Africa Trip this Summer (Need Help w/ Lenses)

MattRobertson

MattRobertson

Well-known member
Ok guys, so I am going to be going to Africa this summer to do some video/nonprofit work and I need some suggestions for what all to outfit myself with the trip.

I have been pretty slow at acquiring lenses for the GH2 mainly because the terrain of DSLR filmmaking has been changing so much recently, and I want to make wise decisions. Here is my list of gear that I have right now (that is relevant to my trip):

Lenses:

Panasonic 14mm 2.5
Voigtlander 25mm .95 Duclos Cine Modded (just bought)
Panasonic 25mm 1.4 (which I am planning to sell and use the voigt instead)
Tokina 28-70mm 2.6-2.8 (killer lens)
Pentax Super Takamur 50mm 1.4 (Really dreamy at 1.4, solid buy for the price)
Nikon 50mm 1.4 (which I don't use, actually have two of em, gonna sell probably)
Panasonic 14-42 (don't really use much at all either, not a fan of it)

Gear:

Small HD Dp4
Tons of SDHC cards
Sanken Cos-11D w/ Sennheiser g3 packs
Panasonic HMC150 (I use this in limited situations, aka only when I really have to. Its really tough to cut with the Gh2 because its so much softer and the bitrate is so much lower. But in tight situations its nice. Not sure yet if i'll bring it with me on my trip, just cause its alot less inconspicuous, and if i'm gonna be using the GH2 I don't want to have to be toting this around with me all the time as well)
Edelkrone Modula 7
Lightcraft ND Fader
Lots of batteries
Schatler FSB-4 Tripod

Here is what i'm looking for:

Might be good to pick up a 14-140 or either rent it from lensrentals.com because that could be a good walk around lens (even though I don't really lens the panny zooms), but its got OIS, and a super big range which would be nice.

I really like the olympus zooms (never actually tried them haha, just love the results i've seen, optically they appear to be alot more solid than the panny offerings, but they don't have OIS). Anybody on here have any reccomendations? The 11-22 2.8-3.5 looks nice, as well as the 12-60 2.8-4 as just a general purpose, although I do already have the tokina 28-70 which is in a similar range minus the wide end.

I am thinking of picking up the olympus 12mm f2 just because I know i'll use it alot for other stuff (been debating to get this or not for a while), and the portability, autofocus options, and the optical quality are really intriguing. Although I did pick up the panny 14 on a whim because it was $160 on ebay. But the extra speed and sharpness wide open would be nice.

I can use the voigt 25 as a walk around too, and as an extreme low light option.

Just trying to get some feedback on what my best options to have a solid kit which I could use with africa and going forward. I've done lots of research and have a good idea of where i'm headed lens wise, but just wanted to confirm with you guys. I want some nice glass (i'm willing to pay) that can on various shoots. I don't want to go to the level of investing in Zeiss yet, because although I could spend the money on that glass now, If i'm going the zeiss route, I want all my glass to be zeiss, because i've found its tough to cut from zeiss to say a Panasonic lens (tried it on a critical shoot before) and the optical differences, along with color temp. (zeiss is really warm) are really jarring. So on certain shoots if I need absolute quality and have the budget i'll rent zeiss, but I need a solid kit for event work, and shoots where I don't have the budget for renting zeiss.

As far as stabilization I would like to possibly get the edelkrone pocket rig. I am still not totally sure how much portability I will have when we're out there, but the pocket rig would prepare me for all situations. Still deciding if I should bring the modula 7. Its pretty big, and although I love it, it just might not fit best with this kinda shooting.

Any reccomendations for a fairly cheap, light tripod? That schatler fsb is darn heavy and big. I've been trying to find a solid B tripod for a while now, not sure what to go with though

Anything else that I should consider getting?

I will be there from May 29th-June 9th, so I gotta prepare for alot of shooting. I will have power however, so charging batteries, offloading, etc will be a possibility.
 
Africa is a big continent, so it might help if you narrow it down a bit, because the environment you will be in might dictate the type of kit you will need. The type of lens' you will need for filming a documentary about the Batwa tribe in a Tropical Rainforest is going to be very different from the type of lens' you will need for filming wildlife in the Serengeti.

I have lived in Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania & South Africa, and have travelled to most everywhere in-between. The one thing that almost everyplace has had in common, however, is dust.

So bring a good lens cleaning kit. Use what ever solution you normally use, and bring lots of it. Lots of wipes (twice as many as you think you need). A little air-blower/brush is handy (the brush more for getting dust out of the camera, not the lens). Compressed Air in a can (if you can get it on the plane that is - they sometimes make you chuck it at the airport, but sometimes not - just show it to them and ask).

Again, the actual place you are going go to might determine the type of support equipment that you should bring. I find that Rigs (and especially blimps on booms) can attract a lot of (unwanted) attention from authorities when you are filming. In some place you might not want that attention. The beauty of DSLR's is that you can film discretely without attracting attention. A big Rig will undermine that.

Bring lots of batteries, and a number of chargers. Again, its hard to say that electricity is unreliable in 'Africa' because Africa is a big place, and power will vary from place to place. But generally speaking you can be sure that power is not going to be as reliable as back home.

Also bring a couple of plug adapters that will suit the location you will be filming in (sockets vary across the continent, so make sure you check your country). Most modern electric equipment can handle 110v to 220v, but just check first.
 
