jpk Posted April 9, 2014 Share #1 Posted April 9, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I am planning to do a walking safari tour this summer in Kenya, but my gear is totally different from what usually is recommended for safari: I have a Monochrom with 21/F3.4, 28/F2.0, 35/F2.5, 50/F2.0, 75/F1.4, 90/F4.0 (without macro adapter). I sold my DSLR and AF-lenses some time ago, and I am very happy with the mono and generally don't miss color or AF. But I am not sure if I will regret to take no DSLR/tele(zoom) on the safari. What do you think? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 Hi jpk, Take a look here Afrika Safari with Monochrom? Please advise!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted April 9, 2014 Share #2 Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) It has been done before. Henri in Africa — The Leica Monochrom as a Travel Camera | THEME The lenses you mention are rather useless on Safari, except a 35 for camp shots and landscapes. When walking in the bush, unless you and your party are experienced and disciplined, and you are led by a top-notch guide, you have to count yourself lucky to get any decent wildlife photographs except the odd Elephant with anything shorter than a 560 - and a good monopod. Usually it will be a dot between the trees, even on crop. I have been doing this for 25 years now and I might gamble on a 300 on a walking Safari to reduce weight, which really counts in 40 Centigrade, but I would not expect to return home with very much. For people in the village you can easily limit yourself to the 28 and 75, you will not miss the rest. Having said that, walking in the African Bush is one of the great experiences of life. If you are sensible to the smells, sounds, and views of nature you will love it. I guess it will be Laikipia where you are going. It is a lovely area. Edited April 9, 2014 by jaapv 11 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A miller Posted April 9, 2014 Share #3 Posted April 9, 2014 It's an outside of the box idea, but then again amazing lush colorful sunsets, horizons and wildlife are so cliche. On this issue, I would very respectfully beg to differ with Jaap and I would submit that he is thinking inside the box here in terms of photographic subjects and opportunities. I think each of the lenses in your kit could be utilized to capture aazing scenes. I'm willing to bet that many of your keepers will surpass any that you could take in color with your traditional d/slr in terms of uniqueness, tonality and appeal. Please make sure that you share your results in the Photo forum! Have fun! Adam 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm23221 Posted April 10, 2014 Share #4 Posted April 10, 2014 I'd probably take just my monochrom too with a 28, 50 and 90. If you want closeup wildlife pictures then you need a dslr. By taking your monochrom your photo possibilities will become very different than the typical, dare I say boring and trite, closeup wildlife photos. You will force yourself to see in a different way than the other participants - not a bad thing to do. Enjoy the experience. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 10, 2014 Share #5 Posted April 10, 2014 I’ll be highly interested in such photography. I’m not sure thinking inside or outside the box has much to do with it. The experience is one that basically limits the photo opportunities to nature, wildlife (as I said, limited anyway when walking) and landscape. Finding the wide gamut of photographic opportunities that exist in other environments will be highly challenging. One can find some people on the way…. One of Africa’s grand old men, Chris McBride, whom I walked with, specializes in Lions. A one week walking Safari revealed much and was a great experience, but hardly produced any decent photographs. M8 with 135. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/224949-afrika-safari-with-monochrom-please-advise/?do=findComment&comment=2565625'>More sharing options...
