What's In My Bag? Africa Edition
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 พ.ค. 2024
- It's (finally) time for another edition of "What's In My Bag?" This time, we'll look at the kit I just took to Africa. I'll show you what bag I chose, what accessories I had along, and, of course, which cameras and lenses I used.
PS - Even if you're not planning a trip to Africa, you'll probably find some helpful insights for your next wildlife photography adventure!
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Thanks Steve for the great work!..
Great video, Steve and thanks for the section on kit for those of us who are on an amateur budget for camera kit.
Your photos are stunning and I hope we'll see more of them!
Watch the a1 review when it comes out - I don't have a lot of b-roll so I'm going to just fill the review with pics!
Thanks for the tips sharing your experience. very useful.
Great video Steve and thank you for putting it out here - I'm going to Zimbabwe in a few weeks so trying to sort out what gear to haul with me. I'm fortunate to have all the Sony lenses you mention and have been way over analyzing what to bring and be able to stay within the travel light weight restrictions. This helps!
Always brilliant video and honest
As usual a great video making for time well spent. I guess we're a nosey bunch, always checking to see if the gear is greener in the other bag. Thanks for the peek.
Gura Gear's annual holiday sale is happening this week, so I ordered the Kiboka V.20 30L. Now, I'm hoping to plan an Africa trip for 2023.
Very neat Steve. I love that you start with the sidekicks, the accessories, rather than the main events of bodies and lenses.
Very informative and practical, thanks.
That was great!😊
Some really great sounding advice, Steve. Amazing how versatile that 30L bag is (I'm thinking about the 22L version). More than one card reader and a bunch of extra cards and body caps sounds about right. Also, those couple of high-key wildlife portraits by Rose were awesome. Awesome video as always.
I can't afford any of those gears but I always really, really love your images. Look like your wife took very nice high-key b&w photos too with the Canon R5 with 100-500 lens, my dream combo.
Can’t afford Sony, can’t afford Africa, so nothing here applies to my awesome Nikon gear! However, very informative video for packing camera gear on long trips!
Shooting in my yard has gotten me through the last couple of years.
Little surprised myself to see all Sony gear in the bag.
@@p.o.4339 The man has changed everything, tripods, camera, lenses. It makes one think where did he get alle this money from? That gear is worth at least 120000+ USD. And it sound like he still has his Nikon Gear. But he's a pro, so I think he lives of it and can afford it maybe.
That was the first thing I thought when I saw the contents of the bag.
@@jalilhosseini621 He’s a professional photographer. What do you expect? And what difference does it make to you anyway?
Wonderful and Informative video as usual.
Hi Steve another great vid. You chose to travel light - because you were worried about internal flights. Well in Kenya, a place I have been many times, I travel on Safari Link and buy multiple seats if I am carrying "gear".
My last trip I bought 3 sets for the flight from Marshall to the Mara and back -- really I only needed 2. It was only 3 weeks and I had 3 large heavy bags and a laptop bag. I too use a gura-gear bag, but also use a slightly larger mindshift bag as well. Each of my camera bags live in their own battered samsonite hard shell suit cases and I check them in together with a very large bright Yellow North Face Duffel - everything has tracking devices on them as added security. I just carry my laptop back pack onto the international flight. I am too old and jaded to do this any other way. Splitting my gear across 2 check in bags works for me. Yes vast insurance is part of my cost.
As to photography gear -- Since I was hunting shots of lions and leopards and so we needed to be out and ready well before sunrise each morning and returned in the dark every evening.
Up at 04:30, ready to hold a briefing and leave by camp by 05:30-06:00 (sun rise is generally 06:30 and sunset about 12 hours later). I now only stay at the Entim Camp, which is on the Mara, just south of the Talek river near FigTree. So deep in side the Nation Reserve - there is no point hunting lion action if you are staying outside the reserve.
My approach is to have my own vehicle, driver/guide and for him to have a young assistant as well. Last-time "King" James was in charge and Duncan his 30 year old clear eyed trainee.
So I needed to take gear that was very good in ultra ultra low light - the 400/2.8 and 600/4.0 are essential for this. The 400/2.8 helped me capture action pre-dawn and after sunset.
In 2017 took 3 bodies - 2x D850 with battery grips and a D5 -- all XQD versions. 2x TC 1.4 and 1 x TC-2.0; a 70-200 and a 24-70 (a vital lense for the chobe river, for landscapes and shots around the village and camp). I played with other short primes, wide angles etc. - but these 4 were all I needed. The Z9 might be a game changer -- but we will see.
Nikon UK (NPS) mapped all lenses to each of my bodies. So I had no doubt about focus accuracy. AND all the lenses were E-aperture and FL-glass (where available) giving me the fasted possible focussing time and stability.
I sit in the Front-left seat of the Land Cruiser Safari Vehicle (we drive on the left in Kenya) - the lowest place to shoot from inside the vehicle - unless you hire a converted vehicle with a door removed - then one can lay-down in the back. I shoot using over door bean bags and various brick shaped bean bags when shooting from the front sky hatch or through the open roof over the rear section of the vehicle -- which is where I tend to stand when shooting Cheetah chases. I use a panning plate for stability and ease of panning. I carry empty bean bags in my luggage and the camp fills them with beans for me when I arrive. This gives me control over my shooting environment.
