beaauuuutiful images!! I have never seen such beautiful and still realistic looking images from a Safari! really really like those! thank you for sharing your experience so far :)
Great video as always, I recently made the leap and purchased a second hand 300mm f2.8 I'm still getting to grips with it, as you do have to be closer, but also not disturb the wildlife just for the photo. Would love to go on a safari one day.
Hey Sam, the 300mm 2.8 is a learning curve, as you say you need to be close, but also when at a distance use perspective - get low to accentuate the way the 2.8 renders those foreground and background elements. Often some of my best images with the 300mm are when you use the aperture to render details out of focus, yet still leaving enough for the eye to understand what was behind the subject!
@@TomMasonPhoto Cheers Tom for those tips, I have found the most useful tip I have ever worked on for about a year now is getting low with your subject, even at f4 or f8 just understanding how depth of field works with cameras being close to subject and having background far away makes a world of difference. I have booked week away in October to New Forest where I hopefully will get to practice with it more. I will take on what you've said, cheers again Tom. :)
The 300 2.8 VR II certainly rules!! It does feel like loving the dream when I’m out shooting locations like this however as I’m sure you know there’s a boat load of other stuff that goes on behind the scenes to make it all happen! Thanks for watching and glad you enjoy the videos
Tom, wonderful set of videos of your trip to Botswana, and Namibia. Fantastic idea of using panorama stitching for wildlife, I’ll definitely be trying that idea. Enjoying your channel mate
I taught at a school in Gaberone for a week and then I went to the Okavango Delta and Central Kalahari afterwards. Botswana is incredible. The people are so kind and the parks are beautiful. Another perk which I’m sure you(Tom) noticed was that the safaris are a much more relaxing due to Botswana’s regulations. There can only be three cars at a sighting at a time which is lovely compared to Kenya where there will be 40 cars at one location. I feel like in Botswana, you are really tracking the animals by their prints and scat where in places like the Maasai Mara l, you are just looking for other cars to see what they found. The Mara is still beautiful by the way.
Alex in the next video we will be heading to the Delta and yes as you say the fact you can have only 3 cars at a sighting is fantastic - often it was just our own jeep and that was all, amazing for photography and working a location to get images! We had bushman trackers who were just class, who just knew the location so well. The people as you say are SO kind and helpful, I really couldn't have had a more enjoyable trip!
The back garden wildlife if where I learnt most of what I know! So keep photographing those sparrows, cheers and another video on route in the next few hours!
Very nice Video. I am in Zambia on Safari at the Moment as well. Interesting video but you had perfect conditions because you had a private tour alone in the vehicle. It is a bit harder when the vehicle is packed with people. Anyway I love Safaris and as you said, Africa is bright, therefore I have my Nikon 200-500 5.6 with me. Which is a good zoomlense for bright conditions. My first tour will start tomorrow. I am so excited and looking forward to see the bush of Zambia. Went to Botswana 2017, which a loved as well. Have a good and save tour with all the big five and lots of other animals. Looking forward to see more videos like this.
Can't fully gree, of course africa is "bright", but the most interesting action is going on as soon as the rises or at sunset, you'll also get the best looking shots at that time. So having fast wide open lense makes absolute sense. F4 oder even better F2.8 would be awesome, but of course they are heavy duty, expensive and a pain in the ass in travelling with them. But once you have it there in Namibia or Botswana you'll experience the HUGE difference ...
xeropaga81 I agree, it is always Better to have a faster lens. For my next safari I will use my Nikon 180-400 TC 4.0 which Would be better. I would also like to have a 2.8 lens but on safari you really need a zoom lens, the 400 2.8 is gorgeous but you stuck with 400mm. I prefer to have zoom instead of a prime, especially to be more flexible. Looking forward to the new 120-300 2.8 which Nikon has announced a few weeks ago.
@@markusstiller9882 Yeah man, the 180-400 F4 is said to be an awesome lens, never used it myself but I am currently thinking about buying one. But also the 400mm F2.8 is awesome, but even heavier and bit bulkier as well. Maybe a 500mm F4 would be better ....damn, there are definitely too many great lenses outthere ;-) haha
When I clicked on this I thought not another safari Vlogg Boring . I was wrong your it wasnt just another safari vlogg . Your images were superb and you sold it to me looks great you can get great images with a bit of thought and creativity .
Thanks man that really means a lot, for me that’s precisely what I didn’t want to get from Africa - the same old Images... so in the last episode in this series I’ll talk though my favourite shots and the final portfolio of images I was after. I had a plan throughout my entire time away to work on a specific style of image and stuck to that! Thanks for watching
Really enjoyed this video, because you were so detailed to what your settings were, and the lens on the camera... it just gives me such a good sense of what to do out there when shooting! Thanks Tom! Very much ! )))
Tom, i'm so jealous, but at the same time happy for you. Leopards are very hard to come by i know. I've been going on Safaris every year for as long as i can remember, as i have family living in South Africa. I've had 2 encounters with Leopards, but nothing as awesome as yours. I had a pride of Lion's in March that where as close as your Leopard. I would love to see how you go about editing your shots, maybe an idea for a future video? Have a great time, and cant wait to see your next post.
Hey Ryan, I was super lucky on the whole trip with some great encounters - 3 leopards and two that walked round the landy for over half hour! Lions we will get to in another episode ;) - But I shall possibly do some editing videos in the Autumn - with some of the basics of how I edit and process in Lightroom if people are interested in that!
Cheers Karen, i do love the 300mm, just. So flexible for all kinds of projects, I haven’t had it in my hands for a while working with camera traps and other stuff but picking it up for the last few trips it was like it was never out of my hands! Top class optic
Amazing Tom, I wonder if you were nearly as excited as the guy in the passenger seat exactly 9 minutes in. Point the flash at his teeth if you want to diffuse the light and fill the shadows, I hope one day I get to do what you are doing.
Hey Geoff beanbags are great for working from a vehicle be it on safari or not, as well they make great supports for low level images! Glad you enjoyed the video, more on the way!
Very good sightings! I've been there many times but never seen the leopard ;-) You will definitely see lion prides. There three of them now in Chobe Riverfront as far as I know, very healthy lion-population. Wish you much luck! You need it on safari :-) And the exceptional photos you can take yourself as you already did.
We had lots of luck on the river front worth various subjects as well as in the park, I’ll share my final favourite images from the whole trip in a round up video at the end!
Personally it would be the 300mm for me, my style of shooting is that of being a little wider to show more environment and so I've always gravitated to the 300mm over 400mm. Cheers, Tom
I don’t own the 200/500 as I had it on loan for review, I’ve shot the 300 2.8 instead for years, however I’ll be doing lots more content on more budget options.
I finally sold my 300mm 2.8 VR, as I also own the 400mm 2.8G VR and I bought the 300mm F4 PF. For the times when I do not need the reach I absolutely love the 300mm F4 as it is almost as sharp and fast to focus as the 400mm, but it is day and night difference in weight and I can walk around all day with it. Of course once you add a TC 1.4x to the 300mm F4, which I know people love to do...you will miss the background separation and pure sharpness of the 2.8 glass. However I will say that the 300mm F4 and 1.4x TC is a much better combo than the 200-500mm. I personally do not like the 200-500mm for many reasons, including sample variation and build quality or lack thereof.
For myself having tested the 200-500 its certainly a good lens, but for me I'd also likely go with the 300 PF, smaller lighter and the F4 really is handy in certain situations! With a 1.4 TC on a D850 if you know how to get close its all you really need, however for me that 2.8 glass is hard to love without, Saying that I'll likely add the PF to my kit at some point for hiking trips! Although I'm still holding out hope for a 300mm 2.8 FL thats lighter than the current VR II!
I would definitely get either the 300mm f/2.8 AF-S or AF-S II or 200-400mm f4 AF-S over the 200-500mm. The only good about the 200-500mm is most copies are sharp in the center. Everything else sucks, the build quality sucks, the AF speed is terrible and it’s a Chinese plastic fantastic. It only feels solid because it weighs so much, but trust me it’s garbage build quality!
@@patricksmith2553 those unfortunately are wayy over my budget haha. Im talking about the af-s 300mm f4. That would be cheaper with a 1.4xtc than a 200 500 but I wonder if I will miss the extra reach and zoom. Is the 300mm weather sealed btw? Anyway I imagine the teleconverter is not, right?
@@eduardofreitas8336 Oh ok I misunderstood but they are not more money or not much more at least. The 200-400mm f4 VR can be found for around $1,600 and the 300mm f2.8 AF-S is around $1,200 so less than the 200-500mm, the AF-S II 300mm f2.8D is around $1,700 USD.
D850 being a dual gain sensor has less read noise at ISO 400 than it does at ISO 200, so if you wanted cleaner shots and can increase the shutter speed even more (which is usually beneficial) I recommend shooting at ISO 400 once you need to go higher than roughly ISO 150. Since you were already at 1/2000 and 1/3200 it probably wasn't good for this instance.
Super video and great images again. Which 300mm version do you have. I know there about 10 different ones for Nikon? Also is the image quality still good with 2x converter? Looking at this option instead of 500 primes
I have the 300mm VR II, I’ve used for many years and love it to bits - linked below for reference. I use with the 1.4 and 2.0 but find the 2.0 needs to be stopped down to f8-11 to really get the results that I’m happy with, often I use the 1.4 and crop especially now with the 45mp of the D850
@@TomMasonPhoto Have you ever had one of the older versions of the 300 f/2.8? I bought the 1980s version and am a bit disappointed with the quality, if I invest to the 2000s medel will there be a significant improvement?
@ I’ve never had one of the older models, the latest ones are obviously more engineered for digital sensors and with the nano coatings etc are a large upgrade from the older Af variants
Cheers Kieran, The trip luckily for me was supported so I could scout out for a future tour plan, Chobe was fantastic but we still have many more images to come ;)
Using the D850 with the high MP count I always use the highest shutter speed I can to ensure for the sharpest results - any shake is visible and because I was working handheld it’s much safer to push higher to ensure the sharpness
No need for weaponry, the understanding and skill of the drivers and guides means it’s not necessary. You can’t ever get out of the vehicle unless as designated areas and so it’s pretty safe for working.
I usually have the D850, D500 and the Z6 however on this trip had the D5 in place of the D500. Personally day to day I find I'm always carrying the D850 as my main stills and the Z6 as my backup body because it can do video as well and largely I love the IQ and some of the features of the new system. I haven't used the Z7 as I went for the Z6 - better all round video performance was my priority and I already had the D850, but know lots of people are very happy with them especially for landscape shooting. The Z6 fits me better for the upgrades I wanted and the D850 all round I still think is the best camera on the market for wildlife photography right now - especially with the extended D5 batteries adding the 9fps that I have added.
@@TomMasonPhoto Thanks for replying. I use D500 with 200-500mm F5.6 lens for birds photoshoot and D850 for landscaping. I am really happy with both cameras. Looking forward your more videos. Thanks
When using a longer focal length with the same maximum aperture results in a shallower depth of field, compressing the area of focus for a nicer looking drop off, pulling wider as to get the shot on a 135mm-200mm range on the 70/200 would result in a greater focus depth and therefor a different look to the picture, hope that makes sense!
For the portraits I’m shooting f2.8, wide open on the 300mm, with ISO 200 and about 1/2000 sec. Getting as low as possible for the blurred backgrounds using the grass for some nice foreground! Thanks for watching!
Basically just because if any action kicked off I’d rather be of a higher shutter speed to ensure I freeze the motion. I could have dropped to 64 but just wanted to be sure I nailed the sharpest images in the moment and 200 produces simply gorgeous files on the D850 so no had no worries pushing a touch higher
Awesome vid, great images! How close were you for that leopard shot? Did you have to crop your pano at all? Also, at what distance on the plains did you start noticing heat distortion and did it affect any of your images?
Hey Owen , I was about 20ft from the leopard at times for the portraits, the pano had maybe a 3% crop top and bottom when the image was rendered in Lightroom, pretty tricky to get them dead level! However thats basically two full frames with a 1/3 overlap. I took about 6 sets of two to get the one I was after. Heat distortion in the later part of the day was an issue from maybe 30ft-40ft from memory, but mostly I didn't find it too much of an issue because it wasn't as hot as it looked - winter in Botswana so was more like 20-28c that often was ok.
You having experienced African Safari first hand, would u recommend the Nikon 200-400mm VR1 bcoz of the ability to zoom in and out or would u still recommend on the fixed 300mm f2.8? I live in Kenya and I am an enthusiast and already own a sigma sport 150-600mm
For my personal shooting style I like the 300mm - now that’s largely because I’ve used the lens for many years and really just love the focal length and how it works for my style of shooting. Of course the 2.8 isn’t essential for a safari because of the abundant light and certainly there are moments when the zoom would be handy but it’s really down to what you like. I love having 2.8 for shallow depth of field and the also lighter weight and smaller size than the 200/400 180/400 etc. Often a good way is to look through your images and see how your shoot in a session - are lots of the images all around the same focal length or do you zoom in and out often, that will likes give you your answer! Hope that helps, Cheers, Tom
Hi Tom Quick question. Why do you choose your D850 for the 300mm and the D5 for shorter lenses? Asking as I recently got a second hand D5 and I have been using it with my 400mmf2.8. Best Kenneth
So thats a good question but its daily down to detail, the 300mm in the D850 gave more cropping option than the D5 would have, in Africa with excellent light I want worried about needing to crank the ISO so could then focus on having the best resolution for my close up images rather than pushing towards lowlight or speed requirements. I did swap around a fair amount though as the light started to dip at the end of the day or when I wanted higher res files for landscape/wide images! Cheers, Tom
2:47 what did you use to mount your camera to the vehicle and what camera is it? Also, at 6:15 you say the compression with the 70-200mm wouldn't be enough, what exactly do you mean by that? Why do you want more compression?
The camera on the Vehicle is my Z6, used my Gitzo tripod and 8 cable ties to rig to the front bumper for a 5 min drive around for some B roll! In regards to the compression - with a longer focal length with the same wider aperture results in a shallower depth of field, using the 70/200 would give wider depth of field and therefor not maintain the nicer fall off and look that the 300mm achieves, so even though a crop of a 70/200 into the pano form would be a similar frame, the way the out of focus areas drop off wouldn’t look as pleasing as with true stitched 300mm images. Hope that makes sense!
@@TomMasonPhoto Got it, thanks! Loving the vids on safari photography! one more question haha, do you ever use flash in harsh sunlight where the animal might be properly exposed in the bright areas but shadows look completely black? If so do you use a fresnel lens on it if they are far away?
I do use flash, however most of the time when I am its not with a super tele lens so haven't really ventured into the better beamers etc - although it is something I'm thinking of trying in the future. Often my flash will be with shorter focal length lenses - used some with Vervet monkeys in Botswana when I could get really close with my 20mm to add some extra punch and fill into shadows in the midday sun.
@@TomMasonPhoto Do you try to make it look like you didn't use flash? Like the lighting was just great? I just don't like the flash look you know. A video on a flash extender and colored gels would be great, I've heard the MagMod is a better newer option than the better beamer, seems more sturdy and practical.
Tom, really enjoy your channel and the thought and depth that goes into producing the level of consistent quality. Same with these two episodes. However, in the interest of integrity and TH-cam etiquette pls do make a disclaimer as to whether this is a (part) sponsored video series. nothing wrong with that just get out of the way.
Hey dude - I didn’t think this counted as sponsored content because I was out to film a set of videos ahead of leading a tour in the future for myself rather than a company however I’ll add into the description to make sure everything is kept up integrity wise! Thanks for watching
Awesome photos. How is the VR II of the 300 2.8 compared to the VR I? I have the first version and I heard that it's even sharper with (of course) improved VR
The VR II adds about two stops of benefit to the VR, optics wise it’s very similar and in almost all respects the same, the smallest improvements across the board. Works a little better with the newer TCs but I’d wait to the next version to upgrade because they are so similar in performance, cheers, Tom
@@TomMasonPhoto i think all afs models optically are the same (non vr and vr. )11 elements in 8 groups. The only difference from what i’ve read is that the vr versions have some type of nano crystal coating that helps with flaring and improves sharpness a bit, other than that I would expect similar results from all 4 lenses.
@@6hr0n05 What about even older versions from the 1980s? are they sharp or not? i bought a 300 f/2.8 with a screw drive and its sharpness is not impressive to me.
Cheers dude, for myself I'd always been putting it off because I didn't know what images I wanted to make, but in a few videos time I'll talk through my "Final" frames!
Because I love my 300 2.8 and have had it for years - some people like the longer focal length of the 400 however I’ve always felt the 300 suits my style and photography better
Because I want to maintain a higher shutter speed to be ready to react to any possibly action changes whilst also having great IQ. The image quality at 200 is brilliant so no need to drop lower adding steps to what I’d have to change if the action kicks off
All the early talk of how useful the Bean Bags are, and then you never used one. that front seat has to be the worst seat in the house, cramped, no forward view, i guess if you are the only passenger it is ok, but I wouldn't fight to get that seat otherwise...
Sir Tom I want to talk with you. I am a student now. I want to be a micro photographer. I need your guide. I need your help. Thank you. If you interested, please give your response
It must be nice to be the only one Pangolin is taking around. I have been with them and they are GREAT! but get real as most people will not be the only ones in the truck or boat so what you can do for setup may not be realistic for others.
Most of my images were shot within a group setting, I filmed a few sequences on my own largely not to inhibit other guest interactions with wildlife and not take from the enjoyment of other peoples trips, hence why I’m alone in a vehicle on occasions. Lots of the time during my stay I was out with the normal groups and shot my images alongside other guests!
Wow. That Leopard was gorgeous. Very impressive shots.
Thanks Pauline, glad you liked the images! Cheers, Tom
Great idea about the leopard pano! ('Sounds of notetaking...')
Stunning
Wow beautiful pictures and that 300mm f2.8 is just amazing
Enjoyed your video. I watched it as we were getting ready to head for Kenya. What an incredible experience.
beaauuuutiful images!! I have never seen such beautiful and still realistic looking images from a Safari! really really like those!
thank you for sharing your experience so far :)
Thanks Pete! Glad you enjoyed them
Glad to see you back in action!
Thank you! Lots more on route
Excellent Tom. Spent some time in Namibia a few years ago and heading to Kruger in 3 weeks time. Really useful video.
Have an awesome time! Was such an enjoyable trip to Botswana... so many images and Incredible moments!
Looks awesome Tom - Some great early pics captured!
Thanks Andrew, it was a fantastic first day!
The details on setting up in the field are instructive and helpful. Thanks!
Thanks for your reply Tom. This clarifies my thoughts and usage of my own camera bodies. Kenneth
Can‘t get enough, Tom! Awesome!
Thank you!
Great video as always, I recently made the leap and purchased a second hand 300mm f2.8 I'm still getting to grips with it, as you do have to be closer, but also not disturb the wildlife just for the photo. Would love to go on a safari one day.
Hey Sam, the 300mm 2.8 is a learning curve, as you say you need to be close, but also when at a distance use perspective - get low to accentuate the way the 2.8 renders those foreground and background elements. Often some of my best images with the 300mm are when you use the aperture to render details out of focus, yet still leaving enough for the eye to understand what was behind the subject!
@@TomMasonPhoto Cheers Tom for those tips, I have found the most useful tip I have ever worked on for about a year now is getting low with your subject, even at f4 or f8 just understanding how depth of field works with cameras being close to subject and having background far away makes a world of difference. I have booked week away in October to New Forest where I hopefully will get to practice with it more. I will take on what you've said, cheers again Tom. :)
awww yeaaah. This kind of content as well as your remote camera stuff in the jungle sets your vids apart from others.
Cheers dude, really appreciate that, I’ll be working on some more camera trap vids later this year! New projects to hit up
Fabulous video Tom, glad you are living the dream and sharing it with the rest of us, stay safe and enjoy. cheers PS 3002.8VRII rules, lol.
The 300 2.8 VR II certainly rules!! It does feel like loving the dream when I’m out shooting locations like this however as I’m sure you know there’s a boat load of other stuff that goes on behind the scenes to make it all happen! Thanks for watching and glad you enjoy the videos
Great video and really great images. I normally shoot UK wildlife but the safari looks fantastic.
Thanks Steve, I love travelling for work but still always find such passion shooting back in the UK! Can’t wait to dig into some winter projects!
Another great video, and some amazing shots, totally unique to other safari photographs. Can’t wait for more !!
Thanks Finley, lots more on the way, Can't wait to share my final images at the end!
Awesome
Tom, wonderful set of videos of your trip to Botswana, and Namibia.
Fantastic idea of using panorama stitching for wildlife, I’ll definitely be trying that idea.
Enjoying your channel mate
I taught at a school in Gaberone for a week and then I went to the Okavango Delta and Central Kalahari afterwards. Botswana is incredible. The people are so kind and the parks are beautiful. Another perk which I’m sure you(Tom) noticed was that the safaris are a much more relaxing due to Botswana’s regulations. There can only be three cars at a sighting at a time which is lovely compared to Kenya where there will be 40 cars at one location. I feel like in Botswana, you are really tracking the animals by their prints and scat where in places like the Maasai Mara l, you are just looking for other cars to see what they found. The Mara is still beautiful by the way.
