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:

In the UK: Benro GH2 at wex photographic (Warehouseexpress.com)

Or take a look on Amazon in both the UK and USA:

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..

GH-200 has a street price of $169 (USD).

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:

1. The size and weight of all your safari gear
2. Is all your gear comfortable to carry around with you
3. 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:

UK Residents:

• Vanguard ICS System on Amazon.co.uk

US Residents:

• Vanguard ICS System on Amazon.com

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 &pound350 in the UK: (Order-No. 60674)

UK Residents:

• Trail Cameras on Amazon.co.uk

US Residents:

• Trail Cameras on Amazon.com

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:

Tripod

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:

What you need is a camera bag that will not only hold all you camera equipment, but have compartments and enough space to also carry your binoculars and if like me you also combine work with your holidays, your laptop. But the best camera backpack or camera bags will also ensure that all your equipment is kept safe from damage and theft, is easy to access when you need it quickly and be small enough so that it can come on board the plane with you as hand luggage (you don’t want to have to put all your expensive gear in the cargo hold on your flight to Africa!)

Vanguard Bags
Not long ago Vanguard kindly sent me one of their largest camera backpack bags to review, the Vanguard Skyborne 51, which I really loved and it easily held all my gear… with some space to spare. For me it was just a little too big and I was a little worried that the airline may not allow me to take it on board as hand luggage. It may have been fine for the long haul flight from London to Johannesburg, but the smaller internal flights were the ones I was really worried about.

The great news is Vanguard make the Skyborne Camera backpacks in a whole range of sizes. The smallest of which is the Skyborne 45, which I decided would suite my needs better and I decided to get it. Below are my thoughts so far. (Once I return from safari in a few months, I will add to this review with just how I get along with it)

Space & Compartments

• Inside Dimensions (LxWxH): 260 x 160 x 180mm
• Outside Dimensions (LxWxH): 340 x 340 x 490mm
• Weight: 2.3kg
• Exterior Fabric: 1000*1200D Polyester + 1000*1000D Polyester ripstop + 600D Polyester ripstop
• Interior Fabric: 210D Nylon + Velvet
• Capacity: One Pro DSLR with attached lens (up to 70-200mm f/2.8), 1~2 extra lenses, a flash unit and accessories (memory cards, cables, battery and charger) plus a laptop up to 12″ wide screen size and tripod

Top Compartment

There are two compartments in the top section of the backpack, accessed by a zip at the front and one at the back, the largest one at the rear is designed to store anything you feel like. For me is the ideal place to store my safari binoculars, a couple of African wildlife and bird books that I use as reference in the field and still give me room for a few items of clothing, food, water etc. The zip, like all the others on this Vanguard camera bag feels very robust and should handle most of what you throw at it. I also liked the fact that if you fully undo the zip, it allows the area to be pulled wide apart, so its easy to find and get your gear in and out.

Laptop Compartment

The compartment at the front of the bag is accessed by a zip along the top of the bag and has been designed to take small 12″ laptop. What is a really nice touch is the bag comes with a laptop carry case as standard, that will help to protect it even more and is a great addition even for everyday use. The quality of it is very good indeed it was far superior than the one I already had for my laptop and comes with a hand strap as well as a shoulder strap that can be attached to it!

The laptop compartment also comes with the added security of anti-theft buckles making it that much harder for someone to open it without you noticing. This is definitely one of the best camera backpack with laptop compartments that I have used.

Note: The larger Skyborne bags take bigger laptops (the Skyborne 51 takes a 17″ laptop), which is something that you may wish to keep in mind when deciding on what size is ideal for your needs. For me this one is perfect as on my travels I usually take my small notebook with me.

Camera Storage Compartment

Your main camera gear is stored at the bottom of the bag and here again Vanguard have been thinking as you don’t want the bag to be top heavy when it is on your back. The problem with this is that it could mean that your gear would be hard to access, but with a couple of very clever access panels, this is not a problem on any of these Skyborne bags.

Main Access Panel
There is a large D shaped panel that unzips from the back of the bag, fully unzipped, it makes accessing and packing your camera equipment very simple. Because the zip is on the back of the bag, under the lumber support harness, access to it is hidden from view when you are wearing it, making your gear far safer even if you forget to zip it up properly.

Here the lumber support and belt system is a slight hindrance as you open the zips until you get used to the method. Or if like me you don’t really need the added security of the lumber support straps that go around your waist, they can be removed making this camera backpack a little lighter, less bulky and a little easier to access the back panel.

Side Panel
The side access panel is one of the features that I like most about the Vanguard Skyborne bags. There have been many times that an opportunity to take a great photo has come out of the blue and I have missed it because I spent too much time rummaging around my other camera backpack bags trying to quickly get to my camera and my lens. The side panel means that you know where your camera is always and is quickly reachable and even if you are wearing the bag:

All you have to do is swing the Vanguard camera bag around on one shoulder and unzip the side flap for instant access to your camera without the usual annoying and time consuming ‘bag off, onto the floor’ method. Not only is this much quicker, but it is much safer, especially in a city environment for example.

The one slightly negative point, which is the strong point of the back access panel, is if you were to forget to close it. For most cameras, the foam compartment separators, should fit snugly enough to prevent your camera from falling out, but “sticky fingers” would easily have access to your camera.

Side Pocket
There is also a handy elasticised side pocket, that can be used for many things. I can see me using it for storing a water bottle on longer walks.

Capacity
This Vanguard bag has been designed to take one DSLR camera with attached lens (up to 70-200mm f/2.8), 1~2 extra lenses, a flash unit and accessories (memory cards, cables, battery and charger) – as well as the laptop and your other gear on top of the bag and with some better rearrangement (The sections are adjustable), I would say that it would be possible to carry even more.

For my equipment, it easily took my bridge camera with my Raynox DCR-2025PRO teleconversion lens attached to it, which is a real bonus as well as all my chargers, memory cards, cables and lens hood, with plenty space to spare.

Comfort

Hiking camera backpack
When I first tested the camera bag, I loaded it with all my gear and went on one of my favourite hikes. The equipment that I took included my camera, my teleconverter, a full size tripod strapped to the back and my bird identification book and a full sized pair of binoculars stored in the top compartment.