Drive with your gear under cover. so also carry large tea-towels and other large cloths to lay over your gear/bags when the vehicle is moving -- the dust gets everywhere, particularly in the dry season.
I also carry a light weight tripod - for those times it is safe to stray outside -- like at a hippo pond - and for star trails - but i gets little use.
Of more use is my iPadPro- mount - so I can fix the ipad to a handrail and tether to my camera to review shots on its 12" screen. The vehicle has an inverter and so we tend to charge on the go.
I have only shot a few hours of video - the longest session was at CrossTrees when Amani was there with her 3 cubs and we had them to ourselves for about 90 mins while we ate lunch. So a good hot-shoe mic is also useful. Together with a panning arm.
Generally it is not safe to venture out of the vehicle near dawn or dusk. Unless with Masai warrior guides and you are on a walking safari. I am 60 and a nice fat prize so I stay safely inside a tin-can.
Lou C/CNPSafaris has purpose built land vehicles with gimbal mounts fitted on rotating chairs which are great, but a little restricting. On the Chobe River both he and Gutts use the same set up on their boats and it is great. I was the first to use Lou's double gimbal mount.
I too take Zeiss lense wipes, blowers, and cleaning kits --- MANY. Ideally I fitted the lenses to the bodies I wanted to use that day before leaving my tent and only changed lenses with the vehicle stationary and all windows and doors closed -- but then you need to fit a TC or shift the 600 from the D850 to the D5 -- so cleaning sensors, mirrors etc as well as front lens is ongoing and the last job in the tend before bed. Aqua-tech soft lense caps for the 400 and 600 are a godsend - and added safety.
Like you I have multiple back ups - I use 5TB rugged drives. Where I also differ is that my MacBookPro has an 8TB SSD and this becomes my primary tool for storage, transfer to backup and uploading -- yes the camp "only has satellite internet - so the connection is slow -- but something is better than nothing. I would pick the best 10-20 shots of the day - lightly process them and up load them overnight. In the worst case not everything is lost.
YES - my gear is quite expensive. A meer drop in the ocean compared to the BBC video guys who were going out at the same time as me for a 3 month shoot though. But the results are OK.
Why do I travel with a lot of gear - in the Kruger while waiting for a leopard to pounce at a water hole I succeed in dropping a D5 with 400mm attached out of the window - contact with the ground ripped the mount out of the camera - the lens was fine and so was the camera after it was sent away for repair. Good job I travel with 3 bodies. My trips were typically 4 weeks - some longer a few shorter. The flights are the most expensive item and unless you work in the reserve you have to try try and try again to get the shots you want.
Just shooting the rear end of sleeping lions under a bush has no joy in it for me - so we go past them. And then coming across a large male black rhino sleeping near an acacia tree and watch him wake up as the sun rose, get up, go through his morning routine - all from 40-60m away - while everyone else was at the two sleeping lion prides was joy for me. Yes he new we were there and once we got the right set up we only moved after he did -- all quietly and gently but also to move to get the shots we wanted -- mainly him in front of the tree. We had him for nearly 1 hour, befor ehe heard the rabble arriving and headed off into the forest.
You use Binos _ I use a 600mm - Duncan now has mine and he is a really good guide with great eyesight.
Thanks for the info Andy! That's a lot of great commentary and really demonstrates how different things can be in different areas. For example, our prop plane flight limited us to a total of 55lbs, so it wasn't a huge issue (although we are NOT allowed hard cases of any kind - every place is different). Still had to go light, but didn't need to buy an extra seat (actually, we couldn't - my workshop group filled the plane). In a few weeks I'm in Tanzania and I did have to buy a couple extra seats for our group though to get some extra baggage allowance :)
I'm also surprised you check your gear. My understanding is that gear is often stolen from checked baggage. You're braver than I.
I do like the idea of going our on my own with just a guide and my wife and I did that a few times on this last trip. However, since we lead workshops, we can't always be by ourselves :) We do receive some time for that though to concentrate on our own stuff (groups just want a shot of everything and then to move on).
Thanks again for all the info, some really interesting suggestions in there!!
Over the last 30 years I have had no issues with checked luggage. We do tend to buy first or business class seats, which give us priority. Putting the camera bags in battered well travelled hard shells helps disguise the value inside. The only "concern" I had was flying with the 2 domestic airlines in South Africa -- but this was a non issue when I checked in. The difficulty you may have is the tiny size of the lockers on the plane. So checking bags can quickly become a must do when flights are very full not just an option. I can source quite good replacement gear same day in South Africa but in few other countries in subsaharan Africa. Luckily I have not had to try.
Great info Steve, thanks, and glad to see you using some Sony gear! I previously purchased some of your Nikon guides when I had Nikon DSLRs and that was really helpful as I was just getting into my photography hobby at the time. I’ve now been on several African safaris and my current gear is Sony A1, 200-600, and Tamron 70-180 f2.8. I have the Sony 100-400 which is great but I feel like there is too much overlap with the 200-600, hence the Tamron which gives me a faster lens for edge of day/night drives. I also take a small 24mm prime for the odd landscape shots. Just not sure what the second body will be to accompany the A1 now (can’t afford two!)….?