Alex in the next video we will be heading to the Delta and yes as you say the fact you can have only 3 cars at a sighting is fantastic - often it was just our own jeep and that was all, amazing for photography and working a location to get images! We had bushman trackers who were just class, who just knew the location so well. The people as you say are SO kind and helpful, I really couldn't have had a more enjoyable trip!
Love the leopard pics. Look forward to more vids.
Thanks Andrew, many more images to come!
Amazing shots, and a great insight into kit and equipment, i am lucky if i get the exposure right for a sparrow in the garden lol. Thanks Tom :)
The back garden wildlife if where I learnt most of what I know! So keep photographing those sparrows, cheers and another video on route in the next few hours!
Very nice Video. I am in Zambia on Safari at the Moment as well. Interesting video but you had perfect conditions because you had a private tour alone in the vehicle. It is a bit harder when the vehicle is packed with people. Anyway I love Safaris and as you said, Africa is bright, therefore I have my Nikon 200-500 5.6 with me. Which is a good zoomlense for bright conditions. My first tour will start tomorrow. I am so excited and looking forward to see the bush of Zambia. Went to Botswana 2017, which a loved as well.
Have a good and save tour with all the big five and lots of other animals. Looking forward to see more videos like this.
Can't fully gree, of course africa is "bright", but the most interesting action is going on as soon as the rises or at sunset, you'll also get the best looking shots at that time. So having fast wide open lense makes absolute sense. F4 oder even better F2.8 would be awesome, but of course they are heavy duty, expensive and a pain in the ass in travelling with them. But once you have it there in Namibia or Botswana you'll experience the HUGE difference ...
xeropaga81 I agree, it is always Better to have a faster lens. For my next safari I will use my Nikon 180-400 TC 4.0 which Would be better. I would also like to have a 2.8 lens but on safari you really need a zoom lens, the 400 2.8 is gorgeous but you stuck with 400mm. I prefer to have zoom instead of a prime, especially to be more flexible. Looking forward to the new 120-300 2.8 which Nikon has announced a few weeks ago.
@@markusstiller9882 Yeah man, the 180-400 F4 is said to be an awesome lens, never used it myself but I am currently thinking about buying one. But also the 400mm F2.8 is awesome, but even heavier and bit bulkier as well. Maybe a 500mm F4 would be better ....damn, there are definitely too many great lenses outthere ;-) haha
damnnnnnnnnn, so cleannn
Lovely video. Brought back some fond memories of my own safari experiences. Great image of the elephant throwing the dust over its head.
Thanks Tony, that was one of my favourite images from that day, sometimes it just comes together perfectly
great shots
Thank you!
When I clicked on this I thought not another safari Vlogg Boring . I was wrong your it wasnt just another safari vlogg . Your images were superb and you sold it to me looks great you can get great images with a bit of thought and creativity .
Thanks man that really means a lot, for me that’s precisely what I didn’t want to get from Africa - the same old
Images... so in the last episode in this series I’ll talk though my favourite shots and the final portfolio of images I was after. I had a plan throughout my entire time away to work on a specific style of image and stuck to that! Thanks for watching
Please share your tips about how to capture cinematic photos....👍👍👌👌
Very nice video.
Fantastic video with great images, thanks :)
Thank you!
Really enjoyed this video, because you were so detailed to what your settings were, and the lens on the camera... it just gives me such a good sense of what to do out there when shooting! Thanks Tom! Very much ! )))
Awesome video and photos.. waiting for day 2 video...
Tom, i'm so jealous, but at the same time happy for you. Leopards are very hard to come by i know. I've been going on Safaris every year for as long as i can remember, as i have family living in South Africa. I've had 2 encounters with Leopards, but nothing as awesome as yours. I had a pride of Lion's in March that where as close as your Leopard. I would love to see how you go about editing your shots, maybe an idea for a future video? Have a great time, and cant wait to see your next post.
Hey Ryan, I was super lucky on the whole trip with some great encounters - 3 leopards and two that walked round the landy for over half hour! Lions we will get to in another episode ;) - But I shall possibly do some editing videos in the Autumn - with some of the basics of how I edit and process in Lightroom if people are interested in that!
Great stuff as usual Tom.
great video Tom ,your work stands out on its own merit, it is brilliant
Thanks Bob really appreciate that, thank you for the kind words!
Fantastic content
Lovely images and great video!
Thank you!
Excellent, Tom! I always enjoy your videos. I have V1 of the 300mm, you are inspiring me to take it out more often. I look forward to your next video.
Cheers Karen, i do love the 300mm, just. So flexible for all kinds of projects, I haven’t had it in my hands for a while working with camera traps and other stuff but picking it up for the last few trips it was like it was never out of my hands! Top class optic
Superb. . . thanks Tom
The last photo of the elephant! ♥️
Amazing Tom, I wonder if you were nearly as excited as the guy in the passenger seat exactly 9 minutes in. Point the flash at his teeth if you want to diffuse the light and fill the shadows,
I hope one day I get to do what you are doing.
Very cool. You got some beautiful images on your first day. Question: If you have to go to the bathroom, are you allowed to leave the vehicle?
As usual, beautiful images and a great video. Looking forward to hear about future trips. Well done Tom
Cheers George, I shall keep people in the loop about trips, lots more images to share first!
Great video and beautiful images 😀 I really like the idea of the beanbag vehicle as a way to move about quickly while still having decent support!
Hey Geoff beanbags are great for working from a vehicle be it on safari or not, as well they make great supports for low level images! Glad you enjoyed the video, more on the way!
Some great photos man
Thank you!
