Guest malland Posted January 29, 2009 Share #21 Posted January 29, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) BTW, Jaap, I had no problems photographing people in Yemen, but then, I was only there for five days. —Mitch/Potomac, MD Flickr: Mitch Alland's Photostream Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 Hi Guest malland, Take a look here Travel to Namibia. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted January 29, 2009 Share #22 Posted January 29, 2009 The only place I ever had trouble was quite unexpected to me: Dar-es-Salam. Strangely enough I had no problems at all in the unvisited Muslim quarter of Mombasa. I think it has to do with the locals being harassed by tourists with big DSLRs in some areas. Going into townships and villages works a whole lot better from a photographic point of view. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nugat Posted January 29, 2009 Share #23 Posted January 29, 2009 My best place to take people's pictures was Iran. Very friendly, very natural people. Offerring anything in exchange was unthinkable. Actually Iranian etiquette requires three refusals before even a due payment is accepted. Persian is a Great Civilization indeed... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMB Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share #24 Posted January 29, 2009 Andreas, Many thanks for your very long and informative response. I really appreciate your taking the time and I might come back to your offer to ask more specific questions, if I may. Perhaps we can also meet in Windhoek -- I assume the German influence means that there is good beer. Our current plans are Etoscha, Damaraland, Swakopmund, Sossusvlei, Mariental and, of course Windhoek to start and end the loop. I know that there is much more to see but I am afraid that's all we can manage in two weeks (and with three teenage daughters!). Also, we won't have a 4x4 but I was assured that that would be ok for the routes we are taking and several of the camps we visit offer excursions in their proper 4x4s. I also intend to book one or two scenic flights and a hot-air balloon tour over the desert. I saw several of your shots when I searched the forum last night for Namibia an liked them a lot (as I liked the shots of others who responded to this threat). Very inspiring. Unfortunately, we did not get a direct flight (I would have had not problem with Air Namibia). As unorganized as we are, we booked too late and were lucky to still find anything for 5. Amazingly, everyone here is talks about the economic crisis and then all planes to South-Africa or Namibia are full. I am still mulling about the long-lens question. My brother in law offered me his Canon 5D for around 1,000 Euros (he got the mark II). Might be an option. I would only need a long zoom with IS and perhaps a 1.4 extender. But that’s a heavy thing to schlep around. Best wishes and it would be nice to meet up in Namibia. Georg Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMB Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share #25 Posted January 29, 2009 In fact, if you wish, I will happily lend you the 250+Viso. Jaap, Many thanks for this kind offer. I may come back to it but first excuse my ignorance, what precisely is a visoflex and how does it work? Georg Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nugat Posted January 29, 2009 Share #26 Posted January 29, 2009 Andreas, I am still mulling about the long-lens question. My brother in law offered me his Canon 5D for around 1,000 Euros (he got the mark II). Might be an option. I would only need a long zoom with IS and perhaps a 1.4 extender. But that’s a heavy thing to schlep around. Best wishes and it would be nice to meet up in Namibia. Georg Georg, Get a panasonic G1 for 500 euro with kit 14-45 zoom and add 45-200 zoom for 300 euro. You get: --small, light, modern camera (half size weight of 5D) --picture quality of 5D (mark one) --excellent kit lens and total 2 lens coverage of 28-400mm (35 equivalent) --leica lens compatibility with small adapter --your daughters will love to play with it: it comes in red, blue etc and is a lovely ladies' toy, not the 5D monster Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMB Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share #27 Posted January 29, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Georg,Get a panasonic G1 for 500 euro with kit 14-45 zoom and add 45-200 zoom for 300 euro. Interesting suggesting. Don't want to turn this into a G1 threat but may open a new threat on the topic what long lense camera best to supplement a M8. Georg Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanhulsenbeek Posted January 29, 2009 Share #28 Posted January 29, 2009 Georg,Get a panasonic G1 for 500 euro with kit 14-45 zoom and add 45-200 zoom for 300 euro. --picture quality of 5D (mark one) Do not want to turn this into a G1 thread either, but DXOMark does not agree; http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/Image-Quality-Database/Compare-cameras/(appareil1)/176|0/(appareil2)/298|0/(onglet)/0/(brand)/Canon/(brand2)/Panasonic