Going to Antarctica Jan 2023 and much appreciate your detailed explanation of what and why on foreign travel to wildlife destinations.
When we went to Kenya, I rented from BorrowLenses several pieces, so didn’t have to trade in a car!
Have a lot of fun in Antarctica! I've been there 2019. Some animals are going to be very close to you and the landscape is fantastic. So don't forget a wide angle lense and uf possible some filters. The sunrise and sunset are fantastic!
enjoy your trip. My husband and I traveled to Antarctica Jan 2020, got home just prior, or as covid was getting to be known. Interesting trip home.
But it was a trip of a lifetime. I kept having to almost pinch myself.. next trip I would love to do is Africa.
Steve, you need to do some workshops to Africa.. 😀
Damn! Loved the photo of two elephants face to face in a playful mood! Great video!
I almost never comment, but I love your no nonsense approach and lack of bias... Also I happen to have an older version of that Gura Gear bag I bought cheap from ebay. It has been nearly perfect for me, and like you, I've had no trouble with it on planes.
Thanks! Yeah, those aura gear bags often surprise me. On this last trip I was sure I was about to have a problem with the really small overhead on the regional jet but I thought what the heck and gave it a try. Slide right in - no room to spare - but it fit!
Steve, thank you for another fabulous video. Always informative and presented in an interesting and concise manner. More importantly, your images are spectacular. I was curious if you ever used the Nikon 500 f/5.6E PF on one of your trips and how it performed with and without an extender? Thanks again for a great post.
Thanks for sharing
Found your comments on focus length very informative
Love from Ontario, Canada! We watched your informative video on our TV's youtube feature. You have impressive gear. However, we learned about the paraphernalia surrounding the camera gear from this video. For example, the tip on why to use a rocket blower was priceless. Well explained, indeed! We are not professional photographers, just hobbyists. Between the two of us husband and wife, we have 3 Pentax cameras, a 300 mm lens, a 55-300 mm lens, a 18-135 mm lens, a 100 mm lens, a 15 mm lens, and a 10-17 mm lens. If we go to Africa, we will have to limit ourselves to probably 3 of those. I hope we don't miss much on capturing the African mega-fauna.
goodness. gorgeous close ups - sweet gear ! from SA-wildling
Always impressive to see the one-handed zip operation 😅😅
I aim to please :)
I will never get to Africa, but you had some good ideas for shooting anywhere! Thanks!
wow I love the photos of the hippo and giraffe your wife took. very nice.
She has a good eye :)
13:03, if you ever use this slide in a presentation be sure to fix the Sony 600 lens labeling 😉
Very interesting steve
Morning Steve,
I hope you enjoyed your Trip.
Great Vid this set up would work very well in Kenya, the only thing I would recommend would be some sort of water proofing as when the rain shower come it can be very heavy, the other day in Laikipia, I was out filmming and we had 80 mms in 40 mins, I let the rain covers on afterward as the amount of mud being thrown around also covered some lenses. Thanks Steve
Good point :) The time of year we were there was not even close to the rainy season (didn't see a drop), but as I mention at the beginning, Africa is a big place and what works for me one this trip isn't necessarily going to apply across the board.
When I shot exclusively Nikon did I had two lenses, the 70-200 f/2.8 E FL and a 500mm prime f/4 E FL.
Now, in a transition to Sony will I indeed take the 100-400mm and as soon as my Nikon 500mm is sold also this 600mm f/4.
I have an A9II and A7rIV. The 600mm will go obviously on the A9II. Great video Steve.
Which one would you recommend for wildlige photography the A9 or the A7rIV? Thanks in advance. ;)
Hi Steve, amazing video! I went in Tanzania for three years as a voluntary and at the end of the job our group went to a safari in Serengeti and Ngoro Ngoro, absolute astonishing! Next year I guess I'll go in Africa again. The problem is I have limit in space and weight in my bag, so I can't take much gear, I have a limited budget as well!. I want change my gear and I was very impressed from the Canon R5 of a friend of mine that I tried last week in a place with a lots of bird, the ISO tolerance was unexpectedly good for 45 MP, the autofocus was unbelievable good and I take a lots of shot in focus of bird in fly. I thought to buy the Canon R5 these lenses: the Canon RF 24-105 F 4 for people and landscapes, the Sigma 150-600 F 5-6.3 contemporary with the adapter from EF lenses to RF attack (I know it's a cheap lens but the review are good, and I know the best choice would be the Canon RF 100-500 but It's so expensive!!).
What do you think about?
Roberto from Italy.
I've not used the Sigma, so I can't really say. The range is good, but not sure how it compares to the 100-500.
Another reason to bring extra camera cards is to share them. Mine were in my checked luggage and were stolen by the airport luggage handlers in Africa. My tent mate bailed me out with his extra cards. They were small, but there were several and they saved my trip. Your gear is at the biggest peril at the airport in Africa and in the big city where you will stay overnight (flights arrive in the evening in Kenya). Also, unplug your laptop when you aren't using it. We had one fried by a power surge from lightning.
