This is clearly one of the nicest big cats that you can find. A large leopard (or panther) with a thick fur and a wide face hosting two blue eyes. This is a dream to photograph. But most people only know such snow leopards from the animals in zoos.

For example, in France, there is a nice specimen in Paris Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (in the Ménagerie) where I shot the photo illustrating this article. There are some nice specimens in the Woodland Park Zoo of Seattle.

The very first thing to remember is that the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is an endangered species in the Red list of the IUCN. This means that they are quite rare: In 2003 the worldwide population (see table above) has been evaluated between 4000 and 6500 individuals. This is probably below the limit to allow long term survival of the species, considering that this Asian Panther is found in an enormous area from Mongolia to India or Nepal.

The distribution is quite uneven, of course, but in most places the animal is quite difficult to find. This makes photo safaris a sort of random hunt for the animal. Furthermore, in many cases, it asks for a lot of walking, usually in high altitude and mountainous treks (Tajikistan valleys have little in common with Swiss Alps).

In all cases, the photographer should need to be able to walk for several hours, the snow leopard may be quite elusive (a specialist I met in Nepal a few years ago expected no photograph from such a photo trip; and some scientists spent months before seeing their first snow leopard in the wild).

That being said, it appears that some locations have become much more attractive for photographers since significant efforts have been applied to create a sustainable push for cohabitation between the leopard and the local population. That has allowed creation of a small economy around the tourists that come, attracted by the snow predator. Several locations in Ladak, India or in Nepal, or in Mongolia have developed significant programs where herders get some cashback in case of predation on their animals, reducing the risk of killing-at-first-sight of the emblematic animal. These have been associated with the training of local guides and the creation of the needed supportive economy (transportation, lodging, restauration, etc.) which ensures that the local people started regarding the snow leopard as a source of revenue rather than a major threat to their livelihood.

For example, I found two of these photo tours/safaris from very serious organizations (This is not a mere walk in a National Park, and it is important to include such a photo trek in a wider support for the protection of the endangered snow leopard).

• Snow Leopard Trust: Hemis, India trek for Snow Leopard
• Wildlife Photo Tours: Snow leopard in Kibber, India
• Pamir (India): Snow leopard in High Pamir
• NatHab: Snow Leopard quest
• Discover Altai: Leopard photo in Mongolia
• Wild Images: In search of the grey ghost of the Mountains (in Ladakh, India)
• Wild Images: Snow Leopards & Wildlife of Mongolia tour (In several locations of Mongolia)
• Annette Mossbacher: Photo Tour To Photograph The Elusive Snow Leopards in the Indian Himalayas
• [FR] Un oeil sur la Nature : voyage photo au Ladakh (Inde)
• [FR] Vialala : safari phot en Ladakh
• [FR] EcoSafaris : vallée de Spiti (Inde)
• [FR] Tamera : observation en Ladakh (sans doute moins photo que les autres)
• [FR] Etendues Sauvages : voyage d’observation
• [FR] Objectif Nature : Vallée de Kibber (et voyages sur mesure)

Nevertheless, if all planets align (Mother Nature is not always sympathetic with our requirements), you’ll bring not only pictures of mountain species (blue sheep or owls and eagles) but some images from one of the most elusive and most handsome big cat, the snow leopard.

See also

• Snow leopards on Flikr
• Wikipedia: Snow Leopard

This is now an official proposal from the US Administration to make this globally compulsory. In a few months, we may see the prohibition from checked luggage of any gear containing a battery (photo or video camera, laptop, smartphone, etc.)

Of course, I would never advise you to leave anything of value in checked luggage (too much risk of theft or violent handling). This may make things clear and simple: All cameras go in cabin!

Travel bags content

Yes! I wrote bags because I strongly recommend having separate bags to split your gear in two categories:

1. Items you need upon arrival; For example, the main DSLR camera body, one or two critical lenses, the battery charger.
2. Items that could be replaced or that would void the trip if missing; For example the monopod, the tripod, replacement cables, the second backup hard drive, some gear bag, etc.

Sorting into these two categories must be less than subtle. It must be draconian and ruthless. Only needed items will go into the first category (the first bag). When arriving at destination, it will be easy to re-organize yourself and spread equipment differently in various bags. Your aim is to reduce drastically the weight of your cabin luggage -it will certainly go other the prescribed limit of the air line. So, before negotiating with the company, you must be able to show that you did your job. And it’s better to sort it out with a cool mind rather than in front of the check-in counter.

For your information, here is my own split (when I go and prepare a photo trip/safari):

1. Essentials:
   • Main DSLR body
   • Long tele-lenses, lenses
   • Battery charger
   • All empty memory cards (they weight nothing!) in a clearly labelled bag
   • Portable hard drive (Hyperspace Colorspace UDMA or similar), a first backup disk and attached connection cables
   • Laptop and charger
   • Invoices of all the gear (You never know when Customs will want added scrutiny)
   • Medical drugs (With prescription, possibly in several languages)
2. Replaceables:
   • My GoPro camera (I mainly shoot pictures; Video is an additional fun, not a priority)
   • Lens bag (like the LowePro Lens Trekker 600AW : The tele-lens will return to its own bag only upon arrival)
   • Extension tubes, optical additions
   • A monopod and/or a tripod (you may want to keep a microscopic Gorilla-Pod in cabin luggage)
   • All replacement batteries
   • The second backup drive (Never keep all your backups in the same bag)
   • The laptop bag
   • Replacement cables
   • Replacement battery chargers and corresponding cables like the 12V car plug connection
   • Sensor cleaning kit, gear cleaning kit(s)
   • A repair kit (neoprene glue, cyanoacrylate glue, knife,scissors, mini-screwdriver)
   • All replacement USB cables (I always have a full set of cables to be able to connect to nearly anything I can find)
   • Most of your clothes
   • Possibly, user manuals (but I prefer the electronic version right on the laptop drive)
   • Headlight and flashlight
   • Gaffer tape
3. Those I can’t decide:
   • Second DSLR camera body
   • Lens filters

Trip Preparation

Some issues are better handled a few days (weeks) ahead. Some are obvious, some may come as a surprise to you.

