SONY a700 and a900 for the phillipines

[malcy]

Hello to all of you reading this, just a couple of questions, 1.I have a golden opportunity to go to the Phillipines and I want to make sure that I have the right gear for all eventuallities to be able to shoot wildlife, specifically birds. I will very shortly, and hopefully, be purchasing the a700 and a900 and some new lenses to compliment the trip but also as an upgrade to my already sony alpha lens range. What would be the best protection and easily portable camera bag for say 4 cameras and 6 lenses. This can be split between two of us as my lifelong friend, caroline, who is also a photo nutter, will be carrying her own gear. It'll need to be waterproof, mudproof and hopefully beer proof.
2. If anyone has been to the phillipines to photograph birds and wild life, where would you recommend visiting the best reserves.
3. I also understand the phillipines has some great diving places [ actually we would be snorkelling] has anyone any idea about underwater compact digital cameras including waterproof housings.
Anyway if anyone can answer some if not all of these questions it will be greatly appreciated, thankyou, mal

[Mark K]

Have been to Philippines two times bringing my A700 for diving.
I have never used Sony for any birding though, because lack of the long telephoto lenses.
As for telephoto lenses, there was a former Minolta 400/4.5G which is sharp and fast but no longer available. Just tried the 70-400G in local Sony Style on my own A700. Honestly speaking, it is not fast enough because, even when I push the ISO to 1600, most of the shots were blurred because of slow shutter speed and this is most likely in most of the birding conditions.
As for bags, I always carry the Lowepro back pack CompuTrekka plus and the former Stealth Reporter D550 AW. The compo gives you capacious space for A900, A700 and two other film SLRs, lenses, batteries etc.

Currently I use Fujifilm Finepix F100fd for underwater shooting with acceptable result. I guess you will not add those strobes and external flash. Here is the sample I took

[alissond]

Hi!

When will this "golden opportunity" be?

[malcy]

Hopefully before may or after november, but not during the rainy season. I'm awaiting some brochures with regard to weather, reserves and the safest places to be.

[alissond]

If you are avoiding the rains, you should come this summer. February to June are really sunny months, May is a good month. But beware of the heat. : )

I can't point you yet to any particular place where you can shoot wildlife. But you can try the beaches here; Boracay, Siargao, or Palawan. I'll be going to Boracay this February.

[malcy]

Well I hope you really have a great time and if you get any bird or wildlife pics I would love to see them, regards mal

[Lobo]

Hopefully before may or after november, but not during the rainy season. I'm awaiting some brochures with regard to weather, reserves and the safest places to be.

Everywhere in the Philippines is safe; except maybe the south. I've my second home there and go over as often as I can. I've never felt threatened in the Philippines and would feel safer there than here. However, it is a poor country, don't be silly or flash, especially with money. If you experience any problems it will more than likely be in the city (but all citys are like that). The provinces are great and so are the people; but then I'm biased, I'm married to one!

When you get to the Philippines pop into The National Bookstore, they have some very good guides to nature reserves. Bohol is a good place to go to see the very rare tarsia (worlds smallest monkey. Corrigidor is good for the Philippine monkey eating eagle, while Olongopo is good for fruit eating bats. Around rice fields you can often surprise lizards and snakes, but don't get too close to the carabao (probably spelt that wrong, but it's a type of water buffalo and it's bad tempered!).

Insect life is everywhere - dragonflies and mantids are very numerous. Banawe (rice terraces) is a good place to spot the Atlas moth (probably the largest in the world). There are some really nice coloured beetles on and around Taal volcanoe.

In the provinces dust can be a problem for your camera in some places; this is especially true around Bataan, where ash is still to be found from the mount Pinitubo eruption.

Anyway, enjoy yourself. People are fantastic, food I've found is safe wherever you are (and delicious), but you might have a problem with the water (and that includes the ice in your beer!).

[bakubo]

As for telephoto lenses, there was a former Minolta 400/4.5G which is sharp and fast but no longer available. Just tried the 70-400G in local Sony Style on my own A700. Honestly speaking, it is not fast enough because, even when I push the ISO to 1600, most of the shots were blurred because of slow shutter speed and this is most likely in most of the birding conditions.

It, of course, depends on the lighting conditions, but I am having trouble understanding how a Minolta 400mm f4.5 at f4.5 using ISO 100, 200, or 400 film would work yet a Sony 70-400mm f4-5.6 at f5.6 at ISO 1600 would not.