I really and truely did search cameras, photos and storage in various combination and singly. My pea-sized brain is spinning from all of the info. Am sharing all info with our P'burgh friends.

However, now that I have my new toy, a Canon PowerShot S5 IS, for a few days & played with it, would it be advisable:

1-for me to obtain a adapter and UV filter to help protect the lens from dust? Where from Canon or Lensmate.com, 52 or 58mm.

2-should I buy a TC and if so which one, Canon or one from Lensmate & which size, 52mm or 58mm.

3-I have gotten and modified a Wal-mart water-proof pillow case to keep the dust off of the camera during actual drive times. Many thanks to whomever it was that posted that suggestion.

4-After playing with this camera at all focal lengths, I have found that I can not hold it steady in full focal lenght with out support (is that old age setting in? ;-)) so I have already made my "bean bag" case and also one for my P'burgh friends. Yes, I do have more than a nodding aquaintance with a sewing machine.

5-Also, I may reconsider borrowing my daughters Nikon Dx40 with 55-200 zoom as a back-up. Would I need a TC to extend this? If so which one?

6-As to photo back-up I have narrowed it down to the Wolverine Data 7060 FlashPac 60 GB at $144.25 or HyperDrive Space, 40 GB $199.90
including S&H. From what I have read the Wolverine is better??

Geez, way too may questions and I have a sneaking suspicion that I will still be second guessing when I step on the first airplane.

In any other advise would be so appreciated.

I did check with OAT as to their capability to relay to our daughter/ son-in-law if she went into labor (with twins) before we returned and they assured ?? me that yes they would do this from any camp. I am not sure what good this will do us as it is not as if you can just "catch a flight from where you are to the US", but I guess it makes me feel better. Hey, what can I say, I am a MOM.
Linda

Linda, congratulations on your new camera. I am sure you will find the S5 to be a very capable and easy to use camera for your trip. I will do my best to answer as many of your questions as I can, but some of them are outside my knowledge since I don't use an S5 myself.

(1) UV filter. It is common for people to put UV filters on the fronts of lenses, usually for the purpose of protecting the lens from damage. Most of the pro photographers I know do not use them because they degrade image quality and increase flaer from bright light sources. I have tested my lenses with and without UV filters and I am certain that the filters reduce image quality, so I would never recommend using them. If you have a hood to protect the front element of your lens, just use that instead.

(2) I don't know anything about TCs for that camera. In general, TCs will also degrade image quality and yield good results only with the highest quality fixed focal length lenses. Most people do not like the image quality of a TC on a zoom lens of any sort. I cannot speak from experience on the S5, but my guess is that the results would be similar there to what you would get on a DSLR zoom lens with a TC on it.

(3) Holding the camera steady at long focal lengths is more a matter of technique than strength. Hold the camera with both hands, and prop your left elbow against your chest to help teady your arms. And of course use support when you can. When support is not available, be sure your shutter speed is set high enough to compensate for the camera's movement (1/500 ought to do it for that camera since it has IS).

(4) I don't know anything about that particular Nikon lens or whether a TC will work with it. The reach of that camera with a 200mm lens will be shorter than what you will have with the S5, so why not just use it for subjects closer to the vehicle?

(5) I cannot comment on the Wolverines, but I use two Hyperdrive SPACE units and they always perform flawlessly for me. They are very fast and have great battery life too. Over the course of the last two trips we have taken, we have stored over 210GB of images on Hyperdrive SPACE units without any problems. I plan to buy another one for our next trip since we will be shooting with two cameras and need more space.

The only other advice I would give you is to practice extensively with the camera before your trip and pay attention to what results you get in various situations and using various settings on the camera. The zoo is a great place to do this.

Have fun with the new camera!

Chris

1) I don't like filters in front of the lens. Clean the lens carefully when needed. A filter won't protect it if you drop the camera.
2)No. The S5 lens has the range you need 95% of the time. Especially on safari.
3)Good.
4)Make sure you have the "anti shake" "image stabilization" turned on. A little hand in lower right of the LCD display.
5)No. Don't bother, if it is just for back-up. A Nikon 1.7 TC costs about $400. Get another S5 instead
6)Just make sure it will take SDHC, I repeat -HC-, type cards. Some units won't and thus limit you to SD cards that are 2G max size. (But that's still usually big enough). SDHC cards start at 4G.