• If you have a press card from a known newspaper or agency, you may want to contact directly the air company before flying. Some have specific policies (and assistance) to press members, including options to transport expensive gear in cabin (a pro video camera is the first example I would give). But if you only are a well-equipped enthusiast, don’t even try asking…
• Think about country visas for countries you will enter. Two common traps:
  1. If your have a connecting flight, you may have to checkout in a country with different immigration rules than on your destination (even if you stop for only an hour). Check with the airline company beforehand.
  2. Regulations may have changed between reservation and your flight. You’d better check on the Internet ahead of time.
• Some countries accept to establish a visa upon arrival at the airport, but they usually require an immediate payment. Do you have enough cash (in the right currency) ? Is it in your cabin luggage?
• Are your immunization shots perfectly aligned with local regulations? Forget your opinion about the innocuity (or not), local officers will not engage in scientific controversies.
• Some dollars and local cash (spit between different pockets)
• Sun tan
• Non-critical drugs (including drug purse with blisters dressing, burns soothing cream, insect repellent)
• Prepare some reading and entertainment (movies, video games, etc.) pre-loaded on your laptop or iPhone (with headphones to avoid annoying your neighbors and to isolate yourself from the background noise in the plane or the bus).

Finally, it becomes more and more important to ensure that your computer gear and software will work even far from home and without an Internet connection. For example, if you have 2-step validation on your email, be sure to also have replacement safety codes from your service provider (if you are not recognized when far from home or on a different network).

Test your software package without an Internet connection, too. Would your photo software still work when 5000 miles from home? Nothing funny or silly! It happened to me once and this is a real pain in the neck…

Last-minute check

But there are also some last-minute reminders to avoid being caught by surprise. Some items to collect when closing the home door. Check that you have…

• Your passport number (if you lose it, it will be easier to communicate with your consulate); Better, send a scanned copy to yourself or on your smartphone.
• Address and telephone number of your contact upon arrival (not the travel agent at home).
• Address and telephone number of your hotel or lodge.
• Address and telephone number of your rental car company, and the contract number.
• Copies/scans of the tickets and check-in boarding passes on your smartphone.
• Airport parking access code (if you reserved/booked a parking for your car).
• One or more Frequent Flyer program cards (FlyingBlue at Air France, Mileage Plus, or any other similar card program).
• Credit cards (you’d better have more than one in case the main one fails to work, for any reason – It happened twice to me and the failure correction is always waiting for you… at home)

Finally, I recommend to spread dozens of business cards in each and every bag you own and bring with you. If lost, the airport or the company will have no difficulty finding you again, even if the external labels, stickers and attachments are all lost.

Bonus: A free bean bag

Sometime, the airline will distribute a small bag with amenities to assist you during the flight (toothpaste, face mask, ear plugs, etc.) Grab the socks. They are one of the best possible small bean bag, when you fill them with rice or wheat bought on a local market.

Have a nice photo trip!

Be visible

To start with, if your camera is not visible, it may not be stolen. Wear it high and proud. Even more when you go across a Brazilian favella or a Summer croud.

Don’t look around

It’s best to never know where you are, who’s around and what is happening. Walk with the eyes in sky and the surprise will be delighting!

Don’t hold your camera

A lash or a strap or any other link would be a very bad idea: Any hurdle impeding the flight of your photo camera could limit the possibilities of a snatch-and-grab robbery. Handle it in one hand, without any strap; It’s a surer way.

Be proud of its performance and its price

You have to admit that some robbers are not perfectly aware of the photo gear brands and models. Canon, Nikon or Sony are easy to sell by they don’t know it for sure, you must help them recognize the type of camera you have for them. I saw photographers using gaffer (or any other black scotch tape) to mask the brands, logos and model markings of their cameras. This is much too hard on the thieves! They hesitate, they are no longer sure what you have… Forget it! Even when somebody will explain that gaffer is thick enough to protect the camera body or lens against small hits or that it can help maintain the traps and openings perfectly close even in humid or dusty environments. This is for pussies! You’re a real photographer! Don’t be timid. The more expensive the camera, the more important everybody knows.

photo credit: Let Ideas Compete

Similarly, always use the camera strap from your camera (It is littered with logos and markings that will attract even the shorter-sighted thieves: Remember that with this dwindling economy even the older thieves cannot retire).

I hesitate to propose the most effective technique (it’s normally used only by the elite of stolen photographers): Keep your photo bag half open on your shoulder. If it has a recognizable logo, it will lift hesitations from robbers willing to limit themselves to banks and trains: They just have to take the bag and run. Much more productive than stealing a single camera.

Demonstrate your purchasing power

If you go to a photo trip, you’d better bring Armani jeans, Chanel scarves, Rolex watches, and any other expensive and recognizable accessory which will confirm to the would-be thief that you certainly have both something to steal and the means to purchase it again later.

Keep your bag open

My pro advice: An open bag with hanging straps is an open invitation. Be polite and make it. It works even with shy or young thieves. Temptation will be too strong to forget.

photo credit: marc kjerland

Overall, ignore the advice of some seasoned travelers who are also ugly penny-pinchers when they tell you that they use those little plastic wires to close their bags. They are complicated to handle by a thief in a hurry and you could easily open and close them. That’s counter-productive, for sure! And remember that this would be a very bad idea for checked-in plane luggage. Remember not to use a padlock (which would be an issue for Customs) and prefer to keep expensive gear in open bags. As we are here, think twice before keeping expensive things with you. checked-in luggage has the triple advantage of being stolen, lost or totally crushed during airport handling.

Your hotel is your friend

If nothing worked in the airport, you still can ask for help in the hotel: Leave your unused equipment well visible on the bad in your hotel room. If there is even one less-than-delicate people, he will be tempted. Even a surprise visitor could take advantage of the opportunity to offload you of your new hardware already used for a couple of weeks and will provide a good reason to go and buy a new camera.

