A safari with a M10M?

[dubrow77]

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Hello there,

Planning a safari trip in Kenya in a few months and thinking about my M10M however I worry about dusts and water since is not a "sealed" camera.

• What has been your experience?
• If you have to bring one or two lenses, which ones would you recommend? 

Thanks for your advices.🙏

 

 

[jaapv]

I have taken digital Ms from M8 to M240 including M9 M on nine safaris from tropical rainforest to desert without any significant issues. These are solid tools, not fragile toys. I wrote an article on the M9M in Africa but as I am presently in Liwonde National Park in Malawi I cannot link to it. 
For Safari I strongly recommend taking the 105-280 R plus extenders. If you plan on using solely M lenses, forget it  You could as well join the smartphone brigade. You’ll find photography conditions in Kenia pretty tame; the tourist industry is well developed and in general comfortable to luxurious. Take heed of your foreign ministry’s warnings, the situation in some parts of the country is somewhat dodgy right now. 
 

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/413202-leica-11-in-humid-conditions/?do=findComment&comment=5642807

[jaapv]

When you are booking I can fully recommend Gamewatchers Safaris AKA Porini . They will take you out of the tourist carnival in the National Parks, especially Masai Mara. Most European and USA etc agencies will only offer the trodden path 

[Maverick1st]

I was on a safari in Tanzania over a decade ago before i entered into the leica space. Looking back I defiantly would love to take my m10m for more of the behind the scenes and scenic aspects of it. However if your focus is to get lost of animal shots i infidelity would have it accompany a system with a longer reach of zooms. 

[dubrow77]

@jaapv Thanks for the links

@Maverick1st Thanks. Exactly what I have in mind. I will likely focus behind the scenes B&W pictures and might just bring a M10M with a 35MM 🙂 

[jaapv]

https://the.me/henri-in-africa-the-leica-monochrom-as-a-travel-camera/
 

If you take an M why not take a long zoom+ EVF as well?  If I can do it with a Visoflex 3 …

And why a Safari for background shots when the continent offers so much beyond the narrow perspective of game viewing ?  That is all that Safari camp life is geared to.  Just now smartphone…

 

 

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[jaapv]

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I think that the resistance to using long lenses on M comes from a completely misplaced sense of traditionalism.
The fact that Leica does not make long lenses for M mount any more dates only to the nineties, when they were nearly strangled to death by SLR competition. Before they produced all the Visoflexes and mirror boxes to accommodate up to 800 mm lenses.
Like the Leica gun for the 1936 Olympics and wildlife, the 200 mm LTM for Barnack cameras with matching viewfinder, the later Telyts in V mount, the association with Novoflex for the fantastic Noflexars; I took a Noflexar-T in Pigriff and Visoflex3 on an M8 on Safari and loved it. They recovered their idea with the EVF on the M240 and I would not be surprised if they would cooperate with Sigma for a 200 in M mount -or even -horror!- an M zoom for EVF use in the future. 
In the meantime R lenses will have to do and that is no hardship. 

https://petapixel.com/2011/10/17/the-leica-gun-for-wildlife-and-sports-photography/

[Photojournoguy]

I have no real contribution to offer here and have never been on a safari, but I really do hope you return to the thread after the trip to share what resulted. I’d love to hear of your experience with (or without) the M10M and any shots from the trip.

Highly jealous of your opportunity and enjoy the experience, above all!

[dubrow77]

On 10/25/2024 at 8:09 PM, jaapv said:

https://the.me/henri-in-africa-the-leica-monochrom-as-a-travel-camera/
 

If you take an M why not take a long zoom+ EVF as well?  If I can do it with a Visoflex 3 …

And why a Safari for background shots when the continent offers so much beyond the narrow perspective of game viewing ?  That is all that Safari camp life is geared to.  Just now smartphone…

 

 

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I agree 100%. However I currently own 35 and 50mm lenses. I would need to acquire a long lens for the trip 😊

[AceVentura1986]

@dubrow77, never been on a safari but I have a similar experience. Years ago, a friend of mine set up a sunrise shoot for several photographers. I took my Canon 1DS w tripod, assorted primes and a bunch of gear including filters. I also took my M8, which at the time I had configured to display BW images and used primarily as a BW camera. As I periodically triggered the Canon’s shutter, I pulled out the M8 and started photographing the photographers.

In the end, I got some good sunrise shots but that’s just not really my thing. I did get a bunch of great BW candids of the other photographers, tho. Those were really great. 

Take gear w telephoto and high speed capabilities but take the M10M for everything else. 

Edited October 28, 2024 by AceVentura1986

[Viv]

On 10/26/2024 at 12:10 AM, Maverick1st said:

I was on a safari in Tanzania over a decade ago before i entered into the leica space. Looking back I defiantly would love to take my m10m for more of the behind the scenes and scenic aspects of it. However if your focus is to get lost of animal shots i infidelity would have it accompany a system with a longer reach of zooms. 

Good advice.

Horses for courses.

[jaapv]

On 10/27/2024 at 5:11 PM, dubrow77 said:

I agree 100%. However I currently own 35 and 50mm lenses. I would need to acquire a long lens for the trip 😊

Get an Olympus OM 300 ( manual) lens and adapter they sell for about 250 $, are light and pretty good quality. 