And like Chris says - practice. Try "P" mode and "cloudy". Do you like the colors better? (We use "P" mode and "cloudy" as standard settings). Flash, do you want to make it/force it to flash? Use "P" mode and set to always flash. Try the movie mode. Takes excellent video with zoom and sound.

regards - tom

I found it invaluable to have two cameras ready to shoot, so I didn't have to change lenses.

Chris, Tom & pattyroth,
Thanks once again for you quick responses and the great tips.

Before buying, I checked with Canon to make sure that the S5 would take the SDHC cards.

I have been out eveyday practicing, and am now ready to try something other than Auto.

I don't have a zoo near us; however, as I live on a golf course will those golfers take the place? ;-)

Also, I have two regular bird feeders and two feeders for hummers. So I can practice my bird photography. Hummers should start showing up in about 3 weeks. We are right on the return migratory path from the Yucatan. I usually go down for the banding at Ft. Morgan about 30 minutes south of us. This will give me a good opportunity to practice.

Linda

You're welcome Linda, have fun.

An interesting thing about using the S5 (S2, S3) for videos is that it does not look like a video camera. So you can use it where videos are not permitted or for unsuspecting subjects.

For an interesting experiment, try taking portrait, people pics, in bright sun light without flash and then with flash.

regards - tom

Linda, I am not sure taking bird pictures is the way to go in terms of learning how to use your camera. Birds are incredibly difficult subjects because of their size and rapid movements. If you have some birds that you can get really close to, like at a feeder, that might work, but I am afraid using birds as test subject will get you rapidly frustrated (I shoot birds all the time at 600mm focal length and they still irritate me regularly). Dogs or cats running around a back yard might be a good alternative, or horses in a field if you have those around.

Have fun!

Chris

Tom, I will definitely "try taking portrait, people pics, in bright sun light without flash and then with flash". And thanks for the tip on the video. That could be fun.

Chris, we do have several farms around us and they do have cows & horses.

Also, I'll be out in Denver in March and April and I can take my grandson to the zoo and practice there.
Linda

Linda,
I'm the pillowcase guy. Just one additional suggestion. Try and get your guide to position the vehicle so that the sun is shinning over your back as you shoot. In other words don't shoot into the sun. Your best light will be early morning and late afternoon. Even though you will be on a group tour, I beleive OAT uses Kibo and they are a high quality outfit with expert driver/guides. They will understand if you explain you are interested in positioning the vehicle for best light. Chris is right, birds are difficult try dogs, cats, horses and cows. Have a ball and take plenty of memory.
Cheers-Chuck

Chuck,
I got a real chuckle out of your opening statement "I'm the pillowcase guy", mainly because, it took me a few seconds to make the connection to pillow case. You know those "senior" brain cells are a litle slower that the "young ones".

It is amazing what you can do with one "Wally World" (Wal-Mart) water proof pillow case.

I have made two "booties with elastic" to pull over and uncover the camera with ease. Seems to work well. And two bean bags, capacity is I think 2 to 3 lbs of rice/beans/peas/lentil/rocks, etc. Hey, whatever is handy. I still have lots of pillow case left over. We will see how these work & I'll let you all know.

I really appreciate your recommendation as to sun
positioning request for our driver.

"Life is a work in progress", I believe that this has been espoused by someone much more eloquent than me. And this is one of the "paths that I have tried to follow".

I made for me a "real leap in faith" and ordered from a business on e-bay/canada a Wolverine MVP 9000 80 Gb Multimedia Player for $175.00 new for my back-up, which I had decided that I wanted. Yes, I know that this is a "too good price for this machine", but.... Can you hear my heart "thumping", wham, wham, wham?? This company had a very good customer rating. I'll let you all know (good or bad).

I have been obsessing as to which "back-up" I should buy and just finally said "oh, heck with this" and punched "the purchase button". Whoo!!

Yes, all of you who have been contributing/reading this thread can chortle and or laugh. However, being a "tactile" person not to mention "anal retentive" as per my daughter, the pressing of "THE BUTTON" has really been an agonizing/liberating/life alterating
experience??? Maybe and maybe not??

I give my "hat off" to all of you, who have made my "pre-trek/safari" discovery easier and much more enjoyable and I hope that you all will continue to put up with my myriad of questions & my "off the wall humor".

Linda

Oops, I said "uncover" and should have said cover. ;-(

Oh well. Brain farts. Oops!!
Linda