Totally, I appreciate your response. I actually don't know where we are going, I know it will be in Kenya, however we are still working out the details. Its actually a friend of mine who is in charge of everything, so i'm still being filled in on the details. He sad we will be staying in a compound, and says there will be internet and power there. However, i'm sure it won't be as reliable. And yeah I thought i might need some power adapters. I would like to be as compact as possible, so I probably will pick up the pocket rig. For the money its a great deal, and I know I would use it on other projects too.

I've got a couple lens cleaning kits and plan to bring more, I'm sure dust will be a big problem.

Thanks for the help!
 
Power is not too bad in Kenya. They use a 3 Pin Socket (UK style plugs). Kenya has a big tourist industry so the Authorities are used to seeing people with all kinds of cameras (and some whopping lenses).

The pocket rig looks very cool; nice for traveling when you need everything to be as compact as possible. I have an old aluminum Japanese camera shoulder stock (from the 1970's) for stabilizing the camera. It works well (especially since it cost $5 on ebay!). But having the rods on hand with the Pocket Rig is very neat, as is the folding mechanism. Yeah, that looks like a winner.
 
I agree .. 'narrow it down a bit.' You should carry all your camera stuff on board the planes and not be overweight .. check that out.

Here's my 2 cents ..

I've travelled on safari in Africa, I took a Canon HV20 and HV40 and a small Canon for stills, time is always of the essence.

The way I worked the batteries out was; 3 on chargers back at base, 4 out for the day with 6 out if we were away from power for a few days. Work out how many cards you need then double it, running out is the pits in the 3rd world. There's so much counterfeit stuff on sale, it'll make your head spin.

I took large white plastic garbage bags to quickly cover all the gear when the dust appeared. It's exactly like talculm powder and can cover everything within a minute. Also take a dust mask and only eat cooked food, carefully wash fruit in fresh water and take some antibiotics in a small medical kit. Despite what you hear, only drink bottled water.

I always tote a small wrist compass, I mentally track directions on the way out and back. Carry photostats of ALL your paperwork, passport, authorisations,
blood group any alergies etc... every time you step outside. And set your mobile phone for international roaming with phone numbers back home. Comprehensive travel and medical insurance is a must.

DO NOT video the police, military, border customs or their huts ... when in doubt, leave it out.

One time in Tanzania I just pointed a cam at some airforce trainers and it took 2 hours to talk my way out of it. The cops had muskets with the butts bound up with masking tape, I figured if they ever pulled a trigger, they'd blow themselves and the hut to blazes.

In Nairobi (capital of Kenya) we couldn't go outside our hotel without armed hotel security, after sundown not all all.

One thing, if you spend all your time with your cameras you'll miss the trip. They call it the African Experience to try and spot the big 5 animals,
Africa is great, you'll love it.

Cheers.
 
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I actually just got back from nearly a month in Africa on a documentary shoot. I was working with a few other shooters (I was the only non-Canon guy :D). I'd say whether it's wildlife or community that you are focusing on - you definitely want telephotos in the kit. The other guys had most of that covered, but I did have the 14-140 on my GH2 a lot. I actually found a lot of value in the Olympus 9-18 and a Glidecam HD-1000. Countless walk and talks, and a lot of really nice, dynamic b-roll. We roll long interviews, so having a light rig was key for me (in reference to the walk and talks).

Also, do you have a slider you're planning to bring? Even a portable 2 footer would be really helpful.

+1 on dust issues. I didn't have any big problems, but I definitely had a good stock of cleaning cloths on hand. I didn't think about bringing a compressed air can, but that would have been useful (if it got through the airport, as mentioned).

The Pelican 1510's are nice carry-on sized cases, and a good investment for this kind of trip.

I do have a short teaser if you want to at least see some examples of the 9-18 + Glidecam in action, among other things. There is also a 7D and 1D Mark IV featured, but I think they blend ok. BTW, not trying to hijack the thread, just thought this could be useful in your prep (password: mzungu)



Safe travels!
 
Wow! Man that was a great video! Some of the best africa shots i've seen on vimeo honestly. I am really tempted to get the 9-18 now haha. Even though its an F4 is seems like a worthy investment. How is the autofocus on that? I know the auto focus on the 12mm is really solid. Altlhough that wide and at f4 there wont' be a very shallow depth of field anyway. Thanks so much for the reccomendations! Gonna check that stuff out!
 
Thanks Matt. Hopefully it gets you hyped for your trip! I already want to go back.

The autofocus on the 9-18 is reliable and I was happy flying it. Though I was typically around f/7.1 to stay safe on the Glidecam. I haven't used the 12mm (I am renting one in a few weeks to try it out). The reason I went with the 9-18 was largely based on price - I got it new from a clearance center for under $500. Going a little wider was also a plus for me.

My understanding is that they are both great lenses. But if you want to stay shallow obviously the 12mm is your winner. Have a great time, it's going to be awesome!
 
jmw, nice vid of Africa, almost makes me homesick.

Hi Matt, more tips. We flew into Johannesburg from Sydney on a Qantas 747 400 which has carry on luggage and check in weight limits much greater than the local South African Airways Airbus that flew us from Joberg up to Nairobi in Kenya.

Before you decide on all the gear, you should check all the weights. To arrange then freight overweight gear from Joberg to Nairobi could take days and cost,
and you have to bring it all back home. From Capetown to Nairobi could be worse.

Also sometimes consumer holiday cams are free but pro (looking) rigs have to pay fees at various border and park entry points.

Google all your destinations, for example ... http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/regulations_and_park_fees.html
Forewarned is forearmed mate :)

Cheers.
 
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