Don Clary Offline Upload & Sell: Off
|
I think you have a wonderful list of equipment to choose from, but you seriously underestimate the weight issue.
The most important I'd suggest are 1DIV, 7D, 300 f2.8, 1.4XIII, 100L IS macro. The 500 will probably get very little use, because of its bulk. But its images will be spectacular when you can use it. You should also consider the 100-400 because of its speed of use and IS. Although there is no weight issue, the CPL will be close to worthless, at the light levels you will encounter, unless it is tripod mounted.
I would carry a tripod, but expect to get very little use of it. This is because due the jumpiness of the subjects and the thick jungle foliage, by the time you set up the tripod to get a clear shot, among the leaves, the subject will be long gone. Any long lens without IS will be close to useless.
I've shot in Madagascar, and Costa Rica. It you do a web search on pictures of Madagascar, in 90% of the pictures shown, you can't tell if you are looking at a lemur or a house cat! The images are black! This is because most pictures are from point and shoot cameras with poor low light ability, and none have IS.
I would suggest practicing in a wooded area near home on heavy overcast days, or almost dark. Put a stuffed animal in the tree for your subject. Use your IS lens, but learn to brace both arms (from shoulder to elbow) against your body. Learn to squeeze the shutter very gently. Critically examine your low shutter speed pictures. You just can't appreciate how difficult it is to get sharp telephoto pictures in a dark jungle environment!
|