General Safari Questions

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Anjin San said:
Power issues are probably over rated as well…and I would think that most safari companies on an organized trip would pick you up at the airport so outside of pickpockets theft would be IMO unlikely.

And Gov is right…it’s a bucket list trip so take the Z8 even if you have to use the FTZ for the F lenses.

Powerwise…I took an adapter for the local plug, a travel power strip and 2 sets of chargers…along with an An,er 20,000 mAH power brick just in case and did not need to use it. Yes…it’s Africa but you’re not staying in a pup tent in the Savannah…we did stay in a tent but it was nicer than most hotel rooms and is only a tent as far as wall goes…ours had real floors and one had real roof as well. Both camps had power, running water and facilities in the tent.
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If I do decide to go with the Z8, should I go with the 400 mm f4.5 or 500 PF and FTZ converter?
Power strip / splitter and power bang are on my list.
 
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peachfront said:
When it rains, it pours. Our vehicle was flooded out, and a group of young men soon appeared to help lift the vehicle out of the road that had become a river, making it pretty obvious this was a regular occurrence that the local people watched out for because the nearest village was some distance away. Not to prey on hapless tourists but to help them! But if you're flying in for a 1-week tour, that isn't a concern either way. You'll fly over all that...

Otherwise, agree with what others say, we went in 2004 & electricity at lodges was already reliable & it was easy to keep charged up. I doubt any of that has changed for the worse.

In fact, things may have changed for the better. In 2004, US State Dept. advised not to travel to Kenya because of terrorism chatter, UK agreed, & British Airways cancelled all flights to Nairobi. But now State Dept. advisory is currently at 2 (your hometown is probably more dangerous, or at least mine probably is) and back then we were at 4.

I wouldn't hesitate to return if given the chance...And if I do, I'll bring the z8. Only you know your risk tolerance, but... personally I would consider it a risk worth taking.
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Ok.. so many are recommending the Z8… I will go for it.
 
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I want to thank you all for your valuable feedback and input regarding going on Safari.

I am pleased to inform you that you have successfully convinced me to take the Z8 as my main camera and the Z6i as a back up.

I have been recently to Italy (Dolomites) and further south to Palermo (mafia territory), and I always worried about losing my gear. In retrospect however, nothing happened! I am a tall guy (190 cm / 6 ft 2), well built, and keep looking over the shoulder. I guess this puts off thieves of all kinds.

As many have stated, a camera is a tool and a tool shall be used when it is most needed / best suited, such as this probably once in a lifetime safari trip.

The only question remaining is the choice of telephoto lens: 400 f4.5 Z or 500 PF+FTZ?
For Z6, shall I take the 70-300 +FTZ.. or 70-200 F4 +FTZ ?
 
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Ado Wolf said:
I want to thank you all for your valuable feedback and input regarding going on Safari.

I am pleased to inform you that you have successfully convinced me to take the Z8 as my main camera and the Z6i as a back up.

I have been recently to Italy (Dolomites) and further south to Palermo (mafia territory), and I always worried about losing my gear. In retrospect however, nothing happened! I am a tall guy (190 cm / 6 ft 2), well built, and keep looking over the shoulder. I guess this puts off thieves of all kinds.

As many have stated, a camera is a tool and a tool shall be used when it is most needed / best suited, such as this probably once in a lifetime safari trip.

The only question remaining is the choice of telephoto lens: 400 f4.5 Z or 500 PF+FTZ?
For Z6, shall I take the 70-300 +FTZ.. or 70-200 F4 +FTZ ?
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I would take the 500pf and the FTZ for your Z8.
For your Z6 (iii?) if you have the latest 70-300mm that could work. Or take the 70-200mm f4. I own and have used the 70-200mm f4 in Africa before .
If you decide to take the Z mount 400mm f4.5, I would take a Z mount 1.4x with me too. The 400mm gives you about one more stop of light with no tc.
Another choice for the 70-200mm f4 or 70-300mm is a Z mount 70-180mm f2.8.
The tradeoffs are weight savings vs light gathering/focal lengths and costs.
 
