Safari support for Nikon 200-400mm?

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Safari support for Nikon 200-400mm?

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lewinp

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I've bitten the bullet and gone for Nikon's 200-400mm howitzer for a safari this September in Africa. Does anyone have any recommendations for lens support? We will be in standard open top safari rovers, I have a sandbag but believe this lens is too heavy to hand hold especially at longer focal lengths. Not sure if the cars will have rails that I can clamp a gimbal head to, but I have seen a lot of photos of people using monopods and a gimbal head on safari.

Also if anyone has any experience using a teleconverter with this lens (I was thinking maybe the 1.4 or 1.7), I read one forum that suggested they are not so practical with this lens.

I appreciate any thoughts!

Posted 1 year ago #
SkintBrit

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Yes, I'd have thought any good quality monopod would be best. I'm not sure if I would add any sort of moving head to it, as I would think this would only exacibate any motion? You can always tilt the monopod. One exception I can think of is if you thought you would be taking shots up in the trees? A tiltable head might be useful in those situations? Congrats on the lens, I hope to be able to justify that or the 400 2.8 one day!

Posted 1 year ago #
sevencrossing

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SkintBrit said:
You can always tilt the monopod.

Tilting a monopod is fine in theory but with a long lens, quite awkward in practice
I have a 70-200 with a 2x converter.I use this with the Calumet Gimbel Head on a tripod . I have just tried it on a monopod and it seems to be Ok .but I have not tested this in the field

Posted 1 year ago #
kyoshinikon

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The Manfrotto 680db with a 234rc head is what I use with my 300mm f2.8 and it works great I prefer having the tilt for the races I shoot at. I really cant say for a safari though... Good lens you've got there.

Posted 1 year ago #
mcginn81

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I've been on three safaris and have used a Tamron 200-400 zoom when I was shooting with Minolta/Sony bodies. I used both a monopod and a bean bag. On one safari two guys had the Nikon 200-400 and I believe they also used both monopods and bean bags. Their truck at times looked like the USS New Jersey.

One caution, we were told that beans could not be brought into the country (Tanzania and Kenya) because of agricultural issues. We just brought empty bean bags and our driver would purchase beans at a grocery for us. At the end of the trip we left the beans with the driver who made a very good soup out of them.

Posted 1 year ago #
kyoshinikon

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sevencrossing said:
Tilting a monopod is fine in theory but with a long lens, quite awkward in practice
I have a 70-200 with a 2x converter.I use this with the Calumet Gimbel Head on a tripod . I have just tried it on a monopod and it seems to be Ok .but I have not tested this in the field

I totally agree... the pod is great for pans however.

Posted 1 year ago #
adamz

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bean bag is a must, monopod is handful but I'll opt for gimbal head on it - either Jobu Design or Wimberlay, as You can lock the axis You don't need and use only those You will need.

as for TC, well - it all depends on the body You have. for FF I would take with me either TC17 or TC20, for DX either TC14 or TC17, You would be surprised how close You can approach to animals on safari .

clams - forget, You are in a moving vehicle, and leaving the lens on one side can block You with taking great snaps from the opposite site, also a two body strategy is good, one long lens on one body and one shorter, i.e. 70-200 on another

Posted 1 year ago #
kanuck

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Each time that I have rented this lens usually around 7-8 times per year I have used it on a monopod (mixed results) or my Gitzo tripod with Gimbal head (better option here) which helps with the panning obviously. I have found it nearly impossible to get usable shots handhead due to its incredible weight. Its also very long like shoulder to finger tip. You are in for a real treat though it has the performance of a fast prime (like a 50mm)and I found it to be sharper than the 300mm VR prime. The 200-400mm is the best lens I have ever used in any system congrats on your purchase it is "the" lens for your type of trip. By the way, is it VR 1 or VR 2? Just curious I think they both are very similar in performance except a slight improvement in actual VR performance but not really an issue seeing as how its never used hand held. Stick with a TC-14 all the way even with reduced speed the image quality is still top notch.

Posted 1 year ago #
TaoTeJared

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I have seen some photos of some Nat Geo guys with a Gimbal head mounted to a Manfrotto type clamp that they could secure to the cross bars of a vehicle. They also had it attached to a plexi-glass type base with a non slip pad to use off of a hood, rock, ground, or create.

Never used it, but always thought those were great ideas.

Posted 1 year ago #
lewinp

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thanks all for sharing your thoughts - I'm in several forums and this is definitely one of the most active communities!

Looks like the monopod is a good way to go, and then probably hand held for leopards in trees rather than fighting the head and trying to tilt up.

FYI the lens is not brand new, that is way beyond what I can afford. I was thinking of the 300mm f/2.8, but then I found a demo 200-400mm lens with full Nikon 2-year warranty at a good discount. Also I live in Switzerland and the exchange rate is very favorable now for $US, almost like a double discount, it was just too good a deal to pass up.

Posted 1 year ago #
SkintBrit

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The way things are with pro gear at the moment, I'm impressed you managed to get any sort of discount. Sounds like you hit the jackpot! Make sure you post some of your pics when you get back.

Posted 1 year ago #
kyoshinikon

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You can also find window and vehicle mounts like the 234 Window pod which are amazingly sturdy for where they sit...

Posted 1 year ago #
colinl

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I am also going on an African Safari in September and plan to take a Nikon 300mm f2.8, Sigma 70-200 f2.8,Sigma 24-70 f2.8 and Nikon 1.4 t/c. I hope with these lenses and a d3 and d300 bodies that i can swap about to bring the crop factor into play for focal length i should cover most of my needs. I plan to use a monopod with fixed head and will take a bean bag and fill with sand when i get there. The 200-400mm I would love but is out with my budget but you should get excellent results with that range. Having never travelled abroad with all my gear i would appreciate some thoughts on how to transport the equipment i am planning to take as i only have 5kg hand luggage and dont want to put it in the hold,

Posted 1 year ago #
Claude Felbert

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It depends on how you are going to be traveling around particularly in the Game Reserves. If in your own vehicle then a bean bag is the answer. Get one with a zip and empty it for traveling and fill it with rice or Buck Wheat when you reach your destination. You will have little use for a monopod from your car. If you are in group transport it makes things even more tricky but I would still go for a bean bag if you can get an outside seat. If you are not on the outside that is where a monopod would come in.

Posted 1 year ago #
kanuck

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Yes agreed please post some of your shots on here I'm sure we would all like to see them. Safari shots are always great to see :)

Posted 1 year ago #