will have my first safari experience. do i need to buy binoculars? some said one can just use the zoom function of the camera and it's either you try to take pictures with your camera and don't use the binoculars that much, or vice versa.
am a total amateur here. advice needed please.
Yes.
some said one can just use the zoom function of the camera
Don't listen to him! He obviously doesn't know what he's talking about.
it's either you try to take pictures with your camera and don't use the binoculars that much, or vice versa.
That's right! And I'd rather use the binoculars, than waste my time for taking mediocre pictures.
Let's face it, you can't make as good pictures as professional photographer. Not to say don't take any photos, but you'll have a much better time just watching the animals and most of the time you need good binoculars.
Buy one that is good quality, but a compact size and you'll continue to use it on your travels.
I've never been to Africa on a safari, but I often take my binoculars on my trips, especially for hiking.
I see you're from Germany so you don't have to look far for good quality binoculars, while supporting your own countries workers! :-)
Deutsche! Wehrt euch! Kauft nicht bei Chinesen! :-)
http://www.zeiss.de/sports-optics/de_de/jagd/fernglaeser.html
"Carl Zeiss Sports Optics division produces rifle scopes, spotting scopes, binoculars, and distance measuring devices for outdoors enthusiasts. The two main product lines are the Conquest line, which is manufactured in Germany and assembled in the United States, and Victory line, which is produced entirely in Germany. Zeiss Sports Optics are revered among the best in the world, and are utilized by military and law enforcement agencies in countries around the world."
Another yes, we forgot ours at home and the zoom of the camera didn't even come close to replace it, but we were stuck with it, terrible when other travelers tell you about all those lions they see with their binoculars and you can't.
just in case #1 and 2 havent already convinced you :-): definitely bring binoculars, the zoom of a camera is not something that replaces binoculars.
when on safari in my experience:
- when the animals are close to you, you want to observe them and / or take pictures of them
- when they are in the distance, the zoom of your camera will not be helpful. and there is no point taking pictures, because you will just end up with a brownish blur. but if you have good binos, you observe the animal. and as mentionned by tempelton, its very annoying if other people tell you about what they see and you can see it
As above - definitely take binoculars so you can enjoy the experience to the full.
Any photos you take will most likely show small unrecognisable dots instead of animals, so don't bother, record it in your memory instead.
#5 you can't say that, I have great pics of a lion that was only about an arms length away from the car.