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Ado Wolf said:
If I do decide to go with the Z8, should I go with the 400 mm f4.5 or 500 PF and FTZ converter?
Power strip / splitter and power bang are on my list.
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Personally…I would take the 400/4.5 and buy the 1.4 Z TC. The Z TCs are far better than the F ones…and u less you are making billboard size prints or like Steve absolutely need the very best…it is way more than adequate. I have zero issues using it with the Z lenses. And even without the TC…I personally would take the 400…because you don’t need the FTZ and the Z lenses are across the board better than F ones because the wider lens mount and newer optical design software makes them better..While I personally would always use a Z TC over DX mode…the latter is still an excellent option…but the TC puts more POD (pixels on duck) and that will result in better subject detail. You will see a lot of comments against the use of a TC…but at least with the Z ones sharpness isn’t really an issue IMO. The smaller aperture may result in less blurred backgrounds…but has never been an issue for me and the better sensors today combined with DxO or Topaz or LR noise reduction make the use of ISOs we would never consider even 5 years ago perfectly usable.

OTOH…the 500 is longer…and that’s never a bad thing…but I gladly sold mine in favor of the 400/4.5..which has since been replaced by the 600PF.
 
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I would also recommend a good flashlight. I carry a Olight Baton 4, very small, waterproof and lightweight but extremely bright if you need it. Also, I enjoy the Olight OBulb in the room at night. Really nice if you’re sharing a room and don’t want to turn the lights on in the middle of the night.
Another thing, when I went to Tanzania they had a ban on plastic bags so check before you go. For dust protection, you can use a lightweight pillow case.
 
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Ado Wolf said:
After a few years of saving (mission impossible for a single dad), I was finally able to book a 1 week safari (Kenya). I have read threads in BCG and consumed some Ytube content (including Steve's helpful videos), in hope to get read for this trip and avoid surprises. The general take is:

- not all Safaris are equal and can be very different in nature (accommodation, vehicles, destinations, animals, etc..)
- clothes with nature-colors (beige, brown) are best suited (avoid black and blues, due to insect bites)
- sun protection (glasses, cream, long sleeves, big hat), water bottle, flashlight and swiss knife are essential
- weight, size and type of baggage is critical: most recommended → duffle bag max 15 kg / 33 lb + camera bag max 8 kg / 17 lb
→ am I right in assuming that even on smaller local planes, I can keep my camera bag with me at all time and have a duffle bag as luggage? or is only 1 pc of baggage allowed?


Have I missed anything travel related?

Now Gear talk:

- A back up camera is always recommended, to avoid lens changes (very sandy) and be able to quickly react
- A back up system for making copies of my photos is valuable (using iPad with SD reader to make copies)
- Multiple batteries, SD cards, and a battery bank and charging station with cables
- binoculars, some swear by it.. others say keep weight down and avoid it altogether.
→ what is the general consensus on this forum?

I decided to take my D850 + 500 PF as my main camera. I chose it over my Z8 due to battery life and reported electricity limitations .
I am however struggling with my choice of back-up camera. My options are:

- Z50 with 50-250 (good for close Wildlife, however lens not weather sealed)
- Z50 with 18-140 (versatile, however lens not weather sealed)
- Z50 with 24-70 S (lens weather sealed, but it does still extend when zooming)
- Z6 with 24-70 S (heavier, but more rugged, FF, good in low light, same battery as D850

Should I worry about being robbed? or it only happens to people that don't pay attention?


Thank you in advance for your valued feedback !
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You have had great feedback on the thread so won’t repeat but I find a small head lamp (one with an elastic round your head) very useful for early morning and in the evening to see your gear etc. They hardly weigh anything. I wouldn’t worry too much about weather sealing but take some cloths or other to cover your gear for dust. I use a Kikoi which you can buy in Africa. Multi purpose: cover your gear or put on the ground to take low shots when lying down
 
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