Photography and the African safari
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When you go on your African safari, don’t forget your camera. But which camera or camcorder is best for an African safari? A video of your African safari experience is certainly a great way to keep the memories lasting, but also take a good camera on your African safari. The small size and amazing functionality of cameras today are perfect for African safaris. Below are a few things to consider when choosing which photographic equipment to bring on your safari.

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(Digital vs. Film and Video on Safari)
(James' Equipment and James' Software)

Lenses:  Here is an approximation of the percentage of images I have made with various focal lengths over the past few years: 80-200mm: 25% 200-300mm: 20% 300-400mm: 25% over 400mm: 30% Keep in mind that I travel with quite a bit of heavy camera equipment. But this is not necessary to get most images. I take some large lenses (like a 600mm f/4) mainly to do close up work and for birds. You can get excellent images of the majority of the wildlife if you travel with one or two of the wide-range zoom lenses available. If you can get one, I suggest having a zoom that will get you up to 400mm with auto-focus capability. This will allow you to take advantage of virtually every photo opportunity from your vehicle. You won't be disappointed. A 300mm lens will also suffice, but 400 would be better. (Be sure to read the sections on: 1) image stabilization lenses; 2) image magnification using digital SLR's)!

Camera / Lens Purchases:  I recommend that you spend your money first on a good lens and second on a camera. By this I mean that it's more important to have a quality lens than it is to have a quality camera.  Cameras are really just a box that captures light. Of course, today’s cameras include software, different sizes and quality sensors, autofocus and metering systems, and other technology built in, but in the end, it’s just a box.

Lenses, on the other hand, vary significantly in quality based on the optics. The term optics describes the glass, which may be many different elements or lenses inside, all working together. The quality of a lens' optics will vary depending upon the manufacturing process, the coatings used on the glass, etc. The point is that the quality of your images will be more affected by using "poor glass” (cheap lenses) than by using an inexpensive camera. In other words, if you put a $1500 lens on a $300 camera, you’ll likely get images of FAR superior quality to images taken with a $1500 camera and a $300 lens. 

Furthermore, the pace of new camera introduction is far quicker than it is for new lenses.  To illustrate this point, I've used the same 300mm F2.8 lens with 3 different cameras over the past 10 years. Finally, for those choosing to go digital (which is most everyone now), the quality of the digital sensors used today is so good, that using a quality lens is even more important than with a film SLR.  This is because lens aberrations are much more likely to be picked up by these sensitive digital sensors than by film emulsion, which was is more "forgiving" in this sense.

Filters:  Make sure you have screw-on filters attached to all of your lenses. You can use a daylight filter which blocks UV light without changing the color of your images. I use warming filters (Nikon A2) on my lenses almost all the time. A warming filter adds just a hint of warming color to your images without being noticeable. Some people don't care for any color enhancement; if so, just get the daylight filters. Mostly, I recommend the filter as protection for your lenses. A scratch on the filter is relatively inexpensive compared to a scratch on your lens! Use filters! You may also want to consider a polarizing filter. These filters cut the reflections on water or glare from the harshest light rays. These filters are most effective when shooting at 90 degrees from the angle of the sun. The filter will darken a light blue sky nicely; however, be careful as these filters can also overly darken an image if too much polarization is applied.

Camera Support:  I have taken tens of thousands of images on African safaris and my techniques for getting the best shots have changed slightly over the years. However, my main goal (and struggle) has always been the same - to find the most effective way of taking sharp, well exposed images. The main problem any guest will face in the photographic sense is finding the best way to steady your camera. The problem becomes more pronounced when using longer focal-length lenses.

I have used all conceivable techniques (I believe), including home-made mounts that affixed to the side of the Land Rovers consisting of a big C-clamp, a length of teak wood, a window mount, and an Arca-Swiss ball head. I used this for several years. Lately I have gotten more simplistic.  Today, I stick with a good beanbag (I take my own but the vehicles usually have extras) and a tripod. I set the tripod up on the floor in front of me and, with the attached ball head (which pans and adjusts to any angle); this gives me a wider range of sight than the fixed door mount. It works well. I also used to sit in the front seat next to the driver which limits your angle of view in that you are lower down.

For anyone not using a very large lens (ie, if you can hand-hold your camera without struggling from the weight) a beanbag will usually suffice.  I encourage you to bring a beanbag (empty - you can fill it with sand when you arrive in the camp) or two. If you are using a small point and shoot, most of this does not apply - again, I urge you to bring an SLR camera if you can afford one or borrow one.

Image Stabilization Lenses:  If you're considering purchasing a new lens, I would strongly advise you to consider one which offers image stabilization. Both Canon and Nikon offer image stabilization lenses covering a wide range of focal lengths.

Typically, the use of some solid form of support (tripod, beanbag, etc) is essential to hold the camera completely still while you take your shot (especially with larger/heavier lenses); otherwise you risk the blurred images that are all too common when hand-holding a camera. The rule of thumb when hand-holding a camera is to use a shutter speed that is at least as fast as one over the focal length of the lens. For example, if you are trying to handhold a camera with a 200mm lens, you will need to have the shutter speed set for 1/200 or faster in order to maintain sharp focus.