Even fully laden and after a few miles, I was as comfortable as you would expect, the shoulder straps are excellent and the bag fits snugly, especially with the lumber support straps attached.

What is also noticeable and probably something that many people don’t think about is that when you have a backpack on, especially on a hot day in Africa, your back will sweat. I like the fact that Vanguard have built in air channels that will allow at least some air to circulate between the bag and your back keeping you cooler and less sweaty.

Safari and Travel camera backpack
I am confident that this bag will be accepted by most airlines as hand luggage (Always check before flying) which is a great start, but what I also really like about this bag and other good camera backpack with laptop compartments is that once you have it on, without a tripod attached to the back, it looks pretty much like a regular backpack.

The advantage of this is that it is not that obvious to potential thieves that you have expensive photographic equipment stored within it. This is ideal when you are travelling as we all know as a tourist you are always a potential target and there are times when you don’t want the world to know that you have a fancy camera with you. The laptop compartment also comes with the added security of anti-theft buckles making it that much harder for someone to open it without you noticing.

Another small thing, but once again shows Vanguards attention to detail is the included name tag attached to the hand strap on top of the bag that has a cover on it preventing people from seeing your details unless it is really needed.

Attention to Detail

Not only is the quality of the construction impressive, but there are loads of really nice touches that include the mobile phone case on one of the straps (I will probably end up storing my Swiss army knife in), a little magnetic flap that prevents the zip from accidentally opening on the side pocket, anti-theft buckles and I really like the handy pocket for lens caps, memory cards or any other small things that you often need that can be accessed from both inside and outside the bag.

The lumber support area is very well padded and makes carrying heavy equipment as comfortable as possible – the lumber straps mean that your bag will not move about, but if you are travelling a little lighter or not walking long distances, these straps can be removed, which I think is really nice. It makes the bag lighter, less bulky and makes accessing the back panel that much easier.

Whilst I don’t think the bag is waterproof, it does come with a rain cover that has it’s own storage compartment located just under the lower back support area, so it will always be with you, should you get caught in a downpour.

Also don’t forget the laptop carry bag that comes with the bag.

Tripod Holder

Like all the best camera backpacks, this bag has a strap on the rear of it to hold and carry your tripod. I also like the flap that un-tucks from it’s own compartment to keep the tripod legs in place.

When I reviewed the larger Skyborne 51, I had no problems carrying my full size Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT, and now I am even more impressed that the Skyborne 45 can also easily carry it as well.

Conclusions

When I reviewed the Skyborne 51, I liked it a whole lot, I just wished that for my needs it was smaller. Well the Vanguard Skyborne 45 is smaller and I have to say that I love it. Whilst I have not conducted many camera backpack reviews in the past, I have used quite a few throughout the years on my travels and for me this is the best one that I have ever had and is one that I will definitely be using on my next safari and on all my hikes from now on.

Cost & Where to Buy

Costing around £120 / $230 they are not the cheapest camera backpack with laptop compartments in the world, but if you take into consideration all their great features and impressive build quality and how well it protects your far more expensive gear, then I think it makes the Vanguard Skyborne 45 Camera Backpack easily worth the money:

UK Residents:

• Vanguard Skyborne Camera Bags on Amazon.co.uk
• Vanguard Skyborne Backpacks on Warehouseexpress.com

US Residents:

• Vanguard Skyborne Camera Bags on Amazon.com

Promo Video: VANGUARD Skyborne Series Camera Backpack Bags

Related Articles

• Vanguard Skyborne 51 Laptop and Camera Backpack Review
• What Equipment I Take on Safari
• Safari Equipment
• Tripods for Travel & Safari

A good tripod head is far more than just a “support” for your camera and getting the right head for your equipment as well as your particular needs is very important. Get one that is not robust enough to carry you camera’s weight and it will drive you mad by continuously sagging as you are trying to take a photo. The tripod head that a photographer would use in a studio for shooting stills will probably not be the ideal head for a wildlife photographer who takes both video and stills shots with their camera.

When I sat down this morning to write this review, I really struggled to know where to start, this is because after testing the Vanguard GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball head over the past few days, I have found so many great features and uses. So what I think I will do is start by going over the basics and then go into some of it’s unique features and ideal applications.

Ball Head

The basic design is basically that of a ball head, with a pistol grip attached to it – this means that you get all the flexibility and speed of a traditional ball head with the added bonus of having much better control of your camera and it takes less time to get into position.

Flexibility
You can swivel your camera around 360° as well as tilt it 90° forwards to look directly at the ground, -8° upwards into the sky as well as tilt it about 35° to the right and 90° to the left for portrait shots.

The hand grip itself can also be rotated around the ball head, this I guess would suite different peoples preferences, for awkward shooting angles and for comfort. I must say though that for the most part, I only used it in the standard upright position.

Fast
One of the first things that I noticed that not only is it very flexible, but all this free movement is done with just the squeeze of the trigger and then you aim, and once in position you release. This is very quick and unlike 3-way pan heads for example with all their arms and knobs, it is just so intuitive making it far simpler as well.

For me this is a major point as I can’t tell you how many times in the field I have missed a shot (especially of birds) because of the time it takes to get your camera into position, so any reduction in time for me is a real bonus and something that can’t be over emphasised. The GH-100 is so far looking to me like on of the best ball heads available.

What Cameras can it take?

With a maximum loading capacity of 13.2lbs (5.9kg), this head will easily take SLR cameras even with large telephoto lenses. For example a Canon EOS30D or Nikon D200 with a 70-200mm lens and a 2x tele-converter with a camera-mounted flash and a battery grip weighs in at about 4kg.

I also really liked the “Friction Control System” which is adjusted via a dial behind the grip which then allows you to change the level of friction on the ball depending on the weight of your equipment and makes for easy adjustment if for example you were to change to using heavier lenses. Completely loosening it means that you can change the direction of your camera without having to even press the trigger for even faster tracking, yet your camera is still safe, because you are holding steady with the hand grip.

Once the dial is completely tightened, it is very sturdy and easily took my bridge camera with a Raynox 2.2x teleconverter and was very steady. Even though I didn’t have an SLR with a large zoom lens on hand to test it with, I am sure that it would handle it just as easily.