Very good sightings! I've been there many times but never seen the leopard ;-) You will definitely see lion prides. There three of them now in Chobe Riverfront as far as I know, very healthy lion-population. Wish you much luck! You need it on safari :-) And the exceptional photos you can take yourself as you already did.
We had lots of luck on the river front worth various subjects as well as in the park, I’ll share my final favourite images from the whole trip in a round up video at the end!
Wow...you are content is really cool
Cheers dude!
Fantastic video. A lot of work went into it with camera setups and such by yourself as well so much appreciated!
If you choose 1 of 2 Nikon 300mm f2.8 VRII wool and 400mm f2.8 VR, which one would you choose?
Personally it would be the 300mm for me, my style of shooting is that of being a little wider to show more environment and so I've always gravitated to the 300mm over 400mm. Cheers, Tom
Well done!
Thanks Neil!
please do more with your 200-500 please!
I don’t own the 200/500 as I had it on loan for review, I’ve shot the 300 2.8 instead for years, however I’ll be doing lots more content on more budget options.
I finally sold my 300mm 2.8 VR, as I also own the 400mm 2.8G VR and I bought the 300mm F4 PF. For the times when I do not need the reach I absolutely love the 300mm F4 as it is almost as sharp and fast to focus as the 400mm, but it is day and night difference in weight and I can walk around all day with it. Of course once you add a TC 1.4x to the 300mm F4, which I know people love to do...you will miss the background separation and pure sharpness of the 2.8 glass. However I will say that the 300mm F4 and 1.4x TC is a much better combo than the 200-500mm. I personally do not like the 200-500mm for many reasons, including sample variation and build quality or lack thereof.
For myself having tested the 200-500 its certainly a good lens, but for me I'd also likely go with the 300 PF, smaller lighter and the F4 really is handy in certain situations! With a 1.4 TC on a D850 if you know how to get close its all you really need, however for me that 2.8 glass is hard to love without, Saying that I'll likely add the PF to my kit at some point for hiking trips! Although I'm still holding out hope for a 300mm 2.8 FL thats lighter than the current VR II!
Im reaaally torn between getting a 300mm af-s with a 1.4x converter or a 200 500mm
I would definitely get either the 300mm f/2.8 AF-S or AF-S II or 200-400mm f4 AF-S over the 200-500mm. The only good about the 200-500mm is most copies are sharp in the center. Everything else sucks, the build quality sucks, the AF speed is terrible and it’s a Chinese plastic fantastic. It only feels solid because it weighs so much, but trust me it’s garbage build quality!
@@patricksmith2553 those unfortunately are wayy over my budget haha. Im talking about the af-s 300mm f4. That would be cheaper with a 1.4xtc than a 200 500 but I wonder if I will miss the extra reach and zoom. Is the 300mm weather sealed btw? Anyway I imagine the teleconverter is not, right?
@@eduardofreitas8336 Oh ok I misunderstood but they are not more money or not much more at least. The 200-400mm f4 VR can be found for around $1,600 and the 300mm f2.8 AF-S is around $1,200 so less than the 200-500mm, the AF-S II 300mm f2.8D is around $1,700 USD.
Nice video Tom, so glad that I have just stumbled across you channel. Love your compositions btw. Subscribed.
Thank you! Really glad you enjoy the videos and compositions! Thanks for the sub!
D850 being a dual gain sensor has less read noise at ISO 400 than it does at ISO 200, so if you wanted cleaner shots and can increase the shutter speed even more (which is usually beneficial) I recommend shooting at ISO 400 once you need to go higher than roughly ISO 150. Since you were already at 1/2000 and 1/3200 it probably wasn't good for this instance.
Super video and great images again. Which 300mm version do you have. I know there about 10 different ones for Nikon? Also is the image quality still good with 2x converter? Looking at this option instead of 500 primes
I have the 300mm VR II, I’ve used for many years and love it to bits - linked below for reference. I use with the 1.4 and 2.0 but find the 2.0 needs to be stopped down to f8-11 to really get the results that I’m happy with, often I use the 1.4 and crop especially now with the 45mp of the D850
@@TomMasonPhoto Have you ever had one of the older versions of the 300 f/2.8? I bought the 1980s version and am a bit disappointed with the quality, if I invest to the 2000s medel will there be a significant improvement?
@ I’ve never had one of the older models, the latest ones are obviously more engineered for digital sensors and with the nano coatings etc are a large upgrade from the older Af variants
Looks insane. Pretty expensive trip, photos are amazing. Loved how you did the wide shot with the Leopard
Cheers Kieran, The trip luckily for me was supported so I could scout out for a future tour plan, Chobe was fantastic but we still have many more images to come ;)
@@TomMasonPhoto That's such an amazing oppurtunity. Look forward to seeing the rest of the trip.
I am new subscriber to your Channel
You are amazing video maker and real photographer keep going bro
From Somalia
Tom why the fast shutter speed on the sleeping leopard?
Using the D850 with the high MP count I always use the highest shutter speed I can to ensure for the sharpest results - any shake is visible and because I was working handheld it’s much safer to push higher to ensure the sharpness
Very informative buddy 👍🏻
Cheers Ian
Very Nice video! Thanks! For such an open vehicle, did you bring any weapon with you for protection purpose?
No need for weaponry, the understanding and skill of the drivers and guides means it’s not necessary. You can’t ever get out of the vehicle unless as designated areas and so it’s pretty safe for working.
