FEATURING: The complete guide for all your safari photography and binocular needs. SAFARI PHOTOGRAPHY TABLE OF CONTENTS WHICH CAMERA IS RIGHT FOR YOU? TECH SAVVY PAGE 3 PAGE 6 TIPS & TRICKS BINOCULARS PAGE 8 PAGE 16 CHOOSING THE RIGHT CAMERA Camera Technology photographs you take great appeal for many. Modern equipment on safari. If you are Many people prefer helps, fast autofocus, Camera Technology going to try and sell the idea of capturing excellent exposure has become so them to a magazine or movement and sound metering and most advanced in recent book publisher, then and with video importantly, not years that it is easier you need high-quality camcorders being so running out of film than ever for optics and good compact and easy to every 36 pictures. amateurs to take quality transparency use, this is an obvious professional-quality Video cameras and (color slide) film or a choice. camcorders in photographs. Digital professional digital 35mm SLR (single lens The huge advantage of themselves are great camera. If you are digital cameras is the fun, and many a reflex) cameras are going to make an more often used than tiny size of the happy memory can be electronic album to picture-storing captured on the video film cameras. email to friends, then Camcorders with apparatus ? this that would simply be a reasonably priced eliminates the need impossible to depict freeze-frame options digital zoom will be are easy to use and for bags and bags of with a ?still? camera. ideal. Print film is film. In addition, Another great are also very popular preferable to slides, if with safariers. unwanted frames can advantage is that they you plan to make an be deleted right away, operate very well in You need to ask album, but the making room for all low-light conditions. yourself what you are old-fashioned home the other great shots going to do with the slide show still has you need to take. 3 " IT IS SLIGHTLY MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE A QUALITY LENS THAN IT IS TO HAVE A QUALITY CAMERA One danger of having are great for pictures print photography. recommendation is a video is that often of your tents, the The very latest digital that you spend your one is tempted to try vehicles, people on cameras from Canon money first on a good and film too much safari, etc., but and Nikon are able to lens and second on a and a huge proportion because of their produce the same camera. It is slightly of your safari is seen limited zoom and quality photographs more important to through the light-gathering as traditional slides or have a quality lens viewfinder! If you properties, generally print cameras. The than it is to have a bring a camcorder or their use in wildlife advantage with these quality camera. If you video recorder, be photography is very new digital cameras is just want memories of sure to bring at least limited, and the that they use the your safari, nowadays, three extra batteries results can be same lenses as the many of the new and a charging unit somewhat normal Canon SLR "all-in-one" (ie, no and converter (Africa disappointing. In cameras, but you have removable lens) uses 220-240 volts). addition to your the advantage of digital cameras take Batteries can usually 35mm equipment, instant feedback and excellent shots, as be recharged at your consider bringing you can correct your animals are often lodge or permanent along a compact mistakes on the spot within close enough camp while the camera and a small while shooting in the range of the vehicle generator is running camera that takes field. When you get for these cameras to or from your vehicle panoramic shots. home you already capture good images. while you are being Digit al Camera know you have driven around. Digital photography perfect photos. Compact cameras and cameras have in If you want to take with a small, built-in fact overtaken high quality zoom lens and flash traditional slide and photographs, a 4 Lenses for photographing expensive and, of you purchase. The Don't assume that scenery, or activities course, have less downside is that they you'll be using and people in safari flexibility, but they lose the same telephoto lenses camps and lodges. have the advantage of proportion of light as exclusively. Bring When it comes to better light-gathering well (i.e. a 1.7 whatever lenses you lenses and focal qualities than zoom converter will lose you like to use, from wide length, around lenses can provide. 1.7 "stops" of light). angle to medium 300mm to 400mm are Lenses with built-in digital image telephoto. Consider a ideal for good wildlife www.bhphotovideo.com minimum of two photography. This is stabilizers are highly lenses, one for especially true in the recommended. scenery and one for private concession If you are a serious more distant areas in Kenya and photographer, you subjects. A good, Tanzania where probably have several balanced system of off-roaddriving is lenses and may be two lenses would be an permitted. This means camera 35 mm auto-focus zoom lens that it is often possible bodies. Two camera (come in a variety of to make very close bodies are very helpful ranges), a 28-70mm approaches to some of - they can save and a 100-300 or the wildlife. The precious time in 100-400mm. Zoom 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 is a changing lenses. Also lenses are an great lens. However if consider purchasing a excellent choice to weight is an issue then tele-converter that will cover over a wide the 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 increase the power of range of local is also recommended. your lens by a multiple lengths, and these Fixed-length lenses of 1.4, 1.7, 2.0 etc. - are especially useful are generally more depending on what 5 SNAP THE PERFECT PIC Photography SHOOT LIKE CRAZY Techniques "" Here are a couple of digital photography tips: 1. Take a lot of extra batteries and a battery charger. Digital photography can drain batteries fast. 2. Take large CompactFlash (CF) memory cards for the camera so that you do not run out of storage space for your photographs (at least an 8GB card is recommended) 3. You may wish to carry an iPod, or even a laptop, onto which you may copy your files and these instruments also allow you to better preview and edit photographs or video clips on the spot, 4. Try to shoot your photos with the camera settings that offer the greatest quality (i.e. shoot in a large/fine quality format), and 5. Shoot like crazy in all sorts of different settings and then delete the photos you don?t like. 6. Pack the memory cards in your hand luggage. 7. Never leave your camera in the sun. 8. Use filters, the UV or clear filter as protection for your lenses. A scratch on the filter is relatively inexpensive compared to a scratch on your lens! 9. You'll encounter a lot of dust on safari. Carry a supply of plastic in which to keep your camera, lenses and film. 6 Photographic Guidance from Specialist Guide. Nic Polenakis I personally have a preference for Nikon gear and have done so for many years. I find them tough and reliable and can with stand the rigors of the African outdoors. In saying this I feel that Canon is also on a par so either would suffice. My camera of choice is the Nikon D3 however although amazing can be an over kill. I used to own the Nikon D300s which is also an amazing camera and great value for money'. I use the Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 lens. This lens is extremely versatile though a little heavy. However if weight is an issue then the 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 is also great, although it does not give you as much reach as one would like'. I personally love to capture action shots and in the wild this can happen in a split second. It may be an idea to learn to shoot on continuous high shutter mode at all times so that when the action unfolds you do not miss ''the shot''. The one thing that photographing animals in the wild does not afford one is time. Generally things happen fast and one has to work at the same speed to have any chance of capturing that special image. I want my photographs to show the animals in their environment, I want to know from the look of the habitat where the image was taken Whether you are using an SLR or a basic digital camera it would be a good idea to bring along either big zip lock bags or water proof bags so as to keep the dust off your camera and lens whilst on game drives. Your camera will still be easily accessible however it will be protected from the fine dust which at times can cause some difficulties for the cameras and lenses. (Nic Polenakis was selected by National Geographic Traveler as one of the ?10 Great Tour Guides? for 2011) Pat ience is the key to good wildlife photography. Many of the animals in game parks and reserves are used to vehicles and people, allowing close approach at times. However, even the most tolerant usually react nervously at the first approach of a vehicle. By switching off the engine and sitting off a while, most animals relax and return to normal activity, allowing better photographic opportunities.