Going to africa.

Hey guys,

I'm going to South Africa for 5 weeks in December and at this stage I am spending 10 days in the kruger national park. I am contemplating whether or not I should save up for a second body and whether it is even necessary. I already have a canon 7D and am possibly thinking of either adding another 7D or saving up for a 6D. I'd rather save more money and buy a better camera rather then buy a 60D (or similar) and have to upgrade in a few months/years.

Heya,

A backup camera is a good idea. Personally, I just use old unwanted crops as backups. The 7D can take the environment fine. The only thing that could happen really would be the bolt of lighting random chance of it just failing (very much not likely), or serious physical damage (more likely). You could spend $550 for a backup 60D or 5D Classic. Or you could spend $350 on a SL1. Or you could spend $180 on an XSi. Personally I don't like investing heavy into "backup" gear. And having two 7D's would be optimal, but if you're not doing this for money, and this is just for pleasure, I don't see the inherent necessity of having another one, and would rather opt for an inexpensive beater for a backup. Personally I use an XSi as a backup, otherwise, I'd just use a 5D Classic if you wanted a full frame backup.

Or for $1000~1500 more, you could get a 6D, if you plan on moving to full frame regardless. It just depends on what you're planning on shooting the most.

Very best,

If it were me I'd get a second-hand 60D (uses the same batteries as the 7D) and sell it for little, to no, loss on my return.

I'm heading off for a trip during June and July, mostly in Botswana. I'm taking 3 bodies.

I like the idea of having a short, medium and long setup so I can just put down one and pick up the other with out hopefully changing a lens all day which will really help keep the dust issues to a minimum.

I was in South Africa last February and managed to go on a safari in an open Toyota Land Cruiser.. I took my 7D and 100-400L. I was very happy with the pictures that combo produced. (see below) .

For a second body, I used a Sony NEX with an 18-55mm zoom. (I would have liked an EOS-M but got a better deal on the Sony).

This is the first time I've used two cameras in a fluid situation and it really helped. The small size of the NEX allowed me to comfortably hold it in my lap in a bouncing vehicle and quickly switch cameras rather than having to take the time to switch lenses when I needed a wider angle.

You'll really enjoy the trip

Definitely have a second body as back up. The second day on safari, your camera packs up/stolen/dropped. Also, you can put your 50 on it for a wider angle.

William

^^ great elephant shots.

I do agree with thw secondhand 60d suggestion, however for the most part you will likely be in good light so a cheaper and lighter xsi is a good idea also. Taking to much can also take from enjoying the experience

Just came back from it...

...Only had one (1) 1D MarkIII body, and ended up using two lenses. My wife did take her 70D, but (beyond redundancy), it is a really good idea to take two bodies, with two different "reach" sweet-spots, so you can capture anything that shows up on your way. It is certainly a wise advice. Three cameras is also great (but there will be weight restrictions on charter-flights, therefore two cameras, with well tuned lenses will serve Ok.)

Some pictures (right in front of Kruger National Park, in private reserves):

https://photography-on-the.net …p=16873904&post​count=8526

Enjoy the trip!

Not switching lenses is the main advantage of using 2 bodies.

ken_vs_ryu wrote in post #16875378
Not switching lenses is the main advantage of using 2 bodies.

A big +1

Your long Zoom makes it easier to work with one camera, but I'd still want two bodies.
The 120-300mm on one, and something in the wider end of things on the other.

Being able to go from this;

IMAGE LINK: http://jakehegnauer.ze​nfolio.com/p326415976/​e54cb074a

IMAGE LINK: http://jakehegnauer.ze​nfolio.com/p326415976/​e577f85fa

I was in Botswana and Zambia in 2012 and took 2 bodies. Never switched lenses in the field and that saves you a big dust headache. Also when you are onto an animal you don't want to waste time and switch out lenses, you want to shoot. If you have one body with telephoto and one with a wide angle or zoom, you can get different perspectives on the same animal.

Buy a used body or save up for that 6D you want. The ideal situation would be the 7D with a telephoto and a full frame with a wide angle zoom.

I think that if it was me, my first thought would be to have the ability to shoot wide, looking to capture the scenic/landscape aspects, even though when we think about that type of trip we think "critters"!

As such, getting a wider lens for the 7D, or if you do decide to get the 6D as a second body, then the "full frame kit lens" (the 24-105) can be invaluable, keep it on the 6D and keep the longer lens(es) on the 7D...?

I have the samyang as a wide and angle, then the 50 sigma and a canon 100L so I think I'm pretty covered. I honestly can't fit another lens in my bag nor do I feel as if I need another lens

I was in South Africa in Oct / Nov 2012 attending an old high school reunion. An old mate suggested that we pay a 5 day visit to the Kruger Park. There had been a lot of rain recently and so we weren't expecting to see very much and if we did see anything, we expected it to be fairly close. The first afternoon, we saw four of the BIG 5 and the following morning, we saw all 5.

I was carrying mainly Olympus gear (an E-3 with an E-300 backup), but found that I was using the 70-300 zoom most of the time. - This is the equivalent of a 140-600 on a full-frame camera.

This photo was taken at 300mm: