Having recently reviewed the excellent Benro GH2 Gimbal Head, which I really loved, I was keen to explore what Benro Tripods there were for a photographer going travelling on Safari.
Benro Travel Tripods
Looking at their product range, there is quite a large selection of Benro Travel Tripods to choose from, with their very successful Benro Travel Angel series being the most ideal for taking on safari. What is more is this range has just been updated and thanks to Kenro, the UK distributors, I was lucky enough to get the chance to be one of the first to try out one of their new Travel Angel 2 Tripods – below are my findings and full review:
Benro Travel Angel 2 Tripods
The new Travel Angel 2 range comprises six models with both aluminium and carbon fibre versions. I had the “snappy” named Benro A1682TB0 Travel Angel 2 Tripod Kit to review – an aluminium model with 4 leg sections.
Main Specifications of the Benro A1682TB0
Sections: 4
Max Height: 1.59m / 62.6 in
Folded size: 44cm / 17.32 in
Weight: 1.75kg / 3.89 lbs
Max load: 8kg / 17.6 lbs
Size and Weight
The first thing you will notice after taking the Benro Travel Angel 2 Tripod out of the box and it’s carry case, is the size. Fully collapsed, it is much more compact than most traditional full sized tripods. This compact size can be attributed to the 4 section legs that are also able to fold backwards on themselves (so up towards the center column at 180°). This allows the tripod to collapse down into a nice and small package. At 1.75kg (3.89 lbs) and just 44cm (17.32in) when folded down, the Benro A1682TB0 can easily fit inside most full sized camera bags.
With all 4 legs sections out, with the central column fully retracted the tripod stands at 125cm (49.2in) – excluding the height of the tripod head and measured from the floor to the base of the platform. With the central column fully extended the height extends to 152cm (59.8in). Benro advertise that the tripod’s maximum height is 1.59m (62.6 in) – I can only assume that this is achieved by bringing the legs inwards from their fixed stop at 24° or if they are also taking the height of the tripod head into account?
Weighing 1.75kg / 3.89 lbs, it is perhaps not the lightest travel tripod out there, but for me it is easily light enough and for me the added stability it has over some super light models is far more important. If you do want a lighter tripod, the travel Angel 2 series also has a number of carbon fibre models that weigh a lot less.
The Tripod Legs
This Benro A1682TB0 Travel Angel 2 uses twist locks to open and close the leg sections and have anti-twist legs that prevent the legs from spinning as you turn the twist locks. The anti-twist legs help you to quickly setup and breakdown the tripod, even with one hand and are actually an excellent feature and one that you don’t always find on a tripod in this price range. Setting up can be especially quick, because you can open all three twist locks on each leg with just one hand at the same time and pull on the bottom section to extend all sections in one quick action. This also works when locking all of the sections after you have collapsed the legs.
The legs themselves open and close with a nice smooth action, without being too loose. Each leg can move independently of each other and can click stop and lock at 2 positions: at 24° and at 80°. To move the legs from one of these locked positions, you just pull out the plate with the Benro logo on (see image above).
Adjustable Leg Angle Stops
I really like the way that the Benro Angel 2 tripod legs can be independently locked into place at two different angles. My personal, but larger and heavier Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT Tripod can also do the same thing and this added flexibility has really helped me out in the past. It enables you to use the tripod at almost ground level for unique perspectives. Being able to have diffident legs at different angles has also helped when I was taking some bird shots, but was positioned on the side of a steep embankment. Other times this feature has been useful include when trying to fit my tripod in a tight space, like in and around a bench where I take many of my product photos.
The first click stop for the legs is at the traditional position of about 24°. From here and with a 4 leg sections fully extended, the tripod is at it’s least stable, but was still perfectly adequate for my set-up. To add stability, you could always add some weight to the spring-loaded hook located at the bottom of the center column.
You can then open the legs and fix them at the wider 80° position, which allows you to get much lower to the ground, which can be useful when taking macro or photos from a more unique perspective. One thing to note is the center column has to be extended to roughly half it’s length when the legs are in this 80° position.
Center-Column Hook
The Travel Angel tripod comes with a hook, located on the bottom of the center-column which allows you to hang additional weight from here. Because this is located at the tripod’s center of gravity it will have the effect of increasing stability. Although I never needed to use it, it could be useful to those who are using very heavy and long telephoto lenses.
Tripod + Monopod + Walking Stick
Know as a Transfunctional Tripod, a nice feature on the Travel Angel 2 Tripod is that one of the legs can be converted into a monopod. To do this you just unscrew the detachable leg that has the foam handle on it and is marked with a blue ring and then screw on a head plate that enables you to attach your camera to you new monopod – excellent!
But wait, there is more! You can also use this leg as a walking stick – Instead of attaching the plate that you attach the tripod head to, you can just screw on the “walking stick” head that comes with it’s own compass – this feature is ideal for those who also enjoy walking. A nice touch is my tripod also came with a good quality wrist strap that will prevent you from dropping your walking stick.
Included Extras
Benro have shown some good attention with some of the included extras that come with the Travel Angel Tripods:
Carry Bag
The included carry case looks to be really well made, it is well padded and has an internal zipped pocket and a shoulder strap. This case will provide your tripod and tripod head with some extra protection during transport when you are travelling or going on safari.
Spiked or Rubber Feet
The tripod came initially set-up with rubber feet, but these can be unscrewed and replace with the included stainless steel spiked feet – again this is a nice touch and will help to ensure you have the most stable platform possible, no matter what situation you find yourself in!
Benro B0 Ball Head
My tripod kit came with Benro’s B0 Ballhead that can take an advertised maximum load of 17.6 lbs (8 kg). All BENRO B-Series Ballheads, including this one have two independent manual drag and locking controls as well as a panning control and use a Universal Arca-Swiss style Quick Release mounting plate system. Also included is a built-in bubble Level that helps in making sure that you don’t get uneven pans and head movements.
This B0 ball head easily held my Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR bridge camera even with the Raynox DCR-2025PRO Telephoto Conversion Lens attached, and I am sure it would easily hold most DSLR cameras, I would hesitate in recommending that you use it with a DSLR and a long telephoto lens as I am sure you would get some creep and you would be far better off getting a beefier head.
For me the big omission to this ball head is the lack of a safety lock on the PU-50 Quick Release Plate and so the only thing separating your camera from the ground is one knob that you must make sure is tightened before moving the camera otherwise it could turn out to be a very expensive mistake.
Conclusion
Whilst the Benro A1682TB0 Travel Angel 2 Tripod may not be the lightest, most compact travel tripod available, it is very sturdy and is in my opinion very reasonably priced making it excellent value for money.
The fact that you can also convert it to a monopod and use it as a walking stick is a bonus and I thought that the Benro Travel Angel 2 was a well made good quality tripod. In my opinion, it is also small and light enough to make it an excellent choice for travel and would make an ideal safari tripod.
Cost and Where to buy
Benro Travel Angle Tripods are available on Amazon in both the UK and the USA:
New for 2012 is VANGUARD’s top-of-the-line, professional tripod ball head, BBH Series ball head for professional photographers delivers in all of the key areas – accuracy, precision, convenience and ease of use. No matter the camera’s position, its Rapid Level System enables photographers to guide their camera to be perfectly level with the base, quickly and efficiently.
When the level position is attained, BBH holds the camera in place. This, coupled with use of its two bubble levels to ensure the tripod’s balance, enables perfectly accurate 360-degree panoramic photography and videography. This magnesium ball head has a unique open body design that helps maintain a lighter weight. The ball also boasts a scratch-free, oxidized surface for ultra smooth moment. BBH can be positioned at accurate 90-degree angles in one second. Other features include two bubble levels, a ¼ to 3/8” adaptor on the base and a universal standard clamp that enables quick shoe movement but holds securely in place.
BBH is available in three sizes at street prices of around $169-249.
My usual equipment for wildlife photography includes the use of a superzoom bridge camera like the excellent Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR with a teleconverter lens like the Raynox DCR-2025PRO Super Telephoto Conversion Lens attached to it. One of the big advantages of this set-up is that it is small and light enough to get away with using it with most standard tripod heads (my personal favourite being a pistol grip like the Vanguard GH-100 or the newer Vanguard GH-200.
Using Heavy Photographic Equipment and Long Telephoto Lenses
However I recently got the chance to test and review the new Kowa Prominar Telephoto Lens/Scope, a unique lens that can be used as both a spotting scope and a proper telephoto lens but will only attach to an SLR camera. A fantastic piece of kit, which is cheaper and lighter than many other 500mm lenses designed for SLR cameras (it weighs less than 2kg), but this combined with the SLR camera body meant that whilst my pistol grip could hold it, the set-up was far from ideal. This is because it is difficult to get well balanced and you have to fight the natural tendency of the equipment to want to tip over due to gravity. The only way to stop it tipping over is to use tension control, making moving your camera to aim in a different direction difficult.
Gimbal Tripod Heads
This is where a Gimbal Head really help as they balance your camera and lens at their natural centre of gravity to make them feel almost weightless. This means that tension control is not necessary because your camera and lens cannot flop over and what is more you can move it about and aim it with just one finger.
Benro Professional GH2 Gimbal Head
So I now knew that I needed a Gimbal head, but which one to get? The Rolls Royce of Gimbal heads is probably the Wimberley MKII (WH-200) which is a fantastic piece of kit, but costs around £550/$600, I also looked at the Induro GHB-2 (£420/$490) as well as the Benro GH-2 which is available for around £300/$350.
Designed specifically for for heavy telephoto lenses, The Benro GH-2 gimbal head very similar to the Wimberley WH-200, in fact I think it is based on it, yet costs only half the price.
Overview
Weight 1.44kg
Max Load: 23kg
Length: 24.2cm
Width: 8.9cm
Depth: 24.1cm
Base Diameter 56mm
Build Quality & Setting Up
Inside the rather plain black and gold box, the GH2 comes in two main pieces, the main arm and base mount and the height adjustable mounting plate. As far as build quality and engineering go I thought it looked really well made and once assembled the whole mount feels as solid as a single piece. This is very important as this head has to securely hold some pretty valuable photographic kit.
Size and Weight
Weighting 1.44kg’s the Benro GH2 Professional Gimbal Head weighs the same as the same as the Wimberley MKII (WH-200) and their dimensions are also very similar. Designed to accept a range of telephoto lenses, right up to the very large 800mm ones, it is about as compact as you can get.
Setting Up
Getting the GH2 ready to use is fairly simple. As mentioned earlier, it comes in two parts and these just slide and lock together with the mounting plate lever. You will also need an “international style” lens plate to attach to your lens foot. If you decide on a Benro one, look for the PL Series like the Benro PL100 Lens Plate.
The next step is to attach the GH2 Gimbal Head to your tripod. I was using my trusty Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT Tripod that I highly recommend, but you can use most sturdy standard tripods. Went attaching it, just make sure that the Panning Lock Know is tightened and that you keep the head upright to prevent any chance of cross-threading. Once it is tight you can now attach your lens.
First attach the lens plate securely to your lens foot, then make sure that all knobs on the head are tight as you do not want your lens to fall off at this point! Then undo the quick release knob on the mounting platform of the Gimbal head and slide the lens in – make sure it is correctly seated and tighten the knob securely. A mistake her could be a very expensive one!
If you look at the photos, you will see that I mounted the camera on the plate so that the quick release knob was facing away from me – I guess you could call this backwards, but as I knew I was not going to be using it very often (I don’t often change lenses), I just liked to have it out of the way. Whatever the case, it does not make a difference to how everything works.
At this point it is not important if your camera body is attached to the lens or not – I find it a little easier without as there is less weight and find it easier to later attach the camera to the lens when it is supported and securely held in the Gimbal head.
Balancing
Once the camera is attached it is time to get the system all balanced, so make sure you are set up as you will be using it in the field – So the camera has it’s batteries and your lens hood is extended etc.
To set the horizontal balance – First carefully loosen the Tilt knob and then the QR knob and slide the camera and lens forward or backwards along the QR clamp until you can feel that your set-up will stay level by itself. You can now tighten the QR knob.
To set the vertical balance – Now tilt the lens and adjust the vertical level by loosening the Mounting plate lock lever and moving the plate up and down until you find that the lens will stay at exactly the angle you pointed it at.
That is is – you now have a perfectly counter balanced set-up, making your camera and lens feel almost weightless!
One point to mention here is if you often use different lenses on your camera, you may wish to make some markings on the scale so that it will be easier and quicker to get it all counter balanced correctly when changing lenses.
Ease of Use
Once your equipment is correctly balanced, you can now fully appreciate just how well and just how much easier it is to use heavy equipment and long lenses with a Gimbal Head like the Benro GH2.
Unless you are carrying it, the weight of that long lens and SLR camera just vanishes and makes you instantly wonder how you ever managed to use a ball head! Instead of struggling with the tension controls, you can now just move your camera into almost nay position with just one finger and it will stay in that position without having adjust any knobs or levers – excellent!
I don’t use the Tilt and Panning lock knobs very much out in the field as the wildlife and especially the birds that I mostly shoot always tend to be on the move. Although if you are lucky and what you are shooting stays till, it is great to tighten these up and get the setup as still as possible, or even better a timed shot of the subject.
Available Movement
With this Benro Gimbal head, you get a huge amount of flexibility of movement and the best bit is it is very quick, this is because apart from changing from landscape to portrait, there are no knobs to adjust. The possible movements include:
Pan 306° – With the Panning Lock knob loose, you can rotate the camera a full 360° around the tripod. This movement is also very smooth, which really is important if you shoot video with your.
Vertical Movement – This Gimbal head allows for almost 180° of vertical movement – so from horizontal, you can tilt the lens upwards until it is almost pointing to something directly above you and downwards you could take photos of the feet on your tripod!
To go from landscape to portrait, I just loosened the collar around my lens and rotated the camera and lens..
Conclusion
For my money the Benro GH2 Gimbal Head is a fantastic piece of kit, it is well made and very sturdy, but at the same time you get all the ease of movement that you need to ensure that you can react quickly enough to get the shots you need.
The fact that it is much cheaper than it’s main competitors, without sacrificing any functionality or performance is a real bonus and is why I would say that it offers really good value for money.
Cost & Where to Buy
Good places to check the price of the Benro GH2 Gimbal Head are below:
A while ago I reviewed one of my favourite photography accessories, the Vanguard GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball Head, that really helps me to make sure that I don’t miss that once in a life time shot. Well due to it’s success, Vanguard have just announced that they are introducing a newer model, the GH-200 professional pistol grip ball head and below is the Vanguard Press Release:
Vanguard GH-200 professional pistol grip ball head
GH-200 is modeled after VANGUARD’s multiple award-winning GH-100. GH-200 supports standard and large zoom lenses with impressive security. Its quick shoe plate with clamp knob enables large telephoto lenses to be shifted forward and backward for precise positioning, while maintaining steady center-of-gravity support and preventing accidental release.
GH-200 provides smooth movement with extremely impressive ergonomic control. This well-engineered ball head has the Grip Position Release System with an industry-leading pistol grip-style handle, which rotates 360 degrees and enables you to unlock, reposition and lock gear into place with ease. Its one-handed, convenient operation frees the user’s other hand to make lens zoom adjustments. The handle can be positioned at any angle, too, for maximum comfort. Depression of the handle allows 360-degrees of panning movement and -32 to +90-degrees of side-to-side tilt and -8 to +90-degree back to front tilt movement all round. It instantly locks into place with simple release of the handle.
Other impressive features include its Friction Control System which allows photographers to modify the level of friction on the ball to accommodate changing equipment weight, such as switching to heavier lenses. The anodized center ball allows for extremely fluid movement without sacrificing precise control. It also has a bubble level located beside the quick shoe plate for balance.
Other notable features include a 72-click point panorama, offering 72-point rotation with click-into-place positioning that moves the camera 5 degrees per click and prevents jumps in shots to ensure a perfect 360-degree panorama..
Seeing elephants in the wild can be a magical experience. The chance to see these majestic animals up-close in their natural habitat is not something the majority of people are lucky enough to experience.
However, if you are fortunate enough to be in the position of planning a trip to see elephants in the wild, there are certain places in the world that will give you a great opportunity to do so.
The following 5 destinations are some great places all around the world to see elephants in the wild:
Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka
Located approximately 200km south-east of Colombo city in Sri Lanka, the Udawalawe National Park is widely recognised for the fairly large numbers of elephants that currently reside there (said to be around 400).
With so many elephants living in this 119 Sq mile National Park, anyone wanting to see elephants in the wild should certainly have a Sri Lanka holiday at the top of their list.
Visitors are recommended to take an open-top safari in a 4 wheel-drive vehicle to explore the area, where they can expect to see whole herds of elephants young and old either feeding or bathing or generally playing around!
The park isn’t exclusively home to elephants as there are a huge number of other animals living there including water buffalo, leopards, Sambar deer’s and jackals so you will see a diverse range of animals should you visit the park that was first established in 1972.
Bandipur National Park, India
Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the Bandipur National Park is home to over 5000 Asiatic elephants, a fifth of the world’s total population.
The park is located 80km south of Mysore on the Ooty Road and was first created in the 1930s. Covering 337 Sq miles, it is renowned for being home to both Asian elephants and Bengal tigers.
However, whilst visitors are likely to see elephants during their time at Bandipur National Park, only a select few are lucky enough to see the stunning Bengal tigers living in the area.
The best time of the year to visit to see wildlife including elephants is between March and April but people visit all year around and still manage see beautiful wildlife throughout the park.
If you are planning on visiting the park, it’s worth noting that the wet season is between June and September. Those who visit during this period should carry a raincoat as the breeze during these months render umbrellas useless.
Chobe National Park, Botswana
As Botswana’s second biggest National Park (4500 Sq miles) and perhaps its best known, the Chobe National Park is home to some of the greatest concentration of wildlife in the whole of Africa.
Best renowned for its elephant population of 120,000, the Chobe National Park is undoubtedly one of the best places in the world to see elephants in the wild.
The elephants that live within the Chobe National Park are Kalahari elephants which are characterised by their short tusks and huge size.
As well as these elephants, there are also buffalo, antelope and other stunning wildlife to see.
The best time to visit Botswana’s first National Park (established in 1967) tends to be between April and October although you can visit all year around.
If you are planning a visit to Chobe National Park, one thing you should be sure to consider is the malarial mosquitoes that are found throughout the park. With this in mind, you are strongly advised to take anti-malarial prophylactics before, during and after your stay.
Khao Yai National Park, Thailand
Thailand’s oldest and most visited National Park is located in the Sankamphaeng Mountain Range, 180km north-east of Bangkok.
Covering 835 Sq miles and home to 200 plus wild elephants, the Khao Yai National Park was established in 1962 and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
As well as being a great place to see elephants in the wild, visitors may also be lucky enough to see Sambar deers, Asiatic black bears and leopards amongst other wildlife.
The best time to visit in the year to see elephants is between December and February which is also the coolest part of the year so if you’re planning on heading out for a night time safari it may be worth taking a jumper with you.
Many people who plan a Thailand holiday choose to travel around the country during their visit. If you are currently in the process of planning your trip, Khao Yai National Park is one place that you should be sure to include on your holiday itinerary.
Tembe National Elephant Park, South Africa
Home to 220 of the biggest elephants in the world, the Tembe National Elephant Park is situated in Maputaland which is in the north-eastern region of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa.
As the name of the National Park suggests, the area is renowned for its African elephant herd which are Tembe’s main attraction. In fact, the park is home to South Africa’s only herd of indigenous elephants in the country.
The 115 Sq mile area is also home to the other animals that make up the ‘Big 5’; those being lions, leopards, rhinos and buffalos. There’s plenty of other spectacular wildlife within the Tembe National Elephant Park, making it a great place to visit for those hoping to see a diverse range of animals and birdlife.
In my seemingly never ending quest to make it more comfortable and easier for me take wildlife photos whilst safari, I recently got the change to test the ICS Photography Belt & Harness System from Vanguard.
Vanguard ICS Series
The Vanguard ICS Series actually consists of a whole host of products including a photography belt, harness, vest and a range of small bags to carry equipment like camera bodies, lenses and flashes. These separate ICS series products can be bought individually, but all come together nicely, allowing you to pick and mix the ones that suit your particular needs.
The fact that you can pick and choose only the elements that you really need is great and for me this is especially important as I tend to use slightly different equipment whilst in the bush:
Ideally I want to be able to comfortably carry my camera, telephoto lens, a tripod, a pair of binoculars and a few other small photography accessories in what are often hot and uncomfortable conditions, over difficult terrain and quite often over long distances and/or periods of time. As you can see from the photo below, this is easily possible with this system:
In the photo above, I have attached the ICS Harness to the ICS Belt. Then I have attached two bags to the belt, the ICS 25 Lens bag (under my right hand) is used to carry my Raynox teleconversion lens and I am using the ICS Camera Body Bag that is usually meant for carrying a SLR camera body, to store my Vanguard Spirit ED 8×42 Binoculars in.
What you can’t see in this photo is the ICS Flash Bag attached to the belt behind me, this is usually designed to carry a SRL camera’s flash, but I actually got it because I needed a bag to carry a small water bottle, which is essential for me on long walks in the bush.
My bridge camera is held securely on my shoulder for very quick access. What I really like is that the camera can’t slide off my shoulder as there is a very handy Velcro fastening on the shoulder of the ICS harness that keeps your camera strap in place.
ICS Bags
I chose to use three of the 7 different bags in the Vanguard ICS series (The ICS Body, the ICS Lens 25 and the ICS Flash Bag). Below I have listed the details of them all:
ICS Body Bag – Designed to carry a DSLR camera body, but was an ideal fit form my superzoom bridge camera or it can easily carry a pair of binoculars with some room to spare
ICS Flash Bag – A small bag designed to carry a SRL camera’s flash – I actually got it because I needed a bag to carry a small water bottle, which is essential for me on long walks in the bush.
ICS Bag 8 – For larger compact digital cameras
ICS Bag 12 – A fairly wide bag that has been designed to carry a small camcorder and is ideal for something like the Canon LEGRIA HF M406
ICS Bag 14 – A fairly large bag for storing a DSLR camera with attached standard kit lens
ICS Lens 18 – Designed to take a 24-70mm f/2.8 and a telephoto zoom like 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6
ICS Lens 25 – Designed to take a large telephoto zoom lens such as a 70-200mm f/2.8 and fitted my Raynox 2.2x teleconversion lens perfectly
All the ICS bags come with a built in rain cover that is neatly kept in a zippered pocket, a connecting flap with Velcro fasteners that ensures that they securely attach to the ICS belt or indeed any belt and even some vests. They alaso all come with their own carry strap, should you wish to use them on their own. I thought that the bags that I tested were very well made, had plenty of padding and the zip fasteners worked excellently without ever getting stuck.
ICS Belt
The Vanguard ICS Belt comes in three sizes, small medium and large and like all the other products in the ICS series, it looks to be very well made, the quick release buckle also looks fairly tough and should not break or come apart easily.
The belt itself is very well padded which really helps when you are carrying all of your gear and in my experience of using it never got uncomfortable. What I really like though is that you can remove the major part of the padding, leaving a slim lined version for when you are wanting to carry less or lighter equipment.
This is great because there are times when I really want to travel light and this way I can just use the belt, without the harness with just one or two of the smaller bags attached to it. In this situation, the padding can be overkill and so being able to remove it is a really good idea and makes it much less bulkier.
The padded part of the belt also has two small zipped pockets that are ideal for storing items like memory cards and possible some personal items like keys or money.
The ICS bags attach to the belt via Velcro fastened loops that are very secure and should not come away accidentally. I like it that you can position the bags anywhere on the belt, even on the back. This you you can make sure that the belt is well balanced and what you need most is easiest to get to. The belt also has a number of metal loops dotted all around it that make it easy to attach any other equipment that you may have.
ICS Harness
The photo harness comes in two sizes – small and large and is very customizable. It fits to the belt using two straps on the front and one on your back. All of which are highly customizable and so you should not have any problems ensuring that you get a comfortable fit.
A small feature, but one that I really like is the velcro loop on the shoulder that you can use to secure your camera strap to to make sure that it does not slide off – I use this all the time and shows excellent attention to detail from Vanguard.
The harness itself also has a number of other loops and buckles, to which you could carry some more equipment, but for me it’s main use was to help take the weight on the belt. For me the shoulder pads were very comfortable, even on long walks with all my equipment. attached to the system.
There is a small chest strap that fits together with a quick release buckle and is there to ensure that the harness does not come apart and slide off of your shoulders.
Much of the rear section is made from mesh which is light, but still easily strong to carry even the heaviest of loads. It also means that you should sweat less under it.
You can also use the harness to carry a shoulder bag/zoom bag on you back as it has what Vanguard say is a “innovative adjustment system on the back”, effectively turning it into a backpack. This is not something that I have yet tried, but because of the straps, buckles and Velcro fasteners on the back, there are a number of ways that you could adapt it to carry a bag on your back.
ICS Vest
The Vanguard ICS system also includes a vest that attaches to the harness, this is to enable you to carry even more on yourself. I did not think that it was necessary from my needs and so did not order it and so cannot comment too much on it.
Camera Backpack vs Photography Harness & Belt
My usual solution to carrying all my optical gear is to use a camera bag, with my current favourite being the Vanguard Skyborne 45 Camera Backpack, but it does have a couple of disadvantages when compared to a harness system like the Vanguard ICS:
1) With a camera backpack, it can be quite difficult at times to access some of your gear and you often have to remove the bag to get at certain items. Whilst it may take a little longer to initially set up and pack the harness and belt system, once done you can quickly access all your lenses, memory cards, batteries and even binoculars without having to take it off you. This means far less hassle and is quicker, helping to ensure that you don’t miss that once in a lifetime shot because you were rummaging through a bag!
2) Even though there are vents on the back, it can still get pretty sweaty on your back – with the ICS, you have far less material in contact with your body and on the back it is also made from mesh which means that you should sweat less under it and will be much cooler to carry over long distances in hot weather.
The down side to the Belt and harness system is that you don’t really have anywhere to carry a tripod as you do with a camera backpack.
I did actually connect my full sized Alta Pro 263AT Tripod with the GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball Head to the side of the ICS belt using a quick release clip, which actually worked pretty well and would be far better than having to carry the tripod, but it is not ideal.
Whilst on safari if you want to be able to enjoy yourself and take really great wildlife photos, three of the most important considerations when choosing your equipment are:
The size and weight of all your safari gear
Is all your gear comfortable to carry around with you
Is it all very easily accessible at all times
Video: Vanguard ICS Collection 2011
Below is the Vanguard promotional video that that demonstrates how all the ICS photo products fit together and their main features:
Conclusion
I have written a lot about what I think are the Best Cameras for Safari and Travel and why for people like me, who really enjoy wildlife photography and who like taking great pictures on safari, but are who not professional photographers, I highly recommend using a Superzoom Bridge Camera and not a full SLR camera for safaris, so I wont go over that again.
But what I will say is that for me, keeping the size and weight of my equipment down to a minimum is very important. This really helps me when I am travelling as well as when I am actually out in the field or on safari. On my next trip I plan to do a lot of walking in the bush and so I was looking for something that could help me to carry my gear, but be lighter and cooler than traditional camera backpack. The Vanguard ICS does exactly this and I will definitely be using it and overall I highly recommend it for anyone with the same or similar needs.
Build Quality: 9/10 – Very well made using high quality materials. All zips, buckles and fasteners work well and are secure Design: 9/10 – Very innovative and I love how flexible it is and all the different ways you can use it. The fact that you can mix and match which parts of the ICS system you want is also great. Carrying Capacity: 8/10 – Here again you can get as many or as few bags as you need to suit your requirements. I just need to figure out the best way to carry my tripod. Style: 8/10 – You can look a little like Rambo with it all on – this can be a good or bad thing, but you definitely look like you mean business!
Cost & Where to Buy
Depending on what you buy, will obviously dictate the price – Good places to check the prices and buy each part of the Vanguard ICS system are below:
I recently caught up with a couple of the guys from MINOX at the CLA Game Fair 2011 that was held at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. We spoke a little about their range of binoculars, especially the ones that are ideal for taking on safari like the excellent Minox BL 8×33 Binoculars and their compact BD 7×28 IF binoculars. After a short while I noticed a small green box on their stand and enquired about what it was and what it did:
MINOX DTC 500 Trail Camera
They told me that it was their new trail or game camera. Which for the benefit of those who don’t know is a camera that you leave at a location to take photos or video of what ever passes by that activates the motion sensor on the camera.
This is something that I have been wanting to take with me into the bush for a long time, but have as yet just never got around to getting one for myself and so jumped at the opportunity to get one to review.
Unfortunately for me, I would not be going back to Africa until next year, but did organise for a brilliant wildlife photographer and good friend of mine to take one with him, so that he could try it out.
Main Features & Specifications
Up to 8 megapixel resolution
Internal 2,5″ colour monitor
Colour Pictures during the day – Black & White at night
Records date, time, temperature and moon phases
High speed release
Powerful Infrared (IR) flash with a range of up to 15 meters
Low power usage
Up to 9 picture series and videos up to 60 seconds
Password protection
Power: 8 x 1,5 Volt AA batteries – battery life of over 6 months
Dimensions: 153 x 114 x 66 mm
Main Uses
The main intended use of this Minox camera is to capture images and video clips of animals in the wild or for analysing animal movements around the clock.
For Safaris? Whilst this camera won’t be ideal for all types of safaris, I can imagine that for those who will be camping in a wild area or if you will be staying at a lodge that will accommodate your request to leave the camera at an ideal spot on the reserve (and most should) then I can see this as being a fantastic piece of kit to take with.
Compact Size
This Minox DTC 500 and most other trail cameras are not quite as small as a compact camera, this is because they need to have a protective waterproof casing around the camera as well as include the motion detection sensor and the Infra Red LED’s for night shots. So the fact that it still only measures 15.3×11.4×6.6cm is pretty impressive and is almost half the size many other makes.
This relatively small size means that it won’t take up too much space in your suitcase and the fact that the camera comes encased in a tough waterproof exterior means that I would probably also just put it in with my main luggage, rather than having to carry it on board as part of your hand luggage.
Image Quality & Resolution
On the right are example photos taken at day and at night with the MINOX DTC 500 camera.
The MINOX DTC 500 has a maximum 8 megapixel resolution, which when compared to most “standard” digital cameras that you find these days is a little low, but is about the same as it’s main competitors.
The image resolution can also be adjusted to shoot at lower resolutions to save space if you are planning on leaving the camera out in the field for long periods of time. Remember that this camera has a battery life of over 6 months!
The camera will also document the date, time, temperature and moon phase of each shot, in this way you will know exactly which animal was where, when and for how long!
Continuous Shooting Mode
Another great feature is the continuous shooting function that when selected will enable this Minox trail camera to shoot from one to 9 sequential shots in rapid sequence every time the shutter release is actuated – be that manual, time lapse or via the motion sensor.