With this tips list, I sincerely hope that you will go and travel with a light mind. I will be happy to have participated to the non-commercial exchange of goods that you were trying to promote by your tourist activities. What a lovely thought just before leaving for holidays.

photo © 2010 US Army Africa | more info (via: Wylio)

photo © 2008 Nicolò Bonazzi | more info (via: Wylio)

photo © 2010 US Army Africa | more info (via: Wylio)

photo © 2010 Frank Kovalchek | more info (via: Wylio)

Venice Carnival: From February 26th to March 8th, this year.

We must go there next year.

photo credit: Dinh Huynh

So, let’s not forget the basic advice for the photographer in cold weather and we’ll bring good pictures back from the near-Arctic zone of our holidays.

1. Protection against mist and water vapor: Cold generates mist any time hardware moves quickly from one place to another one, violently changing temperature. In a house, it’s warm with a lot of humidity; Outside, it’s cold and the air is dry. Use a plastic bag for freezing food. You’ll close the camera and lenses with outside dry air before getting back in. Don’t forget to remove the battery and/or memory card on the doorstep, of course.
2. Protection against snow: As for rain, you must be wary of the bad consequences of humidity directly one the photo equipment. If the camera is weather-sealed, you’ll forget about it, mostly. But, if not, don’t let snow fall onto it. It’s so much nicer, but it will short-circuit electrical contacts in about the same time.
3. Electrical storage: Be prepared: You need more batteries. In the cold temperatures, all batteries seem to loose a lot of their autonomy. It is advisable to keep unused batteries near your body (for body heat), but above all double all your habits for additional energy storage. You need twice the spare batteries.
4. Protection of the photographer: Hardware is not the only one sensitive to cold. The software photographer also gets cold. Remember to always be clothed more than adequately. You will not shoot good pictures if your are frozen to immobility and get a cold. Remember that it’s always more difficult if you are not moving for a long time.
5. Protection of the photographer: More specifically, choose cautiously your gloves. They must be as warm as possible and as thin as possible (to keep a good finger sensitivity on the controls). You’ll find excellent technical products in shops specializing in outdoor and alpine sports.
6. Don’t forget the light: This is the most common problem with snow, you must over-expose by 2 stops when snow is visible in the viewfinder. The metering sensor and system will try to render some kind of medium light grey color, and with all this white snow, it will strongly under-expose. You must compensate and OVER-expose.

Snap nice frozen photos! And show us them on the Facebook page, or in the Flickr group.

« 2011, Neiges et Glaces du Monde » (2011, Snows and ices of the world) is a project of Marion Jonchères, French mountaineer, sportswoman, adventurer to the end of the world. During a full year, this frail young woman will face cold and altitude while climbing icy summits all over the world, on all continents.

But Marion is also a photographer ; This is why we asked her to share her tips and tricks with us for a better photography in (high) altitude. They will be applicable under 6000m too, of course.

You can follow her 2011 adventure on her blog at ice-altitude.com.

When Yves asks me about the peculiarities of mountain photography, I ask back: What mountain photography? The pictures of the admiring tourist using his photo camera from an outdoor café facing the snowy peaks? Maybe not… Or the pictures of an assiduous practitioner, whose camera is a part of the mountaineering gear? Of course, this goes with some constrains… Here are the lessons I draw from my modest amateur experience.

• • Focus on a camera body as compact and lightweight as possibleDon’t forget that you must carry the photo gear and that it must not limit your progression. The photo hardware is stored in the backpack or carried, inside the clothes or on a shoulder strap. Forget about sensitive equipment!
    If you leave for a trekking or a long expedition, remember the spare batteries or solar battery chargers. The most farsighted mountaineer will have several memory cards, just as insurance against losing all the pictures in case of the long fall of the camera into a crevice or a river…
  • Use a UV filterUltra-violet (UV) light density will increase with altitude. Snow has a blinding effect. The UV filter (Skylight 1A or 1B) helps moderate these effects. Moreover, it will protect the lens if, like I do to speed up operation, you never cover the lens between shots.
  • Favor a wide-angle lens and leave the telephoto homeA wide-angle lens (up to 18 mm) will allow to step back from the somewhat imposing mountains and will better capture your feeling in front of a mountain range… Sometimes, one would wish being equipped for panorama photography!To capture pictures of your climbing partner in action, forget the telephoto lens except if you intend to check on his ice spikes or his climbing helmet. However, a slightly longer focal length (135 mm) is useful to isolate an individual while keeping some image depth.

    And if you want to track the progress of your partners on a mountain side or define an itinerary, you’d better have binoculars ; It’s less heavy and more powerful.

  • Of the difficulty to capture the actual inclination of a rock / snow / ice slopeThe rock wall is vertical and snow slope is inclined to more than 60 degrees, and your leader, above you, still seems to be crawling on all fours? This is the main difficulty for a picture or the progress of your leader. You’d better try to shoot pictures of a person roughly on the same level as you (be sure to catch his best profile!), the sky or other mountains being a background to highlight the position of your model and the slope he/she’s working on. Some low angle shots may be successful too if you keep composition lines or a focal point (an ice tongue or a moraine…).

• Forget about back-lightingExcept if you want to draw the different planes of ranges up to the horizon, mountain is usually quite ugly when back-lit, crushed in light, rock will become black, without any of the contrasts brought by a more favorable lighting.
• Which is the nicest light?Very personal question… If the sunsets can give you magnificent colors, most notably in rosy tints, still prefer the colors of sunrise. The morning orange will be warmer than in the evening and the atmosphere will be clearer. Also notice with interest the pastel lights so peculiar in a Winter afternoon, drawing into apricot or peach: Quite a treat (figuratively speaking)!
• To dazzle your friendsYou just climbed a snow couloir still somewhat unimpressive? So, climb down quickly and shoot the couloir while facing it from a little distance: Your friends may feel that it is now near vertical!
• Despite all your talent and the quality of all your gear… be ready for frustration!Stopping to get your camera out of your jacket will quickly become annoying when you also have to concentrate on your progress. How many times did I feel I had shot 100 pictures to discover only 30 in the camera when the climb is done and most of them uninterested or not spectacular enough or not worth taking… It is somewhat hard to simultaneously climb, admire and shoot! Choose your partner cautiously: On top of his mountaineering qualities, he must be patient to stop whenever you want and whenever the safety conditions are met (certainly not under a serac or in the middle of a snow bridge…)

