Such breathtaking photography! Awesome work.....and patience! Such a relaxing video to watch and appreciate! Thank you so much for sharing your passion and skill.
Thank you for your videos. Watching them from a wintery Stockholm and longing for the African sun. I was a a photography lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria for many years. You have a very eloquent and relaxed way of explaining the technical. GREAT photography too!!!
Fantastic video Will. I really enjoyed this video as Pilanesberg is a very special place to me. One can see that you know what you are speaking about. Love the depth of knowledge I get from your videos. Well done. Regards. Pat.
Another great video. Loving the editing like the transition from the pied kingfisher, you take enormous care in the post production as well as sharing great experience out in the field. Looking at the other comments you’ve got a loyal following of people who appreciate your effort.
Thanks again Giles! Really appreciate you taking the time to have a look and the very constructive and encouraging comments you leave me :) Yep I worked long and hard on this one, hopefully I'll get quicker!
That was a wonderful episode Will. Thank you for taking the time to put this together and share - it looks like you used a few different editing techniques in this episode - whatever you are doing, it's working! Looking forward to your next adventure.
Hi Will. Another good video. I'm amazed at how you keep your enthusiasm going. 3am start, mid afternoon and not getting what you were hoping for, not sure I could maintain that ! Prior to lockdowns etc. How many Kilometres do you reckon you drive Basil (or Manuel) per average month? Cheers R.
Simply outstanding, Will! An incredible production! My husband and I honeymooned at Sun City and spent some time at Pilanesberg National Park, such a beautiful place. Each and every film clip and every photo you achieved are all exceptionally good, I love the crop and orientation (sorry I don't know the technical terms, ha!) just fantastic!
Thank you! I'm glad I managed to show you a little of Pilanesberg and hopefully bring back some good memories :) I haven't visited that often but I think I will head up there more in the coming months - the autumn leaves were quite a revelation this time. Hope spring is sending you lots and lots of subjects and photos in Texas!
I have spent some time in Kruger and I am heading back to ZA and Lesotho next year. Your videos are great and perfect due to their region specific stuff. What other African countries have you explored?
I travelled a lot, but before the days of digital unfortunately, so I haven't got any of it on video. All over Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, SA & Lesotho, Swaziland/eSwathini, Kenya and Mozambique. I tend to concentrate on Southern Africa as there is so much to see here.
Looks like a wonderful place. I've always wanted to visit but never had a chance. I actually had a martial eagle do the same thing to me in Kruger and fly straight at my car. Instead of an award-winning shot I got a hilarious series of 'what not to do', also because my lens was too long. BTW, if you love close encounters with friendly elephants, I think Addo is the best place in the world. The whole herd, tiny babies included, often walk around cars without any fuss at all.
@@WillGoodlet There's a 4x4 drive you can do in Addo (although not the main part), which takes you right over the mountains into the Karoo. I did it some years back and it was superb. They even have some old farm-houses in the mountains which you can rent for accommodation. Its wild country up there,
@@duncanwallace7760 Yes I've noticed when looking at the map that Addo is a massive park and covers such different terrain/environments and I've always wondered how it is all connected. I thought perhaps a lot of it was wilderness area. I think the 4x4 track sounds amazing. Thanks for letting me know about it!
nice video, i seen most of your films now i am sitting in little Denmark way up i north euroupe, learning from you because on aug. 8 we are going on safari and we are staying at Balule River Camp near the Krüger, so i try to pick up as many photo tips and tricks i possibly can, and you are a good teacher.
Thanks Stephan! Nice to hear from you and thank you for watching my videos I really appreciate it and the encouraging comment you left me :) It's great to hear that you are coming out here soon. It's a beautiful country and the wildlife and diversity in Kruger is really amazing. I have a friend who has taken some wonderful shots of birds and nature in Jutland - I have never been to Denmark but it looks great :)
Hi Will - lovely and informative videos. Is it worth visiting Pilanesberg as a first time visitor to South Africa? Or should we rather focus on Kruger and GKNP region?
