Protection and Insurance of your Camera Equipment

The transportation used in these trips is quite rugged and vibration from engines and corrugated roads can play havoc with your camera gear so, pack it well. Also, it is not uncommon to drop cameras in or out of the vehicle. My own experience, I left my video camera on the open top roof of our vehicle and drove 30 miles in Serengeti. Suddenly I remembered, stopped the vehicle and was so happy to see it there. However the vibrations made it totally useless for the remainder of the safari, no more video of animals. On some trips you will be on board boats and there is the chance that you and your gear may take a swim. Insure your equipment. A Home Owners Policy will usually cover camera gear.

Digital Cameras

Do not let your camera blind you. There is a whole world out there and pictures only capture the images. The sights and sounds of these undeveloped areas are all interwoven, and if you spend an inordinate amount of time peeking through the viewfinder you will miss most of the trip. Be ready with your camera at all times. Animals do not keep appointments; kills happen in a flurry of fur and snarl and leopards leap from trees in a split second.

If you camera isn’t loaded or ready you will miss the award winning shot. The vehicles we use are very stable. However, with 5 to 7 people in them, each person’s movement can effect someone’s ability to take the perfect picture. It is a good idea to ask everyone to be still for just a moment, while you shoot, and thank them afterwards. Please remember not to monopolise the best spot for photos and to be considerate of your fellow trip members’ needs and wishes. Your trip leader will help organise seat rotations within the vehicle.

Every night, make sure you charge all your batteries, have one or two spare batteries, have at least 2 GB storage capacity chips in total on our safaris. This will allow you to click a lot more to get 400 best shots on your tour.

Video Equipment

A video recording of your wildlife safari is a wonderful memento. With today’s technology the cameras are as small as a SLR and are very versatile. It is possible to recharge your camera batteries from some vehicles. You will need to bring approximately 3-4 hours of capacity recording, 3 batteries (one in the camera, one in the recharger, and one spare already charged), a 12 volt charger with a cigarette lighter attachment, crocodile clips and some gaffer tape.

Try recharging your batteries on your own car first to familiarise yourself with the recharging set up. Your driver/trip leader will give you specific instructions about when you can recharge your batteries. To make the most of your videos, shoot some practice film before your trip.

Frequent mistakes are zooming in and out too quickly, holding the camera unsteadily, and swinging the camera around in a fast traverse, all of which can lead to sea-sickness amongst your living room audience.

You will find that the slightest noises will be picked up on your video microphone: motor drives, comments, whispers etc. You might want to bring a clip on microphone so that your own voice or that of your on the spot commentator can be heard above the background roars, clicks, zips and conversation.

Binoculars

Binoculars are strongly recommended for every trip member. They are invaluable for observing larger animals as well as birds. A 7 or 8 power binocular works well for most people, but if you are particularly interested in birds a 10 power is best. We recommend that each trip participant bring his or her own pair, as it is most frustrating to strain for the sight of a brightly coloured bird high in the tree, while waiting to borrow a pair of ‘Binos’, only to have the bird fly away once you finally get the binos.