First, it appears clear that the already existing equipment of a photographer has an inordinate weight in everybody’s choice (you can dream of the Canon 300mm f/2.8; But if you are a Nikon lover, this may stay quite theoretical). Nevertheless, we must not mix our priorities: The presence of three or four “normal” lenses and of one or two SLR bodies in your photo bag, will not weight a lot in the decision to buy a 300mm or a 400mm prime lens. Do the math! You’d better sell everything if the aim is to get the best photo gear. Worse, it may seem hard but if you’re in Olympus gear (maybe with Pentax too, except if you’re both optimist and patient), your only path goes through “moving from that brand”.

Even more, we are often immoderately attached to our SLR bodies while they are obsolete after five years (and already late after a year). Sorry, but an SLR body is nothing more than consumable. On the opposite a good lens is bought for a long time (a kit zoom lens may be also considered as with no value on the second-hand market).

This is more or less the question that Sony is personally asking me. While I have a nice set of excellent lenses from Minolta-Sony-Zeiss, I start to hit the limits of the currently offered lens range that Sony moves only very slowly to the pro side. However, it’s still of small importance while my main body is a Sony Alpha 700 which can easily be described as “no longer top technology”. Since its launch, it has been distanced by the competition and Sony should seriously replace it as soon as possible.

It is often said that buying an SLR photo camera is more or less contracting a marriage. This is less and less true now that most people buy a kit including a long-range zoom and that they are ready to do the same three or five years later. On the opposite, investing a few thousand Euros (or Dollars) in lenses to satisfy your wildlife photo passion does not allow a quick and easy change of opinions. It’s not enough to see the launch of the EOS 5D MkII to leave Nikon or to discover the D7000 to drop Canon. Or you would have to seriously consider (and why not? We may may come back later to this) reselling all old gear on eBay.

We could see that Canon and Nikon are nearly perfectly armed to satisfy the wildlife/nature photographer. Maybe Canon has a slightly richer (or slightly more finely cut) range than Nikon. Sony is still quite insufficient and can only survive here with the enormous help of the second-hand market of Minolta. But a simple poll in the SUV/trucks of Objectif Nature, Amawanda or Terres Oubliées, in the hides of the Pyrénées or the Carpathian Mountains will confirm it: Canon and Nikon are the real masters.

This being said, let’s go and shoot some photos!

The articles themselves:

• Top SLR lenses for Canon
• Top SLR lenses for Nikon
• Top SLR lenses for Sony

You can also request the assistance of many web sites to evaluate the quality of SLR photo lenses.

Today, Sony extended this to include the excellent lenses from Carl Zeiss, but it is less significant than the already large set of tele-lenses from Minolta. Actually, this company had designed an impressive set of long focal prime lenses and a nice set of pro zoom lenses.

Wildlife photographers will actually find a wealth of very good quality lenses even if some of them are either second-hand lenses or re-branded Minolta lenses incorporated into the Sony line-up. But the best news for them is that since Sony incorporates Image Stabilization in the body rather than the lenses, all old Minolta glass immediately got IS when used on a Sony SLR camera like the Alpha 700 or the Alpha 900. A real treat for people willing to use second-hand lenses from eBay…

Amateur

If your priority is to keep the total budget at a rock bottom level, there are two interesting lenses to watch for. The first and most impressive one if the 70-400mm f/4-5,6G SAL-70400G. A recent design from Sony, this is widely considered as the best zoom lens of this category (Canon 100-400mm offering is just not as good and Nikon’s 80-400mm is clearly of lower quality). The price is not small but it gives quite a focal length range.

Interestingly, there is another lens that Sony wildlife SLR photographer should also consider: The 500mm f/8 Reflex SAL-500F80 is a mirror (or reflex) lens, so it brings all the good and bad of such a technology.

Good: Impossibly light 500mm lens (stabilized by the SLR body, of course) with a reasonable quality.

Bad: The fixed aperture is forcing to choose shutter speed against ISO sensitivity.

Bonus: While most mirror/reflex lenses do not allow AF, this is the only reflex lens on the market that can auto-focus on all the Alpha-series SLR bodies.

Speaking of cameras, Sony has a large choice (too large?) of SLR cameras. I will risk a recommendation of the Alpha 55. Despite being really flawed for video capture (an overheating sensor is strongly limiting the length of video clips), it offers an excellent 16MP digital APS-C photo sensor with good AF and amazingly fast continuous shooting rates (10 fps) if you can tolerate the ugly electronic viewfinder.

For landscape photography, use the Sony 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 DT SAL-1870 that will probably come in kit with your camera bosy. This is a bargain.

Enthusiast

The expert photographer will take advantage of second-hand lenses and this is the real good surprise of the Sony solution for wildlife and nature photographers. Prices can drop significantly here while I recommend taking advantage of the exceptional prime lenses available.

Your first choice must be second-hand since these are only from Minolta: Select the 300mm f/4 APO G and the 400mm f/4,5 APO G (two of the “white primes” of the pro G line of Minolta). Relatively light weight and impressively good quality makes these obvious choices. The only real issue is that the 400mm is very rare. You may have to spend some real time looking for it even on eBay. Despite that, prices stay at a reasonable level.

Quite significantly, all the APO G tele-lenses have been designed by Minolta with the focal multipliers in mind, to the point that the focal doubler doesn’t degrade images as much as doublers for Canon or Nikon brands). I recommend strongly the 1,4x multiplier from Sony (or the older Minolta branded if it is a mint-quality second-hand).

