Heyho, Ray!

Let's start with a book I'd recommend:
"The Art of Landscape Photography" by Chris Coe

It's on the cheap side (20$ish, I suppose (european here))
for a photography book, and I really and thoroughly
enjoyed reading it, and it gave me some good ideas what
to keep an eye out when shooting landscapes and nature in
general. Not sure if you'll like it, but it helped me a great deal
to get started =).

To get a feeling for shooting animals, I'd recommend an open-
air-zoo (not sure if there are any available in your vincinity), since
it allows you to get a feeling for animals movements and everything
around them, and allows you to develop some basic techniques
and concepts of what's important, while you're still having time
to adjust and readjust (repeat 1000 times over ;-)) since the animals
aren't exactly leaving the area...

Well, that's about all I can come up with now, since - as is usually
the case in photography: the more you shoot, the better you get.
It's all about practice, isn't it? =)

cheerio, Mathias

Ray..I'd get a 400 or the new Tamron 200-500mm that just came out and take a
roadtrip to the zoo in Philadelphia and practice my animal shots. You might
also want to look into a 2x teleconverter
Harris Austin

Not all nature shots need ultra-long teles my nature shots are all done
with a 200mm and 2x teleconverter at the long end (400mm max), a few
times I wanted something longer, a 500 with a 1.5x teleconverter would
be perfect.

The thing you need the most though, is practise, so take a few days
visiting nature areas near where you live, see what you want to shoot,
and then decide what you need to do that, better, if it's flowers then
you want to go short, if it's relatively harmless animals then your
probably okay, with what you have, if it's dangerous animals, or birds,
then you need to go long.

Ray,
You have a good starter set.  I've used Canon Elans for a long time too.
I would recommend the books by John Shaw (all of them).
Actually, look at several books and choose ones that fit your
style.  I personally like John Shaw's photography and his books
are quite instructive.

You need to give some more information.
Landscapes: general style and how big of prints do you want to make?
Wildlife:   what type of animals, and portraits or action?
These influence what to get in equipment.

For landscapes: get a better tripod and use it with the finest grain
slow speed film (black and white or color).  Learn depth of field
and shoot f/8 to f/11 unless you need more depth of field
(or purposely trying to make something out of focus).  If you
want really big prints, larger than 20x30, try medium or
large format.  Prices on used medium format must be very  good
as many pros are switching to digital.  But large format,
used, is still cheaper than medium format.

Wildlife: what you want to do dictates a lot, and if you
want birds or animals in action, you need fast prime telephotos
and costs go up rapidly.  Your 75-300 is actually pretty decent
for a consumer lens.  If you want to step up, start looking at
fixed focal length telephotos, like the 300 f/4 IS L.
Really consider strongly the IS (image stabilized) lenses, as
they will be a virtual requirement for imaging from vehicles
on safari.  The 300 f/4 can use a 1.4x teleconverter for
420 mm f/5.6.  Costs go up dramatically beyond 300 mm  if
keeping fast lenses.   For example, the 500 mm f/4 is about $5700
compared to the 300 f.4 at about $1100.  But with the 500 f/4
you need a carbon fiber tripod ($600) and a top end head, like
a wimberly ($675), then mounting plates ($200), etc etc.

If you decide on a teleconverter, only get the top end models.
I use Kenko Pro 300s, or go with the Canon since you have Canon.

For wildlife action, you want fast, and you burn a lot of film.
A digital SLR will pay for itself in film costs in not too long
if you do much action.  Pro film, like provia 100F at $10/role
plus $8 for developing works out to about $0.50 per frame,
so only 4000 frames buys a camera like a 10D plus some compact flash
cards.  You'll probably shoot a lot more than that on a safari.

I did mostly landscapes until a few years ago.  I would do maybe
60 rolls per year (2160 frames) (plus a couple hundred sheets
of 4x5).  I couldn't imagine shooting that much in a week.
In Florida with digital, I'll now do 5000 images
in a week of birds.  And for high speed action, digital shines
over 35mm film.