Spotting scopes too – This tripod ball head is also ideal for carrying a spotting scope as not only will it easily be able to carry one (eg: the Zeiss Diascope 85 T* FL 3.3″/85mm weighs 5.5kg), but once again the intuitive aiming will make finding and focusing on your target just that much simpler and quicker.

Panoramic Tripod Head

Another really nice touch is the 72-click point panorama that enables you to rotate your camera around a 360° plane for easy panoramic shots. To operate it you just unlock a lever on the side of the head and the camera will rotate in steps of 5°’s as there is a very fine notch to the mechanism that prevents the camera from accidentally moving as you are about to take the next shot. I don’t know of many panoramic tripod heads, especially ball head one so this is a really nice extra feature to have.

Panning – Video as well as Photography

If like me, you also either take a video camera on safari, or use the video function on your camera you need a head that can smoothly “pan” over an area for scenic shots and to track wildlife. This is where a traditional ball head is not ideal because trying to keep your camera level when panning is almost impossible. This is why I mostly use a three-way pan head, but once again this is not ideal as when you want to frame your subject they are a little tedious and time consuming to set up when compared to a traditional ball head. Also to be honest they can sometimes be a little confusing especially when you are in a rush: With the two levers and the release for the panning, I often move the wrong one, meaning that there have been many times when I have missed out on taking a video or photo of a timid bird for example.

With the Vanguard GH-100 Pistol Grip you have a couple of options for panning:

1. Like any standard ball head you can release the “ball” and you have free movement, but because you have the secure grip and added stability that you get from of the pistol grip as well as the “Friction Control System”, your camera, even a heavy one, is far easier to keep level and you can make some pretty good panoramic video shots. It must be said though that this is not 100% ideal and a specifically designed pan head will still work much better.

2. Another option is to use another great feature on this pistol grip, what Vanguard call their “72-click point panorama” which allows you to rotate your camera around 360° with no vertical movement. It has a very fine notch and that moves the camera 5° per click. This makes the Vanguard GH-100 head ideal for 360-degree panorama shots as it prevents jumps in shots as you can accurately measure your rotation, but because of this it also makes video panning a little less smooth that what would be ideal.

Another Option for Panning
For this review, I used Vanguard’s Alta Pro 263AT Tripod, which I really love. One of it’s many great features is that you can unlock the central column keeping it at any height and swivel it around 360° for perfect and smooth panning. So whilst you can get away with pretty decent panning using the GH-100 pistol grip, if you combine it with a tripod like the Vanguard Alta pro – you can have the best of both worlds, the flexibility and speed of a ball head and the smooth panning of a pan head. Ideal for bird and wildlife photography and video.

Spirit Level

Most quality tripod heads come with one or more spirit levels that ensure that your photos are nice and level with the horizon – something that is extremely important in landscape photography in particular. The GH-100 does have one, but it is located under the camera’s hotshot plate, meaning that to access it you have to remove your camera from the head. I guess that Vanguard have done this because it would have been difficult to position it elsewhere on the pistol grip. This is probably fine for in the studio, where once your camera is level you don’t have to check it often, but out in the field it is a little annoying.

I would suggest that if this will annoy you and your camera can take an external flash (it has a flash hot shoe), that you get yourself a hotshoe spirit level, that very easily attaches to your camera and can cost less than £5 ($5):

Hotshoe spirit levels on Amazon.co.uk

Hotshoe spirit levels on Amazon.com

Quick Shoe

Like all good heads, this comes with a quick shoe that screws into your camera and then clicks into the head. It has a safety button that has to be pressed before you can remove your camera, preventing accidental release and damage.

Size & Weight

Weighing in at 1.65lbs (0.75kg), and with the hand grip, there is no denying that in terms of size and weight this tripod head is a heavyweight so if you are looking to for a very lightweight and compact tripod for travel this may not be the ideal head for you.

I pondered about this a lot mainly because I am actually in the process of selecting my own personal equipment to take with me on safari in a few weeks time and have decided that it’s benefits far outweigh … it ‘s weight and so will be taking one with me. Because it is a tough and a relatively inexpensive piece of kit, I will just put it in with my main luggage on the plane rather than with the rest of my gear as hand-luggage, saving me having to carry it around with me all the time. If you are interested take a look at all the equipment I am taking on my next safari.

Which Tripods

The GH-100 is suitable for most standard full sized tripods with 3/8in or 1/4in threads

Conclusion

I have to admit that I love it. I review many pretty cool pieces of kit, the vast majority goes back to the manufacturer as I either already have something similar or as good, but this pistol grip ball head from Vanguard is definitely one that I am going to get and use for myself.

In terms of it’s weight and added bulk, I have to say that it is probably not the ideal tripod head to take travelling and on safari, you can get far more lighter and compact types, but it is just so good in so many other areas that I will definitely be making space for it in my luggage.

Update: I liked this Vanguard Pistol Grip so much that I decided to get one for myself and took it with me on safari in 2011 – It is still one of my favourite pieces of kit and definitely my most used tripod head.

Below is a video I took of the equipment I used on my trip in 2011, which includes the Vanguard GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball head:

For more on all the equipment I use on safari:

• Bird Photography Equipment used on Safari
• What Equipment I Take on Safari

Weak Points?
A weak point for me would be the location of the spirit level, under where you place your camera, that can get a little annoying to access if you are often on the move. Luckily this is only a very minor quibble and one that can be easily overcome.

The main highlight for me is the way you “aim” your camera that is so intuitive and therefore fast that you are far more likely to catch shots that you would otherwise miss as you fiddle about. It is very well made and easily sturdy enough to carry all my equipment and more – I feel that for it’s asking price of under £100 / $100 it is a real bargain and should be in every photographers kit bag.

Cost & Where to Buy

Vanguard GH-100 on Amazon.co.uk

Vanguard GH-100 at Warehouseexpress.com

US Shoppers: Vanguard GH-100 on Amazon.com

Video Review

Below is a really good video created by Vanguard, that points out many of these great features of the GH-100

Related Articles

• Tripods for Travel & Safari
• What Equipment I Take on Safari
• Safari Equipment

Safari Backpack

Something that often gets overlooked when going on safari, at least until the last minute, is what you are going to pack your camera, binoculars and other equipment that you may be taking with you in.