Hi Steve love your videos as a subscriber. Did you know about a USB charger works from car cigar socket. To charge batteries and laptop. Best regards from James in bonnie Scotland. Keep clicking mate. Your wives photos were good too.
Great video as always, Steve.
Quick question - Do you use ND or CPL filters in Africa, especially for the midday harsh light?
The truth is, I don't shoot in the middle of the day in Africa. We go out in the morning in the evening because the mid-day light is really harsh. In addition, heat distortion is a real problem in the middle of the day. Also, there's not any filters out there that can help tame really harsh light like that.
@@backcountrygallery if you shoot video, I would think you would need a VND regardless when when you're shooting.
@@btscott1 So far, it hasn't been an issue. Although, we aren't afraid to use faster shutter speeds as needed :)
Hi Steve! Love the buddy pouch idea :)
I noticed there are many available sizes (S, XL, XXL)...Which one do you use?
Thanks
Hi Steve, I only recently discovered your TH-cam channel. I am so grateful for the incredible advice you give. Your Sony A1 set up video is the best I have seen. I bought your book and your video on noise reduction which is great. I also love the series on getting the shot. It would be great Vito have a video on Sony autofocus settings you use. Finally, I shoot primarily a lot in Africa from a vehicle and mostly use a monopod with my Sony 400mm f2.8. You seem to use a tripod. How do you use this in a vehicle. It would also be great to have a video on how you use monopods or tripods. Thank you so much for all that you give to the wildlife photography community.
Thanks for the kind words :)
I don't use a tripod in Africa - I don't even take one. I either shoot handheld, or on the edge of the vehicle / beanbag. It works really well most of the time. I do have a general tripod video here:
th-cam.com/video/Snd4c3USh4M/w-d-xo.html
Planning a trip to Ethiopia with my friend next time he goes so good info.
Hi Steve. A very ilustrative video, congrats. I would like to know if you carry in your trips to Africa any kind of tripod or not. Thanks.
Thank you for an informative video. Just wonder if you ever need to use tripod?
There are times I want to, but typically you're not allowed out of the vehicle. So, I'll leave it behind because I don't want the extra weight. Now for other locations, I definitely have one along.
Thank you !
Awesome Video, Steve. Can you answer one quick question… how does noise compare in the a1 vs the a9ll. Is the a1 about one stop noisier than the a9ll, or more?
Next time planning to travel with my 300mm f2.8L IS II to use with a 2x extender on my 1.6 APS-C body. That produces 960mm reach, good enough for birds. For mammals it will be 70-200mm f/2.8L with 1.4x extender on same sensor type body. Perhaps an FF body will also be included with 17-40mm for landscape shots.
Steve, Did you take your tripod? If so, please explain the how's and why's and the accessories , if any. thank you, and I love your videos. So helpful!
Great timing. I’m heading to Botswana next month, Mashatu. Just got back from Yellowstone and used that as a practice run. I’m using a Gitzo 40L bag now that fits my 2 R5’s the 100-500 and 600/4 and two TC’s plus my MacBook Air. It fits fine in larger planes and I even fit it in a CRJ900 overhead but I was in first class and less people putting bags in there. Your bag looks nice but if your Nikon didn’t fit my Canon probably wouldn’t either.
My solution with the Nikon is to pack the hood into the checked baggage. We made a "cage" for it out of heavy PVC pipe to keep it protected.
Have a nice trip, I am going next week for 10 nights to Mashatu!!!
@@tegelfloorbreda3786 My trip was just canceled the tour group said it was because of problems crossing the S African Botswana border. Hopefully you won't have any problems.
I'm waiting for the Nikon z long range, either the 600mm prime or 200-600 zoom. currently I have the z 70-200 with the TCx2 as my stop-gap.
another very interesting video Steve, thanks
Same here :) I'd love to see something longer than the 70-200, good as it is. How do you like the 2X with it? We're thinking of getting one to go along with our new 70-200.
@@backcountrygallery I like it. you do lose a couple of stops as its 5.6 but I still find it sharp enough doing birds for my amateur needs. They say the 1.4x is sharper, but I don't see the point of it personally. I used it recently on a tour as my goto and did portraits and landscapes. as well as some flower 'macro' stuff. very pleased overall. on a Z6 original
@@patrickmolloy6994 Thanks - good to hear. I may give one a try - the "naked" lens is really outstanding. Although the Z cameras aren't my favorite at the moment, those lenses are certainly impressive.
I will never get to Africa, but these were helpful tips!
I realize that this video is over 1 year old, but FYI: I saw Steve's recommendation for the Buddy Pouch to carry and provide easy access to my teleconverters. Hoever, I use Canon mirrorless equipment and the XL pouch is way to small to hold the 2x teleconverter and barely large enough to hold the 1.4x. Also, the design of the 1.4x with he extended front element would probably be damaged if placed into the Buddy Pouch without its covers. I wished worked for Canon as it evidently does for Sony...
Thank you so much for your great videos… I have a few questions:
1) do you think it’s worth it to wear one of those two camera holsters? Do you use this?
2) do you run into the weight limit on my trip being 34 pounds… do you pay extra for your camera gear?
