converter.

I'd definitely consider the D800 as an alternative body to the D3x that I took (also the D800 was only a glimmer in it's designer's eye anyway then). For the Lion shots and so on I did find the Nikon AF, VR and shutter rates helpful in snagging sharp shots from an open vehicle. I used a monopod but some of my fellow shooters had wimberly's mounted on the LR cross bars (this was Sabi Sabi where they have open Land Rovers - :thumbs::thumbs: btw for that place - been there 3x ).

Token bulls-eye Lion's eyeball shot :)
We've had a lot in common! Thanks for sharing the lion with a beautiful eye.
Pramote
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Not sure where you're going but when Oliver says close, he means CLOSE (the leopard walked up to the LR, not the other way around) ... I've often had situations where the long lens minimum focus distance got in the way and you definitely benefit from something normal/wider.

 
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ajoyroy

Member
I would not invest in MF lenses just for the Safari, especially at the prices you are referring to.

In a Safari you need
1. normal-wide for general scenery and animals up close. Your S2 will be great in such situations.
2. Long telephoto. Here cropped sensors are a big help. Get a Nikon D3200 (24mp DX) and a used VR Telephoto. Even 300mm will give you 450mm and with a 1.4TC you get 600mm equivalent. If you are buying new you will get VAT refund at the airport. The total outlay for a new body and a used telephoto will be less than your options. After the Safari if you sell them, then it would be practically free.
 

OliverM

Member
Not sure where you're going but when Oliver says close, he means CLOSE (the leopard walked up to the LR, not the other way around) ... I've often had situations where the long lens minimum focus distance got in the way and you definitely benefit from something normal/wider.
Grrr, spent 3 days in Serengeti only looking for leopards, couldn't see one ...
Still, love that place.

We had close visits from some animals when we were camping in Kenya & Tanzania :
- hyenas coming at night and eating the tent
- lions surrounding the "camp" (our 3 tents, in the middle of nowhere) ... we slept in the Masai Mara - Serengeti boarder offices after we drove there and asked the scarred guard if statistically we were in danger ...
- 2 lions surrounding the car in the evening as they started hunting : even if we were protected in our closed car, I can tell you we felt like food when they were looking at us ... those big cats who usually sleep so calm
- a herd of elephants willing to drink in the river next to which we had our tents ...
- ... our tents that we found flat on the ground when we came back in the evening : not the elephants but the baboons' work
- and at night, you browse the horizon around the camp with your light and see hundreds of eyes around ... "are you sleeping ? - no"

Lodges especially in Tanzania are top, but camping especially in Kenya bring unique emotions and long-term souvenirs !! (more secured in Tanzania & South Africa, perhaps Kenya is safer now)
 
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