Your adventures, photographs and videos are 1st rate, I'm in love with that door mounted jig you have.... Your BSK's look very similar to ours here in Australia. You would love our quite rare "Letter-winged Kite" a nocturnal hunter....
Wow the Letter-winged kite is a stunner! I'm a big fan of Australian birds and follow Matthewjonesphotography.com to get a fix now and then :) Yeah, that door mount is a life saver - I'm sure Ralph at Gimprogear.co.za would ship one over there? Remember the Aussie dollar buys a lot of Rand!
@@WillGoodlet I do wish I had seen the videos earlier I think I'd have tried to have some tuition with you whilst in the Kruger (cost/time allowing!) Just over a week until we arrive. Staying in the park camps this time which is exciting!
I think you will have an awesome time in the park. The camps are really nice and all have different vibes and the bush and wildlife is always different in each one. I was there two weeks ago (there's a video if interested) and ran past 6 leopard sightings. The light is sweet and there's a lot of activity around the water holes. Enjoy your trip and don't forget to let me know how it went!
Hey Will, just came across your channel and love what you are doing,....don’t know when but soon I hope, will attempt doing same as you. Would really love to know a bit more on the door mount that you are using and your review on it if you would be so kind to tell. Thx and keep inspiring us all.
Thanks for finding me and watching! I’ve already done a video on the door mount - it’s under the gear playlist I think. Sorry can’t link as I’m on my phone.
Just saw this video. Amazing as always. Love how you look for the smaller animals and birds. They make for a great reward as well in wildlife shooting. Btw what is the mount on your vehicle on which you mount your camera. Cheers.
Glad you liked it. Yes I enjoy all the animals, the diversity is one of the best things about wildlife out here. Sometimes its frustrating that we can't photograph them from better angles. There's almost nowhere you can go where you can photograph on foot or on the ground! The doormount is made by Gimpro gear, it's a local product that is extremely well built (not mass produced crap). I did a short video about it here: ua-cam.com/video/-b224uT-tVk/v-deo.html
Thanks! yes my wife wanted to know what I was looking at too - It was a passing car, I thought it would spook the kite and make it fly but it didn't :) Very sharp eyes you have!
Very nice, tnx for sharing the pano like format is very nice too, is it 16:9? By the way is the 400 the longest prime you use? And is it a mark I ? You find it’s AF-speed on moving subjects with the 2x good enough?
Hi Dmitris, the format is 2.35:1 - I used it because one of the cameras has a worse quality at 16:9 because it is too scaled up. The 400 is the longest prime I use. I traded in a Sigma 300-800 HSM, Canon 300 f2.8 and a Canon 500 f4 all just to get this one lens. It is the 400mm mark ii version and I think it has been an excellent compromise for me. It is certainly a lot easier to use one lens than three!!! The AF speed is good on subjects tracking across the frame. For very fast moving subjects moving towards me and that are close by I prefer not to use the Teleconverter. I have no issues - I LOVE this lens.
@@WillGoodlet Tnx; indeed I was wondering about the 16:9 vs the 2.35:1 you mention the upscale difficulty so it makes sense. I have also been eyeballing the 400 MkII a lot; esp. as these day MkIII is out (which is way out my price league; esp. as I'm not a pro and the gear is not making any money for me). At any rate shops with MII still in stock have them at some seriously discounted prices which are very tempting. Still it is a lot of money.
The price for the Mark ii seems to be around the same as it was here - which is very strange. Yep the mark iii is crazy and then there is the risk that they bring out an R-mount version and the price collapses on the lens you just bought... I am watching and waiting very carefully for what new DSLRs come out.
@@WillGoodlet Tnx yes I've seen the SONY but I do not like EVFs. All EVFs I've seen so far (SONY and CANON and Nikon) remind me seeing the world through CCTV. Maybe I'm too old for EVFs, maybe the technology is not there yet. For the SONY in particular there is a lot / the worst lag of all EVFs. As a result within the first 5 shots a moving subject gets easily out of your frame. Also since you zoom in e.g. at 600mm your eye looks only on a small part of the EVF and it doesn't look right for me. Unsure how to explain it. And yes I also think that if the RF version of the 400 comes out the MIII EF version will get cheaper. But it will still be way outside my price range. Even the MKII at destocking prices is pushing the boundary of my marriage :-)
Great video Will, can you get into Pilanesberg before dawn? What time does it open? I always try and remember reserves that let you in early enough that you can shoot in dawn light!
Great video again! I’ve been watching most of your video’s the last day. Great editing and photography. Seems that you don’t use the 1.4 converter and the 1 DX. Am I right? Personally I still use the 1 D Mark IV next to my 1 DX and do grab mainly my 1D Mark IV. Consider trading in my 500 mm F4 Mark II lens for a 400 mm F2.8. Have you triestheid version III and compacter to the version II? Main advantage seems to be the weight, which is in my Yes a big plus, but does not seem to justificeer a price difference of 6000 euro.
+Andius Teijgeler Hi, thanks for taking a look at the videos! I have a 7d2 and 5D3 - I use the 7D2 as my converter most of the time (if that makes sense). Recently I have decided to move to the new 1D or 1D mirrorless (I am waiting to see what they are like when released) so I have been mostly using my 5d3 on the 400 to get used to the focal length. I often use the 1.4 and 2x converter on that. I have used the 1D4 and 1Dmk2 N in the past and really like them for the AF system. However both my current cameras are fine. I have used the 500f4 300f2.8 400mk 1 and now the 400mk2. I have not tried the 400markiii. The weight and size of the 400 mark ii is fine for me and the lens is excellent. F2.8 presents its own challenges with accurate focus and I felt my 500 would ‘lock on’ better. Also the focus wheel on the 400 is badly placed and easy to move when shooting hand held. I use the 400 because I photograph large mammals and birds - with the teleconverters it can do all this reasonably well. If your focus is mainly birds then I would maybe stay with the 500?
Will Goodlet Thanks for your clear reply! More and more I switched to mammal photography and sometimes even at night. So the one stop light advantage is what triggered me. As you I’m curieus what Canon will bring on to the market in terms of camera’s.
Such breathtaking photography! Awesome work.....and patience! Such a relaxing video to watch and appreciate! Thank you so much for sharing your passion and skill.
Thanks for watching this one Dawn, very kind of you to leave such a nice comment too:)
A very nice place to visit pilansburg I being there 3 time awesome place
It is! Thanks for watching Ishaq :)
Fantastic, love all the photos but the zebra at the end is my favourite.
Thanks again Lynette - Zebra's are my favourites to photograph, such interesting behaviour and easy to find!
Thank you for your videos. Watching them from a wintery Stockholm and longing for the African sun. I was a a photography lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria for many years. You have a very eloquent and relaxed way of explaining the technical. GREAT photography too!!!
Thank you squire. Absolutely love your channel
Thanks man! Really appreciate you taking the time to watch and leave such a nice comment :)
Epic vlog buddy!!! really enjoyed that 😊
Cheers! Thanks for watching :)
Wow!
Wonderful
Thank you! Cheers!
Beautiful video
Thanks!
Beautiful video. You have made great use of the 'panoramic' style format on the stills images. Very effective indeed.
Thanks Robert, I like to keep the stills consistent with the video format where I can although it's not always easy :)
Fantastic video Will. I really enjoyed this video as Pilanesberg is a very special place to me. One can see that you know what you are speaking about. Love the depth of knowledge I get from your videos. Well done. Regards. Pat.
Thanks a lot Patrick, I'm really glad you liked it :)
Another great video Will! Really enjoyed it
Thanks Mark!
Excellent video. The still photographs at the end are stunning.
Thanks Stephen! Very kind of you :)
Another great video. Loving the editing like the transition from the pied kingfisher, you take enormous care in the post production as well as sharing great experience out in the field. Looking at the other comments you’ve got a loyal following of people who appreciate your effort.