3) is bringing a light weight tripod worth it?
4) have u used one of the car side mounts?
Thanks for any info!
That A1 Is an amazing camera…the pic of the monkey with ISO at 2000 looks incredible.
HI Steve, Thank you for the video it was very helpful. I am going a similar trip this summer. I own the 600mm F4, the 200-600mm , and the 100-400mm. I was thinking of bring the 200-600 as it is easier to handle. After watching the video I am thinking I really should bring the 600 and 100-400. Is there any reason to consider bringing the 200-600? Thank you, Eric
Steve, thanks for another great video.
Perfect timing, as I'm heading out again next week to Tanzania.
Is there any particular reason why there is no proper wide angle lens in your bag? Perhaps because you think Africa is just about animals and you have lovely scenery where you live?
Scenery and wide angles of big animals can be very impactful. I'd have ditched the 24-105 and replaced it with a 14-24.
Curious to your take on this.
I do mostly wildlife and the time of year there is very little in the way of clouds to add interest to the sky. Our trips aren't set for astro work, so the 24-105 is adequate for the wide-angle wildlife work I do. I'll have a shot of an elephant up close with the wide lens in the a1 review :)
Great tips Steve.I have to fly into Zimbabwe.I have 2 810s a 70-200 a 200-500.This thing has 2 wheels and I am trying to get quick dry clothes in the bag too.Leicas in a Domke Journalist small bag to carry as a purse.What do you do with your checked luggage on the little planes.I am attempting no checked luggage with one change and wash in sink every night.
Depending on who you fly and the size of the plane, you can't do a wheeled bag and have no checked luggage. We were on a small commuter plane login from Botswana to S. Africa and everyone had to check their wheeled luggage / camera bags. However, we got away with not checking our Gura Gear 30L bags. They (just barely) fit into the overhead (we also had Chobe 16 laptop cases). I'm not sure if that combo would work for all of your gear + clothing, but it's as close as I can think of. Here's a link to Gura Gear if you want to check them out. Use code bcg10 to get 10% off.
guragear.com/?ref=xwU9xYfYfCW7HD
Hi Steve, great video, I really like your animal close up portraits! Just curious if you can leave the card readers at home and just plug a cord into the side of your camera bodies that goes to the lap top and download the images that way? I do that with all my downloads on my 5DIV?
LOL, you can. Someone else pointed that out. I've been using readers for so long I forget you can do it with the camera too! From now on, I'll just take one :)
Overall great packing, very similar to mine. One new caveat is the new Canon 600 mm RF does not fit in the Kiboko 30l. Which makes me sad as i'm a Gura ambassador. f-stop gear XL or Cine ICU works amazingly well with it however. I cannot even get the lens in the bag with the hood in reverse so amazed you can at all.
It's not bad with the Sony, but really tight with our EF canon. We purchased the EF version over the RF because it looked like it was going to be too long to fit. With the EF, we can add the adapter when we get there (and have a control ring with the adapter) and it fits. It's super snug with the hood, but do-able. When we try it with the adapter on, it's a total no-go.
@@backcountrygallery Hah yeah became an ambassador with f-stop now just because of the need to have such a large adventure pack. Can get the 600 RF, 200-400, 100-500 and a 300 2.8 in it plus a couple of R5’s with grips. Not bad at all and still got into the overhead. It’s massive. Had to buy a seat for it on Air Kenya but hey. Gura is still the only bag I’ve ever travelled with where I wasn’t denied entry with. Thats a fact it will always get you where you need to go. Just not happy with the 600 RF.
Steve, always a great video. Just one question, did you happen to take a tripod on the trip? Which type would you recommend?
I wanted to ask the same, no tripod or even a monopod?
Nope, no tripod - we are limited to shooting from vehicles on this trip, so they weren't needed.
Super Helpful! I'm heading to Africa soon and this really helped me know what to bring and what to skip! Been shooting Nikon D850 for 5 years and been thinking about making the move to R6m2 or R5 with the 100-500mm lens (or one of each). Any thoughts? I'm trying to decide if the great auto-focus of the Canon R system will make up for the lesser MB of the Canons vs. Nikon D850. Thanks in advannce
It's tough to say. The combo you mention with an R6m2 or R5 and 100-500 is a good one. If you go R5, the sensor is the same MP as the D850. The extra MP gives you cropping flexibility, however, I have also shot in Africa with D5/6 combos (20MP), so low MP isn't a deal-breaker - BUT - I also had a 600 F/4 and TC to help me fill the frame.
Nice. I'm heading to Kenya in 2 weeks. Your video validated a lot of my prep work. Don't forget the sand bags. Did u even need a tripod in the jeep ?
Nope, no tripod / monopod in the vehicles - beanbags can be helpful though (I didn't use one though)
Hi Steve ,
First of all thanks for all your videos.
The knowledge you share online is always efficient and beneficial .
I bought almost all of your books and learned so much from all of them .
I will travel to Kenya this year with the z9 ,400 2.8 tc , 70-200 2.8 and some wide lens . I’m looking for second body for my trips , and I’m considering another z9 or maybe z8 .
What do you think will be best option?