Most people will probably just set the camera to “shoot” with the motion sensor, but rather cleverly there is also a nice time lapse mode that will record the next movement at a programmed interval. This can be set to 5s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 1min, 5min, 10min, 30min, or 60min. In this way you can make sure that the camera does not take too many photos of the same event if you don’t want it to.
More Sample Photos
Video
As well as photographs, you can record video with the DTC 500. Once the camera is activated either by the motion sensor or the time lapse setting, it will record video of between 10 and 60 seconds depending on what settings you use.
Below is a video I put together using footage taken with the Minox DTC 500
Night Time Shooting
This trail camera has a infrared flash that will allow the camera to take black & white photos with a range of up to 15 meters in unfavorable light, twilight or at night.
Storage
Both photos and video are stored on a SD card. The slot that you insert the card into is located inside the protective body.
The Body
The camera and sensors are protected by a tough and weatherproof plastic body that is not only water and dust proof, but will protect the unit from cold and heat.
This tough body case actually helped us as during the testing of the camera in Zimbabwe – One elephant took a keen interest in this little “green box” and actually came and nudged it with it’s forehead and trunk. Luckily it did not use all of it’s power as that would damage almost any protective case. But the case was tough enough to prevent the camera from being damaged by this inquisitive ele. You can see footage of the actual elephant that did this in the video footage above.
A feature that I really like is the integrated 2.5″ LCD display that is located and protected on the inside of the body. This is great because it means that you can leave the camera at a remote location, go back the next day and check your results without having to carry a computer with you.
The USB port and included cables will allow you to view/transfer your images to a computer or other device. There is also a port that enables you to view images on your TV and one which you can insert a external 6V DC power supply (not included).
On the inside left of the body is the battery compartment that takes 8 x 1,5 Volt AA batteries and what is really impressive is that according to Minox, the camera has a battery life of over 6 months! I am not sure if this includes the batteries that come with camera or if you need to use some more powerful NiMH or Lithium batteries.
One thing to mention is that the battery compartment does not have a door or any other way of keeping the batteries in place, and so they can sometimes come loose when you are adjusting the camera. Just a little thing, but this can be a little annoying.
Why use a Trail Camera?
I think that the biggest lure for me is getting the opportunity to see why comes by once humans have left an area… you just never know what you are going to capture!
We were lucky enough to get footage of some animals that you almost never see in the wild due to their nocturnal and or shy behaviour. This included a Porcupine, African Civet, and Honey Badgers.
On top of this we got some really close up footage of Spotted Hyenas, Elephants and Warthogs that would be very difficult to get otherwise.
As well as this it is a great way of being able to document exactly what animals are active in a particular area.
For another example I recently read an article where a team from the BBC filmed a “lost” population of tigers living in Bhutan mountains. The researchers used trail cameras very similar to the Minox DTC 500 (they actually used the Bushnell Trophy Cam). You can see a short video of this amazing discovery below that will also give you an ide of the quality that you can expect both during the day and night:
Mounting the Camera
On the back of the camera there are two slots that are used to pass the included mounting strap through. Because this tough nylon strap is about 1 meter long, you can then use it to attach the camera securely to anything from a fence post to a fairly large tree trunk.
As well as this, there is also a standard 14″ thread for mounting the unit to a tripod.
Also Included
The Minox DTC 500 comes with an instruction booklet, a tough nylon mounting strap as well as USB and TV cables, a set of 8 AA batteries, a 1GB micro SD card and an adapter that converts the micro SD card to the standard SD card size to enable you to easily use it with this camera and on your computer.
Conclusion
A really excellent device that takes good quality photos and video. Overall I would highly recommend this Minox DTC 500 Camera to anyone who is looking to capture footage that would not be possible to do if you were present.
Possible Future Improvements
After testing this camera below are a few of our recommendations to Minox on how they could possibly improve on what is already a great camera:
Mounting – Mounting it on something like a tree is easy, but to then aim the camera is a little trick – it would be great if they had some sort of ball head or a way of rotating the camera once it is fastened.
Knowing exactly where the camera will take a photo is trick as their is no view finder – perhaps they could use something like a laser sighter?
Sound – it would be great if it also recorded sound with the video!
Cost & Where to Buy
The Minox DTC 500 costs about $349 in the US or about £350 in the UK: (Order-No. 60674)
If like me, you enjoy photography, you probably have heard of or even use a Lowepro Camera Bag. But did you know that they now also produce a line a bags called the Lowepro Optics Range that is especially designed especially for birders and wildlife enthusiasts that often use binoculars or spotting scopes as as well as their cameras.
The Lowepro Field Station Belt Pack
I was recently given the chance to test the smallest bag in the range, called the Field Station it is a hands-free beltpack or fannypack that can carry your binoculars (or camera), field guide and some personal items like your money, keys, phone and a small water bottle.
But the Field Station is far more than just a bag that you carry your binoculars and field guide in as it also has a unique and rather ingenious platform that slides out of the bag. Called the “QuickShelf”, you use it to support your bird book, field guide or even a tablet-style computer like an iPad. What I really like is this shelf is not only steady enough to support your book, but you can make notes on it. This means that when you spot a bird or other wildlife, you can look it up, leave the book open at that page and then continue to observe it through binoculars, going back to the book at any time for further reference or to make notes.
For Safari?
Whilst the Field Station has been aimed at birders, I feel it has the potential to be very useful in a wide variety of situations. This would include general wildlife observation and even field researchers who often use binoculars and who could use the steady platform to write down their observations and notes. Artists could also use the shelf to make quick sketches on a pad whilst out in the field.
So on Safari, especially walking safaris this small bag would be ideal for travelling light leaving both hands free, which always makes walking through the bush much easier.
Using the Field Station
To really test the Field Station, I took it with me on a number of walks and I must say that even when fully loaded with my full sized Vanguard Spirit ED 8×42 binoculars, a large bird book, a compact camera, a small bottle of water, my cell phone, my keys and a wallet it was still pretty comfortable even after a few hours of walking.
For me the most comfortable way to walk with it, is to swing it around and use it more as a bum bag and then twist it back to your front when you need anything from it.
Accessing your binoculars and your reference book from the bag is fairly quick and easy, although to make it as quick as possible and to ensure that you don’t scare away birds and other wildlife with the un-zipping sound, I would keep the lid closed but unzipped. This is not a problem because the binoculars fit very snugly in their pocket as does your book in the shelf section. Things like your money and keys can be kept in a number of other pockets that have their own zip to keep them safe.
Initially I though that the shelf would probably be a little gimmicky, but after trying it and getting used to it, I found that it actually works really well and it is something that I really grew to like. What is interesting is that in the past I would often not bother to take my bird book or other reference books with me as they would often get damaged in my back pack and were just too much of a pain to access. With the Field Station, there really is now no reason not to take one with you as both of these problems have been addressed. I also like the attention to detail with the elastic strap that you can use to keep a place in the book for even quicker access.
A Compact Photography Bag?
One feature that I really like about this bag is it’s versatility: On my walks I always like to take some sort of camera with me and on my first few tests with the Field Station, I just took my compact camera which easily fitted next to the binoculars in the main compartment. This camera is fine for taking general scenic shots, but is just not good enough when it comes to taking quality photos of birds and other wildlife.
For this, the camera that I have been using is the excellent Fujifilm Finepix HS20 EXR, a fairly large bridge camera that is not much smaller than most SLR’s. To fit it into the Field Station all I did was to remove the binocular compartment which works pretty well.
Then for my binoculars, I just used my favorite binocular harness, the LockDown Optics Deployment System, which meant that I on my walks I now not only had my bird book, binoculars and best camera with me, but was still completely hands free – Excellent.
Beltpack Vs Backpack
Up until now I have always used my favorite camera backpack, the Vanguard Skyborne 45, but there have been times when I have wanted to travel a little lighter and because you carry it on your back, it can take a little time to access your binoculars and books from the top compartments.
Weighing just 1.6lbs/0.7kg, it is far lighter than the Vanguard backpack and because it sits on your waist, it makes accessing your binoculars and books far quicker than having to take a pack off of your back and put it on the ground.
