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Medium Format on Safari

ndwgolf

Active member
Neil,
I had an h5d50 and dust was a huge issue. Take protective measures
Stanley
Stanly I remember using electrical tape on my Leica S007 when using the Hasselblad 250 Super Combat and adapter. I am planning to not change lenses on the H6D100c it will have the 1.7TC plus HC300 (That I got my hands on today as a colleague hand carried it from the US to Nigeria for me) and I could do the same just tape up around the Back and around the lens and TC connection. Anything wider can be shot with the Soo7 and HC50 II or HC100...........Leica S is weatherproof

Neil
 

cerett

Member
This has been a very enlightening thread for me, because I am now realizing that most of my favorite shots from medium format have NOT been with my 75-150mm, but rather with longer lenses like the 240mm on my Phase One body. Very interesting.

Anyway, I hope these images help anybody who wishes to go on safari with medium format equipment. My current gear setup for an African wildlife trip looks like this:

Canon 5DmK4
100-400mm
Phase One XF
Phase One IQ3 100
75-150mm
240mm
Great images. Are you still renting all or most of your equipment?
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Stanly I remember using electrical tape on my Leica S007 when using the Hasselblad 250 Super Combat and adapter. I am planning to not change lenses on the H6D100c it will have the 1.7TC plus HC300 (That I got my hands on today as a colleague hand carried it from the US to Nigeria for me) and I could do the same just tape up around the Back and around the lens and TC connection. Anything wider can be shot with the Soo7 and HC50 II or HC100...........Leica S is weatherproof

Neil
Sounds like an intelligent solution!
Stanley
 

Jeffrey

Active member
Although I haven't used it while in Africa, I do take a roll of "mini" size gaffer's tape with me. Perhaps one inch wide and the roll is small in diameter. There's no glue residue on the equipment when using gaffer's tape. Just a thought.
 

cerett

Member
Stanly I remember using electrical tape on my Leica S007 when using the Hasselblad 250 Super Combat and adapter. I am planning to not change lenses on the H6D100c it will have the 1.7TC plus HC300 (That I got my hands on today as a colleague hand carried it from the US to Nigeria for me) and I could do the same just tape up around the Back and around the lens and TC connection. Anything wider can be shot with the Soo7 and HC50 II or HC100...........Leica S is weatherproof

Neil
Good idea. BTW, it is my understanding that the combination of the HC300 and 1.7TC will not autofocus. Is that correct?
 

bab

Active member
Instead of the 50mm which is a 35mm field of view basically I would probably take my 28mm giving you a very wide lens to capture early morning or late evening large vistas. Because of the fantastic software corrections using Phocus or even LR you can also shoot the 28mm close up. The idea would be if you cropped 50% of the framed out you would be left with a 50mp image to work with still enabling rather large prints. I can imagine if it’s an animal you desire in the image you get the animal, the landscape, the entire tree and a huge sky. This kinda of image turns me on more than a image of a Tigers eye. From the OP images above the most compelling shot was the animal in the rocks, not sure how close he was?
 

ndwgolf

Active member
Good idea. BTW, it is my understanding that the combination of the HC300 and 1.7TC will not autofocus. Is that correct?
Thats my understands as well but I don't have my H6D body with me as I am sitting on an Oil Rig in Nigeria.........I have the lens and TC so looking forward to getting home and trying it out, but seeing as I will be shooting most of the stuff at infinity I think manual focus will be fine with my set up sitting on a Wimberly head :) :)

Neil
 

ndwgolf

Active member
Instead of the 50mm which is a 35mm field of view basically I would probably take my 28mm giving you a very wide lens to capture early morning or late evening large vistas. Because of the fantastic software corrections using Phocus or even LR you can also shoot the 28mm close up. The idea would be if you cropped 50% of the framed out you would be left with a 50mp image to work with still enabling rather large prints. I can imagine if it’s an animal you desire in the image you get the animal, the landscape, the entire tree and a huge sky. This kinda of image turns me on more than a image of a Tigers eye. From the OP images above the most compelling shot was the animal in the rocks, not sure how close he was?
Bab
I don't have a 28mm lens.....my 50mm is more like a 30mm on my 100mp back

Neil
 

Mr.Gale

Member
I know I'm going against the grain but why do you want to miss all the wonderful photo ops your going to have because you brought the wrong camera? I've been on two safaris, the last with a Nikon D810 with a 80 - 400mm lens. Not the perfect setup but the last thing you want to be doing is changing lenses when you are on a game drive. I have a Hass H4D-50 with a good selection of lenses but for me it is not the right tool for this type of photography. If you insist on taking your MF camera bring a fall back that has the speed and reach, if you do I'll bet that is the tool you will use.
My 2 cents,
Mr.G
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I agree with Mr G. Bring two systems - MF for MF stuff but a fall back to a fast DSLR with reach especially if this is your first safari.

Personally, I no longer own the fast DSLRs & long lenses so I rent/borrow when I go on safari.
 

ndwgolf

Active member
I know I'm going against the grain but why do you want to miss all the wonderful photo ops your going to have because you brought the wrong camera? I've been on two safaris, the last with a Nikon D810 with a 80 - 400mm lens. Not the perfect setup but the last thing you want to be doing is changing lenses when you are on a game drive. I have a Hass H4D-50 with a good selection of lenses but for me it is not the right tool for this type of photography. If you insist on taking your MF camera bring a fall back that has the speed and reach, if you do I'll bet that is the tool you will use.
My 2 cents,
Mr.G
Gale
This will be my second safari. On the first I had 3 x DSLR bodies with 600mm f4 300mm f2.8 70/200mm and 24mm 1.4......... I used the D810 with 600mm f4 95% of the time..........I hear what you are saying about this is the best tool for the job, but I like to think out of the box, hence my new MF system.

The H6D100c takes amazing pictures when you nail them, just the same as the D810 when you nail them. On my last safari I came home with 25k digital files, of that I had 50 amazing shots and a whole bunch of crap. If I can go on my 8 day Safari in September and come home with 24 amazing shots (3 a day) I will be delighted......If I come home with zero amazing shots and Ive still had a fantastic time then who cares about a few pictures it would have still been a fantastic trip.......my last safari was scene through a viewfinder, this time hopefully I will see a bit of Tanzania as well.

I am taking my Leica S007 body with a "S to H adapter" as a back up to the H6D.....my Leica is a proven system that also has a proven weather sealing

Pictures to follow

Neil
 

ndwgolf

Active member
Okay so I have just arrived back in Phuket so now have my H6D100c with me. I just tried the HC1.7 TC plus HC300mm and I’m gutted to find out that the manual focus aid conformation doesn’t work with this setup. I tried my HC100mm and it works perfectly. I’m also disappointed that there was no Auto ISO in the recent firmware update..........
Not sure what to do now??

Neil
 

Photon42

Well-known member
Okay so I have just arrived back in Phuket so now have my H6D100c with me. I just tried the HC1.7 TC plus HC300mm and I’m gutted to find out that the manual focus aid conformation doesn’t work with this setup. I tried my HC100mm and it works perfectly. I’m also disappointed that there was no Auto ISO in the recent firmware update..........
Not sure what to do now??

Neil
Hi Neil - not sure you saw/read this. Dates a bit back but you may still find it interesting.

Rgds
Ivo
 
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