This is I suppose not measured with a Leica lens Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest malland Posted January 29, 2009 Share #29 Posted January 29, 2009 For people that shoot mainly super wide angle lenses the G1 is not that interesting in terms of using Leica lenses, as you need a 10mm lens to get close to 21mm EFPV. On the other hand, with the Leica 135/f4 lens, which is an apochromatic lens in disguise and is inexpensive, the G1 gets a 270mm EFOV. —Mitch/Potomac, MD Bangkok Hysteria©: Book Project - a set on Flickr Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nugat Posted January 29, 2009 Share #30 Posted January 29, 2009 Do not want to turn this into a G1 thread either, but DXOMark does not agree; http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/Image-Quality-Database/Compare-cameras/(appareil1)/176|0/(appareil2)/298|0/(onglet)/0/(brand)/Canon/(brand2)/Panasonic This is I suppose not measured with a Leica lens So they measured G1. Interesting, Leica M8 is not much better than G1 in their ranks (59 vs 53, 5D= 71), but in all pictures I unscientifically compared M8 with 5D it was equal , except high ISO. I'm not sure how the dxomark is set, I think it's some kind of compound of all factors. Full frame sensors should be then adjusted to compare with others, if this is to be a sensor test. Otherwise it's like two fighters of different weight categories. Why not throw medium format in? What I mean by equal quality is when compared to the same enlargement, say 100% crop on the screen or A3 print at native ISO. What's your experience? ...don't want to turn into a G1 thread... ...as for wide angle on G1 --of course until 7-14 comes out not a good proposal. But then I wrote about telephoto specifically. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Negative Posted January 30, 2009 Share #31 Posted January 30, 2009 What a great, timely thread. I was planning on going to Namibia this year, but it looks like it'll have to wait until next. Definitely two weeks, just not sure where yet... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecaton Posted January 30, 2009 Share #32 Posted January 30, 2009 On a recent trip to South Africa, M8 with 12CV, 24 Elmarit, and lux 50 asph, G1 with M adapter and G1 kit lenses were in my bag. A highly versatile and light kit, I can recommend for travelling. I enjoyed using the G1 with CV12 and 50lux, particualrly the 50mm on the G1 was fun on new year's eve. The 45-200mm kit lens was used when reach was needed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 30, 2009 Share #33 Posted January 30, 2009 Jaap, Many thanks for this kind offer. I may come back to it but first excuse my ignorance, what precisely is a visoflex and how does it work? Georg It is basically a mirror box that transforms your M8 into a simple DSLR. It is fully mechanical, so a bit primitive, but...it works. Visoflex - Leica Wiki (English) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfalo Posted January 31, 2009 Share #34 Posted January 31, 2009 My wife and me traveld to Namibia last fall. Wonderful country, great landscapes. However, my most important piece of advice isn´t related to photography but to driving. DRIVE CAREFULLY!!! Otherwise you have a good chance of ending up like we did. 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! It happend in the south on the way to Fishriver Canyon without any third party being involved. We were just driving too fast (100 km/h, which ironically is the speed limit on gravel roads). My wife just moved the steering wheel a little too fitfully and the car started to build up. My wife immediatly lost control over the car, and we overturned 1,5 times. Fortunatly there were no serious injuries. And my Leica gear (an M8 and two film Ms plus several ´lenses) wasn´t damaged either. I just had to collect all the stuff from the dust. A new car was deliverd by Avis from Windhoek within 12 hours, and we continued our trip with a VW Polo. (you don´t really need a 4WD on touristic trips in Namibia, and ordinary city people like me and my wife are not used to driving them) Well, apart form the accident (which cost us only 40 Euro, everything else was coverd by Avis and an additional insurance) we really had a great time in Namibia. I support the adivce from other people regarding a 135mm lens. I have a Tele-Elmar 135/4.0 which really did a great job on the M8. in Ethosha private game park next so Ethosha Regarding dust I was really worried before the trip started but it´s not really a problem. Even in Soussousvlei I heavily changed lenses but dust wasn´t an issue. From my point of view special precautions aren´t really necessary. (unless you´re stuck in a sand storm) The 21Asph served me well, as well: close to Fish River Canyon Dead Vlei Have fun down there! More of my namibia shots are here: Namibia 2008 - a set on Flickr Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! It happend in the south on the way to Fishriver