Recommendation for South Africa and Victoria Falls


RezzShaz

Senior Member
May 5, 2009
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Need some recommedations from fellow cs'ers who been to or any info on South Africa and V.F.
My 70-200mm is a sure go, but thinking of leaving either of my 14-24 or 24-70. Any recommedations?
Another things, any idea whether the viewing brdge @Victoria Falls is suitable for tripod set-up? Or any recommended site for best shots of the falls?

Thanks in advance....
 

anybody been to south africa....
 

anybody been to south africa....

If you're going on safari and your vehicle is open-topped, try taking the middle seat.. then you can sweep left AND right.. I mounted my cam on monopod (set ball-mount a bit loose to track game), seated middle of vehicle.. luckily 4x4 was top-less so no obstruction..

Prep for wet conditions if you're shooting seals; the waves are rough off SA, cam gear-bag was sliding around open wet deck..
Bring cleaning kit, very dusty - my sensor collected lotsa dust on Day 1..

Recommendation - go to the zoo to practice shooting animals.. and you may need a longer lens than 200mm.. I used a 400mm.. also bring a fast lens for indoor shoots/tribal dance/gold smelting demo etc..

haven't been to VF, but would like to see the "Smoke-that-Thunders" once in my lifetime..

cheers! :)
 

You will need a wide angle and a telephoto. Preferably something that reaches at least 300mm. A zoom will be more versatile as the distance between car and animal can vary. Your current set up is also ok. 14-24, 70-200 (is it a f4 or f2.8?), add a 1.4x good matching teleconverter for more reach. If you can spend, of course the options are open for Sigma 100-300/4; 300/4; etc

If you are going by yourself, I cannot emphasize enough the danger in SA (not animals; ironically from fellow humans). Make arrangements for pickup from airport and have the guide meet and pick you up from the airport. This can be the hostel/hotel person or tour guide, whichever is your itinerary. Johannesburg is not safe for walking around. Cape Town and Pretoria are ok in the daytime. Use common sense. Nighttime, is best to stay indoors, unless you have a car, a local guide or in a safe compound.
 

erm.. bring a waterproof camera.. one of the bridges has "rain fall" from the backsplash of the waterfall.

i know there are some other bridges but the one i'm talking abt has the close up direct view...

up to 200MM is great.. i used a Nikon 80-200 in the middle of the ocean and took tings like sharks, seals sea gulls.. clear and sharp...
in the safari jeep, some place offer open top some dun... but u get a VR lens will be good... u can always tell the guide to stop for awhile.. =)

hmm... river cruise need normal walk ard or wide lens.. =)

yupz...
 

Need some recommedations from fellow cs'ers who been to or any info on South Africa and V.F.
My 70-200mm is a sure go, but thinking of leaving either of my 14-24 or 24-70. Any recommedations?
Another things, any idea whether the viewing brdge @Victoria Falls is suitable for tripod set-up? Or any recommended site for best shots of the falls?

Thanks in advance....

Hi,

The best view for the falls is from a helicopter.

Please see http://nns555.zenfolio.com/p1040718690 for some aerial photos of the falls. My family and I were in S. Africa and Victoria Falls about 3.5 years ago. I used my 35-70 lens for my aerial shots. However, since the crop factor of the sensor is 1.37, the fov is smaller, equivalent to 48-95mm.

We went across to Botswana for a day tour to a wildlife reservation. The longest lens I had was a 70-210mm. With the 1.37 crop this worked out to be around 280mm at its longest focal length. I was not really prepared for wildlife photography during this trip. If you are interested in wildlife, you will need something longer, around 400m. I had my 19mm, but I rarely used it. The widest lens I used was my 28mm.

I am planning a trip to Namibia and S. Africa later this year. I might be getting a longer lens, up to 400mm for my wildlife shots, although that is not my main interest. As for the wide angle, my 19mm should be sufficient since I am now using a ff dslr. But there is always this nagging feeling, this might not be wide enough!

Enjoy your trip!

N.S. Ng
 

Hi,

The best view for the falls is from a helicopter.N.S. Ng

Cool! ACtually what you said was through. I was 'mircolighting' across Vic Falls...

WOW!! but the images can only stay in my mind..

haha... btw some SLR camera have waterproof housing.. would be useful to have one...

go there and see sharks also!
 

Don't ever show your cam out in some towns. It's not uncommon for SAF personnel to get mugged in S. Africa.
 

try going to the Kruger National park or other national parks there, especially in winter where water is scarce and animals tend to stay near watering hole. some of the tour groups will only bring you to their private reserves instead but you can book a safari tour directly from the internet and they will make arrangements to pick you up at Johannesburg airport. My personal experience with Kruger is that the animals are near enough for you to touch them but i didn't manage to catch a glimpse of the lion.

and cape town will be safer than Johannesburg, you can go free and easy with little problem
 

Need some recommedations from fellow cs'ers who been to or any info on South Africa and V.F.
My 70-200mm is a sure go, but thinking of leaving either of my 14-24 or 24-70. Any recommedations?
Another things, any idea whether the viewing brdge @Victoria Falls is suitable for tripod set-up? Or any recommended site for best shots of the falls?

Thanks in advance....

i'm in South Africa now, for wildlife, 200 is rather short. i use a 70-300, sacrificed quite a bit of quality for the length, but it was quite worth it for me. also, crime in joburg & pretoria is pretty bad, so if u intend to take shots in the city (its a beautiful place with lots of interesting things), then maybe consider bringing a cheap camera. hope it helps! i cant say much about the vic falls, but i'm going there in end sept, so i'll be able to post a little more after i get back.
 

If you intend to shoot wildlife in Africa, you need at least a 400mm. I just got back from my trip to Namibia and S. Africa. I bought the 70-400mm G just for this trip. At times, even 400mm is too short!

Here are some photos from my Namibian trip with many of the wildlife shots taken with the 70-400mm, http://nns555.zenfolio.com/namibia

N.S. Ng