Last minute tips for Serengeti

Hey everyone, I leave friday for the Serengeti for a week, then to Zanzibar for a week.
My gear is:
30D with 100-400mm L IS
20D with 17-55mm f/2.8
Sigma 30mm f/1.4
Sigma EF DG Super with Better Beamer
48GB of memory

I am quite new to dslr, and bought the 30D a year ago just for this trip, so I have been practicing, but the closest I can get to wildlife photograhy is my shihtzu and yorkie running around the dog park. HWich believe it or not has been fairly helpful.

Any last minute shooting tips for the 100-400 on the 30D, i.e.: favorite settings, default settings, tips, tricks or anything of usefull information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

That's a good combo. There is usually plenty of light there so make sure stop down to get some decent DOF. f8.0-11 will be grand. You will really notice when the best light is and you should try and shoot during those times. The quality will be leaps ahead. Basically, early moring and late afternoon when the sun isn't high in the sky. I'd probably leave the second camera home unless you want a back up. When on safari you will be using the 1-4 and when walking around the 17-55mm. Cull all but the best shots or you will never get around to PP them Take a beanbag and try the 1-4 without IS. Will also be useful at hides if there are any near waterholes. I think it slows it down based on using the two copies I had, but that may not matter to you.

I asked specifically and they said bean bags would be provided, hopefully that's true.
I'll bring the second body as i have room for it. My wife also has a G9, so close range and landscape is covered.
I was thinking f/8-f/11 as well, so I think I am on the right track. I'll also be shooting raw.
Thanks! I'll take any more tips I can get

Don't get eaten by anything...

Bring a lightmeter or grey card if you have them. I have the same equipment, except for the 20D, and can tell you that sometimes the lighting can be very harsh and animals can be in bright sunlight in one minute and shade, behind shrubs, the next. It's tough to judge exposure levels quickly and time consuming to keep chimping the histogram. A grey card or light meter will help keep things moving along a little faster.

After the early morning sunrise, and until just a bit before sundowners, you will be able to get away with F8, no problem, on the 100-400. You don't always have to stop that lens down to get great shots as sometimes shooting wide open will still give you amazing shots.

Be careful of whom you take pictures of in Zanzibar. Some locals really do not like it. Stone Town is extremely photogenic. There are about a million fantastic shots waiting for you there.....but not beer. Well there is some, but it's not that easy to find. Mercury's is the best bet, but expensive.

As for your packing list: don't forget binoculars and bug spray. Some places have tsetse flies and they hurt like an SOB!!

jaybird wrote in post #5517002
Be careful of whom you take pictures of in Zanzibar. Some locals really do not like it. Stone Town is extremely photogenic. There are about a million fantastic shots waiting for you there.....but not beer. Well there is some, but it's not that easy to find. Mercury's is the best bet, but expensive.

Oh my, a Canadian with no beer?!?!
Well, there'll be lots at the resort

DerekW wrote in post #5515673
Hey everyone, I leave friday for the Serengeti for a week, then to Zanzibar for a week.
My gear is:
30D with 100-400mm L IS
20D with 17-55mm f/2.8
Sigma 30mm f/1.4
Sigma EF DG Super with Better Beamer
48GB of memory

I am quite new to dslr, and bought the 30D a year ago just for this trip, so I have been practicing, but the closest I can get to wildlife photograhy is my shihtzu and yorkie running around the dog park. HWich believe it or not has been fairly helpful.

Any last minute shooting tips for the 100-400 on the 30D, i.e.: favorite settings, default settings, tips, tricks or anything of usefull information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi Derek,

I tavelled East Africa last year Kenya (Meru NP and Shompole) and Tanzania (Lake manyara, Ngorgora Crater and the Serengeti) then a week in Zanzibar at The Palms it was an awseome holiday I love Africa and Im sure you will. Unfortuanatly i didnt have my Canon then I had a Fuji S5000 Still got some great pics and video footage - even recorded being charged by an elephant while my wife was panicing........

Dont know herew you are staying in Seringeti we stayed at

http://www.imagineafri​ca.co.uk/Content.asp?P​ageID=1668

which has a pack of the few remaining wild dogs left (see my avatar) great watching them hunt the wildebeest...

Enjoy

Any questions please PM me

Sorry, but 48 gb of memory simply wont be enough, especially if you are shooting RAW...also make sure you have a LOT of spare batteries and charge up frequently. I'll say you would need to add a data storage device incase you lose your shots...a hyper drive space is perfect..holds 120gb and a single charge is enough to download 100gb's worth of RAW or Jpeg images.

I visited kenya last year on safari and made a humongoeus check list lol..

but most important is storage and power as there are no guarantees of electrical power in Tanzania, or electricity is only available at odd hours of the day.

you might also want to invest in a bean bag ( or an empty bag and fill it when you get to tanzania) or even the funky jobo gorillapod. a tri pod is out of the question, simply not practicle and too awkward to carry.

