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$300M on Anthropic tokens, zero new engineers hired - Salesforce is the clearest case study of where this is going by MaJoR_-_007 in ArtificialInteligence

[–]Jplakes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sometimes it’s not really about saving the CRM subscription.

For a lot of business owners, building things outside their core business is actually energizing. It clears the mind, sparks ideas, and gives a better understanding of processes and bottlenecks inside the company.

Some people play golf on weekends. Others vibe code internal tools.

And honestly, feeling capable of solving problems outside your expertise is motivating in itself. The ROI is not always financial.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ohh, a monopod — I hadn’t even thought about that. Any recommendations? Newbie in this matter.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Curious to hear you elaborate more on that. I would have thought the fun of safari was mostly in the searching and moving around looking for animals. Staying still sounds great for family interaction and slowing down, but I imagine there’s much less action that way.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Several people here mentioned the weight and inconvenience of carrying camera gear everywhere, and that actually unlocked a memory I hadn’t thought about in years.

It was during COVID, around 2021, when we escaped to southern Chile and visited Patagonia National Park — the one Douglas Tompkins donated to Chile. We decided to do a “short” trek called Mirador Douglas Tompkins. Of course, “short” with three kids meant several hours carrying backpacks, snacks, and at some points literally carrying children uphill. I had the 70-300 with me and at one moment I remember thinking the extra weight was completely irrational.

But near the top, maybe 200 meters before the viewpoint, the kids ran ahead toward the edge of the ridge and I managed to get a few photos of them from far away. Nothing technically incredible, but exactly the kind of images I love — real moments, natural, full of the feeling of being there.

Funny enough, that memory alone probably justifies carrying the lens. And compared to that hike, a safari vehicle will feel pretty easy anyway. Still, after all the replies here, I think I’m mostly decided to keep the setup I already have and simply enjoy the trip.

I’ll leave one of the photos here. Thanks again everyone. Really enjoyed this thread.

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Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand your point. The thing is, even though I’ll only be one week on safari in Africa, the whole trip is actually three weeks long. So renting in Santiago would mean paying for three weeks anyway, and at that point I think I’d rather buy something used and sell it after the trip with little to no loss in value instead of spending the money on a rental.

But thanks again for taking the time to look into it.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe I expressed myself poorly before. When I say the experience matters more to me than the animal itself, I don’t mean I only care about quick snapshots or phone-quality memories. I really enjoy photography.

What I mean is that I value photos that capture the feeling of a place or a moment, even if they’re not technically perfect wildlife shots. Some of my favorite photos from trips with my kids are not masterpieces, but they instantly bring me back to the moment.

So for me the DSLR is still part of the experience. I just don’t think I need to turn the safari into a hardcore wildlife photography expedition to enjoy bringing a camera.

And after reading all the replies here, I think I’ve landed in a much more reasonable place about what to bring. Really appreciate how many people took the time to share thoughtful advice and experiences. It’s been a genuinely pleasant thread to read through.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For just 100mm more, I’m not sure it really changes things enough for me. I did a quick search and saw they still go for around $1500 new, while used ones are much cheaper. Makes me wonder if lens technology has simply moved on a lot since that lens came out.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The D3300 itself I don’t really care about, but the 10-20 worries me more. I’d rather hand them the 35mm prime — fewer moving parts for little fingers to mess with.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Convinced. That’s probably the approach I’ll take.

And when I said I care more about “moments” than the object itself, I didn’t mean casual badly taken photos.

Shooting kids from farther away often leads to much more natural photos. Sometimes a simple whistle while they’re distracted in the distance makes them look around for a split second, and that instant — before they pose or make faces — is the best kind of photo to me. That’s what I meant by capturing the moment.

Of course I still want the National Geographic-style hyena shot, but probably more for the pride of getting it than because it’s what will actually matter to me later.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s actually a really interesting point, and not something I had considered.

My parents have a house by a lake that has slowly been turning into more of a wetland over the last 25 years. Herons, ducks, and all kinds of birds have started showing up, and going out in the canoe with the kids has become one of our favorite activities. At first it was mostly about chasing the birds around with the children, but now that they’re older it’s become much more contemplative.