Thanks again Giles! Really appreciate you taking the time to have a look and the very constructive and encouraging comments you leave me :) Yep I worked long and hard on this one, hopefully I'll get quicker!
Amazing as always! Love your videos! Thnk you for all of the effort you put in. It is greatly appreciated!
Thank you, I am so glad you enjoyed it and really appreciate the comment too!
adinda zevenbergen yes great production quality and you have a great easy listening voice which helps immensley....
Thanks! That's very kind and helpful :)
That was a wonderful episode Will. Thank you for taking the time to put this together and share - it looks like you used a few different editing techniques in this episode - whatever you are doing, it's working! Looking forward to your next adventure.
Thanks Paul, as long as this old dog learns a new trick now and then I'm happy :)
Hi Will. Another good video. I'm amazed at how you keep your enthusiasm going. 3am start, mid afternoon and not getting what you were hoping for, not sure I could maintain that !
Prior to lockdowns etc. How many Kilometres do you reckon you drive Basil (or Manuel) per average month? Cheers R.
Wonderful. Enjoying your videos from Canada.
Thanks Dave, really appreciate you taking a moment to tell me and to watch them :) Sorry for the late reply I was in the bush and off grid.
Simply outstanding, Will! An incredible production! My husband and I honeymooned at Sun City and spent some time at Pilanesberg National Park, such a beautiful place. Each and every film clip and every photo you achieved are all exceptionally good, I love the crop and orientation (sorry I don't know the technical terms, ha!) just fantastic!
Oh hi Liesl, we meet again ^-^
Thank you! I'm glad I managed to show you a little of Pilanesberg and hopefully bring back some good memories :) I haven't visited that often but I think I will head up there more in the coming months - the autumn leaves were quite a revelation this time. Hope spring is sending you lots and lots of subjects and photos in Texas!
I have spent some time in Kruger and I am heading back to ZA and Lesotho next year. Your videos are great and perfect due to their region specific stuff. What other African countries have you explored?
I travelled a lot, but before the days of digital unfortunately, so I haven't got any of it on video. All over Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, SA & Lesotho, Swaziland/eSwathini, Kenya and Mozambique. I tend to concentrate on Southern Africa as there is so much to see here.
Looks like a wonderful place. I've always wanted to visit but never had a chance. I actually had a martial eagle do the same thing to me in Kruger and fly straight at my car. Instead of an award-winning shot I got a hilarious series of 'what not to do', also because my lens was too long. BTW, if you love close encounters with friendly elephants, I think Addo is the best place in the world. The whole herd, tiny babies included, often walk around cars without any fuss at all.
Yep Addo is on the list too :) Pilanesberg is the best option near JNB but I prefer Kruger and the other parks
@@WillGoodlet There's a 4x4 drive you can do in Addo (although not the main part), which takes you right over the mountains into the Karoo. I did it some years back and it was superb. They even have some old farm-houses in the mountains which you can rent for accommodation. Its wild country up there,
@@duncanwallace7760 Yes I've noticed when looking at the map that Addo is a massive park and covers such different terrain/environments and I've always wondered how it is all connected. I thought perhaps a lot of it was wilderness area.
I think the 4x4 track sounds amazing. Thanks for letting me know about it!
nice video, i seen most of your films now i am sitting in little Denmark way up i north euroupe, learning from you because on aug. 8 we are going on safari and we are staying at Balule River Camp near the Krüger, so i try to pick up as many photo tips and tricks i possibly can, and you are a good teacher.
Thanks Stephan! Nice to hear from you and thank you for watching my videos I really appreciate it and the encouraging comment you left me :) It's great to hear that you are coming out here soon. It's a beautiful country and the wildlife and diversity in Kruger is really amazing. I have a friend who has taken some wonderful shots of birds and nature in Jutland - I have never been to Denmark but it looks great :)
Hi Will - lovely and informative videos. Is it worth visiting Pilanesberg as a first time visitor to South Africa? Or should we rather focus on Kruger and GKNP region?
