Archive for the 'Photo safari' category

You will probably notice a little slow down in publication of posts here in the coming days: I am travelling for a few days to Kenya in order to shoot photos in the Masai Mara National Park during the great migration of herbivores (wildebeests and zebras, mostly).

I will be there with Alain Pons, wildlife photographer, and supported by Amawanda travel agent.

Images later here.

After some interesting comments seen about the age of the current EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS tele-zoom from Canon (for example, in the recent test done by Chasseur d’Images), there is now an active rumour about the arrival of a real replacement.

The Canon EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS II would no longer be a push-pull design but would have a second ring (like the recently presented Sony design). Better for managing the sealing and protection that are so important when used in difficult conditions like a photo-safari. It would also be equipped with an upgraded image stabilizer (the most critical issue with the existing zoom).

Expect a price of US$1700. If that one is true, it will be a very good price.

Announcement: Not sure, but you can bet there would be something about it on September 17th when Canon will present its new SLR body.

Via Canon Rumours.

We were waiting for it, we were speaking about it, we were murmuring. Here it comes. Sony just let some information leak about their new super-tele-lens to complete an already rather rich list of good quality lenses:

The Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM is described in the PDF documentation of the Sony 70-300mm f/4-5.6 G SSM. Obviously, they were designed together. It is a twist-zoom. This will differentiate quite notably from the push-pull type of others like the Canon 100-400mm and it should protect it efficiently against dust entry (and we know that this is the bane of push-pulls.

The technical features can be read from this table. I can imediately notice that the diaphragm is staying between f/4 and f/5.6 (the golden standard of this type of zoom), that the weight is rather high (heavier than the Nikon and the Canon, nearly as much as the Sigma equivalnet) and that the minimum focus distance is very competitive.

Let’s wait for images and tests (and the price), but this could be the ideal lens to go and shoot in a wild-life safari.

Source: DPreview forums. See also my previous article about high-end tele-zooms.

Autumn in the Utah, Zion National Park: A great location for photo and landscape photo lessons from Brett Higgins.

Amateurs of sports photography and wildlife photography are generally well aware that the Holy Grail of lenses seems to be a (relatively) light tele-zoom lens of 100-400mm range and an aperture under f/5.6. This set of features allows a lot of versatility (tele range with the ability to quickly and easily change the frame) and a good behaviour in terms of AF (most modern AF behave correctly up to f/5.6 but no further than this).

This is the reason why the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS UM and Nikon AF 80-400mm VR f/4.5-5.6 D ED has been so successful despite their obviously high prices (around $2000). When I’m on photo safari, I’d say that about half the people around me have one of the Canons as their main lens (somtimes, it’s even their only lens).

Some time ago, Sigma added its own version of this lens (see this high-end zoom lens comparison). And it was a winner in terms of price-performance.

Now, we can expect several significant news in this range of products coming from different manufacturers.

• Sony presented about a year ago a mockup of a zoom lens corresponding well to this range. The word is out that it will be a 70-400mm f/5.6 zoom presented to the European press on August 14th (for an official launch in the beginning of September, probably at the same time Sony launches the Sony Alpha 800 and/or Sony Alpha 900 Full Frame camera(s)).
• According to some rumors (mainly originating from an unsubstantiated initial post at NikonRumours), there will soon be a Nikon AF80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR update. And this should be explaining the reduced availability of the original version.

I would even be tempted to read between the lines of a recent test article of Chasseur d’Image and say that Canon will also be hard pressed to provide an update to its aging 100-400mm. After all, it’s a real cash cow and a sure sale for owners of top- and mid-range cameras like the Canon EOS 40D (and possibly its successor EOS 50D - next year?).

I assume that the lens choice was not the right one. Unfortunately, I could not find the author of this image.

I was very troubled by the initial annoucement of Far Cry 2. This FPS game, taking after the exceptionally good Far Cry, was not really a sequel and not even done by the same team. So, what would you expect? Probably a major failure merely re-using the name of a previous hit. But, months after months, news after news, we discovered that the development team was really working to make it nice and big. An enormous area where you will be able to move around, a Wild African landscape with lots of efforts put in making the changes to the environment as credible as possible (some day-to-night effects that should make it interesting even after STALKER similar effects).

So, before the full availability (sometime in September according to our latest information), it is important to try and check the PC requirements for the FPS gamer willing to run Far Cry 2.

Minimum requirements

• Processor: Pentium 4 3.2 Ghz, Pentium D 2.66 Ghz, AMD Athlon 64 3500+ or better
• Memory: 1 GB of SDRAM
• Graphics: GeForce 68xx or Radeon X1650

Recommended requirements

• Processor: Dual core CPU (Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD 64 x2 5200+, AMD Phenom or better)
• Memory: 2 GB of SDRAM
• Graphics: GeForce 8600 GTS or Radeon X1900 series (Shader model 3.0 and 512 MB of graphic memory)

I recently noticed (in the ads appearing in my web site; some are quite good) the web site of the Jaguar Research Center. I went in October 2007 to Brazil, in Pantanal, at the heart of the Jaguar Research Center. So, I wanted to give a small feedback about this experience.

This is certainly the location where it is easier to find jaguars, these large felines from South America. If you want to see these very discreet animals, you’d better contact the Jaguar Research Center or one of the travel agents that can send you there (like Objectif Nature, my preferred French travel agent for photo-nature trips).

I have to admit that the jaguar being very shy and despite the high concentration of these big cats in Pantanal, it is somewhat difficult to find them: In October 2007, our photo group did not see it once in three days (even if the trackers and a boat of the supporting organisation saw it nearly every day).

All in all, it’s not so desperate even for a photographer like me who was really willing to catch a few fur spots on the digital sensor of my camera. Along with the flagship feline of the South American continent, this zone is a marvellous water paradise, with the Cuiaba, wide Brazilian river, and many calm locations to observe birds and other animals.

So, I heartily recommend the Jaguar Research Center and I will probably return to JRC -with the hope of finally meeting some free jaguars. And their web site is very nice.

You can now start buying some of my photos at RedBubble. I sent them a few original artworks and it gives you access to some products like:

• Cards,
• Matted Prints,
• Laminated Prints,
• Mounted Prints,
• Canvas Prints,
• Framed Prints

Buy my photos at RedBubble

Here is a startling idea to ensure that your luggage will not be lost at the airport and will receive real good treatment from the airline personnel (that is a rare condition). Matt Brandon proposes to declare the presence of a starter pistol. Right! you don’t need a permit or a license of any case, but it is still classified as a firearm and needs to be delcared on checking-in. TSA and other official authorities will identify your bag and ensure that it is the object of all cool attention (they don’t want any weapon potentially lost in an international airport!)

For once, the a… from security will make sure your bags fly securely.

Source: Jon Udell.

Click on the thumbnails image to enlarge them

Pink flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber, Flamant rose). Brazil, 2007.

Click on the thumbnails image to enlarge them

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja, Spatule rosée). Brazil, 2007.