Currently, Sony problem is that there is no SLR body that can seriously be recommended here: The Alpha 55 electronic viewfinder will not satisfy any of the enthusiast photographers. The only reasonable choice is between the Alpha 850 (or Alpha 900) and the upcoming/promised replacement for the Alpha 700. A full frame SLR like the A850/A900 is tempting because of its exceptionally good price (under 2000$) but you will loose the focal extension provided by APS-C sensors while the A850/A900 are not very reactive (relatively slow AF and limited continuous shooting). The Alpha 700 is still a good camera at a very good price, but it is now ready for a replacement in 2011. If Sony does not install in it one of their (successful but ugly) electronic viewfinders, the Alpha 750 (tentative name) will be a better choice.

Complementing the initial prime tele-lenses, you would add a Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* SAL-2470Z (same as before) and possibly a Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* SAL-1635ZA. Both are expensive and heavy gear, but you can’t get any better.

In between, a Konica Minolta 200mm f/2.8 APO G AF would be a nice complement for a relatively short tele lens.

Pro

Unfortunately, Sony does not provide a perfect solution set at the pro level. The camera body choice will be limited by the same constraints as above for the expert/enthusiast (either A850/A900 or future A750). 2011 may also bring a new pro-level SLR camera body but nothing is really certain here.

Nevertheless, the long prime lens choice is relatively easy: Go for the Sony 300mm f/2.8 G SAL-300F28G which has all the bells and whistles of the top-quality glass deriving from the original Minolta design updated to the latest standards (including SSM smooth focus).

While you could keep the good old Minolta 400mm f/4,5 APO G previously mentioned, I am sure you are thinking about a 500mm. Unfortunately, while Sony has been showing models, we are still waiting for this lens (probably in February 2011). Quality should be there, since price and weight will be no issue.

As for the expert, before, these tele-lenses will be complemented with a Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* SAL-2470Z and a Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* SAL-1635ZA. I would also add the pro-level (G-series) Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G SAL-70200G zoom lens, for its quality and its SSM focus.

Conclusion

Really, Sony takes full advantage of the existing Minolta line-up of lenses. For example, the Minolta 400mm f/4,5 APO G is simply impressive for a cost usually under 2000$ and a weight compatible with most back-packs.

However, the mix of new technologies and relative lack of understanding of pro photographer needs for the SLR camera bodies, puts Sony is a dire position. It is no surprise that, currently, Sony cameras are not often seen in the bags of photo-safari travelers.

However, the arrival of new 2011 SLR bodies and of a world-class 500mm f/4 prime lens could gradually change this.

In between, Since we don’t often see wildlife photographers equipped with Sony gear, here is a David Bittner video clip where you may find some of the lenses lenses and camera bodies listed above. Will you be able to recognize the 300mm f/2.8 lens or the 70-200mm zoom?

Amateur

Since animals are always hard to approach (in an African safari as well as in a European forest), you must have a lens with the adequate focal length: As long as possible. 300mm is the strict minimum (400mm would be better). But if you want to stay in a tolerable price range (isn’t the amateur defined by his/her high sensitivity to cost issues), it would be better to purchase a zoom lens rather than a prime lens (with fixed focal length). It’s true that a zoom is also easier to handle and use when the distance is imposed by the approach conditions and limits).

Taking these into account, Nikon offers two actual possibilities, despite being very different ones. The first is a 70-300mm f/4,5-5,6 ED IF AF-S VR zoom. Its focal range is quite extended, it’s stabilized, it has super-sonic motor assisted AF, but -over everything else- its picture quality is an excellent surprise (considering its price: You can get it under 500€ on eBay – second-hand).

However, there is a second possibility to reach longer focal lengths: The 80-400mm f/4,5-5,6 D ED AF VR has an optimal focal range, a perfect weight (and handling) and vibration reduction (image stabilization). But the image quality is not totally there. This lens suffers from a relatively old design which will force you to strong post-treatment or to systematically work at f/8 with the longest focal (The most important and most often used one, of course).

Personally, I would prefer the 70-300mm (for its sharpness). But the choice is still difficult. One future event could make it easier and re-shuffle cards: All leaked informations indicate that Nikon is currently working on a new version of the 80-400mm (two recent patent applications are proof of it). We can easily imagine the arrival of an excellent 80-400mm at the end of 2011. If the price stays at a reasonable level (but certainly not under 1000€ anyway), the balance will be tipped toward this newer lens.

Whatever the tele-lens used, the amateur will nearly automatically attach it to a Nikon D7000. This successor to the glorious D90 is so well balanced and brings such an image quality that it’s difficult to recommend anything else right now (end of 2010, beginning of 2011).

In order to also allow landscape photography, I recommend to also bag an 18-70mm f/3,5-4,5 G ED IF AF-S DX. You’ll notice that it shares the same filter diameter (67mm) with the 70-300mm (a cent is a cent, right?). But, more importantly, this will be a well-balanced set for image quality.

Enthusiast

The photographer claiming to be an expert or willing to chase a more ambitious goal will not be contented with the above zoom lenses recommended to the amateur. Here again, I will have to ideas to share according to the depth of your pockets. If you want to go low in costs, look at a 300mm (possibly a second-hand one) like the 300mm f/4 IF ED which despite the lack of stabilization (no VR) has a great image quality to show.

Unfortunately, Nikon has nothing very convincing in terms of both quality and price around 400mm. It will be around and over 5000€ (second-hand!) that we will find the next two lenses despite their very different feature sets.

• If you favor a wide aperture (and its associated nice and soft backgrounds), you will look at the beautiful (but heavy) 400mm f/2,8 D IF-ED II AF-S (or the 400mm f/2,8 G ED AF-S VR which is slightly less expensive and stabilized). It has many fans for a good reason.
• Personally, I fall for the surprising 200-400mm f/4 G IF-ED A-S VR. Its sharpness stays quite homogeneous (and very high) over the focal range and over the aperture range. It’s only drawback: You’re not the only one to know it and the price does not drop much on the second-hand market.

One specificity of the Nikon lens offering is to include excellent focal multipliers. Like nearly all its competitors, the doubler (x2.0) sacrificed too much of image sharpness but the x1.4 and also x1.7 multipliers are impressively good tools.