Obviously you don’t want to have to put your camera in the cargo hold with the rest of your luggage and whilst you are actually on safari you want to be able to comfortably carry your equipment around with you as well as have quick and easy access to it.

Best Camera Backpack
So to me it makes sense to have some sort of travel backpack: This is because they are easy to carry on your shoulders, freeing up your hands and so long as they are small enough, they can be taken on board the aeroplane with you. Depending on how much camera and other equipment you have you may decide to use a specifically designed camera backpack as opposed to just a standard daypack or safari backpack – this is because with the best camera backpacks you can be sure that all your equipment will be properly protected, your most used items will be easily accessible without having to dig down to the bottom of your bag and they have a whole host of features that will make travelling with your safari equipment that much easier.

Vanguard Skyborne 51 Camera Backpack with Laptop Compartment

I suppose I take quite a bit of equipment with me on safari, but in my opinion not an excessive amount – just the stuff that helps me enjoy my holiday as well as a few thing so that I can also do a little work. So this will usually include (In order of importance):

• Binoculars (Usually Compact or at least Mid-Sized)
• Camera (Bridge Camera not SLR)
• Telephoto Conversion Lens
• Tripod (Small Travel Version)
• Night Vision Binoculars (sometimes a scope rather than binos)
• Laptop (a small notepad)

(For a more specific list of the exact models take a look at this article I recently wrote: What Equipment I Take on Safari)

So because of all these things, I obviously need a fairly big bag. I took a look on the web to see if I could find the best camera backpack for my needs, but discovered that there very few really good (and impartial) camera backpack reviews and that is why I was very grateful when Vanguard offered to send me one one of their bigger Camera daypacks to test and review: the Vanguard Skyborne 51

So is this review impartial I hear you ask? Well yes, Like all my reviews, even though the manufacturer kindly lends me their product, I am in no way obliged to only say positive things about it – This review as all my others is my honest opinion. Besides I still don’t have my own Camera Backpack for my next trip and so I am honestly looking at it with the intention of buying it if I like it, or choosing another if I don’t.

Plenty of Space

The first thing I thought when it arrived was “This bag is Big” – I know I read it’s dimensions before asking for it, but seeing it for real puts those numbers into perspective. It’s Inside Dimensions are 12 5/8″ x 6 1/4″ x 10 5/8″ (LxWxH inches). Which means according to Vanguard (and I now believe them) that it will take One or even two Pro DSLR cameras with attached lens ( up to 70-200mm), as well as  3-4 extra lenses, a flash unit and accessories (memory cards, cables, battery and charger) plus a 15″ laptop. So plenty space for my specific needs, infact so much so, that it potentially gives me space to take a few other things for the journey.

Compartments
Space is one thing, but it is how the bag has been divided up into compartments that makes it far more useful for camera and safari equipment than if you were to just buy a standard big bag.

Remember that the Skyborne 51 has been specifically designed as a DSLR camera backpack and so what it nice is that the internal space of the bag has been split up and has loads of cushioning in the key areas (where you store your camera and lenses) – for excellent gear protection. This padding is so good that I had no worries by testing it with my camera in it and dropping the bag from shoulder height. The interior dividers can customised to suit your grear if you want, completely removed, should you ever need the bag for something completely different, like carrying clothes for example.

I especially like the quick access side compartment (pictured above) where you store your camera. It is long enough for me to keep my Raynox DCR-2025PRO teleconversion lens attached to my camera and is really quick to access via a zipped door on the side of the bag – Ideal for those times when you need your camera in a hurry (like that unexpected lion sighting!) – far quicker than digging through all your equipment to grab your camera.

Laptop Camera Backpack
A really nice touch is the front compartment that has been designed to take laptops or other notebook type computers up to and including 15″ ones and so I guess you could call it a camera backpack with laptop compartment! If you don’t need to carry your computer with you the big front compartment is also great for carrying a who bunch of other things that you may need – I used it to carry my notebook and other guides whilst out in the field.

A really good quality and well padded laptop cover also comes with the packpack…Nice!

Camera Backpack with Tripod Holder

As I tested it with the Vanguard Nivelo 204BK ultra compact Tripod, the Skyborne 51 is big enough to carry most small travel tripod internally. But if you were be taking an SLR camera, or like me a Bridge camera with a large teleconversion lens attached and you needed a larger and more robust tripod, then this is camera backpack has a tripod holder strap on the back, with a flap that unfolds from it’s own compartment to keep the tripod legs in place. It is fully adjustable and should be able to take most full sized tripods. I tested it with my Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT which worked perfectly.

Attention to Detail

Other nice little touches include the mobile phone case on one of the straps, a little magnetic flap that prevents the zip from accidentally opening on the side pocket and a handy pocket for lens caps, memory cards or any other small things that you often need that can be accessed from both inside and outside the bag.

I don’t think the bag is waterproof, but it does come with a rain cover that has it’s own storage compartment under the lower back support area, so will always be with you, should you get caught in a downpour.

Too Big For Hand Luggage?

One of my biggest issues with this bag is deciding if  this Vanguard bag is too big to take on board the plane with me, the last thing I need is to be told at the airport that I have to put it in the hold with the rest of my luggage.

The Facts: Outside Dimensions: 14 5/8″ x 15″ x 22″ (LxWxH inches)

British Airways Hand baggage allowance: All airlines have slightly different policies but on BA for example (hey.. it’s the “worlds favourite airline!”) you are allowed one piece of hand baggage plus a laptop or handbag. Your main piece of hand baggage max dimensions: 25cm x 45cm x 56cm (10in x 18in x 22in), including the handle, pockets and wheels.

So as you can see it is very close, just the depth of the Skyborne 51 (14 5/8in ) that is the problem – as BA say that you are only permitted 10 inches. If you were lucky you could possibly get away with it. I think where you would most definitely have problems is if you are also taking internal flights on smaller aircraft where they may be more strict.

Conclusions:

Best camera backpack for travel: Unfortunately No, whilst the Vanguard Skyborne 51 is an excellent bag, I feel that for travel and air travel in particular, it is just too big. You may get away with taking it on board on some airlines, but others may not be so lenient. So for me it is not worth the risk a far beeter alternative would be one of Vanguard’s smaller bags like the Skyborne 48 or even the Skyborne 45.