Canyon without any third party being involved. We were just driving too fast (100 km/h, which ironically is the speed limit on gravel roads). My wife just moved the steering wheel a little too fitfully and the car started to build up. My wife immediatly lost control over the car, and we overturned 1,5 times. Fortunatly there were no serious injuries. And my Leica gear (an M8 and two film Ms plus several ´lenses) wasn´t damaged either. I just had to collect all the stuff from the dust. A new car was deliverd by Avis from Windhoek within 12 hours, and we continued our trip with a VW Polo. (you don´t really need a 4WD on touristic trips in Namibia, and ordinary city people like me and my wife are not used to driving them) Well, apart form the accident (which cost us only 40 Euro, everything else was coverd by Avis and an additional insurance) we really had a great time in Namibia. I support the adivce from other people regarding a 135mm lens. I have a Tele-Elmar 135/4.0 which really did a great job on the M8. in Ethosha private game park next so Ethosha Regarding dust I was really worried before the trip started but it´s not really a problem. Even in Soussousvlei I heavily changed lenses but dust wasn´t an issue. From my point of view special precautions aren´t really necessary. (unless you´re stuck in a sand storm) The 21Asph served me well, as well: close to Fish River Canyon Dead Vlei Have fun down there! More of my namibia shots are here: Namibia 2008 - a set on Flickr ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/75487-travel-to-namibia/?do=findComment&comment=795959'>More sharing options...
nugat Posted January 31, 2009 Share #35 Posted January 31, 2009 Great pictures! Gravel is tricky, actually dry can be slippery (dust). The simple braking test will tell you if the car has traction. That's why 4x4 are better for African roads, even without going offroad. Doesn't have to be a Land Rover, somethimng like Mitsubishi Delica minivan is a perfect car for Namibia. I never drove 100km/h on gravel roads. 80 is the safe limit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andit Posted February 21, 2009 Share #36 Posted February 21, 2009 Hi Guys, Just a quick word of caution for anyone traveling to Namibia in the next 4 weeks or so - we have had extreme rain here over the last 3 weeks or so - most of the gravel roads are washed out at the moment. This severely limits travel possibilities - especially if you're not driving a 4x4 vehicle. I know of two forum members who are planning visits in April. By that time things should be back to normal - Namibia Roads Department are excellent in there work and have huge fleets of earth moving equipment for such cases. However, they can only start working once the rain stops. Our rain season normally comes to an end in mid March or so. Soussosvlei is busy filling up. The Kuiseb River is flowing at places up to 1.5 kilometers wide and has for the first time in 60 odd years managed to cross the dune belt - just a couple of hundred meters short of the Atlantic at this moment. The Swakop River is in full flood and flowing into the sea at Swakopmund. The Khan river is in flood, as is the Omaruru River, the Okahandja River, the Fish River (the one that goes through the Canyon) and the Ugab. Namibia at this stage looks like a tropical paradise and not the normal desert. For anyone wanting to see pictures here are links to two of our daily newspapers that carry these stories, Allgemeine Zeitung Namibia - Nachrichten mit Charakter , Republikein - Tuisblad Andreas Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted February 21, 2009 Share #37 Posted February 21, 2009 Easter is a wonderful time to visit this country - this year third week in March April 12th? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andit Posted February 21, 2009 Share #38 Posted February 21, 2009 Hi Ian, That is correct, the Easter Weekend this year is from 10 to 13 April. In my original post I just glanced at the calendar and mistook a long weekend that we have here 21st March to be Easter. April and October are the two golden months to visit Namibia - not so hot and wet anymore in April, not so cold in October (we don't have snow here, but winters are generally in the range -5C in the morning to +15C during the day). Andreas Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfoo Posted February 21, 2009 Share #39 Posted February 21, 2009 If you want a DSLR for long lenses only then I wouldn't recommend the 5D because it _is_ full frame. I'd go for a 20/30/40/50d instead with the 100-400L. The crop factor is your friend with the long lens! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted February 21, 2009 Share #40 Posted February 21, 2009 Actually "the crop factor for a long lens" is a fake argument. If one has the same pixel pitch, a ff sensor will have more pixels than a cropped sensor, so the "crop factor" can easily be achieved - by cropping..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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