However if you wanted to take a lot more gear, a backpack like the Vanguard Skyborne 45 would be far more suitable.
Other Storage Space
As well as your binoculars and field guide, the bag also has a number of pockets and compartments in which you can carry a bunch of other gear that you may have or need for a full day out on safari:
On bag’s exterior has two mesh pockets, one on either side of the bag, both of which have an elasticated top and the one on the right also comes with a flap that is fastened with Velcro. These make ideal places to carry things like camera batteries, pencils or a small water bottle. Then on the front there is another pocket, that can be zipped closed.
In side the bag, there is another zipped pocket under the lid, a snap keyring holder and a small pocket that looks like it had been designed to hold a mobile phone.
Conclusion
Overall I really like the Lowepro Field Station and recommend it to anyone looking for a small lightweight solution to carrying your essential field equipment that would work well on a walking safari. It is very well made with high quality materials, the flip out shelf is a great feature that has been very well thought out and it was comfortable to wear even on long walks and fully laden.
Cost & Where to Buy
The Lowepro Field Station costs about $99 in the US or about £80 in the UK:
As well as the Field Station, the Lowepro Optics range of bags consists of 3 larger backbacks designed to be used with spotting scopes or a large amount of equipment:
Scope Travel 200 AW - Can carry a spotting scope, tripod, binoculars, compact camera, digiscope adapter, field guide and personal items
Scope Photo Travel 350 AW – Can carry a spotting scope, tripod, binoculars, DSLR, extra lens, laptop, field guide, personal items
Scope Porter 200™ AW – Can carry a spotting scope, tripod, binoculars, hydration reservoir, field guide, personal items
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Warehouse Express for organising the Lowepro Field Station bag to be sent to me to review. I would also like to point out that all the reviews on this site, including this one are my opinion and are not influenced in any way by manufacturers, distributors or suppliers. I do however think that it is worth noting that at the time of writing Warehouse Express currently have the Field Station listed on their site for £139. Check current price on Warehouseexpress.com.
Earlier this year I went on Safari in Zimbabwe and with me I took a pair of the excellent Luna Optics LN-PB3 Night vision binoculars that I had previously reviewed and because they were so good, I just simply could not leave them behind.
Below are a few of my personal experiences with the night vision binoculars on that trip, which I think really highlight just why I think that you should really consider taking a pair on your next safari holiday:
Viewing Elephants at Night with Night Vision
During my stay in Zimbabwe, I went on a houseboat on Lake Kariba. Located on the Zambezi river, by volume it is the largest artificial lake in the world and there is plenty of wildlife that lives in and around it’s shoreline and it is where where elephants are a very common sight, but it is not that often that you get to watch them at night:
Late one afternoon as the sun was setting, I watched and took photos of a couple of elephant bulls feeding on an island and just before it completely set, they swam across the small stretch of water between the island and the mainland. The water was deep and they became completely submerged, except for their trunks. This in itself was really great to see, but later on that night I was in for far more of a treat.
On the houseboat, I usually sleep out on the front deck under the stars instead of inside a cabin. I love it as not only do the stars seem to shine much brighter in Africa, but from here you get to hear all the sounds of the bush at night.
On this particular night I heard the breaking of branches not far from the boat and knew what it was – the elephants, tearing at the trees for food. Turing on the Luna Optics LN-PB3 Night vision binoculars, I was able to sit and watch them for ages.
For me it is always fascinating to watch these majestic animals at night and this occasion was no diofferent. What was also very interesting was to note just how good their eyesight must be as even though there was nothing but the light from the stars and the moon, they purposely walked over the large ropes that we use to secure the boat to the shore, being very careful so as not to touch them.
The Bat and the Hippo
Spending some time on a houseboat on Lake Kariba is a wonderful experience and is a great way to view animals like elephants, buffalo, crocodiles and a whole host of African birds. It is also a great place to go if you like fishing as lying within these waters is the mighty Tigerfish (Hydrocynus forskalii).
Obviously being on the water another very common sight during the day are Hippopotamuses, but like the elephants you rarely get the opportunity to observe them at night.
At night the boat is moored up against the land and shortly after going to bed one night, (I usually sleep out on the deck under the stars) I heard the unmistakable sound of a hippo coming out of the water onto the land to feed (Hippos usually feed on land at night because their skin is very sensitive to the sun and they can even get sunburnt.)
With so many hippos, this sight is not uncommon around Lake Kariba and I have often seen them eating at night, but never without using a light. So I quickly reached for the Luna Optics binoculars and what I saw was a complete revelation. Sure enough there was a large hippo munching on the grass only 20 meters from the boat, but what I also saw astonished me:
I could also clearly see a bat flying around it again and again. The reason for this I imagine is that it must have been an Insect-eating bat (Microchiroptera) that was taking advantage of the fact that the hippo was flushing insects out from the ground.
For me this sight was incredible and I just wonder if anyone has ever seen this behavior or even if it has been documented it before?
The Greater Bush Baby (Galago crassicaudatus)
During my safari holiday, I also spent a few nights at a Game reserve called Imire. This 11,000 acre game park is located about 105kms east of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare and belongs to conservationists John and Judy Travers who have made it their lives’ work to give rescued wild animals a home.
At the heart of Imire is their black rhino conservation project and for over twenty years they have been breeding these critically endangered mammals and returning them to national parks at Imire. However as we learnt illegal poaching in Zimbabwe means they face a daily battle to keep their animals alive. So what I really like is that by visiting Imire, you can also feel good in the knowledge that the money you spend here is going to a great cause.
On my second night at Imire, I was woken by noise in a tree behind our lodge. It was a sound that I had never heard that close before, it was very loud and and sounded like a little like a human child crying and was rather scary!
Plucking up a little courage and taking my night vision binoculars with me, I decided to go and investigate. Using just the Luna Optics binoculars, I could make out that there was something fairly large in the tree behind our lodge, it was about the size of the cat, but because it was fairly high up, I could not positively identify it.
Turning on the LN-ELIR-1 laser illuminator (an extra laser illuminator that can be attached to the binoculars), I instantly recognised it as the Greater Bush Baby (Galago crassicaudatus). Worth mentioning here is that the laser illuminator is invisible to wildlife, but their eyes shine back at you, almost like cat eyes do on the road. This makes finding animals soo much easier than if you were not using it.
After watching “him” for a while, he moved out of sight and I went back to bed. I was thrilled to have seen the Bush Baby and to have been able to identify the animal that made the sound made going back to sleep much easier! Because I was using night vision, I was able to watch it in it’s own environment, acting completely normally without me having to disturb it with a spotlight or torch, which is what you really want.
Conclusion
Apart from these highlights, I had many other wonderful experiences with the night vision binoculars and it is why I highly recommend that if you are going to be spending a few nights on safari or anywhere in the wild that you get yourself a good pair.
I can’t speak for all Night Vision binoculars, but the Luna Optics LN-PB3 Night vision binoculars that I was using were excellent but I must stress that what really made them was the additional LN-ELIR-1 laser illuminator that you can buy as an accessory to add to it as it really does make a huge difference.
Please note: All of the images used in this article were taken by me, apart from the green night vision ones. Unfortunately I did not have the capability to take photos through a night vision device and they are only there as a guide, but what I will say is in terms of quality, they fairly accurately depict what I could actually see through the binoculars.
For a long time, my favourite binoculars for safaris were my pair compact Steiner 10.5×28 Wildlife Pro’s. One of the main reasons for this was because they were so small and because of their double hinge design, I could easily keep them in my pocket when not in use. In this way I could go on a walking safari and easily take my camera AND my binoculars.
The downside to this was because these binoculars have such small objective lenses (28mm diameter), they let in less light and therefore produce an image that is less bright than an equal quality binocular with larger lenses. To compound the problem, a lot of the time I would be going out on either a game walk or on safari in a vehicle early in the morning or just before sunset when a lot more of Africa’s wildlife is at their most active and you get a better chance of finding it. So in many ways a compact binocular was not ideal as at this time the light is also not at it’s best.
