Camera? Best for Safari...
Feb 3rd, 2007, 04:45 AM
#81
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When in march do the new products and the reviews hit? I have zeroed in on what I want my wife to get me for my bday in march, but I want to see the new stuff and read the reviews before I have her actually make the purchase.
thanks
thanks
Feb 3rd, 2007, 07:04 AM
#82
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As to the xD cards, Ruth and I took the Olympus 800 P&S which I used as an unobtrusive substitute for the SLR and for shots where a long tele wasn;t necessary. It uses the xD card, and I took several 1G's. No inconvenience at all as almost all card readers have the xD slot, and the computer doesn't care which card is in the camera.
The Olympus 800 and newer equivalent Olympus P&S's aren't suitable with their 3x zoom for everything, but I bought them because they are "weather resistant" and I do a lot of shooting in really lousy conditions.
Ruth's camera was put to the ultimate test (and so was Ruth) when her canoe was pitched upside down by a startled hippo. Completely dunked both Ruth and the camera with no ill effect to either. Nice when something not only meets, but exceeds the advertising hype.
Bottom line: I'd put the card type at a lower level of importance than virtually all of the other considerations in choosing your camera.
Jim
The Olympus 800 and newer equivalent Olympus P&S's aren't suitable with their 3x zoom for everything, but I bought them because they are "weather resistant" and I do a lot of shooting in really lousy conditions.
Ruth's camera was put to the ultimate test (and so was Ruth) when her canoe was pitched upside down by a startled hippo. Completely dunked both Ruth and the camera with no ill effect to either. Nice when something not only meets, but exceeds the advertising hype.
Bottom line: I'd put the card type at a lower level of importance than virtually all of the other considerations in choosing your camera.
Jim
Feb 7th, 2007, 07:59 AM
#83
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Thanks to all of you for some really great advice...will also consider waiting until the Mar. Show to see what Canon and some of the others come out with in the way of P&S cameras. I am very much leaning towards the 100-400 lens for the 20D but was advised at a camera shop the other day when looking at it that for a safari I might want to consider the 70-200 f2.8 with a 2x extender in lieu of the other. Main reason given (other than more expensive-not given!) was that it was much less suseptible to dust, dampness etc. and of course when used w/o the extender a very fine lens by itself. Any thoughts on this.....in addition would appreciate any ideas on good cleaning methods/products. I do intend to look at the Visable Dust Artic Butterfly..and a last thought I have heard many people mention the use of bean bags...and am wondering what the best size would be and if it would be practical to take something along that could be filled with "beans" once I got there....hopefully this will take care of most of my questions but again I can't tell you how much I have appreciated and learned from all of you.
Thanks, Bob
Thanks, Bob
Feb 7th, 2007, 08:37 AM
#84
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Bob, you may find this link helpful in making a choice:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/re.../400v400.shtml
I don't have the 70-200/2.8, although I plan to get one at some point soon, but I do not think having that and a 2x extender would be a good solution for safari photography. The 70-200/2.8 is a really excellent lens -- perhaps Canon's best zoom lens -- but to me 200mm is too short for wildlife photography, and using the 2x to get to 400mm appears to compromise the image quality. What you would gain is a super-sharp lens that you could take closer-range pictures in far lower light than the 100-400 will tolerate, but for a "one lens" solution I doubt the 70-200+2x is the best option.
Chris
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/re.../400v400.shtml
I don't have the 70-200/2.8, although I plan to get one at some point soon, but I do not think having that and a 2x extender would be a good solution for safari photography. The 70-200/2.8 is a really excellent lens -- perhaps Canon's best zoom lens -- but to me 200mm is too short for wildlife photography, and using the 2x to get to 400mm appears to compromise the image quality. What you would gain is a super-sharp lens that you could take closer-range pictures in far lower light than the 100-400 will tolerate, but for a "one lens" solution I doubt the 70-200+2x is the best option.
Chris
Feb 7th, 2007, 06:34 PM
#85
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Not sure that it's as obvious a decision as Chris suggests. I wonder if your camera shop would let you take some pix with both combos load them to a computer and take a look.
I personally prefer the 1.4 telex to the 2.0 because of the quality difference (so I've read). I used it extensively with my 300mm f/4.0L IS lens giving me 420 mm tele equivalent (shooting 100 ISO Velvia and Provia). With the 1.4 I had a max aperature of 5.6, the same as you would have with the 70-200 2.8. And AF worked just fine.
And you would have one big advantage. One heck of a lens for all around use and low light action shots where the long tele is too long (see the wonderful thread on gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda).
Jim
I personally prefer the 1.4 telex to the 2.0 because of the quality difference (so I've read). I used it extensively with my 300mm f/4.0L IS lens giving me 420 mm tele equivalent (shooting 100 ISO Velvia and Provia). With the 1.4 I had a max aperature of 5.6, the same as you would have with the 70-200 2.8. And AF worked just fine.
And you would have one big advantage. One heck of a lens for all around use and low light action shots where the long tele is too long (see the wonderful thread on gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda).