Great images Tom, so do you carry 2 D850 ? what do you think about Z7
I usually have the D850, D500 and the Z6 however on this trip had the D5 in place of the D500. Personally day to day I find I'm always carrying the D850 as my main stills and the Z6 as my backup body because it can do video as well and largely I love the IQ and some of the features of the new system. I haven't used the Z7 as I went for the Z6 - better all round video performance was my priority and I already had the D850, but know lots of people are very happy with them especially for landscape shooting. The Z6 fits me better for the upgrades I wanted and the D850 all round I still think is the best camera on the market for wildlife photography right now - especially with the extended D5 batteries adding the 9fps that I have added.
@@TomMasonPhoto Thanks for replying. I use D500 with 200-500mm F5.6 lens for birds photoshoot and D850 for landscaping. I am really happy with both cameras. Looking forward your more videos. Thanks
Hi great video, you say you could use the 70-200 but won’t because of compression? I’m not sure what you mean?
When using a longer focal length with the same maximum aperture results in a shallower depth of field, compressing the area of focus for a nicer looking drop off, pulling wider as to get the shot on a 135mm-200mm range on the 70/200 would result in a greater focus depth and therefor a different look to the picture, hope that makes sense!
Hi thank you for taking the time to explain that. I’m off to Tanzania shortly and you convinced me to rent the 300mm f2.8 😁
Really really good video
Thanks Nick!
Great video, does anyone prefer the d4 over d850 for wildlife?
Hi Tom nice video. Which settings did you use for the leopard shots. Nice blurred background. 👌🏼
For the portraits I’m shooting f2.8, wide open on the 300mm, with ISO 200 and about 1/2000 sec. Getting as low as possible for the blurred backgrounds using the grass for some nice foreground! Thanks for watching!
Tom Mason thanks for the reply. Is there a reason why you choose ISO 200 instead of 100. Just curious if there’s a specific reason behind it.
Basically just because if any action kicked off I’d rather be of a higher shutter speed to ensure I freeze the motion. I could have dropped to 64 but just wanted to be sure I nailed the sharpest images in the moment and 200 produces simply gorgeous files on the D850 so no had no worries pushing a touch higher
Tom Mason Alright. That makes sense. Thank you for the answer.
Awesome vid, great images! How close were you for that leopard shot? Did you have to crop your pano at all? Also, at what distance on the plains did you start noticing heat distortion and did it affect any of your images?
Hey Owen , I was about 20ft from the leopard at times for the portraits, the pano had maybe a 3% crop top and bottom when the image was rendered in Lightroom, pretty tricky to get them dead level! However thats basically two full frames with a 1/3 overlap. I took about 6 sets of two to get the one I was after.
Heat distortion in the later part of the day was an issue from maybe 30ft-40ft from memory, but mostly I didn't find it too much of an issue because it wasn't as hot as it looked - winter in Botswana so was more like 20-28c that often was ok.
Whats it like with a 2x converter for birds?
Personally I’d skip the 2.0 TC and use a higher res camera and the 1.4
Those are some gorgeous leopard shots 🥰
Thanks you!
Have you used this 300mm on a Z8? Curious how does it perform
Great video Tom, I think those leopard shots may be some of your finest.
Thanks dude!
Lived in Botswana for 14 Year’s only seen 3 leopards, two of which where In chobe, sadly much more traffick than a few years ago
You having experienced African Safari first hand, would u recommend the Nikon 200-400mm VR1 bcoz of the ability to zoom in and out or would u still recommend on the fixed 300mm f2.8?
I live in Kenya and I am an enthusiast and already own a sigma sport 150-600mm
For my personal shooting style I like the 300mm - now that’s largely because I’ve used the lens for many years and really just love the focal length and how it works for my style of shooting. Of course the 2.8 isn’t essential for a safari because of the abundant light and certainly there are moments when the zoom would be handy but it’s really down to what you like. I love having 2.8 for shallow depth of field and the also lighter weight and smaller size than the 200/400 180/400 etc. Often a good way is to look through your images and see how your shoot in a session - are lots of the images all around the same focal length or do you zoom in and out often, that will likes give you your answer! Hope that helps, Cheers, Tom
Hi Tom
Quick question.
Why do you choose your D850 for the 300mm and the D5 for shorter lenses?
Asking as I recently got a second hand D5 and I have been using it with my 400mmf2.8.
Best Kenneth
So thats a good question but its daily down to detail, the 300mm in the D850 gave more cropping option than the D5 would have, in Africa with excellent light I want worried about needing to crank the ISO so could then focus on having the best resolution for my close up images rather than pushing towards lowlight or speed requirements. I did swap around a fair amount though as the light started to dip at the end of the day or when I wanted higher res files for landscape/wide images! Cheers, Tom
how did you get it on the plane ... as hand luggage or suitcase in the plane ???
Always hand luggage!!
Great work on this video Tom!
I just found your channel. You have a new subscriber now. Awesome video!👍🏻
Welcome to the channel! Lots more videos on the way from Africa + you can check out my rainforest adventures from last year here too!
I'm going to watch them all. 👍🏻
2:47 what did you use to mount your camera to the vehicle and what camera is it?
Also, at 6:15 you say the compression with the 70-200mm wouldn't be enough, what exactly do you mean by that? Why do you want more compression?
The camera on the Vehicle is my Z6, used my Gitzo tripod and 8 cable ties to rig to the front bumper for a 5 min drive around for some B roll!