What I needed was an easy way to carry a larger pair of binoculars that would produce brighter images, but still be able to carry and use my camera easily.
Just using the neck strap to hang the binoculars around my neck does work as the binoculars flap about too much and can really get in your way if you are walking through thick bush.
Binocular Harness
The answer to my problem must surely be to use a binocular harness or binocular suspenders as they are sometimes called which allow you to carry your binoculars on your person without having to hold them in your hands.
I have tried a few binocular harnesses in the past and they work well, except for one thing that annoys me about them:
Because of the way they are designed with their elasticated straps that keep your optics against your body when you are not using them, they have the problem that your binoculars are under tension when you hold them up to your eyes, which is something that I found hard to get used to.
LockDown Optics Deployment System
I was recently asked if I would like to try out a new type of binocular harness that is said to have a whole host of advantages over a standard harness including “Tension Free Glassing” which immediately interested me. Called the “LockDown Optics Deployment System”, they are produced by an American company called S4Gear and below are my findings:
Tension Free Glassing
Most other binocular suspenders and harnesses keep your binoculars against your body with elastic straps (like trouser suspenders) this means that when you bring them up to your face they are under tension. In some cases and when you get used to it, this can be beneficial as it can help keep the binos more steady by pressing them firmly against your face. But in my experience, I find it a little annoying and can also make using your binoculars one handed difficult or at times even impossible. The LockDown harness uses what they call “shock” cords and there is no tension when you bring them up to your face and it feels just like you are using your binoculars with a traditional neck strap.
Secure
The first thing that you notice once you have attached your binoculars to the harness, is just how secure the binoculars sit next to your body, without being uncomfortable at all. This is very important to me as when I am walking in the bush, there are often times that you have to bend over or climb through some thick undergrowth and if your binoculars are loose they can not only annoy you, but also get hooked up on something.
To really test them, I even tried jogging and they were still held securely against my body, which is so much better than just using the standard neck strap on your optics and even some standard harnesses, where if walk fast they can often move from side to side on your chest.
Protection
Another unique feature of the LockDown is the hood and the cover that protect your binoculars. With this system, you no longer have to keep the standard objective and eye-piece lens covers that come with your binoculars with you in the field as both sets of lenses are protected by the harness. This makes keeping them free from dirt and scratches much easier and it is much quicker to take your optics out of the harness than it is to put on and take off lens covers.
Another advantage is that because a lot of the binocular is covered by the hood, they are pretty well protected from rain as well as for getting scratched should you knock them against something in the bush.
Keeping a Low Profile
Because the harness fits nice and tightly to your body and does not stick out much more than the width of your binoculars, you are far less likely to get it and yourself tangled up in bushes or other thick undergrowth when out on safari.
Another benefit of this design is that you could easily wear something like a jacket over the harness, this could offer extra protection to your optics in extreme weather conditions. The other real benefit of this is that there may be times when you are travelling that you do not want to stand out as a “rich tourist” with a fancy pair of binoculars.
Keeping the Noise Down
If you are going on a walking safari and hope to get close to many species of animals, it is important that you keep your noise level to the absolute minimum. Loose fitting clothing and equipment will brush against objects as you walk past them and could potentially frighten away what you are trying to track. Again the LockDown system will help, because The whole harness including the very light aluminium hood that covers and protects your binoculars is covered in a tough as well as noise resistant fabric. On top of this because your binoculars fit so securely to your body with out flapping about, there is even less chance of them hitting something that could make a noise.
Negatives to using the harness?
If you have already read the paragraphs above, you have probably realised by now that I really love the LockDown Optics Deployment System, but as with everything in life nothing is perfect and below are a few things that are also worth thinking about:
Even though removing the harness from your body is very quick, it is not as quick as taking the binoculars from around your neck and passing it to someone else. So if you are planning on sharing your optics on safari (which you really shouldn’t), I would not recommend using this or indeed any harness.
To attach the binoculars to the harness, you have to thread a split ring or zip tie through the loop on your binoculars that is usually used for your neck strap. If these loops are a very tight fit, you won’t be able to quickly swap from the harness back to your standard neck strap as you will first have to remove the split rings or zip ties from the loop before attaching your neck strap to your optics again. On my binoculars that I tested these with I was actually able to keep the zip ties attached so for me this was not a problem.
Conclusion
If you want to use full sized binoculars and need to be able to use both hands without your binoculars swinging about then I highly recommend the LockDown harness. It is by far the best binocular harness that I have ever used.
As well as on safari and because of their tight fit, they would be ideal for hunting, mountain bikers, those who hike on a trail or those into orienteering or even skiers who want to carry optics with them.
Cost & Where to Buy
So far I have only been able to find them available in the US, where they are available for around $40:
The LockDown harness currently comes in two colour combinations (Black & Gray or Black & Camo) and there are two different sizes. To work out which you need, just measure the length of your binoculars:
LockDown for binoculars from 6″ to 7.5″ in length.
LockDown Micro for binoculars from 4.5″ to 6″ in length.
The video below goes over some of the key features of the LockDown Optics Deployment System and even though it is mostly aimed at hunters, it will give you a good idea of how it can help you on safari.
I don’t pretend that I know everything about bird and wildlife photography, far from it. But as an enthusiastic amateur and as someone who has spent a lot of time in the African bush taking both wildlife and bird photos, I think at least some of my experience should be useful to those looking to take decent wildlife photographs with equipment that does not cost the earth.
Rather than just telling you exactly what equipment to get, as equipment improves so fast (especially cameras) that if you were reading this in a years time it may already be out of date, I think I will explain the attributes that I look for when deciding what to get for myself, which is far more timeless.
I took the video below after I had spent a very successful morning photographing a few of the many birds that live around Mazvikadei Dam in Zimbabwe:
Large Telephoto Lens / Powerful Zoom
To me, probably the most important thing that I need to get good photos of birds in the wild is a powerful zoom. Yes, there are some birds that will let you get closer to them, but for the most part they are pretty shy and small creatures and so to get a good photo of them you need a powerful telephoto lens. This however does present some problems, and one of the biggest is price, especially if you want to use an SLR camera as good quality, powerful telephoto lenses cost a lot of money. So to get around this problem… I don’t use an SLR camera!
No SLR Camera?
No, I don’t personally use an SLR – You see photography for me is mainly an enjoyable hobby. So it is for this reason as well as a few others (see my article on SLR vs SuperZoom Bridge Cameras) that for my needs, a superzoom bridge camera is more than sufficient.
Yes, if I had an unlimited budget and did not have to worry about the size and weight of my equipment, I would definitely get myself an SLR with a massive telephoto lens. But back to reality and as I said, for my needs a good Super Zoom bridge camera (see my article on the Best Superzoom Bridge Cameras) and a few other pieces of equipment is all that I need to take what I think are pretty decent photographs without having to sell my house to pay for the equipment!
Super Zoom Bridge Camera
On my last trip, I used the very good Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR, that I highly recommend. Before this and for many years I used the Panasonic FZ superzoom cameras and almost chose to go with what is also a great camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100. Both are ideal but why them? Well for me something I look for is if it is possible to attach a teleconverter lens to the camera:
Teleconverter Lens
Even though both the FinePix HS20 and the Panasonic FZ100 have powerful Zooms (30x/720mm on the FujiFilm), I am always looking to get closer to the birds and so I always look for a superzoom bridge camera that has a threaded lens so that I can also attach a Tele-Converter lens to it, to make it even more powerful.
Unfortunately, whilst there are many Super Zoom bridge cameras on the market, many of them don’t have a threaded lens. Which is fine for most people, but for me, it means that I don’t consider them.