Jim
Feb 28th, 2007, 03:29 PM
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DJE
My son, who is a professional photographer took his 5D(and I took a 1D Mark II) on our East Africa safari last summer. There are 2 schools of thought with the 5D. One is that because it is a full frame camera one loses the reach of the 1.3 crop (Canon 1D MarkII and now III) or 1.6 crop 10-20-30D and Dig Rebel. The other being the 12mp and the ability to crop the image negates the loss of magnification. One can also get longer glass to compensate but that gets expensive. The 5D does not do as many fps so if you like birds in flight or take off pix it may not be what you want. He shot 90% of his pix with a 100-400 lens and I would trade his photos for almost all of mine. People have suggested the 5D is a dust magnet (not to mention the 100-400 pumps dust in as well) and that may be true to some extent. If you do not plan on changing lenses in the field it may not be as big an issue. Plus we brought a large rocket blower and arctic butterfly cleaner to periodically clean the sensor.
The other advantage to the 5D is its low light capability and low noise at higher iso level.
If you already have a 5D I would not look for another camera but if you really are contemplating doing nature photography in a big way I think the Canon 1D Mark II or IIN or the new III is the way to go. The extra reach really helps and the fps rate really is useful.
The other advantage to the 5D is that you can get real wide angle shots with a standard wa lens and portraits are superb. What do you have already as far as a camera and lenses? If this is a 1x deal for nature photography don't get caught up in the 1D even though it is a great camera. It is very heavy and I find it a bit of a pain to lug it around wherever I go on none Africa trips.
Regards,
Eric
My son, who is a professional photographer took his 5D(and I took a 1D Mark II) on our East Africa safari last summer. There are 2 schools of thought with the 5D. One is that because it is a full frame camera one loses the reach of the 1.3 crop (Canon 1D MarkII and now III) or 1.6 crop 10-20-30D and Dig Rebel. The other being the 12mp and the ability to crop the image negates the loss of magnification. One can also get longer glass to compensate but that gets expensive. The 5D does not do as many fps so if you like birds in flight or take off pix it may not be what you want. He shot 90% of his pix with a 100-400 lens and I would trade his photos for almost all of mine. People have suggested the 5D is a dust magnet (not to mention the 100-400 pumps dust in as well) and that may be true to some extent. If you do not plan on changing lenses in the field it may not be as big an issue. Plus we brought a large rocket blower and arctic butterfly cleaner to periodically clean the sensor.
The other advantage to the 5D is its low light capability and low noise at higher iso level.
If you already have a 5D I would not look for another camera but if you really are contemplating doing nature photography in a big way I think the Canon 1D Mark II or IIN or the new III is the way to go. The extra reach really helps and the fps rate really is useful.
The other advantage to the 5D is that you can get real wide angle shots with a standard wa lens and portraits are superb. What do you have already as far as a camera and lenses? If this is a 1x deal for nature photography don't get caught up in the 1D even though it is a great camera. It is very heavy and I find it a bit of a pain to lug it around wherever I go on none Africa trips.
Regards,
Eric
Feb 28th, 2007, 06:46 PM
#88
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eyelaser,
Thank you very much for your comments on the 5D Canon. Actually it is my spouse who has just purchased this camera with the 24 to 105mm and the 70 to 200mm/2.8. I am the P & S photographer in the family so not into this quality equipment.
As far as other equipment is concerned, my better half has a Leica R camera with the DMR and a vast array of lenses plus an M7 rangefinder camera with a number of additional lenses. The reason for the Canon acquisition was primarily for the autofocus and lowlight capabilities.
It's always good to hear the opinions from people who actually have experience using various cameras etc.
Also looking for some comments on the Leica V-lux 1. Thanks.
Thank you very much for your comments on the 5D Canon. Actually it is my spouse who has just purchased this camera with the 24 to 105mm and the 70 to 200mm/2.8. I am the P & S photographer in the family so not into this quality equipment.
As far as other equipment is concerned, my better half has a Leica R camera with the DMR and a vast array of lenses plus an M7 rangefinder camera with a number of additional lenses. The reason for the Canon acquisition was primarily for the autofocus and lowlight capabilities.
It's always good to hear the opinions from people who actually have experience using various cameras etc.
Also looking for some comments on the Leica V-lux 1. Thanks.
Feb 28th, 2007, 08:18 PM
#89
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Leica - have you looked at the DPReview web site on the Leica forum? -
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1038
regards - tom
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1038
regards - tom
Mar 2nd, 2007, 01:12 AM
#91
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Sony have just announced a new camera that looks like it may be ideal for those who don't want to take a dSLR on safari. The DSC-H9 has a 31-465mm Zeiss lens, 8MP sensor, ISO3200 and special 'NightShot' technology that, supposedly, allows you to shoot in near darkness.