As a Hiking camera backpack: Due to how comfortable it is to carry, with what Vanguard call “air-infused cushioning” on the straps and back area this could be one of, if not the best camera backpack for hiking, especially if you have a lot of equipment to carry.

To test just how comfortable it was, I filled the bag up with a whole lot of stuff that I often take on walks and some more on top of that and went for a pretty long hike – this included binoculars, 2 cameras all my camera gear and two tripods, one Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT and the compact Vanguard Nivelo 204BK Travel Tripod, that once folded easily fitted inside the bag. (I needed two cameras and tripods to take the product photos of myself that you see on this page of me using the bag).

There was no denying that the bag, fully laden was heavy – but even after over an hour of walking I still felt pretty comfortable – the shoulder straps are as good as I have ever used and the support at the base of your back is excellent.

So overall the is definitely one of the best SLR camera backpack bags that I have ever tested and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a lot of equipment where size is not a major issue. If you need to take your stuff travelling like on safari where a plane journey is unavoidable, I would either go for one of the smaller Skyborne bags, one of the many other Vanguard photo bags or at least check with your airline before travelling.

Cost & Where to Buy

At about £190 / $290 they are not the cheapest Laptop and Camera Backpack in the world, but then again they are not the most expensive either. I think that considering all the great features, the quality of the construction and how well it protects your far more expensive gear, it makes them easily worth the money:

UK Residents: Vanguard Skyborne Camera Bags on Amazon.co.uk

US Residents: Vanguard Skyborne Camera Bags on Amazon.com

Promo Video: VANGUARD Skyborne Series Camera Backpack Bags

Related Articles

• Vanguard Skyborne 45 Laptop and Camera Backpack Review
• What Equipment I Take on Safari
• Safari Equipment
• Tripods for Travel & Safari

I get many people writing in to ask me “what should I take on safari” – of course there is no absolute list as all adventures are slightly different and different people have different wants/needs. But because I am currently busy planning for a trip to Zimbabwe, where I hope to spend a lot of time on safari, photographing as well as just enjoying the wonderful wildlife that the country has to offer, I thought that with my experience, what I take with me may be of interest to others as well and at least give you a starting point.

I have already written an article with an essential packing list & what to take on safari, and another one that covers what clothes to take on safari, so I won’t go over the basics again, but rather go into specifics on the actual equipment that I take on safari:

On this trip I will be going with my wife as well as our new daughter who will be just over 4 months old when we leave, so I have to make sure that what safari equipment (Cameras, Binoculars etc) I take are as compact and lightweight as possible as I will also need plenty of space, free hands and available weight to carry baby clothes, prams etc!

Best Safari Binoculars

For me the most important piece of kit is my binoculars, as they take viewing wildlife to a whole new level and I highly recommend that anyone who goes on safari invests in a decent pair. Through working on this website (see my section on Safari Binocular Reviews) and from working on my Best Binocular reviews website, I test and review many binoculars every year. The cheapest binoculars are rubbish, little more than toys and I urge you to stay well clear. That does not mean you have to spend a fortune as most good quality pairs are sufficient and far better than not having any at all.

Like all my other equipment, the most important feature I am looking for is a pair to take on safari is one that is light and compact. The very compact pairs have the disadvantage of not being as suitable as larger versions in low light conditions, so for me the ultimate pair would be a mid-sized binocular where you combine decent light gathering ability with a fairly compact binocular.

Of all the binoculars I reviewed last year and taking all things into consideration (including cost) the best for safaris were the Minox BL 8×33 Binoculars and if price is not really a factor, the Kowa Genesis XD 10×33 Binoculars.

If you are looking for a cheaper pair and want to keep size down to a minimum, favourites of mine are the range of Steiner Wildlife and Safari compacts. I often use them when out walking in the bush, especially when I am carrying other equipment like my camera as they can fold up small enough to fit into your shirt or jacket pocket. Take a look at the Steiner 10.5×28 Wildlife Pro Binoculars or the cheaper Steiner Safari Pro 10×26 Binoculars.

Would it not be for the fact that I am going to combine this trip with a little work and take a pair of binoculars that I have not used before to test and review, I would definitely take one of those pairs above.

Best Camera For Safaris

For this trip, I am looking to get myself a new camera – For me it is important to get the best possible wildlife photographs, not only for my enjoyment, but also for this website and so it is vital that I don’t sacrifice quality for gear that is too lightweight and compact.

I have already written an article as to why I feel that for me, a Superzoom Bridge Camera is the best camera to take on safari, rather than an SLR with a powerful telephoto lens (Digital SLR vs Compact SuperZoom Cameras) – The main reasons being cost as well as weight and size.

Panasonic FZ100 The obvious choice?
I have been using the range of Panasonic FZ cameras years now and I am a real fan of them, indeed some of my favourite Zimbabwe safari photos were taken with the now very old Panasonic FZ18 (see my gallery of Bird & Wildlife Photographs taken in Kariba, Zimbabwe)

I especially like the way that you can so easily attach a Telephoto Conversion Lens to the Panasonic’s to further increase the focal length, which is especially useful for bird photography.

So looking at my list of the best Superzoom Bridge Cameras 2012 and the fact that I thought it was excellent when reviewed it a while back, I was very tempted to go with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100.

Newcomer: Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR
Brand new for 2011 is the Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR that in many of the specifications is very similar to the Panasonic FZ100, except in some key areas like having a more powerful 30x zoom (compared to 24x on the Panasonic) and a EXR CMOS sensor that records images with a very high resolution (16 Megapixels compared to 14M on the Panasonic).

What I also love is that at the end of the lens there is a 58mm thread, meaning that I can also attach a Telephoto Conversion Lenses (more on that later). So even though it is a little bulkier and heavier than the Panasonic, it is still far smaller and lighter than the equivalent SLR set-up.

So because of this, the camera I have decided to buy and take the Fuji FinePix HS20EX with me, which to be honest I am very excited about.