If you limit yourself to a maximum f/4 aperture and if you use a focal multiplier, it is important to have an SLR body able to produce nice pictures up to 1600 ISO. The Nikon D7000 is still the best candidate here. It’s only drawback is the small size of its image buffer which will limit the number of pictures stored in continuous shooting mode (you will have to keep a light finger on the shutter button)

Add to that solution a low focal length complement. The exceptional 70-200mm f/2,8 G AF-S ED VR II is strongly recommended for this; And complement it with a 17-55mm f/2,8 G IF-ED AF-S DX, very beautiful lens for landscape photography on the excellent DX sensor (in “APS-C” size) of the Nikon D7000.

Pro

But Nikon really shines when you want the best possible quality. If your budget has no limit (or if your dad is Ben Bernanke), Nikon has it all. The fame of the yellow brand is made exactly out of this, and it shows. But, be ready to invest sums that are really not available to mere mortals.

The professional range of tele-lenses of Nikon no longer needs to be presented; You only have to choose from it. I have difficulties recommending the 600mm f/4 D EF-ID II AF-S because of its 4.8 kg / 10.7 lb. weight. Laurent Baheux is the only one I know who uses it without a tripod (often on some kind of support anyway). But he is a wildlife photographer trained as a sports pro photographer. It could be associated to a 400mm f/2,8 D ED-IF II AF-S.

But I would rather be tempted by the more reasonable weight association (Still, make an appointment with your physiotherapist) of a 300mm f/2,8 ED AF-S VR II and a 500mm f/4 D ED-IF II AF-S (The latter also is no less than 3.4 kg / 7.5 lb.) which will be complemented with a x1.4 focal multiplier for a very extended coverage.

Since we’re no longer afraid of anything, the SLR body will naturally be a Nikon D3s for its enormous sensitivity (ISO 6400 is OK for beautiful pictures and it’s not frightened of ISO 102,400).

Do you still have some space left in your bad? Add a 70-200mm f/2,8 G AF-S ED VR II zoom and a 14-24mm f/2,8 G ED AF-S zoom for settings less strongly under the wildlife influence.

Conclusion

As you easily noticed, the Nikon range is more extensive for (or more well targeted to) the pro photographers than the amateur or even the enthusiast. We could be tempted to chose another brand, but, with Nikon, we do long-time investments (which is a major permanent recommendation when speaking about purchasing lenses). Moreover, the NIKON offering of SLR bodies is currently the most impressive and the most powerful on the market (It will change for sure).

The wildlife photographer will be easily contented at Nikon.

Amateur

The obvious priority of the amateur will be, for sure, to completely master his/her budget, while keeping in mind that wildlife photo requires a large focal length.

So, at Canon, there is no doubt about the lens to select; This will be the famous 100-400mm f/4-5,6 L IS USM. After all, for a price somewhat reasonable (taking into account the maximum focal length of 400mm), it is a good lens. Not perfect (it does not have the quality of the prime tele-lenses from the same brand and the maximum aperture has nothing to impress while still compatible with auto-focus), but terribly powerful (the focal length variation is done just by pushing the “pump“).

photo credit: damir.ME

I should also say that this the zoom that its owners love to hate. There are some real issues, but they can be handled:

• The useful “pump” earns its name when working in a dusty environment. The sensor will be copiously dusted even without removing the lens from the body.
• The stabilization is using Canon’s first generation technology. It would be good to upgrade it now. But Canon does not seem to be ready to prepare a version II yet.
• This is all the more annoying because this stabilization has the bad reputation of breaking down (too?) often. And Canon, considering that this is a wearing part, excludes it from the warranty and will charge more than 400€ for repair.
• Last but not least, this 100-400mm also has the bad fame of being subject to sample variation in quality. Some go to the extreme of recommending not to buy it online without a return warranty.

All in all, this is not a surprise that this lens is so frequently present in safari cars and in bird hideouts.

In order to provide an SLR body up to the task, I would suggest the Canon EOS 60D (rather than the Canon EOS 550D) for its reactivity, its well contained price and its weather resistance always needed for outside operation. Moreover, the 18MP sensor will be perfect to support significant re-framing without too much quality loss.

As you will also take some time to do some landscaping, put a 24-105mm f/4 IS USM in your bag. It will ideally complement the tele-zoom in terms of focal length and it has a nice price.

Enthusiast

However, the expert photographer will not be satisfied with the quality of the 100-400mm (it shows its limits on the EOS 7D). He/she will look at the prime lenses. Canon has a superb offering but you need to have very deep pockets and strong shoulders to haul most of the L-series gear. Otherwise, there are some possibilities to check thoroughly, tele-lenses that are no longer in the news but which kept there excellent image performance.

In order to keep a good coverage, I recommend to select the 300mm f/4 L IS USM and the 400mm f/5,6 L USM. These two lenses are often ignored (the 400mm because it does not have the image stabilization) but they have optimal quality). Their maximum aperture is nothing great but this won’t be an issue with the high sensitivity of today’s sensors. Moreover, they can accept the x1.4 focal multiplier (The focal doubler from Canon will be left alone because it degrades images too much).

Now, about the body, Canon has exactly what you need to power these tele-lenses: The Canon EOS 7D. It brought a clear progress for auto-focus and continuous shooting to a range that was in dire need compared to Nikon’s most recent offering. Its ability to produce good pictures at ISO 1600 will be appreciated to compensate for the limited aperture of the selected tele-lens primes.

The only thing left is to complement this with shorter focal length. The excellent 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM cannot be beaten. And we will add the nice EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM which, while not part of the L series has the needed definition to correctly feed the strong needs of the Canon EOS 7D sensor.

There’s more: The advantage of slightly old tele-lenses is that they are relatively easy to find on the second-hand market (for example on eBay). This will reduce the tab too; It was already climbing quite high.

Pro

Now, we need to go from tabs to major invoices. The pro photographer has requirements widely over the limits of most wallets, even the more enthusiast ones. If you don’t want to be frightened here, you should no longer look at the prices: Most people will buy a car for the kind of prices we are going to reach to equip a pro wildlife photographer, but we cannot be greedy if we need top quality.