[jaapv]

On 10/26/2024 at 2:39 AM, dubrow77 said:

@jaapv Thanks for the links

@Maverick1st Thanks. Exactly what I have in mind. I will likely focus behind the scenes B&W pictures and might just bring a M10M with a 35MM 🙂 

On Safari itself background shots will be pretty sparse; it is completely geared towards wildlife 24 hours of the day. You will be restricted to snaps of the camp, sundowners on drives a bit of landscaping etc  

However the non-safari part of your tripwill give you a wealth of subjects. Be a bit careful with photographing people Sometimes they demand money. DON’T. Just don’t raise your camera. It encourages a begging culture. Kids can be photographed freely, as opposed to our depraved culture. Ik fact you’ll be mobbed. NEVER photograph an uniformed person or military or police subject. It can get you into deep trouble.

Although Kenia is in general not particularly unsafe for mugging etc as third-world countries go, the coast outside the hotel grounds should not be visited without a hotel staff member or accredited guide escorting you. Nairobi is colloquially known as Nairobbery. Stick to places that have a high safety level. The rural areas are relatively safe. But the Northwest beyond Malindy is a no-go area. Lamu is said to be OK. Don’t self-drive and certainly not after dark. 

[ramarren]

I don't use them too often, but the Leica R 135/2.8 and 180/4 mm lenses, along with the 2x telextender, net lovely long-focus results with the M10-M/-R and Visoflex 020. I don't know what prices are like now, but when I bought these lenses (about a decade ago, shortly after the R system was closed out), they cost me less than $300 apiece, and $60 for the 2x Telextender ... tremendous bargains. 

And they're relatively light and handy to work with; the R Adapter M also provides a secure tripod mounting point without over-stressing the M body. 

G

[dubrow77]

Thanks @ramarren! Do you have a few examples to share? 

 

b.

[didier]

For the safari I did, I (then) took my M(240) with a ‘lux 50 and Tele-Elmar 135 (latest) along with a more ‘classical’ (longer focal lengths) safari set up, and a Ricoh GR in my pocket with its 28mm equivalent FL.

I was very happy to have a beloved M with me, and very useful. Absolutely no problem with dust.

Didier 

[dubrow77]

1 hour ago, didier said:

For the safari I did, I (then) took my M(240) with a ‘lux 50 and Tele-Elmar 135 (latest) along with a more ‘classical’ (longer focal lengths) safari set up, and a Ricoh GR in my pocket with its 28mm equivalent FL.

I was very happy to have a beloved M with me, and very useful. Absolutely no problem with dust.

Didier 

Thanks Didier. Could you share a few pictures taken with your Tele 135? Merci 

[ramarren]

4 hours ago, dubrow77 said:

Thanks @ramarren! Do you have a few examples to share?

Here are links to photos made with both the Elmarit-R 135mm f/2.8 and Elmar-R 180mm f/4, on a variety of cameras, both with and without the 2x Telextender: 

https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=23913128%40N02&sort=date-taken-desc&text=Elmarit-R+135mm

https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=23913128%40N02&sort=date-taken-desc&view_all=1&text=Elmar-R+180mm

enjoy, G

 

 

 

[dubrow77]

56 minutes ago, ramarren said:

Here are links to photos made with both the Elmarit-R 135mm f/2.8 and Elmar-R 180mm f/4, on a variety of cameras, both with and without the 2x Telextender: 

https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=23913128%40N02&sort=date-taken-desc&text=Elmarit-R+135mm

https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=23913128%40N02&sort=date-taken-desc&view_all=1&text=Elmar-R+180mm

enjoy, G

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing!  Nice shots

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[VRA]

On 10/24/2024 at 11:12 PM, jaapv said:

If you plan on using solely M lenses, forget it  You could as well join the smartphone brigade.

I would disagree.

I think everybody here knows the possibilities and limitations of the M system. I do however strongly disagree when stating photographing on safari, with a focal length between 28-50mm is like joining the smartphone brigade. (since it is more a focal length argument than a system argument)

During our last trip to South Africa, including lots of safari, I shot almost all my pictures on the M system, a M246M and a M10r paired with a 28Cron and a 50Lux. In a lot of instances during safari, animals come really close, and a longer lens was not needed. When further away I did enjoy the wider views for capturing the 'vacation' feeling. Of course I also realise not all safari destination give a similar possibility to be close(r) to the animals. But personally I am not at all interested in telelens close up shots of animals, so I was more than happy with my favourite super light set-up.

I also did enjoy my Monochrom images a lot, and not to iterate on the obvious and never ending Monochrom 'debate' (I have a mono, so know the pro's and cons), but I can imagine certain situations where you will miss color in Africa. Especially in Africa. Kenyan people and culture are very colourful. It is a very personal question whether you can fully enjoy photographing there without color. Personally I shoot a lot of trips with only my mono, but Africa, Icould not, and did not want to 😉

Some mono snaps:

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M246 | 50 Lux

M246 | 50 Lux

M246 | 50Lux