[Bonner04]

Last September, 2017, I packed one camera bag with my original ME Super SE, a F 24-50 f/4 and an A 70-210 for our South Africa safaris. We did 6 safari trips and I was the only person I saw shooting film, let alone with manual focusing. I knew we would be shooting Victoria Falls and for me the 24 was the focal length I wanted to use and I found the 210 was sometimes too short for the more elusive animals.

You already have some good advice and I will just add one point about zoom lenses. I have almost all prime lenses for my normal work and bought these two lenses very cheaply for the trip. The reason is you are in an open vehicle that you are not allowed to leave while in the parks or in a boat along the shore of a river or lake. You may be shooting an elephant on the shore one minute and then a hippo may rise up in the water next to the boat. Same for land shooting as a herd of elephants cross roads and go wherever they please and there was one herd that walked on both sides of our vehicle so closely that I could reach out and touch one. The point, you will not have time to change lenses.


Casting Shadows
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Pentax ME Super SE ,Pentax smc P-A 70-210mm f/4 Zoom ,Kodak Portra 160 NC
Pacific Image Prime Film XA Slide & Negative Scanner


And you won't believe this...my wife shot the whole trip with her Apple iPhone 7Plus with the two lenses with zoom. (the hippos I mentioned)

Attached Images

   

[johnha]

As much as I can see the determination to shoot film, I can't help thinking that digital would have it's place if the trip is likely to be a one-off. I sometimes travel with film & APS-C DSLR with three lenses: FA20-35/4, FA43/1.9 (or FA50/1.4) & M135/3.5 (small and compact) - film covers the wide stuff, digital covers the longer stuff. However, if I needed more reach I'd consider swapping the 135 for either my Sigma 60-300/4-5.6 or Tamron ADII SP 70-210/3.5 - these are bigger and heavier but that wouldn't put me off taking them on a safari.

[Ediz7531]

I started this thread a while ago and lo and behold my safari trip has finally arrived.

This is the line up I’m taking. Taking a zoom in the end, but also the K 35mm and 55mm.

[aslyfox]

Hi all,

Has anyone gone on a safari and shot film exclusively? I'd appreciate any tips you might have. I have way plenty of time to add any needed gear for that trip, but I thought I'd ask now and start looking for said gear. For reference, due to my photography style, I've never used long telephotos; I only have 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, and 85mm focal lengths. Would adding a 200mm prime suffice if not doing any bird photography? I dislike zooms, so I'd rather not go for that option.

Anyway, in this day and age of digital, is shooting a safari on film sheer madness?

Cheers,

Ed

not sure if you ever said where you are heading on safari

my wife and I are going back to Tanzania in late July

good luck and have fun.

[savoche]

I started this thread a while ago and lo and behold my safari trip has finally arrived.

This is the line up I’m taking. Taking a zoom in the end, but also the K 35mm and 55mm.

I think going with a zoom is a good idea. The only safari I've shot with film I had only an ME Super with a M50/1.7 and a Soligor 300/5.6 - and a crappy compact Canon something. This was back in '96. On all subsequent trips I have used zooms (although I stick to primes for most other settings).

Have a great trip - you'll have a blast!

[Ediz7531]

not sure if you ever said where you are heading on safari

my wife and I are going back to Tanzania in late July

good luck and have fun.

Going to Botswana!

[gofour3]

This is the line up I’m taking. Taking a zoom in the end, but also the K 35mm and 55mm.

Good choices and I also used my A70-210/4 on my trip to Kruger. I shot Fuji Provia 400X slide film for the safaris, so I could get lots of DOF and fast shutter speeds with my K2DMD.



Phil.

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Last edited by gofour3; 05-17-2019 at 09:53 AM. Reason: Replaced photo

[Ediz7531]

Well, that didn't turn out so bad. There were only a few instances when I did wish I had a longer focal length (not to mention image stabilization ). The safari experience itself was amazing of course.

Here are a few photos. I mainly used the MX for this trip, with the 35mm or 55mm attached to the LX instead for portraits and landscapes.

[aslyfox]

very, very nice

I hope I can find painted dogs on our upcoming trip to Tanzania in late July

[Ediz7531]

very, very nice

I hope I can find painted dogs on our upcoming trip to Tanzania in late July

Here’s hoping! From all the predators we saw I was most amazed by them.

[AAlfano]

Awesome photos! I'd be very interested in learning about what film you used and your development techniques.

[Ediz7531]

Awesome photos! I'd be very interested in learning about what film you used and your development techniques.

Thanks! I only do my own developing + scanning for 120 film. These I sent to a lab, Indie Film Lab. I used HP5+ and Portra 400 for this trip.

[AAlfano]

Thanks for the reply. Again, great photos. I particularly like the first shot of the elephant and the sunset shot. Wonderful!