Telephoto Conversion Lens

Whilst I will admit, that the Fujiflim with its 30x (720mm – 35mm camera equivalent), will be more than enough for most situations on safari, but I also have a real passion for birds and love bird photography. Because of their small size and the fact that most are very timid, the bigger the zoom, the better the chance you have of getting close enough to take great photos. To do this I add a Teleconverter lens to my camera as for me the added size and weight that this entails is well worth it. Up until now I have always used the Olympus 1.7x Tele Conversion Lens (TCON-17) attached to my Panasonic – but have recently purchased a 2.2x teleconversion lens made by the Japanese company Raynox that I am extremely happy with. For more take a look at my Raynox DCR-2025PRO Super Telephoto Conversion Lens Review.

Best Compact Tripod For Safari and Travel

Because this FinePix HS20EX camera has a powerful 30x Zoom (35mm camera equivalent: 24-720mm) and the fact that I will also be attaching the Raynox 2.2x teleconverter lens to it, I feel that even with it’s very impressive image stabiliser, to get the best photos and video, without any blurring or image shake, a tripod is necessary.

As I write in my page on the Best Tripods for Travel & Safari, they need to be small and light enough to easily carry with you, but strong enough to take your camera with as little or better still no flexing or movement.

A while back after reviewing the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT Tripod for my Binocular Reviews website, I liked it so much that I decided to buy it. But unfortunately as much as I would love to take it with me, I feel that it is just too it is just too big and heavy for this trip.

Another option that I considered, also from Vanguard is their excellent PH-242 Pan Head Window Mount, but as well as vehicle and houseboat safaris, I am also planning on doing a lot of walking in the bush and even though you can attach the mount to objects like tree branches, you cannot always guarantee that there will be one exactly where you need it.

Ultra Compact Tripod?
So I contacted Vanguard asking if they could help me with some lightweight equipment for the trip and they very kindly sent me some kit to try out and review, including the Nivelo 204BK Aluminium tripod. You can read my full review of the Nivelo 204BK Aluminium tripod here, but to sum up I was really impressed:

With a folded height of only 30cm and weighing just 600g it is certainly extremely lightweight and compact, so no problem packing it away with my luggage. It extends to over a meter which is good and I love the “twist-n-lock” legs that allow you to extend and lock them in seconds – a very important consideration a few seconds can mean the difference between capturing a picture of a skittish bird or not.

It has a load capacity of 2kg (4.4lbs) and considering it is so lightweight this is very impressive and easily holds my Superzoom Bridge camera. Admittedly when fully extended there is a little movement and flexing, which is to be expected, but as a base for safari photography and as a travel tripod it is steady enough and far better than none at all.

The problem I have with it is the added instability I get once I attach a Teleconverter lens to my camera and this is mainly due to the extra length added to the camera by the telephoto lens. I feel that if I was just taking photos, it would be acceptable, but I also shoot a lot of video with my camera and so I need a tripod that is a little more stable, which is a shame because I really love just how light and small it is.

So all in all an excellent lightweight travel tripod, ideal for super zoom bridge cameras and the new Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, but if you are planning on using a DSLR camera or indeed a Bridge Camera with a telephoto lens attached and want to take steady video footage, I would recommend getting a slightly beefier tripod.

Compact Travel Tripod
Slightly larger and less compact than the ultra compact tripods a compact travel tripod can also carry a little more weight and is more stable, making shooting video on a superzoom bridge camera like the Fujifilm FinePix HS20EX or Panasonic FZ100 with a teleconverter lens possible. Here again you have some excellent choices from Vanguard and many in their Alta+ look ideal and I especially like the look of the Vanguard Alta+ 225CT that weighs just over 800g, has a folded hight of less than 35cm and yet it can carry a load of 3kg or for added stability the Alta+ 284CT, weighing 1.37kg’s with its folded height of 50cm, that should still easily fit into my suitcase and can carry a weight of 6kg.

Latest Update: I know I said that the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT Tripod was too big and heavy to take with me, but because I felt that the Nivelo 204BK was just not steady enough for my camera with the teleconverter attached, I have decided that I will now be taking it with me. I would have preferred to take a more lightweight carbon version – but my budget just won’t stretch that far.

Cost & Where to Buy
UK Residents: Vanguard Alta+ Tripods on Amazon.co.uk

US Residents: Vanguard Alta+ Tripods on Amazon.com

Tripod Head

I have decided that because I am not going to take an ultra-lightweight tripod with me, instead opting for a more sturdy full-sized tripod, I may as well also take what is now one of my favourite pieces of kit as well. The Vanguard GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball Head.

Because the handle that is attached to a ball head is so intuitive it makes moving the camera into position very quick and accurate – even more so than a standard ball head. Panoramic shots are really easy and panning for video is also possible.

I can’t begin to tell you how many shots I have missed in the past (especially of birds) because I was fiddling, trying to get my camera into the correct position on the tripod – with this I hope to rectify much of that – so for me even though it is a little bulky and heavy for travel, I have decided to take it on safari with me this year.

Read the full Vanguard GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball Head Review.

Night Vision Binoculars

There was a time not so long ago that the only people that had half decent night vision equipment were the military, police and other law enforcement professionals. This was mainly down to their high cost and whilst I wouldn’t describe a good quality night vision binocular as being cheap, their prices have come down a lot over the past few years and it is now a real option for you to take your own night vision binoculars on safari.

Why Night Vision?
So much of what goes on in the African bush goes on after dark. Most predators hunt at night and many other animals are far active during this time when it is much cooler.

In the past most people would use a spotlight at night, this had the major disadvantage of disturbing the animals natural behaviour. A night vision device is a far better and more ethical option and I now almost never go on safari without one.

For more on how they work and why I highly recommend taking a night vision binocular or monocular on safari read my article on Night Vision for Safaris and Wildlife Observation

Night Vision Monoculars or Binoculars?
On this latest trip I will be taking the excellent Luna Optics LN-PB3 Night Vision Binoculars with me. In the past I have often opted for a night vision monocular as opposed to a binocular, just to save weight and space in my bag.

However after reviewing the Luna Optics LN-PB3, I was so impressed with the quality of the view through it, especially after adding the optional LN-ELIR-1 laser illuminator, that I just can’t resist taking it with me. Besides because it’s body is made from aluminium it is pretty lightweight. It is also one of the smaller full size night vision binoculars out there. (it is about the size of a standard full-size binocular).

