I am by no means a professional photographer but it is something that I have grown to love since starting off as a guide. I recently had the privilege of taking the Nikkor 200-400mm lens into the bush for a few days while out on safari. I have been fond of it since the first time I had used one and I was keen on the opportunity which lay ahead. In my amateur opinion I will briefly comment on the use of the lens over the couple of days I had it with me, baring in mind the following comments apply to Londolozi and the area in which it is situated.
What seems to be a much lower angle of one of the young Styx males thanks to the longer lens.
I found the versatility of the lens incredibly useful. It came into its own with one or two situations where the subject was slightly further off. These situations may have been tricky to capture if it weren’t for the ability of the lens to get to 400mm. In saying that there were sightings when the animals/subject were well within reach of the lens and its capabilities but having the ability to zoom in slightly gave me the opportunity to get in on the action and capture the moment without much distraction from unwanted extra space in the frame. Close up shots were also achievable thanks to the combination of habituated wildlife and the lens. Portraits and coats were something I had hoped to capture and found it possible with this lens. It also opened up a few opportunities at photographing birds. The longer reach of the lens allowed for the opportunity to capture a decent bird image, a small subject that is often too far away to capture effectively.
The quality of the lens still blows me away. The sharpness the lens is able to produce is spectacular, crystal clear images were the norm and the ability of the lens to focus quickly was a huge advantage. The relatively wide aperture of f4 allows a shallow depth of field all the way through the focal range of the lens and this can be a massive help in low light situations. All in all a lens that I would choose to have with me a vast majority of the time in the field.
The quality images and incredibly fast reaction time of 200-400 make it a lens I would not want to be without given the choice. There is a small down side but not a terrible one at that. In this area the wildlife is sometimes too close and capturing the scene as a whole or bigger picture can be difficult, like I said not a bad problem but keep in mind that you made need a slightly more wide angled lens. If you are coming to visit us and are thinking of hiring photographic equipment this lens is available through the Londolozi Creative Hub. The ability to travel without the the extra effort of carrying bulky gear is a huge advantage and this is not the only piece of photographic equipment available, so click the link above and start planning your trip to Londolozi.
One of my favourite trees on the property, its position far from the road can make it difficult to capture effectively and the monkeys in its branches would have been missed if it was a shorter lens.
The distant mountains and their dusting of clouds was a sight to behold at sunset.
A situation where a little extra distance for room to move was worked around with the longer reaches of the 200-400mm.
Right in on the action.
Natural behaviour is allowed to take place when you are slighlty further off and moments like this captured because of it.
The fixed focus gaze that chills the blood as a young male lion walks past.
One of my favourite ways to compose an elephant photograph and this one no different. This baby elephant was more than confident with its mother not too far off.
The ability to capture the vibrant coat of a leopard passing is made possible.
The shy Giant Kingfisher patiently waiting to line up its next meal.
A guinea fowl alarm calling was one of our leads in the hope to finding a leopard. After a quick photo or two from a distance we inched closer and the bird moved off, not easily achievable without this incredible piece of equipment.
The extremely elusive Coqui Francolin, often heard but very seldom seen.
What do you think the benefits are of being able to hire photographic equipment and would you make use of it if you could?
Written and photographed by Simon Smit
Great photos.
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for our inspiring and rare bird filled safari Simon. I love my 80×400 but after seeing these images am feeling excited about trying out the 200×400. Instead of buying it I believe a test drive at Londolozi with it would be prudent. See you in January 2016!
It was packed full of great birds and we look forward to having you back to give the lens a go Sean, regards to Rich for me please!
I was fortunate enough to try this lens while we had game drives with Simon and Foster 🙂 during last Xmas.
It’s a great opportunity to rent them, I just mentioned during breakfast that I’d like to try the nikon 200-400 and and I received it during lunch delivered by Kate. I used two body, so I had a chance to catch closer moments too, but with the 400 end this lens still laser sharp and extremely fast. I would never carry cross the world a 4 kg lens if I can rent it on site. Hope we can be back soon! Great sightings there !
Come back soon Petra!
Simon, these are stunning indeed, but I have never had a problem with your photies with your “normal” lens 🙂 The Sunset, your fave tree & the Coqui are lovely, as they all are. I see your point of being further away, everyone is more at ease 🙂 Thanks as always for sharing.
Beautiful images Simon, I especially love the tree shot! It would be great to try out this lens the next time I’m at Londolozi. Being able to rent a lens that might otherwise be too expensive to afford, is such a great advantage.
Thanks for all the comments everyone, we get some incredible opportunities out there!