I have to say that the trip I took was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life.

I'd always been a bit wary of doing an above-ground safari - I've done a lot of underwater video and always thought that you'd never get as close to the wildlife above ground as you can underwater.

I was astonished at how close you can get to the wildlife on safari. That particular shot of the lioness finishing the wildebeest was taken from about 8 feet away! (Inside the vehicle, of course!) We were just as close to a mating lion and lioness, too - they seemed oblivious to our intrusion.

If you get a chance, I'd strongly recommend visiting a local village, too. We visited a couple of Maasai villages. Not many people seem to bother. But you learn a tremendous amount from them not only about their lives but also the weaknesses of our own, supposedly more enlightened ones. If you get "pestered" by villagers at border crossings etc (trying to sell you souvenirs), take the time to talk with them (they are very multilingual) - it's an interesting experience.

There's something very primal and "right" about the feel of being in that part of the world.

I was in Zambia for 2 weeks last year and got some great video. One thing I might suggest ,and I wish I had, is a stabilizing device for hand help shooting. I had my tripod, but depending on which country you are visiting, a tripod my not be the best solution. In Kenya tripods are not allowed in the landrovers. I was in Zambia and my vehicle was open so I could use my tripod. Next time I go I will take either the DVrig pro or my Dvrig Junior ( I own them both) and the Cinesaddle that I just purchased. With handheld cameras, especially using telephoto adaptors, its real important to reduce the bounce as much as possible. More often than not, a tripod just is not the answer. Things happen fast in Africa and you have to be ready.
Dennis Kane

I was thinking about taking my DVRigPro... but that would just be more weight that I don't need. At least my thought of taking my monopod was more for the landrover rides, etc.
Apart from the safari's, I'm taking 5 days to help build an orphanage in a small village http://vohzambia.com
The great thing about this location, is that about an hour away from here is a village that no one knew existed until 2 years ago. It's VERY primitive and should make for some great shots.

Africa
 

Justin / See Post under DVX / Africa Documentary.


Herman.

I just picked up the teleconverter... and is it ever big!

Wow, it looks very nice. I must say I am a little concerned about keeping such a fine system steady enough, especially in HD. The cinesaddle is light and can serve as an excellent subsitute for a tripod in the field
Dennis Kane

True, the cinesaddle looks like it would work great. But I only can bring what will fit in my backpack. Unfortunately it's just a little too big.
Btw, here's a better picture of the Century Optics 2.0x teleconverter.
I'm filming a wedding for a friend next weekend and I'll let you guys know how well it works.

If you use a AT8415 shock mount with the mic with a rycote, it is not visible and it keeps the mic far enough from your camera that you dont get any camera noise bleeding into your audio. I highly recommend it.

What do you think about upgrading from the at897 to the sony ecm-678 with Rycote?
I'm a little unimpressed with the at897 as it's not the *hot* of a mic and I usually have to bump the audio levels way up.
Has anyone had experience with the Sony ECM-678?

Well, since my last post (for anyone wondering if the Sony ECM-678 is that much different) yes it is.
I ended up purchasing one 2 weeks ago and used it for a wedding this past weekend. I found it extremely sensitive in comparison to the AT897 and did not have to adjust the manual audio gain on the camera. I just left it on auto and it worked great.
Although the Sony mic is about double what the Audio Technica is, for my personal taste, the Sony was a no brainer and I should have done it sooner.

Justin /

Remember - compressed air ! / Africa = DUST !

enjoy your trip / Herman.

Never, ever use compressed air on a lens, and it's not a good idea to use it inside of tape transports, follow focus', or other geared or sensitive areas either. You can destroy a microphone or lens very easily with compressed air. Compressed air will force dust into places from which you cannot remove it. Compressed air blows dust and crap in, not out. Additionally, compressed air has a propellant that can really screw with parts as well.
Use a microfibre lens cloth, and for crannies and edges, use a bulb blower (squeeze-type, with a brush on the end) or a baby's ear syringe. Cloth baby diapers work for dust cloths too.

Mick, I'd be interested in picking up your shade on my way to Africa in May. I'm staying a couple nights in London on the way their. Please PM me how much you're looking for it and are you anywhere near London?

Got-it

Compressed air bad, diapers good.

Thx :)

Just a thought...if you use compressed air on an expensive lens...you just might need a diaper anyway.
BTW, if you do use a diaper vs microfibre, wash the diaper several times before using, it really softens them up.