Using an image-stabilized lens (Nikon calls their version Vibration Reduction) permits safe hand-holding (ie, no tripod or other support needed) at up to two full f/stops (Nikon claims three) slower shutter speeds than would otherwise be possible, and since they make hand-holding so practical, it's easy to shoot quickly and follow rapidly moving subjects. What this really means is that images which would otherwise turn out blurred or slightly out of focus can be captured in perfect focus using these lenses. My top recommendations for an IS/VR lens on an African safari would be the Nikon AF VR Zoom-Nikkor ED 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D and the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM.  Neither is inexpensive, but both offer a wide range of focal length and are great if you want to bring just one lens.

Batteries:  Very important -- Do not miss those to-die-for images because your batteries have gone dead. I use rechargeable battery packs with my cameras and rechargeable AA's with my flashes. First things first, the electrical voltage in Southern Africa is 220V (versus 110V in the US).  Do NOT bring a re-charger from home without having purchased and tested a voltage converter or you will irreparably damage your re-charger. The end result is NO batteries. Many of the camps do sell batteries, but DON'T count on it - bring your own!

My suggestion: use rechargeable's.  Purchase a voltage converter (they are available at Radio Shack and all over the internet by mail order), and bring several sets so you can swap them when they run out. I suggest two sets for your camera (three is better still). The camps will recharge for you, but the generators typically only run during the time you are away from camp on game drive - they are solar powered. You always want to have a charged set PLUS a backup set for each game drive. Remember - check the recharging device you have and be sure it accepts 220V - if not, you'll need the converter.  Note that some recharge units can accept an optional 220V accessory plug with the converter built in. See our links page for our source for batteries.

DIGITAL ISO
Now that I am shooting 100% digital, the digital ISO setting has replaced film speed for me, with the advantage that I can change ISO speeds at any time without having to change out a roll of film.  The same basic principles apply as did with film, in that the slower ISO speeds generally produce more saturated colors at the expense of having to use slower shutter speeds.

Regarding ISO on digital cameras...
Generally speaking, as you increase the ISO, you’ll find that the image colors tend to lose a bit of their saturation (i.e., get “duller”) and contrast is lowered. At the extreme, it can result in the equivalent of a 2-bit or higher reduction in individual color values, which is easily seen in images.

Here’s how ISO values are created:
My camera (and most prosumer and professional digital cameras) uses a “native” ISO of 100 (it’s the lowest setting available on my camera). All ISO values above 100 are created by amplifying the image data coming into the Analog-to-Digital (ADC) converter. In other words, the sensor always works at the 100 sensitivity, but underexposed data values coming from the photosites (on the sensor) are boosted by an amplifier to produce higher ISO values. This means that minor differences in the light values received between the many photosites on the sensor get magnified and may become visible (creating “noise”).

Further explanation:
Imagine taking a picture and let's focus only on two adjacent photosites on your camera's digital sensor.  Next imagine that the tiny part of detail in your image that is captured by these two neighboring photosites is 195 light photons by the first and 200 photons by the other. This difference is insignificant when these are near-black or very dark values and end up getting interpolated by your camera's software into, say, a pixel value of 12,12,12 (ie, Red, Green, Blue color values) versus 12,13,12. But if these values are being amplified several times and they now represent middle gray instead of black or very dark, the difference may be significant (ie, 125,125,125 versus 125,135,125).  This later difference in the pixel colors will likely be noticeable.

My ISO suggestions (to optimize image quality):
1.  Use the lowest ISO setting (100) whenever possible (ie, if you are able to get sharp images based on the light and lens combination).

2.  Expose to the right (to the right refers to the right side of an image's histogram). By this, I mean lean towards OVER-exposure without actually blowing out the important highlights completely (ie, making them go 100% white, with no edge detail at all).

Here’s the reason: Digital camera sensors capture light in a linear fashion. Our eyes do not. A scene with twice the number of photons reaching the camera's sensor appears twice as bright; with our human eyes, this scene appears brighter, but not nearly twice as bright. If it did, we’d experience overload when we move from shade to bright sunlight. Thus, our eyes see light in a non-linear way... and this is what a gamma curve is intended to do... model human vision.

Most DSLR’s use 12 bits to encode the capture, producing 4,096 levels (2 to the 12th power) and effectively capture 6 stops of dynamic range. With linear capture, this means that one-half of those levels (2,048) are devoted to the brightest stop, half the remainder (1,024) to the next brightest stop, half the remainder (512) to the next brightest stop and so on. The darkest stop, in the extreme shadows, is represented by only 64 levels. Thus, if you underexpose (to avoid blowing out highlights) you are wasting a lot of bits that the camera can capture (as the most detailed info is in the brightest stop).