Canon L-series tele-lenses are at the top of the shopping list. First and foremost, the 300mm f/2,8 L IS USM is king here. It has been considered by most reviewers as simply the best lens ever. The price is scary but the weight is also frightening: 2.55 kg / 5.6 lb. Its successor is coming around the beginning of 2011, with a slightly lower weight but the cost will climb toward 7000€.

It will probably be associated to a superb 500mm f/4 L IS USM, despite being even heavier and more expensive; But you will feel like Michel and Christine Denis-Huot when they wander on the Masai Mara plains in Kenya.

The recommended body will also be a Canon EOS 7D (Yes! It has seduced many pros including those mentioned above). But if you are attracted to large sensors, a Canon EOS 5D MkII will add very pro video capture.

As before, the tele-lenses will be complemented with the 70-200mm f/2,8 L IS USM and EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM.

But, if you went the Full Frame way, you’ll need some changes. To start with, the 17-55mm wide-angle zoom does not cover the field of the large sensor, it will be replaced with a EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM. Then, if you don’t want to compromise quality with a x1.4 focal multier, the 300mm and 500mm will probably be replaced with a 400mm f/2,8 L IS USM and a 600mm f/4 L IS USM. But the weight is becoming really astounding (prohibitive?) and the tripod is now unavoidable.

Conclusion

It is easy to admit that the choice offered by the lens offering from Canon is impressive and this explains how anybody can find what they want, what they need, what they can pay.

Photo Marc Wunderlich – I’m on the left, along with Alain Saunier, our photo guide from Objectif Nature.

Photo-shooting big mammals (mainly in Africa) is one of these activities which feed the fire of passion in many photographers (me included), and have most others dreaming. But you soon discover that lenses are more important (or critical) that the camera itself. If light conditions are often favorable (except in forests), getting top-quality pictures while staying far from the subject is requiring nice glass gear with long focal length. This is why so many wildlife photographers are equipped with enormous tele-lenses. Of course, most professionals will simply choose the best gear for their needs. But most of us mere mortals, up to the Big Cash Prize on our next casino rampage, will be willing to optimize the investment (we will be speaking in thousands of Euros, mind you).

Generally speaking, if you can’t buy true monsters like the 600mm f/4 from Canon or Nikon, the use of an APS-C digital photo sensor (instead of a Full Frame) is assuredly recommended. But what are the best solutions offered by the major brands on the market?

In several posts, I am going to propose recommendations (it could be easy since I won’t pay the final bill) for one of the following photographers: An amateur willing to go on safari but going light (both on the shoulders and the credit card); An expert shooting for the best image quality (often ready to switch to prime lenses instead of the all-in-one zoom lens); or a Pro grabbing the best of the best.

As a matter of fact, in the coming days, we will be publishing a series of articles, one for each of the big brands:

• Top SLR lenses for Canon
• Top SLR lenses for Nikon
• Top SLR lenses for Sony

Actually, they published a retraction indicating that this was false information.

Less surprising, but kudos to them for standing up to good journalism standards: Always check the source information.

As you can figure, this left many Kuwait citizens in a rather odd position. The tourists (though they may not be many of them) exact status is also unclear. I let you imagine the kind of technical talk with police about the fine differences between a small SLR, a big bridge and a hybrid/EVIL photo camera, with or without video features… This would quickly become a great material for a Monty Python comic sketch.

Source: Kuwait Times, via Gizmodo.

photo credit: Tanozzo

This is the surprising advice given by Bruce Schneier about how you could protect your photo luggage when traveling: Pack a starter gun in your luggage. This is definitely considered as a weapon by the TSA and other flight authorities (but it is not dangerous and you don’t need a license to have this “toy gun” normally used to start an athletic race), it has to be formally declared and then it receives extra care from the airline and the law enforcement authorities.

However simple and clean, I never tried such an approach to be sure that photo bags (sturdy ones for sure) can travel correctly by plane.

Last minute thought: Of course, this is to protect checked-in luggage. No airline will ever accept a weapon in the cabin…

This is a very simple web application created by FutureLab AG. Tourist Remover is part of the graphics software suite Online Photo Manager SnapMania.

It works quite simply: You take several pictures of the same location or the same monument. There is always one or more ugly tourists on the photo, but they are never in the same place. The software will identify the partly masked parts and fill them with data coming from images where they were not hidden by a tourist.

If you have enough pictures, if you work with a tripod (to ensure a good correspondence from image to image), it will “wipe” tourists out of the photo. It also works on passing cars or any other annoying mobile object that is tarnishing some of our photos. Technology at the service of solving a real problem.

Via BoingBoing.

Notice: This time, we are no longer on April Fools’ Day…

photo credit: Javier Paredes

You have to admit that you would like to know if the first Sony SLR camera supposed to be a pro photo camera, the Sony Alpha 900, is really up to the real-life constraints of a pro camera. Some people would really test it: Michael Reichmann from Luminous Landscape, simply took a Sony Alpha 900, a Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G tele-zoom and 5 other lenses, for two weeks of photo travel in the Southernmost countries of this world. Result: A rather positive opinion, no real issue after submitting the photo camera to low temperatures and high humidity that were out of its normal operating range.

He also noted the incidents other cameras suffered around him (no less than 77 other photographers!). For example, the Canon EOS 5D MkII which did not survive in cold rain.

The Sony A900 test in Antartica.

The first thing to do is to remove all electrical power source. Electricity does ugly things to metal and electronics. So, start by removing the batteries right now. You may be able to dry them separately, but you’d better be ready to buy new ones (the heavy humidity may damage them too much even if they survive).

Next, you need to dry the camera. As soon as possible. First, use sponge, them some absorbing paper (possibly toilet paper, you will find it nearly everywhere in the world). Try to shake the camera a little, but not too much (you don’t want to drop your camera in the water again!)