Pilanesberg is a beautiful area but if it’s your first time head down to Kruger or to the Kgalagadi, they are far bigger
Your adventures, photographs and videos are 1st rate, I'm in love with that door mounted jig you have.... Your BSK's look very similar to ours here in Australia. You would love our quite rare "Letter-winged Kite" a nocturnal hunter....
Wow the Letter-winged kite is a stunner! I'm a big fan of Australian birds and follow Matthewjonesphotography.com to get a fix now and then :) Yeah, that door mount is a life saver - I'm sure Ralph at Gimprogear.co.za would ship one over there? Remember the Aussie dollar buys a lot of Rand!
Another fantastic video. Well done Will
Thanks so much Ken! I really appreciate you taking the time to have a look as always :) :)
Another excellent video :) 15 - 20 minutes is a good length. Love the soft music and video technique which is very relaxing
Thanks for the feedback Jamie and I really appreciate the view :)
@@WillGoodlet I do wish I had seen the videos earlier I think I'd have tried to have some tuition with you whilst in the Kruger (cost/time allowing!) Just over a week until we arrive. Staying in the park camps this time which is exciting!
I think you will have an awesome time in the park. The camps are really nice and all have different vibes and the bush and wildlife is always different in each one. I was there two weeks ago (there's a video if interested) and ran past 6 leopard sightings. The light is sweet and there's a lot of activity around the water holes. Enjoy your trip and don't forget to let me know how it went!
Hey Will, just came across your channel and love what you are doing,....don’t know when but soon I hope, will attempt doing same as you. Would really love to know a bit more on the door mount that you are using and your review on it if you would be so kind to tell. Thx and keep inspiring us all.
Thanks for finding me and watching! I’ve already done a video on the door mount - it’s under the gear playlist I think. Sorry can’t link as I’m on my phone.
Thanks, I will look through your playlists.
Just saw this video. Amazing as always. Love how you look for the smaller animals and birds. They make for a great reward as well in wildlife shooting.
Btw what is the mount on your vehicle on which you mount your camera.
Cheers.
Glad you liked it. Yes I enjoy all the animals, the diversity is one of the best things about wildlife out here. Sometimes its frustrating that we can't photograph them from better angles. There's almost nowhere you can go where you can photograph on foot or on the ground! The doormount is made by Gimpro gear, it's a local product that is extremely well built (not mass produced crap). I did a short video about it here: ua-cam.com/video/-b224uT-tVk/v-deo.html
I wish you would tell us a bit about your camera mounting systems on your vehicle.
Hi Dennis - there is a full video about it! ua-cam.com/video/-b224uT-tVk/v-deo.html
Enjoyed this, thanks!
Thanks Deon! Really appreciate you taking the time to tell me
Love your videos Will. Just wondering what sneaked past the back of the Landy @ 13:18 min into the video.
Thanks! yes my wife wanted to know what I was looking at too - It was a passing car, I thought it would spook the kite and make it fly but it didn't :) Very sharp eyes you have!
Great video, keep on going the good work 👍
+Tegelfloor Breda thank you!! Hope alls well with you :)
Very nice, tnx for sharing the pano like format is very nice too, is it 16:9? By the way is the 400 the longest prime you use? And is it a mark I ? You find it’s AF-speed on moving subjects with the 2x good enough?
Hi Dmitris, the format is 2.35:1 - I used it because one of the cameras has a worse quality at 16:9 because it is too scaled up. The 400 is the longest prime I use. I traded in a Sigma 300-800 HSM, Canon 300 f2.8 and a Canon 500 f4 all just to get this one lens. It is the 400mm mark ii version and I think it has been an excellent compromise for me. It is certainly a lot easier to use one lens than three!!! The AF speed is good on subjects tracking across the frame. For very fast moving subjects moving towards me and that are close by I prefer not to use the Teleconverter. I have no issues - I LOVE this lens.
