Africa with EX3
 

I'm looking at going to Kenya with my EX3 to film big cats and everything else. Can anyone give me any recomendations for lenses please. My stock lens is 5.8 to 81.2 mm (equivalent to 31.4 to 439 mm on 35 mm lens, which should be ok for wides and mids.

Thanks

Depends on your budget. Ofer Levy uses (amongst others) the Nikon 200-400 and seems to be getting amazing results. The Sigma 120-300 f2.8 is good, as is the 100-300 f4.
Steve

Hi Steve

I too have the 200-400 but I'm just concerned about weight and size restrictions for hand-luggage. At a squeeze I could get my EX3 and that lens in the my Tamrac Expedition 8, but it may be a bit oversize and overweight. I also have the 80-200 f2.8 which is significantly smaller and lighter, but I'm not sure it would be enough for extreme close-ups. What are other people doing on trips like this.

I could get a hard case of the 200-400 and check it in and keep the 80-200 in my bag just incase it goes astray - that's one option I suppose.

I know Levy is using the above but I think he's using it locally rather than flying.

Hi Dave,
I actually took the 200-400 on my last visit to Israel. The EX3 and the 200-400 can fit in a small enough carry on bag but it will be a bit heavy.
I had no problems but maybe I was just lucky.
Good luck,

Ofer

Thanks Ofer and apologies..didn't realise you had taken it abroad. I just spoke with my insurance company and it's ok to put it in a peli-case and check it in. They are a bit strict here on hand-luggage so I might not be so lucky. If it goes astray I'll still have the 80-200 in my bag and I can get the EX3 and that lens in a Lowepro Vertex 200. THe only other problem will be the tripod/head...how did you transport yours?

When I travel, everything except the camera goes in the hold, in Peli cases or aluminium ones. Tripod head (O'Connor 2060) goes in aluminium case seperately from legs which are in hard plastic tubes.
Steve

Hi Dave,
I took the tripod+head in my suitcase.
Cheers,
Ofer

Dave, I would STRONGLY advise you not to check the big lens into the hold baggage...especially when travelling to Africa. Take all the important gear with you as carry-on baggage.
A way of getting round taking heavily-packed hand-luggage is to leave the bag with a friend in the departure hall while you check in with the main baggage, then have them hand you back the hand-luggage bag prior to going through final X-ray check etc before boarding.

A large Kata bag or LowePro bag filled with camera & lenses etc can be heavy, but the bag itself fits the maximum dimensions allowed for most aircraft carry-on allowances so should sail through Ok as it will not be checked for weight.

I've been measuring up and trying to fit things this evening. The EX3 and 200-400, without the hood, will fit into my small Lowepro Vertex 200 and should be within weight limits also. The lens support rail, tripod and disconnected head will both fit in my 26" suitcase - wrapped in bubble wrap and my clothing they should be ok. The 80-200, if I choose to take it, will fit in my laptop bag.

Tony they actually check the weight of hand-luggage here just going through security, not at the check-in...but as I said it should be within limits.

Also someone alerted me to the fact that anything looking like filming equipment may be impounded unless prior permits and import licenses are acquired...so the suitcase and small backpack looks like the best solution.

Ofer...was it an ABS type suitcase or was that not necessary?

Dave

Why so concerned Tony? My kit's been all over the world in the hold, as have most other wildlife camera operators. We tend to have so much kit that there's just no way we can take it all as hand luggage, and just one of my lenses is too big on its own to take as hand luggage! And that is after all why they're called flight cases, if packed properly they should be fine.
Steve

Because for the past several decades I've been worldwide too, Steve, and I know only too well what can happen to baggage during flights, and how it is sometimes handled by baggage handlers.

Just one very simple example, on a recent flight to Jo'burg SA via Paris, some of our baggage ended up in Zimbabwe instead of South Africa!

I'll stick to being concerned about my equipment on worldwide flights and will continue to carry all the most important and fragile equipment, such as lenses etc, with me as carry-on baggage.

Hi Dave,
Its just the hard shell type of suitcase. I second Tony's suggestion to try and carry as much as possible on board.

I think we'd all try to carry as much of our gear as hand luggage if possible, but with the amount of kit I have there is just no way, you've got to be realistic. I take my camera body with me and that's my allocation! These days another essential to take as hand baggage is your hard drives, so that's more alotted space taken up.
If you're using small cameras then I'm sure it's feasible to take a lot of kit onboard but not with ful-size kit. Unless you've a big crew to share things around.
Steve

Thanks for all your help guys. Unfortunately my chosen destination is pretty well booked up when I want to travel, so I'm looking for alternatives at the moment. One possibility is the Tiger reserves around Nagpur in India. Does anyone have any experience there?

Thanks Ofer...I'll have a look for the hardshell type. The legs are only 26" so a medium sized case should suffice. I know know my EX3 and 200-400 will fit in my backpack. The 80-200 will go in my laptop bag along with charger. Thinks like adaptors and hard drive storage will fit in my photo vest. So as far as equipment goes I'm sorted...I just need somewhere to play now!

If you're photographing and filming tigers in India, Dave, try to get to the areas where you can use vehicles, or get access to some of the hides set up near open areas and watering holes. Elephants can get you close to some of the tigers but it can be a headache trying to obtain steady footage and sharp photos from the back of an elephant.
Here is just one of my many favourite tiger shots:

WILDERNESS PHOTO.CO.UK - Information

Tigers are the most impressive of all wildcats and I'm sure you'll love the experience of spending time in some of the beautiful and atmospheric jungles of India.