For more details – take a look at my full review of the Luna Optics LN-PB3 Night Vision Binoculars

Cost & Where to Buy
UK Residents: Luna Optics Night Vision on Amazon.co.uk

US Residents: Luna Optics Night Vision on Amazon.com

Travel / Camera Bag

Obviously I don’t want to have to put my expensive equipment in with my luggage on the plane with the cargo, so I always carry it on board with me as hand luggage. To do this, with as little hassle and as much comfort as possible a good Travel / Camera bad is essential.

Over the years I have used many and in my experience a bag that has been specifically designed to carry photographic equipment works the best. This year I will be taking the one of the Skyborne Series of bags from Vanguard as they have kindly sent me one to review – Read my Vanguard Skyborne 51 Laptop and Camera Backpack Review

As I mention in my review, I think that this Skyborne Camera Backpack is one of the best that I have ever used. The only thing that I would say about the Skyborne 51, is that I am a little worried that it may just be a little to big to take on as hand luggage, it will probably just depend on the person at the desk on the day. To be safer, it may be better to take one of their smaller bags like the Skyborne 48 that can carry one Pro DSLR with attached lens (up to 70-200mm f/2.8), 3-4 extra lenses, a flash unit and accessories (memory cards, cables, battery and charger) plus a laptop up to 14″or even the Skyborne 45, which can still carry one Pro DSLR with attached lens (up to 70-200mm f/2.8), 1~2 extra lenses, a flash unit and accessories (memory cards, cables, battery and charger) plus a 12″ laptop.

Whichever one you choose, one of the best bits is the quick access opening, that enables you to quickly grab your camera without disturbing all your other gear.

Cost & Where to Buy
UK Residents: Vanguard Skyborne Bags on Amazon.co.uk

US Residents: Vanguard Skyborne Bags on Amazon.com

Also worth Considering

Below are a few new pieces of equipment I have reviewed since first writing this article and what I am planning to take with me on my next trip:

MINOX DTC 500 Trail Camera Review We took this excellent remote Minox digital camera with us to Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe where we would leave it overnight and got proof of what ever passed by. What we got back was some incredible video and still photos of elephants, honey badgers, hyenas, a porcupine, African civet, warthogs, bats and many more animals that you very rarely see in the wild and we managed to capture them on film!

Whilst I know it may seem a little strange me writing about a battery charger on the Safari Guide, but I have recently been on the look out for a good one to take with me on my next trip to the bush. Why? Well like many people going on a safari holiday these days, I take quite a lot of electrical equipment with me (Cameras, Video Camera, Phone and my Mp3 player). On their own they take up quite a bit of space, but when you include all the different chargers and cables, it can become a nightmare. Surely there must be a one charger that can be used for them all? Well there is and the one that I have been trying out is the Braun 1-For-All-Plus Universal Battery Charger, which for me ticks all the boxes:

This incredible device from Braun Germany will charge almost any digital camera battery, camcorder, mobile phone and mp3 player battery as long as the charge contacts are exposed. This charger will also recharge 2 AA or 2 AAA size NiMH batteries.

To do this, the charger has two movable terminals which you simply align with the charge terminals of your battery and then charging begins. The charger will check the voltage of your battery and automatically give the correct charge. Charging status is diplayed clearly on a backlit LCD which shows you the progress of the charge.

Travel Friendly
The charger also adjusts electronically to voltage between 100V – 240V, meaning that you don’t have to worry if the country you are visiting uses a different voltage than that back home.

It also comes with a car cigarette lighter adapter which for me is brilliant. There are certain place that I visit in Africa on safari that don’t have mains electricity. This used to be a major problem and is why in the past I have had to buy multiple spare batteries for my camera. Now I can charge them whilst on the move, or even whilst I’m on a game drive! Brilliant.

For more take a look at the video I put together of me demonstrating how to use it with my camera battery, my cell phone battery and a couple of rechargeable AA batteries:

Price and Where to Buy

At around £30 I feel that it is incredible value for money. I as yet have not been able to find it in the US, but there are similar ones available:

Braun Universal Charger on Amazon.co.uk

Universal Battery Chargers on Amazon.com

Main Features

• When you insert a battery, the available capacity left is shown on the display.
• The Micro-processor measures the voltage of the lithium battery to be recharged and has automatic adjustment to 3.6V / 3.7 V or 7.2V / 7.4V.
• You won’t over charge as there is an automatic cut-off
• The charge current is 1,2 – 1,4A.
• It is possible to charge 2 NiMH AA Mignon or AAA Micro size batteries in two separate charging slots. Charge current for 1 AA batteries = 1200mAh and for 2 AA batteries = 1000mAh.
• The moveable contacts of the charger can be easily adjusted to the contacts of the battery to be recharged by using the supplied pin to be found at the side of the charger.
• The charger automatically detects and adjusts the polarity as well as the voltage for the contacts of the lithium batteries.
• The LCD displays the charging status in steps of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%.
• Defective batteries will be recognized and the word „ERROR“ appears on the display.

Related Links

• Safari Equipment

About Pedco
Formed in 1982, Pedco (Product Engineering and Development Company), is an American company that began by producing something called the UltraPod, a unique as well as small camera support. This was origionally only available in the US, but since the early days they have expanded and they now market their expanded product range worldwide. This range now also includes the UltraPod II, UltraMount and the UltraClamp.

Pedco Universal Window Clamps – The UltraClamp

Pedco actually produce two versions of the UltraClamp. Both are the same except for the width of the jaws on the clamp: The Original has a jaw aperture of 0″ to 1.5″ (3.8cm) and the UltraClamp 2.5 that has jaws that can open from 1″ to 2.5″ wide, making it suitable for mounting cameras, camcorders, binoculars, spotting scopes, etc on larger or wider objects than what the original Ultraclamp can accommodate.

UltraMount
Both clamps usually come as a kit that includes a Ball & Socket Mount called the UltraMount (see image on the right), but they can also be purchased on their own. This “UltraMount” has an adjustable ball head and is injection molded from fiberglass reinforced nylon with aluminum and brass components. It has been designed to attach to either of the UltraClamps or any other camera support device using a standard ¼” mounting screw. This means that you can use it without the clamp to mount your camera or other equipment to a tripod or monopod, which is a feature that I really like.