Thanks
Thanks for the kind words :)
I'd lean a little towards a Z8. They are lighter, more compact, and easier to travel with and offer pretty much the same features and performance.
Thanks for the quick reply
I thought so too but people talking about the battery difference between z8 and z9 , and the need to carry a lot of batteries and another charger
I already have 2 z9 spare batteries , but maybe it is the better way to choose a small body that I can carry easily to hikes . Do you travel with this combo?
Thanks Steve
@@uritom26 Not a big deal with batteries. I think I swapped out my Z8 battery exactly one time on the trip. HOWEVER - I'm a selective shooter and most are not in Africa. I think most of our workshop participants went though 2-3 Z8 batteries per day. Also, keep in mind it's not about the shots - it's about how much the camera is on. / ho much you're using it. Make sure to turn it off between sessions, etc.
Hello Steve, I just discovered your videos and they are amazing! One question, is there any case that you use or would recommend for the CFexpress type A cards? Most of the cases available are for SD but the CFexpress Type A have a different shape and size :/
Thank you!
I don't use any cases, I just stick extra cards in a tiny bag and stick them in one of my zippered pouches. At the price of the CFExperss A cards, I only have two and each have a permanent home in my a1 bodies. So, the extra cards are just SDs for overflow.
Steve, do recommend taking a tripod or monopod to Africa. I didn’t see in your bag so I was just wondering about your thoughts on that.
I guess it depends. If you're just in the vehicles (like most safaris) then no, I wouldn't take either. However, if you are out the car or doing neigh sky stuff, then maybe take one. I can tell you I have never, ever, used either a monopod or tripod on safari.
Steve, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. That's very helpful! I Appreciate it
Great video! Im going to south africa next year and was wondering, when you needed to attach the teleconverter you did it in the car with all the dust,if so how you dealed with it?
I tired not to change when it was dusty :)
However, that's not always possible, so one trick is to take a nylon bag of some sort (like what you'd use for a sleeping bag) and stick the camera/lens/tc in there while you swap the TC on and off. It helps quite a bit.
A bit late, but as an additional Tip: carry a medium hard toothbrush with you. You can easily clean rough dust from the corrugated zoomring or the transition fron lense to camera body.
That's a good one!!
hi steve thanks for video i have question you use the canon 600 f / 4 with sony alpha 1 without converter
I really like the GuraGear bag with the each side opening and the amount of pockets. Shame they dont have a bag that does that on the back. Does it not bother you to put the bag down somewhere dusty or dirty and getting the back of the bag dirty, then obvioulsy having to then put the bag back on your back? Great video as always :)
For your comment about the cleaning fluid, airlines (at least US domestic ones) don't seem to care about the fluids. In fact, I had mine in my carry-on bag and they didn't say anything. It was in a pouch with my other camera cleaning supplies though -- swabs, blower bulb, and lens wipes and micro-fiber clothes) so maybe they just didn't see it, but no one ever said anything to me about it in the past few trips. That or they did see it (as the bag has been checked by had a few times on some trips) but never said anything about it. Ithink they're mainly worried about larger bottles of fluid, foods, or unknown fluids. But the ones I use are clearly labeled as non-harsh cleaning fluids and are usually under the 3ml limit).
Great video as always, just wondering what you used to support the big 600mm? Do you take your own gimbal or beanbag? Tripod/mono? Thanks
It's all from vehicles, so I often had it resting on a ledge or hand-held (beanbags work well too of course). No tripods or monopods.
Hey Steve. Awesome video. I will be heading over to Africa in 2 months. I have the 100-400 and was going to grab the 1.4x teleconverter to boost my focal range when needed. Have you had much experience with that combo? Figured a 2x Tele isn’t going to be worth considering but the 1.4x will be ok.
I've not tried that combo, but from what I've heard it works well. I'd certainly spend some time with it before your trip shooting local stuff. The biggest downside of course is that it'll drop you to F/8 at the long end.
@@backcountrygallery thanks for taking the time to respond. I will definitely shoot some local stuff before heading over :-) would love the 200-600 or even better the 600 prime (should I be so lucky) but my everyday shooting means it would probably gather dust which is why the Teleconverter seems like a practical compact solution
You said a good alternative instead to the Sony was to buy a $4,000 Canon R5 add a Canon RF 100 to 500 mm which is also just under $3,000. So that puts one body in one lens at $7,000. Wouldn't something like the Canon 90d with the Sigma Contemporary 150-600 be a cheap alternative? Or the Canon RP body? I'm just saying hypothetically from a cheaper alternative. I personally use the Canon R5 myself but a lot of people can't afford cameras like that. I'm just generally saying if we're throwing out an alternative for somebody that's trying to be budget conscious.
As I mentioned towards the end (the slide with the elephant background) generally a mid-range to pro DSLR or mirrorless with a lens that allows you to cover in the 200~600 range works well, Your example fits right in. :)
@@backcountrygallery great content once again...your videos are 👍
love those extreme closeups ... something i've never considered myself but now the next time the situation arises gunna give it a try
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Don't understand why a 24-105mm!? It should have been a 16-35mm for landscape captures, isn't it?
