ICONS OF THE SERENGETI: PRIVATE GUIDED SAFARI
25 November 2024
TRIP REPORT: INCREDIBLE INDIA 2024
26 November 2024ICONS OF THE SERENGETI: PRIVATE GUIDED SAFARI
25 November 2024TRIP REPORT: INCREDIBLE INDIA 2024
26 November 2024ADVENTURE STORIES
THE 100-400MM IN THE OKAVANGO DELTA
The 100-400mm focal range has to be one of the most popular, versatile and accessible focal ranges to buy into. Whether you shoot Canon DSLR, Mirrorless, Nikon or prefer to use third party lenses like Sigma, the chances are that you have this focal range in your camera bag.
But is it enough for a photographic safari to Botswana's Okavango Delta?
When considering your choice of focal length you'll need to take a couple of variables into account. Things like the type of vegetation, the ability to venture off road and get closer to your sightings, and weight restrictions on internal flights.
For the purposes of this blog I'll be sharing images and my experience from a recent trip to Chitabe Camp in the South Eastern reaches of the Okavango Delta. Chitabe is a camp I have been visiting for more than 10 years now and is one of three camps in the Okavango Delta which we include in our Botswana Wilderness Safari itinerary.
Chitabe is in a private concession and not in a National Park/Game Reserve which means that we are able to venture off road. This makes a massive difference for a photographer and impacts the quality and duration of sightings as well as the ability to re-position and get closer to the action. It is important to keep this in mind regarding focal length as you'd likely need a greater focal length if you were not able to venture off road and get closer to a sighting.
For this trip I was carrying quite a bit of gear for the guests joining me which they had rented. This included:
- Canon 400mm F2.8 MKIII + 2X and 1.4X Converters
- Canon 300mm F2.8 MKII + 1.4X Converter
- Canon 200-400mm F4.0 with built-in 1.4x Converter
When deciding on what gear I was going to shoot with I kept it simple and compact: the Canon 1DX MKIII paired with the 100-400mm MKII.
This combo feels like an extension of me. It's light, compact and very versatile. We don't do a lot of night drives in the delta so the maximum aperture of F4.5 rather than 2.8 on something like the 70-200mm F2.8 didn't worry me too much. If I wanted to shoot wider than 100mm and capture more of the scene I could easily shoot a couple of portrait images and stitch them together in Lightroom.
In terms of extra reach, there will always be times where you want to get a bit tighter but, for the most part, a slight crop will make all the difference. The 1DXMKIII is a 20.1 MP camera so, if I have cropped slightly to get to the final image, it’s not like I'm "cheating."
So, while the 100-400mm focal range may be a bit short for the big open plains in East Africa where you may want extra reach, it certainly can capture a wide range of images in the Okavango Delta and many other destinations.
Weight restrictions on internal flights between camps in the Okavango Delta limit you to just 20kgs in TOTAL, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better contender when it comes to size, weight and focal range.
Is 100-400mm enough in Botswana's Okavango Delta?
Absolutely.
Until next time,
TRAVEL TO BOSWANA'S OKAVANGO DELTA WITH WILD EYE
Botswana's Okavango Delta is one of the most diverse and game-rich wilderness areas in Africa. Combining four unique parks, this tour will expose guests to some of the most diverse game viewing and scenery Botswana has to offer.
Mobile camping allows for ultimate freedom and flexibility while providing the opportunity to be exposed to multiple wilderness ecosystems in the most authentic way possible. The experience ends with a bit of luxury aboard the Chobe Princess houseboat, a delightful way to end our camping adventure.
The Botswana Wilderness Safari combines three of Wilderness Safaris’ camps in various parts of the Okavango Delta with the aim of exposing a small group of only four guests to the full range of habitats and environments that the Okavango Delta has to offer.
The Okavango Delta beckons to be seen and enjoyed. It’s an oasis in the Kalahari Desert and provides for a game viewing experience second to none.