To further illustrate, if you underexpose by just one stop, you are essentially wasting 2,048 bits of data and capturing only 2048 (instead of 4096). You are stretching only 2048 bits across the histogram instead of 4096... Thus, less digital information is captured than would have been if you had used proper exposure and therefore image quality is decreased.

3.  ISO 200 is actually quite close to 100 in quality; so don’t be afraid to use it. I use ISO 200 quite often just to make sure I have the extra stop of shutter speed (to get tack-sharp images).  The slight increase in noise from 100 to 200 is nothing to worry about.

4.  Use ISO 400 only when you really need the increased shutter speed, but expect a slight loss of color saturation and increased noise in large color blocks, such as skies. A properly exposed ISO 400 image is far better than an underexposed image at ISO 400. Underexposure at this ISO level will definitely introduce substantial noise in the shadows that you would not find at lower ISO’s.

5.  Using ISO's above ISO 400 will surely require some post-processing work to eliminate the noise. You’ll also likely have to perform color correction and contrast adjustments. If possible, opt for longer shutter speeds rather than increasing the ISO.

BINOCULARS
Bring them!  These are, in my mind, mandatory. Believe me - you will use them. Every person should really have their own pair, but at a minimum, have a pair between you and your traveling companion if you have one. A small pair will suffice. I use a pair of Leica 10x25's and they are great. They are also relatively small.

What do these numbers mean?
Binocular size is expressed by two numbers, for example 8x42. The first number is the magnification (or power); the second is the aperture, which refers to the diameter of the objective lens in millimeters. Therefore, 8x42 binoculars provide 8x magnification and have a 42mm objective lens.  Remember that when it comes to binoculars, bigger isn't always better. The higher the magnification, the heavier the binoculars are and the more hand movement and the shakier the image will be - just like with large camera lenses, smaller binoculars are easier to hand hold effectively.

How much magnification and aperture do you need?  When you increase binocular magnification you decrease brightness and field of view. I find that the 10x pair I have are more than sufficient for most safari situations in Africa.  The same rules apply here as with camera lenses in that carrying a large pair and holding them steady is not so easy - I find that a compact pair with good optics makes more sense than spending for and lugging a larger pair with added magnification - rather spend on a camera lens!As for field of view, the greater the aperture, the brighter the image will be, but the greater the size, weight and cost. Again, the smaller compact size of the 25mm pair provide plenty of view for my taste and these Leica's are extraordinary when it comes to low light situations - I've even used them effectively in those last minutes between dusk and darkness.

What is the difference between porro-prism and roof prism binoculars?
Porro-prisms have objective lenses that are spaced farther apart than the eyepieces. Porro-prisms are bulky but usually perform better and cost less then roof-prisms. Also, porros yield a better three-dimensional image. Roof-prisms dominate the consumer market. The objective lenses line up directly with the eyepieces, resulting in a streamlined, compact and lightweight binocular. But roof-prisms usually cost more and lose more light to reflection, which is a disadvantage for astronomers but not for daytime terrestrial viewing.

What about coatings?  Coatings reduce the amount of light reflecting off of the lens and allow more light to reach your eyes. Without coatings, up to 50% of the light entering the binoculars is lost to reflections from the many glass surfaces within.

A note on how they work:  A binocular combines an image seen by both eyes into a single image. Binoculars are basically two telescopes mounted side by side. At the front of each telescope is a lens. Each lens gathers light from the image you're observing. The objective or lens magnifies the image upside-down. If you're using the most popular type of binoculars, prism binoculars, a prism in each tube turns the image right-side-up again. With field binoculars, a second lens in the tube functions essentially the same way as a prism, and inverts the image so it appears right-side-up. The light then travels down the tube and into each eyepiece and you see the image.

FLASH
If you have a camera which takes an off camera flash, you might want it for fill flash in some cases to add catch-light to an animal's eyes or for evening and night drives. I really think that the flash thing is a bit overplayed for African safari photography at least; taking a truly aesthetically pleasing flash image of a wild animal is not easy. How many flash photos do you see in the wildlife books you have looked at? Very few. Still, use the flash if your camera has one, but use it primarily for fill flash, especially for people in shadow and close objects set against a bright background. To use a flash for anything other than an animal which is very close to the vehicle is futile - it won't work well. You'll want a fresnel lens flash-extender for your flash if you want to throw the light any distance at all.

One more note on flashes - If you're serious about using a removable flash, consider purchasing a flash cord (I have one that stretches to about 3 feet) so that you can avoid having the flash point directly in line with the lens.  Holding the flash at an angle to the animal's eyes (different than the angle of your camera lens), especially in low light where reflections from their eyes will be more pronounced, will help reduce noticeable reflections. Of course, now you'll need a helper to hold the flash unless you can balance the camera and flash each in one hand - it's tricky!

  GO TO PAGE 2
(Digital vs. Film and Video on Safari)
(James' Equipment and James' Software)

Eyes on Africa was selected most knowledgeable Regional Expert for Southern Africa / Safaris by National Geographic Traveler Magazine, 20th Anniversary Special Issue, October 2004.

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