Roger Clark
http://www.clarkvision.com

Dear Ray,
Let me start by saying you have the very best in camera equipment and for
Africa you will not need to out lay any more.
In order to qualify that statement you may like to look at my web site at
http://www.ebtours.co.za
Here you will see an example of some of my work and what I have to
offer..please do not feel obligated in any way but please feel free to write
me on any advise.
All you will require is a lenses of 300mm 200mm and wide angle 28mm
Regards,
Robb

On my first trip to Africa with a 35mm camera I took a 20-35/3.5-4.5,
70-200/2.8, 105/2.8 macro, 400/5.6 lens and 1.4x teleconverter.  I used the
400/5.6 the most, mainly for wildlife and the 20-35 second most, mainly for
landscapes.  The 105 macro got some use in places where we could get out of
the vehicle to take flower and insect pictures.  The 70-200 was least used,
but I was glad I had it on occasions.

I carried a heavy tripod, but you cannot get out of your vehicle in the game
parks so it was seldom used.  In places we visited outside the game parks I
used it for wildflower photos.  There was one place in Hwange, Zimbabwe
where the park attendant let me set up on the ground at the side of a
viewing stand, but that was an exception.  (I got some great ground level
shots of evening activities at a water hole, but got a little worried when a
hyena came around to my side of the water and when a big baboon walked right
by me.)

On my second trip I switched to a D60, mainly because of luggage
restrictions and the problem of trying to pack enough film and equipment in
carry on.  The lenses I took were the 20-35, 70-200 and 105 macro from the
first trip and a 50-500/4-6.3 Sigma lens with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters.
The 50-500 was by far the most used lens.  An alternative would have been
the Canon 100-400 Image Stabilized lens.  That would have been useful a few
times when shooting from an open vehicle.  With the 1.6x cropping factor on
the D60 the 50-500 is the equivalent of an 80-800mm lens on 35mm and I
certainly did not find it too long.  For some bird and small, shy antelope
shots I used it with the 1.4x teleconverter.  The 70-200/2.8 and 2x
teleconverter were backup in case the 50-500 had problems, but I only used
the 70-200 once in a low light early morning situation.  The main
shortcoming of that combination was that on the D60, the 20-35 is only the
equivalent of 32mm at its widest setting and I did not have a wide enough
lens.

This time I took a lighter tripod and a home made window pod.  (We were
touring game parks in a vehicle with roll down windows so this was
practical.)  Again, there were few opportunities to use the tripod although
I did find places around camp and in some viewing stands where I could use
it.  The window pod was used for at least 80% of my shots in game parks.

Check what kind of vehicle you will be shooting from.  Some have open roofs
and a bean bag is more useful for telephoto shots than a window pod.

Some of the best photo opportunities are the very colourful birds and
vegetation.  If you take time to photograph these you will be glad of the
longest lens you can get and a solid method of supporting the camera from
within your vehicle.  Extension tubes are also handy if they come close
enough.

For the trip I am planning next year I hope to have a new Canon D20 camera.
If the new 10-22/3.5-4.5 lens turns out to be any good I will also consider
that.  I will also take a 28-135 IS for walking around shots and the 50-500
again.  The extension tubes and 1.4x teleconverter have also earned a place.
The 105 macro may come, it is very sharp, but the 28-135 with extension
tubes isn't too bad.  I will consider bringing the D60, 70-200 and 2x
teleconverters as back up.  I will certainly take at least one window pod,
and possibly a second so I can leave one mounted on both sides of the
vehicle.  I will also take a light tripod.  This time we will be going to
Namibia where except in Etosha there will be many places to get out of the
vehicle.

As for books, the most useful specific information I found was
"Photographing on Safari" by Joe McDonald.  Other, more general books on
nature photography by Freeman Patterson, John Shaw and Art Wolfe are also
favourites.

Scott Elliot

Here's what you need:

Leicaflex SL or SL2 (two or three bodies)

28mm Elmarit-R (f/2,8)
50mm Summicron-R (f/2)
90mm Summicron-R (f/2)
180mm Elmar-R (f/4) or 180mm Elmarit-R (f/2,8)
60mm Elamrit-R Macro (f/2,8)
400mm Telyt-R and 560mm Telyt-R (f/6,8)