Take care if you need to change lenses ( looking at your gear list, you have 2 great bodies and lenses) it is very dusty. Take a blower to be safe and micro fibre cloths.

as for the photography side of things, you will be out shooting early morning and at dusk time. at mid day the light is incredibly harsh. at dusk, don't be afraid to bump up the ISO to get a sharper shot. these days you can photoshop anyhting ( and most people do) but you can never photoshop poor focusing or blurry pictures.

If you are taking pictuires of people or even their * houses or catttle* ALWAYS ALWAYS ask first..seriously...you could get killed for taking unsolicited shots of tribal people without permission.

Most important tip..

Don't spend your time looking at Africa through a viewfinder..

that would be absloutley tragic. Also, engage with the people, try and make conversation and also respect the land.

you will have an incredible trip, and really hope you share your shots when you get back.

pics of my trip to africa are in my sig....

have an awsome time!

P.S dont forget bug spray and make sure you have a yellow fever certificate as proof.

bluefox9er wrote in post #5523151
Sorry, but 48 gb of memory simply wont be enough, especially if you are shooting RAW...

Depends, I shot around 900 RAW images last time over a three week period. For me 48GB would be way too much even without backup. The key is how many keepers and where you store them. I'll take 8GB again this next time. I would still advise a storage device. I take a small laptop and a backup device.

My wife wants to go but I told her that I needed to get the 100-400 before we make the trip so one day soon. . .post pictures when you get back.

Also, think about getting a digital bank for the trip. I just picked up a Hyperdrive Colorspace with 160Gb.

Actually, nice math skills I have. I have 42gb of memory. 5 x 8gb cards and a 2 gb card.
I can get over 800 pics with my 30d per 8gb card, so that's 4000+ pictures. That would average 450 pictures a day, I think that's lots, If not, I'll switch to jpeg after the first day. I am out of cash at this point, nothing in the budget for a hyperdrive.

I've been told twice that beanbags will be available, hopefully that's true. I have a total of 6 batteries.

We are staying at the Serena Lodges at Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, And Serengeti National Park. Then 5 Days at Breezes in Zanzibar. We'll do a walking tour of Stone Town, and then a tour in the Jozani Forest to see the red Colobus Monkeys.
So really out of the almost two weeks, I'll only have about 7 or 8 days of actual shooting. Alond with a few days of sitting on the beach.

Here's a question, what do you do if you have to go to the bathrooom when you are out in the parks? Sound funny, but really... strange foods, travel, jet lag...can all add up to an upset tummy>

If you feel sick you just don't go on the game drives. You usually can't get out unless there is an official stop off point, usually a picnic spot. But even if there is a loo you can expect it to be disgusting ... at least the ones in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana are. I dunno East Africa. Even so, you will suffer in the heat and best lie down in the shade IMO and recover.

You HAVE to drink a lot of water. I drink a ltr per day. Dehydration is common. Avoid Coke and such like soft drinks unless you are also drinking lots of water. In your medicals you need something to bung yourself up with and something to rehydrate yourself if you have diarrhea. Ask you chemist as I dunno your local brand names.

condyk wrote in post #5523646
If you feel sick you just don't go on the game drives. You usually can't get out unless there is an official stop off point, usually a picnic spot. But even if there is a loo you can expect it to be disgusting ... at least the ones in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana are. I dunno East Africa. Even so, you will suffer in the heat and best lie down in the shade IMO and recover.

You HAVE to drink a lot of water. I drink a ltr per day. Dehydration is common. Avoid Coke and such like soft drinks unless you are also drinking lots of water. In your medicals you need something to bung yourself up with and something to rehydrate yourself if you have diarrhea. Ask you chemist as I dunno your local brand names.

sound advice...on our safari,someone needed the bathroom and they had to do it ina bucket or a bottle as we were very far from a hotel/lodge. I expect easta frica to be similar hygiene wise for public toilets, but the posh lodges have nicer loos, with seats, flushes and even running water!!!

take LOTS of bug repellent 50% deet if you can get it, after bite cream and moisturisers and immodium for dihaorreah..

and ranitadien incase of heartburn. heartburn in the heat of the bush is NOT fun!

DerekW wrote in post #5523445
We are staying at the Serena Lodges at Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, And Serengeti National Park. Then 5 Days at Breezes in Zanzibar. We'll do a walking tour of Stone Town, and then a tour in the Jozani Forest to see the red Colobus Monkeys.
So really out of the almost two weeks, I'll only have about 7 or 8 days of actual shooting. Alond with a few days of sitting on the beach.

Here's a question, what do you do if you have to go to the bathrooom when you are out in the parks? Sound funny, but really... strange foods, travel, jet lag...can all add up to an upset tummy>

HI Derek,

We stayed at the lodge in Lake in Manyara saved all the travelling in the morning but it was 41kM in. Ngorongoro we stayed at the crater lodge , Breezes is next door to Palms on a lovely beech... Personally I would give stone town a miss its filthy and full of robbers I wouldnt go there with your camera and a big lens if you know what I mean

If you need the loo when youre out in the park you get your driver to stop and go behind the land rover, keep an eye out for Lions if youre "dropping the kids off " to be polite....

oh and a good book to get is;-

The safari Companion -Revised and Expanded by Richard D Estes