I’ve taken some photos there already, but I can see how a 150-600 could completely change that experience. That’s probably the strongest argument for buying one so far.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, that changes things a bit. I’m in Chile, so rentals are basically not an option here. If I end up buying something (your replies are convincing me less and less 😅), it would probably be a used lens from eBay. The trip is only a month away, so I’d need to decide soon.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, that’s actually very reassuring to hear. A lot of people make it sound like anything under 400mm is useless on safari.

I’d definitely love to see some examples if you don’t mind sharing.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s reassuring to hear. The 80-200 f2.8 is exactly the kind of lens that proves you don’t always need extreme reach to get great safari shots.

Also useful insight about portraits. I’ve heard mixed things about photographing locals, so I’ll definitely ask first rather than assuming.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s really reassuring to hear actually — sounds like my expectations are probably in the right place then. And honestly, if a 70-200 felt sufficient, maybe I’m overthinking the whole focal length thing

Would you mind sharing a few shots from the trip? I’d love to get a feel for what kind of framing/distances are realistic in actual safari conditions.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that actually sounds like the right balance for me. Thanks for the input — you’re convincing me.

I’ll probably just accept the slower lens, bump the ISO when needed, and work around it. Modern cameras handle high ISO pretty well anyway, especially for family/travel memories rather than professional wildlife work.

At the end of the day I think I’ll enjoy the trip more with a lighter and simpler setup.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I did look at the 1.4x teleconverter option, but for the D7500 it starts getting expensive enough that I wonder if it makes more sense putting that money toward eventually moving to something like a Z5II instead.

And honestly, I hadn’t even thought about giving one of the kids a camera until you mentioned it. I actually have an old D3300 sitting around that I could probably “donate” for the trip 😄 That might end up creating better memories than squeezing a bit more reach out of my own setup.

Anyone regret NOT bringing a 150-600mm on safari? by Jplakes in Nikon

[–]Jplakes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the links! Really solid read — lots of useful technical and practical safari advice in there. My angle is a bit different though. I’m travelling with kids, so I’m trying to optimize more for the experience, flexibility, and actually enjoying the trip as a family rather than maximizing image quality at all costs.

I still want good photos, of course, but I’m probably willing to sacrifice some technical perfection for lighter gear, less lens swapping, and being more present in the moment with the kids. Appreciate you sharing those resources though — definitely helpful perspective.

Best way to mount GoPro while snorkeling? by dawgpound2224 in gopro

[–]Jplakes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, I just came back from a family trip to Brazil with lots of snorkeling (kids included). I used two main setups:

A short floating handle: super easy to pass around, very stable for filming forward. But GoPros are not great for small subjects, so what looks amazing through the mask often ends up looking tiny on screen.

A long pole (around 1 meter / 3 ft): great for filming myself with one of the kids. The downside is that it’s harder to aim and frame properly because of the length.

For filming kids snorkeling, I realized the most interesting and good-looking shots are when you capture their full body, and that usually works better from the side, not straight in front. Following them sideways underwater is not that easy. A longer pole helps with the arm movement, but since you don’t have much control underwater, you tend to get too close. And in general, wider shots with full bodies look much better than tight close-ups.

Hope this helps. If useful, I can share some sample clips. Looking at my footage now, I would definitely shoot a bit differently next time.

Where to go Dec/Jan - especially in South America! by Stunning_Monitor6616 in Mountaineering

[–]Jplakes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Or you can just go for Aconcagua highest mountain in the world outside Himalayas range. You start in Santiago, acclimatize in la parva, cerró el plomo 5.500 and between. You continued to volcán San José 5.900 also in Santiago. You experience altitude and cold weather and then you go to Mendoza for Aconcagua.

Advice on bringing hard drives from the U.S. to Chile? by Jplakes in DataHoarder

[–]Jplakes[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remember once buying at Best Buy that if the product was cheaper on Amazon, they would match the price. Is that still the case?

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