UltraClamp
The clamp part is made from heat treated aluminium clamp and looks well made and really strong. It has been designed to attach to a car windows that have been partially wound down, as well as table tops, handle bars, or balcony rails or anything else you can think of. The top 1/4″ screw thread has a removable locating pin next to it to stop the Ball & Socket head (when attached) rotating. Both sides of the jaws are cushioned to prevent scratching the surfaces that the clamp is attached to.

Overall this small, lightweight and very versatile clamp looks ideal for taking on any travel adventure including safaris. I can see the clamp easily mounting to the hand rails or other parts of most safari vehicles. Whilst you can attach scopes, binoculars and video cameras to it, it is probably best suited to using with a camera as unlike the Vanguard PH-242 Pan Head Clamp or other similar mounts it does not have the handle to enable smooth panning. The advantage of not having the pan handle is the clamp is far lighter and more compact making it that much easier to chuck in with your luggage.

Cost & Where to Buy

Depending on which model you choose The UltraClamp Kit (with the Ball & Socket Mount) costs between $22 and $35 in the US or about £25 and £35 in the UK:

Amazon have a wide range of universal/window clamps available including the UltraClamps: Pedco UltraClamps on Amazon.co.uk Pedco UltraClamps on Amazon.com

Further Reading

• Guide to Universal Window Clamp/Mount for Cameras, Binoculars & Scopes
• Best Window Clamps & Tripods for Travel & Safaris
• Vanguard PH-242 Pan Head Clamp/Mount Review

The GT1541T tripod replaces the very popular GT1540T and has a number of improvements that will appeal to all those looking for a sturdy, yet compact and lightweight tripod ideal for taking on safari or most other travel adventures.

Compact as well as Tall!
This Gitzo tripod is ultra compact when folded (41.0cm/16.14in), which means that you should easily be able to fit it in with your luggage or camera bag. But what I do really do like is that when extended it can get to a maximum height of 140.0cm (55.12in) with the centre column up or 113cm (44.49in) with it down, which is pretty good for a tripod in this class and should be fine for most people under 6 foot.

What is more is their “patented 180-degree folding mechanism” make it possible to accommodate the head inside the folded tripod legs, and makes this the smallest folded tripod for its open size and number of sections. Basically what this means is that the tripod legs on the GT1541T can fold over backwards over the center column further decreasing the size of the tripod by a good two to three inches when the legs are contracted. This makes the total length of this Gitzo tripod WITH the ballhead from bottom to top about 16 inches!

Sturdy and Lightweight Tripod
Next on the wish list of any good travel tripod is it’s weight and again the GT1541T Traveller Tripod does not disappoint, made from carbon fibre the tripod weighs just less than a kilogram (0.97kg/2.14 lbs).

Having a lightweight tripod often means sacrificing some sort of stability and often the lightest tripods can’t carry heavier DSLR cameras and large telephoto lenses that are often used on safari. Gitzo Traveler tripods, now also have a new upper disc in a safe lock material that cuts vibrations, and improves the grip between tripod and head. The upper disc can also be fixed directly to the tripod top casting, thus eliminating the center column. This new feature is called “Ground Level Set”, and allows for low shooting positions and further weight savings.

Improved Load Capacity
The now discontinued GT1540T travel tripod had a recommended maximum load capacity of 9.9lbs which was just enough for most people. For example I sometimes use a Canon EOS 5D with a 70-200 f/2.8 IS telephoto lens. The combined weight of this is around 9lbs, meaning it was approaching the limit and I sometimes had to make a few work rounds to get a completely stable setup (keeping about 1 inch of each leg section not extended and avoiding use of the bottom leg section completely when possible).

The newest GT1541T on the other hand now has a load capacity of 8kg (17.64lbs) meaning that it can easily handle most peoples camcorders and SLR setups, with the exception of the giant zoom lenses. Which is confirmed by Gitzo themselves who say that the “Traveler is ideal for 135mm lens, and can be used with lenses up to 200mm. Series 1 offers an excellent maximum load capacity with good torsional rigidity at a very low weight.”

Leg Sections – Fast Setup
Like the GT1540T tripod before it, the legs of the GT1541T have four sections but now they feature what Gitzo call their G-lock system. This allows all three locks to be grabbed together with one hand so they can all be released simultaneously with a quarter turn ensuring that setting up the tripod is as quick as possible.

This may not sound important, but I find it a very useful feature. If you use a tripod a lot out in the field, you will know that setting it up and taking it down often can be a real hassle as well as time consuming. This is because with normal tripods, you will need to untwist each individual leg section, a process that can take anywhere between 15 to 30 seconds. If you are photographing wildlife or birds, this “hassle” can often mean missing the shot all together.

The Anti Leg Rotation system on the Gitzo GT1541T, makes the tripod easy to open in less than 15 seconds. You simply loosen all the twist locks on each leg at the same time, then pull the leg down and tighten the locks individually.

Cost & Where to Buy

This is a high end, professional grade tripod and as such it does not come cheap – around £360 / $550. But in my opinion this is one of the very best travel tripod available and well worth the money. However, if this price is above your budget consider a cheaper aluminium version like the Giotto GTMT 9340B – 4 Section Pro Aluminium travel Tripod With Two-Way Column that costs under £100 / $150:

Amazon have a wide range of compact travel tripods available including the Gitzo GT1541T: Gitzo Tripods on Amazon.co.uk Gitzo Tripods on Amazon.com

Highlights

• Very lightweight. Weights only 0.97kg/2.14 lbs
• Ultra-compact. Only 41.0cm/16.14in when folded
• Convenient. Stands 140.0cm (55.12in) tall
• Quick. Tripod legs can be opened in seconds
• Max Weight Load. 8kg (17.64lbs)

Also Included
The GT1541T Traveller Tripod also comes with a convenient anti-dust bag for storage and packing.

Further Reading

• Best Tripods for Travel & Safaris
• Benro Travel Angel 2 Tripod Review
• Tamrac ZipShot Ultra-Compact Travel tripod