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Thread: Lenses for East Africa and Paris

  1. #1
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    Default Lenses for East Africa and Paris

    Hey guys,

    So the time is coming where I'll be going to E. Africa for a month before I go to Paris for a year to go to cooking school. I was wondering what lenses you would recommend for my different needs which are pretty wide spread.

    Here is what I own now:
    Canon 40D
    Canon 50mm
    Canon 28-135mm
    Canon 430EX flash

    In E. Africa I'll be shooting a number of things from game, scenery, portraits, buildings, food, etc.

    Paris will be much of the same - scenery, portraits, architecture, food.

    Is it worth me investing in the following:
    Canon 75-300 mm $160
    Sigma 50mm macro $300 (was thinking of it anyway as it is great for food pics)


    Any tips for keeping the sand out of the lens and how to deal with the humidity (will be there in December, E. Africa)

    As for a P&S I want something inexpensive with decent IQ. I just need it to snap some quick plating pics at school and in and around town, nothing fancy. Heavily leaning towards the Olympus FE-4020 which is on BHPhoto for $115. All above prices are also from there.

    TIA

  2. #2
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    For Paris I'd imagine a decent WA zoom would get you 90% of your pictures. Lots of buildings, museums, etc. You might like something like the Sigma 18-50 or 17-50 OS f2.8 MACRO lens rather than the dedicated 50mm macro. You get a great WA zoom and an almost-macro lens in one. It would be great for food pics and general around-the-city pictures. The Tamron 17-50/2.8 is kind of a pseudo macro lens as well.

    Africa is a completely different story. I've done a ton of research on what to bring to Africa as I will be going on a dedicated photo tour the day I can afford it. I've talked to many people who have been as well.

    Basically the ideal combo, cost aside, is a WA zoom of some sort, 70-200/2.8 and 200-400/4. You should have at least 2 bodies to minimize changing lenses in dusty conditions, at least one of them a crop body for reach. You can rent a second body for really cheap. Of course you aren't going to go out and spend $10,000 on lenses, so the closest you can get to those focal lengths within your budget would be good. You should also bring some plastic bags to keep your camera gear in when it gets really dusty (I am assuming you go on some sort of safari). Anything much slower than f/4 at telephoto distances may cause you grief early in the morning or late in the evening (when animals are most active) unless you really crank up the ISO. Sometimes the animals can come up really close to the safari vehicle as well.

    For humidity, put your camera in your camera bag or a plastic bag before you go in and out of an air conditioned area. That will keep the lenses from fogging up. I've never really had issues with fogging up in humid areas though.

    Another thing, especially if shooting from a vehicle, is be prepared to support your lenses in less than ideal places, so something like a bean bag is ideal. That is more for the bigger lenses though.

    A P&S camera is going to be fairly useless on a Safari but around town or in Paris I'm sure it would be a great thing to have. All the best P&S cameras are around $300-$400 CAD, if you are looking to spend only $100 they are all about the same with tiny sensors paired with the very basics. None of them are exceptional as you get what you pay for typically. The best ones around now are the Canon S90, Fuji F200/300 EXR, Panasonic LX3/LX5, Canon G11, etc.

    The Canon 75-300 is a pretty average lens, especially if not stopped down, and you aren't going to want to shoot at f8-11 all day on a Safari. It also isn't sealed very well, which isn't the greatest thing in dusty environments. It's the cheapest way to get reach though, if that's all you're after. Something at least stabilized would be ideal. The longest lens you can afford will help get you the most out of your trip if one of your goals is to get pictures of animals on a safari. If you're really serious about getting the best possible pictures there, consider renting some gear, it isn't too expensive.

    I would also suggest doing as much of your own research as possible as there is a huge wealth of information, especially on Africa photo safaris, out there. Also I would go see some sort of travel doctor before your trip to get the proper anti malarial drugs, etc. for the specific areas you are visiting.

  3. #3
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    I completely forgot that I posted here, so sorry for the super late reply Mitsu.

    So my GF is in Africa now and said that a 300 won't be necessary as we will be getting upclose and personal with the wildlife.

    That being said, with the exception of birds, I may beable to get away with my 28-135 and purchase the Sigma 17-70. I've read it is really good in low-light conditions and that will be handy as we start around 7-8am everyday and end around 6:30pm when it is pitch black!

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