@@WillGoodlet Tnx; indeed I was wondering about the 16:9 vs the 2.35:1 you mention the upscale difficulty so it makes sense. I have also been eyeballing the 400 MkII a lot; esp. as these day MkIII is out (which is way out my price league; esp. as I'm not a pro and the gear is not making any money for me). At any rate shops with MII still in stock have them at some seriously discounted prices which are very tempting. Still it is a lot of money.
The price for the Mark ii seems to be around the same as it was here - which is very strange. Yep the mark iii is crazy and then there is the risk that they bring out an R-mount version and the price collapses on the lens you just bought... I am watching and waiting very carefully for what new DSLRs come out.
Also - did you see the new sony releases?
@@WillGoodlet Tnx yes I've seen the SONY but I do not like EVFs. All EVFs I've seen so far (SONY and CANON and Nikon) remind me seeing the world through CCTV.
Maybe I'm too old for EVFs, maybe the technology is not there yet. For the SONY in particular there is a lot / the worst lag of all EVFs. As a result within the first 5 shots a moving subject gets easily out of your frame. Also since you zoom in e.g. at 600mm your eye looks only on a small part of the EVF and it doesn't look right for me. Unsure how to explain it. And yes I also think that if the RF version of the 400 comes out the MIII EF version will get cheaper. But it will still be way outside my price range. Even the MKII at destocking prices is pushing the boundary of my marriage :-)
Great video Will, can you get into Pilanesberg before dawn? What time does it open? I always try and remember reserves that let you in early enough that you can shoot in dawn light!
Thanks Tom! they open at 6:30 in winter which is about 15 min before sunup at the moment - when summer rolls round it's afterwards
@@WillGoodlet Good to know, cheers!
still quite lovely though : )
Hey thanks for taking a look :) Looking forward to binging on some of your videos soon!
Stunning footage, when are you planning a trip to Mabula, hint hint 🙂
+Jaco Pienaar sorry to reply so late! I don’t know Mabula it seems out of my budget!
Great video again! I’ve been watching most of your video’s the last day. Great editing and photography. Seems that you don’t use the 1.4 converter and the 1 DX. Am I right? Personally I still use the 1 D Mark IV next to my 1 DX and do grab mainly my 1D Mark IV. Consider trading in my 500 mm F4 Mark II lens for a 400 mm F2.8. Have you triestheid version III and compacter to the version II? Main advantage seems to be the weight, which is in my Yes a big plus, but does not seem to justificeer a price difference of 6000 euro.
+Andius Teijgeler Hi, thanks for taking a look at the videos! I have a 7d2 and 5D3 - I use the 7D2 as my converter most of the time (if that makes sense). Recently I have decided to move to the new 1D or 1D mirrorless (I am waiting to see what they are like when released) so I have been mostly using my 5d3 on the 400 to get used to the focal length. I often use the 1.4 and 2x converter on that. I have used the 1D4 and 1Dmk2 N in the past and really like them for the AF system. However both my current cameras are fine. I have used the 500f4 300f2.8 400mk 1 and now the 400mk2. I have not tried the 400markiii. The weight and size of the 400 mark ii is fine for me and the lens is excellent. F2.8 presents its own challenges with accurate focus and I felt my 500 would ‘lock on’ better. Also the focus wheel on the 400 is badly placed and easy to move when shooting hand held. I use the 400 because I photograph large mammals and birds - with the teleconverters it can do all this reasonably well. If your focus is mainly birds then I would maybe stay with the 500?
Will Goodlet Thanks for your clear reply! More and more I switched to mammal photography and sometimes even at night. So the one stop light advantage is what triggered me. As you I’m curieus what Canon will bring on to the market in terms of camera’s.
I like the 400 focal length with the TC's very much because I get 400, 560 and 800 all in one lens. F2.8 is very nice to have!
@@WillGoodlet Fully understand it! Main issue is the investment!