A triumph of hope over experience…

I don’t normally make New Year’s resolutions, but I thought I should share some of the things I’d like to be able to do in 2024. Unfortunately, most of them are outside my control and rely on various businesses getting their act together, but here’s hoping…!

Equipment

Sony Telephoto Lens with TC

My main wish this year is that Sony finally gets round to releasing a long lens with a built-in teleconverter. Canon did it a few years ago with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x, and Nikon now gives you a choice between the mirrorless NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S and NIKKOR Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S (both with built-in 1.4x teleconverters).

I’m fed up with having to choose between carrying my 400mm and 600mm G Master lenses or leaving one at home, so I’d like to be able to trade in both of them for a 400mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter—giving me the equivalent of 560mm and releasing thousands of pounds in cash!

So come on, Sony. If you build it, I will come…

Sony ⍺1 II

I hear on the grapevine that Sony won’t be bringing out the ⍺1 II this year, but we can always dream!

The release of the ⍺9 III with a global shutter was a real turning point in offering frame rates up to 120 fps without any rolling shutter effect. However, the base ISO of 250 wasn’t great for low light, and there appears to have been a drop in dynamic range and an increase in noise. This is because the sensor has two photodiodes for each pixel, effectively halving its light-gathering capacity.

The rumour is that the ⍺1 II will have a 50MP global shutter capable of 60 fps, and I hope it’ll be able to tell the difference between a bird and an animal! However, I imagine Sony won’t want to compromise on image quality in its flagship camera. That means a few more late nights for their engineers before I can replace my existing ⍺1 camera bodies…

Travel

I have trips planned this year to Kicheche in Kenya, Tallinn in Estonia and Muchenje in Botswana. However, I’m also hoping to be able to go to Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia and lead a trip to the Serengeti with Great Migration Camps. Progress is slow, though, so fingers crossed I hear some good news soon…

Technique

My final resolution concerns the quality and variety of my images. I’m always looking to develop my technique, and I’ll continue that effort in 2024.

The first opportunity is at Kicheche. When I first went there in 2018 on an Exodus trip with Paul Goldstein, I saw five cheetah kills in a week! I went again in 2021, but I only saw one that time. The big difference this year is that I’ll have my new Sony mirrorless cameras and lenses with me, so I look forward to seeing how they cope with the action.

The last time I went to Kicheche, Paul was gobsmacked that I hadn’t brought a wide-angle lens with me. I was trying to save weight due to the 15kg luggage allowance on local flights in Kenya, but I was suitably shamed.

This time, I’ll take my 12-24mm and/or 24-70mm with me and try to get a few close-ups of large animals like elephants. I just need to figure out a way of safely shooting from ground level. That might mean opening a door, leaning over the side of the vehicle or using my monopod upside-down with a remote release. We shall see…

I’d also like to get a few different types of shots, including ‘look-throughs’. That means finding a tree or bush to shoot through or simply breaking off a branch and holding it up in front of the lens.

Paul always challenges me to do things differently (and better), and he introduced me to the slow pan on a trip to Svalbard a few years ago, so I hope I continue up the learning curve.

In Botswana, I’d like to focus a bit more on sunrise and sunset and backlit shots. The boat trips were all scheduled during the middle of the day when I went last year, but I’d like to take advantage of the golden hour if I can. I also tended to drive along the Chobe waterfront with the sun behind me, but I’d like to switch direction a few times this year in order to get more backlit shots, such as this one of a chacma baboon.

Finally, I’m visiting hides in Estonia for the first time, so it’ll give me a good chance to take pictures of bears, wolves and other animals that I don’t usually get to see. I hope my friend Jason will come along, too, but we’ll have to wait and see on that one…

Verdict

I’m looking forward to 2024, and I hope I enjoy all my trips and come back with some decent images. If Sony brings out a new telephoto lens with a built-in teleconverter, I’ll be trading in my existing 400mm and 600mm lenses as soon as I can.

Unfortunately, the cash windfall will probably just get spent on the ⍺1 II whenever it comes out. Photography is a money pit, after all…!

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