@@quazisanjeed6395 That would accomplish the exact opposite of what MY comment was about.... Since he is 99% wildlife i think the other lense is better for the reasons he gave which was for those animals too close for his 600/f4 pF he would need something to bridge the gap. Though a 16-35 would have been cool for a ultra wide landscape photo of a large gathering of animals in the distance
@@DeanJohnson67, well he's carrying a 100-400mm for that purpose. 100mm on a full frame camera is good enough to cpature closeup shots of mammals or birds.
I've been to Masai Mara of Kenya myself and used a 70-300mm zoom lens on a Canon crop body. All the closeup shots at 70mm (which translates to 112mm in full frame equivalent) were comfortably captured.
Hello Steve, really found the video helpful. I was looking at a 30L GuraGear bag and noticed that with the handles and the shoulder straps it's a little bit larger than the 22X14X9 inch limits that American Airlines puts on carry on bags.Have you ever had a US carrier refuse to allow you to use it as a carry on?
Never had any carrier anywhere refuse it.
Don't quite get how you have issues with placing Nikon prime in the Kiboko. I have 800/5.6 fl and it fits perfectly in the bag w/o any issues. Using Aquatech lens hood instead of the original one, but it also fits with the original one.
Hi Steve. Great video as always. I found a little error at 13:00: incorrect description for the 600mm ;-) I am lucky that I will be able to travel to the exact same place (Chobe & the river) very soon and I am very much looking forward to it!
Nice video as always Steve!
Love this. I bought your book on Nikon. Excellent and funny read.
I wonder why did you not call this “What’s in my bag Botswana” like the Costa Rica edition. You kept saying “in Africa” and I think it may confusing as things change drastically from the savanah regions going up to the north , east or west or even thick jungles in the Congo.
Anyways, just my 2 cents. Am from Zambia , and can’t wait to visit Botswana now.
Thanks !
Yes it was weird when he keeps saying Africa
Just say which country you were in
Weird
Nobody says I went North America were it’s very murder-ry so make sure to walk with your bullet proof vests when going to North America
Nice lens selection! 👍 How do you feel about the Canon 200-400 with 1.4 TC vs the 600mm F4 for wildlife? Thanks 😊
It's tough to say. I'd say for the 200-560 range it's great - a zoom is VERY handy in Africa. However, one of the reasons I like my 600 F/4 is that I can add a TC and get to 840mm. Handy for smaller targets.
Thank you for this video, Steve. How much did your backpack with gear weigh? I was surprised that you could take a 600mm lens and still fit within the airplane weight limits. Thank you.
I always travel with 14kg of photo gear in my hand luggage... A couple of times when the airline asked to weight it, I took off the laptop and ta-da! 😂
It was just over 8Kg. Keep in mind that there are LOTS of airlines in Africa and each have their own rules. For this trip, we had a 55lb total limit for the prop plane so it wasn't a big deal. For Tanzania, we cater the plane and have extra capacity for our group.
Hello Steve very interesting video enjoyed.
Quick questions, on nikon a good quality nikon 2x conv does it take away from picture quality. Thanks
I've never had any luck with Nikon 2X converters (even the newest F mount 2X). I'm not sure if the 2X for the Z cameras is any better, I'm guessing it probably is.
@@backcountrygallery Thanks
Steve thanks! In minute 13:02 you have a gear list and photo… you have wrong info for the 600 prime, you copy pasted from the 100-400 but you missed editing to the 600 info
Nice sharp photos. You might have already covered this, but a video on how to get sharp photos would be helpful.
Yup:
th-cam.com/video/TLe6mXjFRdA/w-d-xo.html
Hi Steve, Really enjoyed the video and loved the photos! Are the shots hand held, or did you use a monopod, or beanbag resting on the roof frame of the car?
Mostly hand-held or braced on the edge of something (we used boats and cars).
Steve, does the kiboko 30l hold your Z9 mounted on a telephoto lens such as 600mm?
Great video! I'm taking a similar trip in about 8 months, it's not Africa but it's a similar setup. My question is: how much storage in total do you bring? I know you have the 2TB drives but I mean in terms of XQD cards. How many images do you find yourself shooting in a day and do you ever fear just plain running out of storage? 😅
2TB for the total number of images worked out as long as I culled the excess (the a1's 20~30FPS frame rate produces a LOT of data to store). I used a pair of 160 GB cards for the a1 and never ran out. Only once or twice did I even get into the second card.
That's amazing Steve! I went to Chobe last March - I don't suppose you spent any time with Pangolin Photo Safaris in Kasane?
That's who we use for our workshops / trips in that area :)
thankx Steve,
just what was looking for ... we are traveling to South Africa Okt 2022 :-)
what are your thoughts on the Sigma 60-600 in combo with a D850
greetings from the Netherlands
I've not used it so I can't speak to the quality of it. I can say it's a good focal range though!
Great video. Thanks. Did you take a tripod or was everything hand-held?
You're always in a vehicle, so hand held / support on edges of things (our boats also have gimbal heads attached to the seats).
Hi Steve, I have a sony A1 and 400 2.8. Do you recommend guru gear 30L or 22L?
@Steve Perry Is your BIF e-book also going into some brand specific settings (like Sony)?