After that, a little heat will help. Water will evaporate more easily with warm temperature in a dry air. Avoid at all costs to leave the photo camera on whatever heating system you may find. But a few hours in a warm room will help…

But this will probably not be enough. The finishing touch will be to dip your camera into a bag of rice. This is about the same tip as the one used for the salt in your kitchen or on your table: a little white rice will capture the humidity from the salt crystals and leave it dry. Put your camera in an uncooked rice bag for a week; This may not be very elegant, but it will be do the job for a very little cost.

Only then will you try to insert a battery again. You are never sure that it will work, but all these steps will have tremendously improved the odds.

photo credit: garryknight

It seems that I was not the only one to be worried about traveling as a photographer. I found this interesting article from Photofocus (Traveling? Better Get a UPS Account).

Things keep changing but I noticed three interesting advices or comments:

1. If you are flying from outside the USA to the US, don’t count on getting any carry-ons onto the plane. I was insisting on limiting the weight of your cabin luggage, but Scott goes further…
2. Flying domestically in the USA is no guarantee that your carry on will be allowed.
3. Get a UPS Account. It’s frightening, but it may become the only way to transport photo gear (checked luggage is too easily/often stolen and too harshly handled -even compared to UPS, DHL, Fedex, etc.) and having an account is great for getting better service. And they don’t even charge you for opening an account.

It seems that being a photographer was a pain in the neck in some cities where you were considered as a potential terrorist just for shooting pictures.

Now, the problem will disappear if traveling with your camera gear becomes near to impossible.

• More than ever, the use of an electronic device is prohibited during the take-off and landing phases of the flight. This implies clearly that photos are prohibited (the camera is an electronic device).
• Weight rules for cabin luggage are enforced with even more rigidity that before. Previous packing advice is still applicable, but flexibility nearly disappeared in most airlines. Make sure that you travel light or delay your flight to a later quieter date.
• During the last hour of flight, nothing is allowed on your knees, not even a blanket or a book. Don’t even think of spending the last part of the flight with a photo magazine of an Art Wolfe book.
• Many products and materials are still prohibited in planes. Be attentive and don’t bring air blowers and liquids (sensor cleaning solvents and similar are better in the checked-in luggage in small quantities).
• The flight crew is generally informed to disable the electronic and network equipments like telephones and WiFi (that we started to see appearing as an option of some international flights). So, do not hope to spend too much time transmitting pictures from the plane; It will be nearly impossible in less-than-90-min flights and somewhat inconvenient on many others. [1]
• On the contrary, identity checks should be re-inforced but with no significant impact on photo travels (if you have an acceptable legal status, of course).

Avoiding the countries considered as “potentially dangerous” is also a good idea since these trigger additional controls and checks that may be source of problems. Currently, the French Ministère des Affaires Étrangères lists Yemen, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Algéria and Mali (source: Le Monde). But the whole list of country passports considered worth additional cheks by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has been leaked and it includes: Cuba, Iran, North
Korea, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Yemen and Algeria. You are advised to limit your trips there…

Those -like me- who were relying on the relative calm of the recent months to see the generalization of reasonable measures like those taken by Australia which seemed ready to somewhat relax the rules applicable to the presence of some potentially cutting objects in cabin luggage. But it seems that the opposite is taking place and that it will be more and more difficult to travel. When are we going to see Ryan Air 2006 advertisement prediction of traveling stark naked?

When you’re traveling far in order to satisfy your complementary needs for exoticism and photography, you will have to go through the Customs and/or boarding controls of the airplane. A few things would be good to keep in mind in order to ensure this is a better experience. Here are mine:

• Pack everything really fragile in your cabin luggage, but only that: Your lenses are fragile, but your tripod is not.
• Make sure that all cameras have charged batteries (if you are requested to prove their correct operation).
• If you still use film, ask for a manual screening to avoid burning them through the X-ray machine.
• Have all invoices in a pocket (not in the bag in order to limit the consequences of always possible robbery). Customs may want a proof of purchase/cost/taxes and this could avoid your re-paying of heavy customs taxes.
• Avoid adding a couple of under-the-counter Flash cards from a tax-free country, that may attract the attention of the Customs officer and make them suspicious. You’ll buy cheap during another trip wiht less sensitive hardware…
• When you are checking-in, politely ask if you can keep the bag as cabin luggage (always ask first, always smile and be polite). You should make it look like a small bag even if it is big and heavy (stand up, shoulders high, bag hung on 1 shoulder only, as if it was empty). If accepted, you win.
• If not, politely inform the person that the bag contains expensive equipment. In the extreme, you should be ready to ask for insurance to cover the cost of your photo equipment (this last step is often enough to bring a closure to a possible confrontation).
• In some countries or on some short flights, it may be possible (or necessary if the plane is real small) to purchase an empty seat for a few bags (share with fellow photographers).
• Be sure that whatever weight, your photo bag stays within the size limits (115 cm adding all sides), it is easier to solve things this way.
• Never fly with companies that enforce brutally the cabin luggage weight limit. The list may be changing in time, but two companies actually stand out: British Airways seems to be the nightmare of heavy luggage (no more than 5 kg even with a pro Id card and pre-organized pro-check-in; I know a couple of pros who will take a longer flight just to avoid them) and RyanAir (and many low cost companies) finds all possible ways to make you pay taxes on top of your ticket cost. In any case, check in advance with the company (or your travel agent if they are used to photo trips and photo customers).
• Always be polite. Remember that the person in front of you has to power to ruin your photo trip.

With this it is easier to travel and shoot photos. Do you have some other tip to share?

1. Just go there
2. Learn the Language and Smile
3. Be a Local, not to draw attention
4. Small, Quick and Quiet Cameras
5. Protect your Gear
6. Shoot from the Hip
7. Look for the Vibrancy
8. Move
9. Find a Distraction. Or Create Your Own
10. Know and Use the Right Settings
11. Find Context to Tell a Story
12. If in Doubt, Ask (but do not steal images)
13. Get out of Tourist Traps

And always remember that there are millions of good opportunities for photos, but do not forget to look by yourself (without the camera) and to always think of the people around you.