Many people assume that it is difficult to attach a teleconverter lens their camera and it all seems a bit confusing- well it is not, if you have a bridge camera with a threaded lens, all you need to do is find out what thread size it is, get a step up / step down ring that will fit your camera and the teleconverter. The Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR has a 58mm thread on the lens and the Panasonic FZ100 has a 55mm thread.
In the past I have used the DMW-LT55 55mm 1.7x Telephoto Conversion Lens and the Olympus 1.7x Tele Conversion Lens (TCON-17), mainly because both were really simple to attach to my Panasonic FZ cameras. (see my article on Telephoto Conversion Lenses for the Panasonic DMC-FZ100), but for my last trip I took the excellent 2.2x Raynox DCR-2025PRO Telephoto Conversion Lens, which once again at the time of writing this, I highly recommend.
Cost & Where to Buy
One of the main advantages of a SuperZoom camera like the HS20 when compared to an SLR with a telephoto lens is the far cheaper price tag:
The 2.2x Raynox teleconverter, combined with the 30x FujiFilm HS20 now gives you a massive zoom of 66x (1584mm – 35mm film equivalent) – Even with the very good Image stabilisation that comes with the Fuji camera, to prevent image shake, it is imperative to use a tripod.
Here it is important to look for a tripod that can easily carry the weight of you camera with the teleconverter lens attached, yet not be so big and bulky so as to make carrying it around with you whilst looking for birds difficult. You also want a tripod that is quick to set up as many birds have a very annoying habit of not staying in one place for too long!
I am personally currently using the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT Tripod that I simply love – especially because of it’s very flexible central column that can be rotated – making shooting high up in the trees that much easier.
Tripod Head
As important as the tripod itself is the head that you attach to it (cheap tripods often come with a head that cannot be removed, but these are often just not sturdy enough and I urge you to stay clear of these.)
In the past my dilemma has always been to choose between the flexibility of a ball head and the panning ability (I also often take film with my camera) and speed of framing your subject that a pan head provides.
Pistol Grip Ball Head
That was until I came across the Vanguard GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball Head – This piece of kit has helped me so much. In the past I would miss so many shots, just because of the time it took to get the camera pointed in the right direction. With the pistol grip it is just so intuitive, you just pull the trigger and aim – so much faster than untwisting levers and knobs, turning the camera and then tightening them again. On top of this, you get all the flexibility of a ball head and as I demonstrate in the video above, you can also pan using the Vanguard tripod.
The photo below shows one of the big advantages of combining the Vanguard GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball Head with a tripod like the Alta Pro 263AT that has a central column that can be rotated – it makes shooting high up (like into trees where you often find birds) very simple. What I have not shown is that the Fujifilm HS20 has a LCD screen that can be rotated so that you can look down on it, which in this situation makes framing your subject much easier.
Remote Shutter Release
Another piece of kit that will really help you to get the best possible images is a remote shutter release. Most superzoom bridge cameras either come with a remote or you can get one as an accessory. I personally like the ones like the RR-80 that you can get for the FujiFilm HS20 that is attached to the camera via a cord (rather than being cordless) as this prevents me from loosing it when out in the field. It is also then always there ready to be used, rather than having to look through your pockets as that once in a life time shot flies off into the sunset! The photo on the right (click for larger version) shows me using the FujiFilm RR-80 remote shutter release to take photos of Hippos.
And that is about it – I hope that I have in some small way helped you decide what you should get.
Cost & Where to Buy the tripod & pistol grip
As with most quality tripods, you can either buy the Vanguard tripod and the head that I use individually or they sometimes come as a package, which can save you some money:
Botswana is a nature lover’s paradise. This remote and unspoilt wildlife haven has some of the best game viewing opportunities in Africa, along with superb accommodation and excellent guiding. Botswana is also home to the Big 5 and offers some of the best opportunities for sightings of the rare and endangered African wild dog. An interesting geological feature of the country is the way the Okavango River runs inland, finishing its course in the middle of the desert. This lush green oasis called the Okavango Delta is the world’s largest inland Delta. This unique ecosystem is replenished between April and June, following the rains in Namibia. Wildlife thrives in this region. Huge herds of elephant, antelope, zebra, giraffe and plains game roam the plains and the ever present big cats are always hot on their heels. Lions, leopards, cheetah and wild dog thrive in this environment. The birdlife is also excellent with over 400 recorded species as well as a host of migratory birds gathering in large numbers. A Botswana safari is well suited for big game safaris, family safaris, honeymoons, photographic safaris and elephant encounters.
17% of Botswana’s land mass has been allocated to these national parks and access to them is strictly limited. There are no crowded minibuses on a Botswana safari, in fact you are pretty much guaranteed not to see any other tourist during your stay. Activities are privately guided and tailor-made to suit your unique interests. Botswana offers an authentic safari experience. It is a place of exceptional beauty where you can explore the rugged, unspoilt landscapes in exclusive privacy.
Here are some the places you should visit when arranging a Botswana safari:
Okavango Delta – a labyrinth of lakes, lagoons and hidden channels
Moremi Game Reserve – Wild dogs galore
Chobe National Park – elephant territory
Linyanti Wildlife Reserve – private and exclusive
Makgadikgadi Saltpans – the world’s largest saltpan
Nxai Pan National Park – a huge fossilised lake bed known as the Garden of Eden
Central Kalahari Game Reserve – remote and wild
Tuli Block – a profusion of birds and fascinating topography
February 4, 2012 | Posted by Safari Guide 
Benro Travel Tripods
Categories: Tripods | 
Tags: Benro, Benro Travel Angel 2 Tripod, Benro Tripods, Photography, Photography Accessories, Photography Equipment, Travel Tripod, Tripods | 
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Cost & Where to Buy
In my seemingly never ending quest to make it more comfortable and easier for me take wildlife photos whilst safari, I recently got the change to test the ICS Photography Belt & Harness System from Vanguard. 
UK Residents: 
US Residents: 
Whilst the Field Station has been aimed at birders, I feel it has the potential to be very useful in a wide variety of situations. This would include general wildlife observation and even field researchers who often use binoculars and who could use the steady platform to write down their observations and notes. Artists could also use the shelf to make quick sketches on a pad whilst out in the field. 
Accessing your binoculars and your reference book from the bag is fairly quick and easy, although to make it as quick as possible and to ensure that you don’t scare away birds and other wildlife with the un-zipping sound, I would keep the lid closed but unzipped. This is not a problem because the binoculars fit very snugly in their pocket as does your book in the shelf section. Things like your money and keys can be kept in a number of other pockets that have their own zip to keep them safe.
I would like to thank Warehouse Express for organising the Lowepro Field Station bag to be sent to me to review. I would also like to point out that all the reviews on this site, including this one are my opinion and are not influenced in any way by manufacturers, distributors or suppliers. I do however think that it is worth noting that at the time of writing Warehouse Express currently have the Field Station listed on their site for £139. 
Earlier this year I went on Safari in Zimbabwe and with me I took a pair of the excellent 
For me it is always fascinating to watch these majestic animals at night and this occasion was no diofferent. What was also very interesting was to note just how good their eyesight must be as even though there was nothing but the light from the stars and the moon, they purposely walked over the large ropes that we use to secure the boat to the shore, being very careful so as not to touch them.
With so many hippos, this sight is not uncommon around Lake Kariba and I have often seen them eating at night, but never without using a light. So I quickly reached for the Luna Optics binoculars and what I saw was a complete revelation. Sure enough there was a large hippo munching on the grass only 20 meters from the boat, but what I also saw astonished me:
During my safari holiday, I also spent a few nights at a Game reserve called 
The answer to my problem must surely be to use a binocular harness or binocular suspenders as they are sometimes called which allow you to carry your binoculars on your person without having to hold them in your hands. 
I was recently asked if I would like to try out a new type of binocular harness that is said to have a whole host of advantages over a standard harness including “Tension Free Glassing” which immediately interested me. Called the “LockDown Optics Deployment System”, they are produced by an American company called S4Gear and below are my findings:
Pistol Grip Ball Head