Preview available here - http://www.dpreview.com/news/0702/07022705sonyh9h7.asp
Preview available here - http://www.dpreview.com/news/0702/07022705sonyh9h7.asp
Mar 2nd, 2007, 09:02 PM
#93
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Canon S3 or if want to step up to a Canon XT or XTi, then you will have an excellent camera, but will need another lens say 70-200-300mm range or even better 100-400mm w/ IS for safari work, Canon makes excellent cameras and are pretty user friendly. Zoom of at least 12x & IS are important for safari pic's if going the S3 type of camera route. If you go DLSR, you really need to have really something that has 300mm reach at a minimum if you want some really good tight, close-up animal pic's. Trust me, that lion or elephant that is 100+ yds away, you are going to want a camera that has good zoom reach so you feel like that animal was standing 6 ft from you with a picture that is sharp. For most people, a trip to Africa is a once in a lifetime experience that you want to document with good pictures. A good quality camera is a small investment in the overall cost of that kind of trip which will have a use well beyound Africa
Mar 2nd, 2007, 10:34 PM
#94
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Well, IMHO, your game drive guide/driver is more important than the camera. You need drives where you drive off road and the driver has the knowledge and patience to position the vehicle for good photo light. I'm expecting to get a lot closer 90% the time than 100yds to the game, more like 10 (yes ten)yds. Given all that, the Canon S3 will do real fine.
regards - tom
regards - tom
Mar 3rd, 2007, 07:38 AM
#95
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I don't see Nikons mentioned as often here and have a 35mm N65 with a 70-300mm lens that I used 4yrs ago but would like to switch to digital for our upcoming gorilla trip. Is there a digital that would work with the lens I have that you can recommend that is easy to use and has IS?
Mar 3rd, 2007, 10:14 AM
#96
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I ordered the Sony Cybershot H9 this week from a local camera store. It is supposed to be in first part of May, some sites say it will be April. Canon release there new products this week and nothing about an updated S3 unit, too bad.
I wanted image stabilization, 3" rotating view finder, ultra zoom (all are comparable), 2 shots per second and all in a smaller formate then a DSLR.
Thanks for the input and information that everyone on this site contributes, that is the reason this site is great!
I wanted image stabilization, 3" rotating view finder, ultra zoom (all are comparable), 2 shots per second and all in a smaller formate then a DSLR.
Thanks for the input and information that everyone on this site contributes, that is the reason this site is great!
Apr 30th, 2007, 07:36 PM
#97
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Anyone taken the new Sony H9 and used it yet? I understand it wont be up to snuff with a Canon XTi (other camera Im thinking of getting) but if its close???? Im torn right now between investing in a canon xti or just sticking with a point and shoot.
The S3 IS is tempting at 300 dollars also.
The 100-400 lenses looks great (Im just finding out what all of this means) but too much money for me so if I was going SLR I wouldnt get more than a 75-300mm lenses for the Canon XTi.
Any suggestions?
The S3 IS is tempting at 300 dollars also.
The 100-400 lenses looks great (Im just finding out what all of this means) but too much money for me so if I was going SLR I wouldnt get more than a 75-300mm lenses for the Canon XTi.
Any suggestions?
Apr 30th, 2007, 10:19 PM
#98
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I know I sound like a stuck record (my age is showing) saying this but - for what you want, get the S3. Here are a couple dozen photos taken with the S2 in Sept 2005. http://tinyurl.com/377m5w
The S2 and S3 also do excellent video clips which are fun.
regards - tom
The S2 and S3 also do excellent video clips which are fun.
regards - tom
May 1st, 2007, 07:46 AM
#99
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I am currently "shopping" for a camera for my trip. I learned, this weekend, that most companies are releasing their new models within the next month or so. Sony's new advanced P & S just came out about a week ago. Don't remember the model, but it was $479 at BestBuy. Others should be pretty competitively priced, so if you have time you might wait a bit and see what's coming down the pike. Even if it's a bit more money, at least you're getting top of the line for P & S. Just my thoughts - inspired by someone else suggesting to wait and see what's coming.
If you're going the SLR route, then I don't know. I'm just not willing to spend that much money for equipment that I will hardly every use. Not a big picture taker, here.
Shane
If you're going the SLR route, then I don't know. I'm just not willing to spend that much money for equipment that I will hardly every use. Not a big picture taker, here.
Shane
May 1st, 2007, 12:54 PM
#100
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Tom,
Thanks for the information about the Canon S3 on Amazon. For $469.74 (including shipping)I just bought:
Canon S3 IS Camera (6MP w 12x IS Zoom)
Canon TC-DC58B Tele Converter Lens
Canon LAH-DC20 Lens Adapter and Hood Set
Panaxonic 1GB Class6 Pro High Speed SD Card
Plus I will receive a $30.00 credit for opening an Amazon Credit Card. Of course now I need more batteries, battery charger, and more memory. This appears to be a deal.
Thanks for the information about the Canon S3 on Amazon. For $469.74 (including shipping)I just bought:
Canon S3 IS Camera (6MP w 12x IS Zoom)
Canon TC-DC58B Tele Converter Lens
Canon LAH-DC20 Lens Adapter and Hood Set
Panaxonic 1GB Class6 Pro High Speed SD Card
Plus I will receive a $30.00 credit for opening an Amazon Credit Card. Of course now I need more batteries, battery charger, and more memory. This appears to be a deal.