Ulrik Posted April 10, 2014 Share #6 Posted April 10, 2014 As it is a walking safari I would replace the heavy Leica 1,4/75 with one of those lightweight Micro-Four-Thirds cameras with e.g. 45-200 mm lens (my wife used this combo very successful in Namibia). This would complement the Monochrome, outfitted with wide-angle and normal lens, nicely. Ulrik Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj_61 Posted April 10, 2014 Share #7 Posted April 10, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Look at Nick Brandt's work. All black and white. No long tele lenses. It can be done. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 10, 2014 Share #8 Posted April 10, 2014 (edited) Of course, Nick Brandt is one of the brilliant stars of wildlife photography (or is it fine art?). Thank you for mentioning him However I would suggest that if one does not dedicate one's life to photographing in the bush and taking weeks to months to getting a single image, it is quite impossible to get such work on a touristic walking safari. So, as I said, I am quite interested to see what Jun comes back with Still, one pays many thousands of $$$ for a trip like that. It seems to me to be a pity not to slip something like a C-Lux in the pocket for those obligatory holiday snaps. Edited April 10, 2014 by jaapv Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjl Posted April 10, 2014 Share #9 Posted April 10, 2014 A lot will depend on where you are going and how close to the animals your guides can get you. For a visit to one of the northeastern park areas in S Africa our vehicle got within a few feet of some great subjects such as leopards and lions and I was glad I had my M9 for those opportunities. But as Jaap says, in other cases (e.g., Rhinos and Buffalo) even in S Africa you will likely be some ways off. For those situations I also had an M4/3rds camera with a 100-300 lens. This would be a rather modest increase in the size and weight of your kit and, albeit with less quality, would get you close enough to your subjects to get more than a small subject in a big landscape. Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erlingmm Posted April 10, 2014 Share #10 Posted April 10, 2014 Look at Nick Brandt's work. All black and white. No long tele lenses. It can be done. A lot of his close-ups were done from a car, not walking. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Henry Posted April 10, 2014 Share #11 Posted April 10, 2014 Fortunately Jaap posted a color photo (very nice portrait Jaap) , but I was going to stand up and say that Africa is so pretty with color too .Life is so beautiful in color especially for flowers I just returned from a humanitarian mission in Asia and I posted some pictures in b&w but also in color ..... http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/landscape-travel/325507-pictures-mission.html Best Henry Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpk Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted April 10, 2014 Many thanks for so much input! I did not mention that there are also 2 game drives included, so we could come closer to some of the animals. Anyway I will take not all of my M lenses, maybe 28-50-90 or even 28 (or 35?) plus 90. A small DSLR-kit, for example D7100 (or Pentax K-5 II) plus Sigma 120-400 will be OK, but I guess I will be unhappy with the image quality at the long end. Something with better IQ will be a lot more expensive (for example 2.8/70-200 plus fixed 300 or 400 or TC etc). And together with the Monochrom and 2 or 3 M lenses it's going to be a bit heavy... My son has a Pentax APS-C DSLR (10mp CCD) which I could get a 60-250 zoom for, or I even could add an M8 to my existing M gear which would give me color plus a longer reach with my 90mm lens. Or an Olympus micro four thirds body with the 50-200 lens (=100-400)...? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 10, 2014 Share #13 Posted April 10, 2014 (edited) Even on a drive - minimally 200 preferably 300-400. And a zoom, as your position is fixed. May I suggest the gear I used on my Monochrom wildlife shots: Visoflex with 280/4.0 in Televid ? Otoh - it is a holiday of a lifetime, so a good backup camera is essential. Edited April 10, 2014 by jaapv Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandymc Posted April 10, 2014 Share #14 Posted April 10, 2014 Personally, I would cut it the the Monochrom with the 50mm, and as suggested above, pick up something small, e.g., micro 4/3 with something like a 200-300. In the bush, I don't think that you will miss many opportunities without the rest of the Leica lenses, and those lenses will get heavy after a while....also, the bush is dusty; changing lenses often can turn into a sensor cleaning nightmare. I'd also think about some filters e.g., red/green/yellow for the 50mm. Sandy Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted April 10, 2014 Share #15 Posted April 10, 2014 I see little value in a mono of a hippo or lion or giraffe. Mono has its place, just not there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 10, 2014 Share #16 Posted April 10, 2014 Did you read my article? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frase Posted April 10, 2014 Share #17 Posted April 10, 2014 For the price of a 35mm Summicron you could have a Canon 6d and a couple of secondhand lenses including a 100-400. Why make life difficult sometimes a rangefinder may not be the best choice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsprow Posted April 10, 2014 Share #18 Posted April 10, 2014 I think the colors and hues of Africa make for great photographs. I love B&W, but would not want to be limited there. Personally, when on safaris, I take a relatively light (Nikon F100) film DSLR with a couple plastic body zoom lenses and have been very pleased with the results. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 10, 2014 Share #19 Posted April 10, 2014 (edited) I don’t think B&W is limiting, quite the opposite. I have been converting a fair proportion of my Africa shots to B&W well before the MM came out. Colours are fine, even essential for some shots, but as distracting and obfuscating as can be for the next. I had been doing film safari photography for over a decade before switching to digital and I am very happy I do not have the hassle of dragging a hundred rolls of film, getting (exposed!) film pilfered, protecting the stuff from heat and creaky X-ray machines, etc… any more. Mother and child, M9, 400 mm Noflexar-T Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited April 10, 2014 by jaapv 12 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/224949-afrika-safari-with-monochrom-please-advise/?do=findComment&comment=2566190'>More sharing options...
Bundestrainer Posted April 11, 2014 Share #20 Posted April 11, 2014 I think it's possible but it all comes down on whether or not you will be disappointed to not have the iconic pictures from Africa. But your pictures might be different. I took some photos with my M9 in Namibia. I wrote down my travel experience here: Shooting in Namibia by Hilmar Buch | STEVE HUFF PHOTOS 17 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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