Thx already.
A little. Most of the settings are universal (i.e. thing like shutter speed, F/stop, etc), but I do mention some specific AF settings for Nikon, Canon and Sony in the book.
@@backcountrygallery should have let you know that I purchased the e-book 15-20min ago :) Some nice bedtime reading ;)
@@vincentvdb3151 Thanks!
Wonderful video. I'm heading off to Bots soon and conceptually I am mirroring your advice with Nikon gear, so it was good to hear i am on the right path. I was interested if you had advice on shooting from safari vehicles. Since on safari the majority of the adventure is not on the ground I was wondering how your approached this. In your videos you promote the significant use of tripods in your shooting to give the best results for sharpness but they don't seem practical in vehicles. Do you instead work with monopods or do you just hand hold?.
Bean bags or even just carefully resting the lens on the edge of a window is really effective. The biggest issue is people bouncing around in the vehicle! Still, I've shot as low as like 1/20th of a second from safari vehicles and managed sharp images. See my "Nail the shot: Tanzania Edition" video for some slower shutter speed examples (not sure if there are any at 1/20th, but there are some slow ones).
hey steve:) what about a DX bodie for africa next to a full frame body ? isnt gonna help a bit for the focal lenght ?
It can if you're focal length limited. There's lots of combos that work :)
Steve, what was your experience with the 2X tc from an image quality and AF standpoint? I have a 400/2.8 and 1.4tc, been considering the 2X also but saw lots of reviews saying it was not great. I trust your opinion much more :) Thanks.
From the standpoint of Sony, the 2x is great and I'm not afraid to use with the the 600mm (I'm sure it's great on the 400 as well). It does impact AF performance and accuracy just a bit, but if I have the light I'll use it (F/8 is tough sometimes).
@@backcountrygallery I'm going to test drive it. I bought the 400 for its amazing low light capability, but sometimes you simply need more reach. In a pinch I put my A1 into crop mode and with the 2X I could have 1200mm at f5.6, pretty powerful. Atmosphere becomes a big concern of course, but the magnification is there if conditions allow it to work. Thank you for the response!
Hi Steve, when did you go to the Chobe and Okavango exactly? I recently won the Pangolin Birds of the World Challenge and I am about to take the same route as you did late October. So, almost no mosquitoes there? It would be great.
I’m planning to take 2 Canon full frame bodies and 3 lenses: 600/4, 400/4 DO II and 70-200/2.8. Many photographers would take a 100-400 zoom for flexibility but maybe my gear would have some advantages in low light?
Your advice would be highly appreciated!
Just got back about a week ago. Can't say what it would be like in late oct for mosquitoes. (although it'll be hot). I think the kit you hav would be fine - you might wish for the 100-400 at times though - at shorter focal lengths, sometimes that flexibility is nice. The 70-200 gets you part way there though and I suppose you could add a TC to it. I agree, the low light advantage might be worthwhile.
FWIW, the last time I went it was with a Nikon 600m, 300PF and 70-200 - worked great. Nothing is going to perfectly cover everything and give you low light capability at the same time (still waiting on that 200-600 F/2.8), but I wouldn't be afraid to take the kit you have.
@@backcountrygalleryThanks so much for taking time! Wishing you (and my favorite wildlife channel) all the best.
Hi Steve,
Did you bring some tripods or monopods with you? Or did you shoot everything by hand? If you’ve some tips for me they will be welcome.
What camo tape do you use on your lenses?
👍🏾🙏🏾
What word about what kind of food do you eat
Hey Steve. Which tour company did you go with?
Hi Steve, have you tried 30L+ version of this bag? How does that one fit 600 f/4 and/or 400 2/8 along with laptop?
I noticed you mentioned you carry external drives in your laptop bag, and on your persons.. what is the reason for having one in your pocket? are you able to transfer files from your camera straight to the external drive?!
Did you have to bring any adapters for electrical outlets? I’m going to Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe next year and am trying to decide what to bring. Thanks!
Buy them at the international airport but take a multi socket extension lead with you that fits your plugs
Just a quick update. There are some questions that keep popping up so I thought I’d address ’em:
1. Did you switch to Sony?
Nope, just added it - I shoot Nikon, Canon and Sony. I was using Sony this time since I'm working on a review for the a1.
2. Did you take a tripod?
Nope - we shoot exclusively from vehicles on this trip, so no need for a tripod or monopod.
3. What did your bag weigh?
It was just over 8Kg (about 17~18 pounds)
Dear Steve, do you have a rich uncle or how? ;) How can you afford having your old Nikon gear and at the same time buy top of the pop Sony Gear like A1 and 600mm GM? As I am no way near being able to buy such gear, would you recommend a A9 or the A7IV?
@@jalilhosseini621 Remember, this isn't a hobby for me, it's how I make a living. The gear doesn't cost me money, it makes money.
As for the cameras, I'd probably go a9 or a9ii - they are really great!
@@backcountrygallery I know but I thought it was a pity having the great Nikon gear and not using it. But as you mentioned you do use it, then is makes sense not selling it. And thanks for the recommendation, I thi nk I'd go with the A9 as it's much cheaper now that the A9II has landed. :)