In regards to the compression - with a longer focal length with the same wider aperture results in a shallower depth of field, using the 70/200 would give wider depth of field and therefor not maintain the nicer fall off and look that the 300mm achieves, so even though a crop of a 70/200 into the pano form would be a similar frame, the way the out of focus areas drop off wouldn’t look as pleasing as with true stitched 300mm images. Hope that makes sense!
@@TomMasonPhoto Got it, thanks! Loving the vids on safari photography! one more question haha, do you ever use flash in harsh sunlight where the animal might be properly exposed in the bright areas but shadows look completely black? If so do you use a fresnel lens on it if they are far away?
I do use flash, however most of the time when I am its not with a super tele lens so haven't really ventured into the better beamers etc - although it is something I'm thinking of trying in the future. Often my flash will be with shorter focal length lenses - used some with Vervet monkeys in Botswana when I could get really close with my 20mm to add some extra punch and fill into shadows in the midday sun.
@@TomMasonPhoto Do you try to make it look like you didn't use flash? Like the lighting was just great? I just don't like the flash look you know. A video on a flash extender and colored gels would be great, I've heard the MagMod is a better newer option than the better beamer, seems more sturdy and practical.
Hi what iso did you use for the leopard shots
I was at 200/400 iso depending on if in the tree (static) or walking around when I wanted to ensure a high shutter speed for freezing any movement!
@@TomMasonPhoto thank you.
Tom, really enjoy your channel and the thought and depth that goes into producing the level of consistent quality. Same with these two episodes. However, in the interest of integrity and TH-cam etiquette pls do make a disclaimer as to whether this is a (part) sponsored video series. nothing wrong with that just get out of the way.
Hey dude - I didn’t think this counted as sponsored content because I was out to film a set of videos ahead of leading a tour in the future for myself rather than a company however I’ll add into the description to make sure everything is kept up integrity wise! Thanks for watching
Wow
Awesome photos. How is the VR II of the 300 2.8 compared to the VR I? I have the first version and I heard that it's even sharper with (of course) improved VR
The VR II adds about two stops of benefit to the VR, optics wise it’s very similar and in almost all respects the same, the smallest improvements across the board. Works a little better with the newer TCs but I’d wait to the next version to upgrade because they are so similar in performance, cheers, Tom
@@TomMasonPhoto i think all afs models optically are the same (non vr and vr. )11 elements in 8 groups. The only difference from what i’ve read is that the vr versions have some type of nano crystal coating that helps with flaring and improves sharpness a bit, other than that I would expect similar results from all 4 lenses.
@@6hr0n05 What about even older versions from the 1980s? are they sharp or not? i bought a 300 f/2.8 with a screw drive and its sharpness is not impressive to me.
@@ukasz7073 I’ve never tried older versions but they do not share the same optical formula if my memory serves
wow... great video and beautiful photos.
wouldn't contact lenses make your life easier?
They probably would, just i look weird without glasses as I’ve worn them my whole life 😂
Is funny because this morning I put my D850 on the 300 f/2.8
wow....
nice, notice you don't use zoom lenses.
I have a 70/200 in the bag often however more and more it’s not on the camera - I love using primes for my work
Nice! Safari is on my bucket list! One day it will happen... Congratulations on the awesome images!
Cheers dude, for myself I'd always been putting it off because I didn't know what images I wanted to make, but in a few videos time I'll talk through my "Final" frames!
Do you use the original lens foot, or a third-party one?
💜
Why the 300mm 2.8 and not the 400mm 2.8?
Because I love my 300 2.8 and have had it for years - some people like the longer focal length of the 400 however I’ve always felt the 300 suits my style and photography better
@@TomMasonPhoto Thanks
why your iso was 200? why not 100?
Because I want to maintain a higher shutter speed to be ready to react to any possibly action changes whilst also having great IQ. The image quality at 200 is brilliant so no need to drop lower adding steps to what I’d have to change if the action kicks off
@@TomMasonPhoto makes sense. thnx!
Tom, I really enjoyed your vidoes. Respectfully, it would be great to feature more of your photographs and perhaps less selfie commentaries. Thanks
All the early talk of how useful the Bean Bags are, and then you never used one. that front seat has to be the worst seat in the house, cramped, no forward view, i guess if you are the only passenger it is ok, but I wouldn't fight to get that seat otherwise...
Cruiser mate 😂
Sir Tom I want to talk with you.
I am a student now.
I want to be a micro photographer.
I need your guide.
I need your help.
Thank you.
If you interested, please give your response
It must be nice to be the only one Pangolin is taking around. I have been with them and they are GREAT! but get real as most people will not be the only ones in the truck or boat so what you can do for setup may not be realistic for others.
Most of my images were shot within a group setting, I filmed a few sequences on my own largely not to inhibit other guest interactions with wildlife and not take from the enjoyment of other peoples trips, hence why I’m alone in a vehicle on occasions. Lots of the time during my stay I was out with the normal groups and shot my images alongside other guests!
I’ll actually be hopefully taking my own group back in 2025 so am totally confident in the setup with pangolin and can’t wait to get back to bots!
I just go to the zoo. It’s easier and cheaper and there’s a cafe where you can get a cappuccino 😂
What? Something is set up with intelligence and common sense??! In 2019?! Nooo, nonono, nooo.
Bro I'm a wildlife photographer from Pakistan.... You should visit Pakistan next time
Hadi Raja 54 Ha ha! Not such a bright idea, I’d say.
@@dilliboirubirosa9638 why?
@@dilliboirubirosa9638 I live there and I'm a professional wildlife photographer