Photography Gear and Settings That Work On a Tour in Namibia
Namibia’s environment is as demanding as it is rewarding, and having the right gear – plus knowing how to use it – will greatly enhance your shooting experience. In this chapter, we’ll go over the recommended equipment for a Namibia photography trip and discuss camera settings that are particularly useful in the field. This isn’t an exhaustive gear list for every type of photographer, but a solid guideline based on what I and my workshop participants have found most handy in Namibia’s diverse conditions.
Recommended Camera Gear for Namibia
Camera Body/Bodies: Bring a camera you are comfortable with and that performs well in various lighting conditions. A DSLR or mirrorless body with good low-light performance is ideal (for those night shoots). If you have a second body, consider bringing it as a backup or to avoid lens swapping in dusty conditions. For example, I often carry two bodies: one with a telephoto lens and one with a wide-angle or standard zoom, so I’m ready for wildlife vs. landscape without changing lenses rapidly. Ensure you have a sensor cleaning kit, because dust spots are almost inevitable – a blower and sensor swabs can save your shots if dust gets on the sensor.
Lenses: A range of focal lengths will allow you to cover landscapes, portraits, and wildlife. Key lenses to consider:
Wide-angle Zoom (14-24mm, 16-35mm, or similar): For those expansive desert landscapes, interior of canyons, astrophotography with Milky Way, and creative wide perspectives (like low-angle shots of quiver trees with sky).
Standard Zoom (24-70mm or 24-105mm): Versatile for general use – from environmental portraits of Himba, to moderate landscapes, to animals when you can get closer. Many shots, like a group of giraffes under an acacia tree, or people scenes, fall in this range.
Telephoto Zoom (70-200mm): Great for isolating distant landscapes (compressing dunes layers for instance), picking out details on mountains, and closer-range wildlife. It’s also a wonderful portrait lens at the longer end for candid shots of people or distant captures of animals without disturbing them.
Super Telephoto (100-400mm, 150-600mm, or primes like 400mm/500mm if you’re keen): Essential if wildlife is a big part of your trip. In Etosha or Damaraland, animals won’t always be near the vehicle. A zoom up to 400 or 600 gives flexibility. Some photographers bring a prime (like 500mm f/4) for wildlife – fantastic for quality but remember the weight and need for support. A 100-400mm or 200-500mm paired with a crop-sensor body can also reach effectively.
Fast Prime (optional, 50mm f/1.8, 85mm f/1.4, etc.): Not required, but if you love portraiture or low-light, a fast prime is nice for creating ultra-blurred backgrounds or shooting stars wide open. For instance, a 50mm f/1.8 is lightweight and can be great for an evening around the campfire or a portrait with beautiful bokeh.
If you’re into macro photography, a Macro Lens (90mm or 100mm) could be fun for small desert creatures or close-ups of textures (like lizard skin or plant details). Not a must for everyone, but worth mentioning.
Tripod: A sturdy yet reasonably lightweight tripod is critical for Namibia. You’ll need it for long exposures (sunsets, sunrises), any bracketing or HDR work, and definitely for night photography (Milky Way, star trails). Also useful for group shots if you want to include yourself. Make sure your tripod can handle some wind – the desert can get breezy. Hanging a weight (like your camera bag) from the center hook can add stability. I also recommend a ball head or pan head that you’re comfortable adjusting quickly. If you plan to do panoramas, ensure your head can pan smoothly or consider a panorama bracket.
Filters: A few filters come in handy:
Polarizing Filter (CPL): Great for reducing glare and enhancing colors. In Namibia, a CPL can deepen blue skies (careful with ultra-wide lenses as noted, it can unevenly polarize) and cut reflections off water or wet salt pans after rain. It also can make clouds pop against the sky. Use it for scenes like the ghost town interiors (to cut window glare) or mid-day landscapes for richer color.
Neutral Density (ND) Filters: If you want to do long exposure effects (like smoothing out clouds or making an artistic motion blur of moving dunes sand), an ND filter (6-stop or 10-stop) can let you use slow shutter speeds even in daylight. Not essential for everyone, but creative tool if you like those effects.
Graduated ND Filters: These can help balance bright sky and darker foreground. For instance, at sunrise in Sossusvlei, the sky might be much brighter than the dunes below; a soft grad ND can even that out in-camera. Alternatively, you can bracket and post-process, but some prefer using grads on the spot. A 2-stop or 3-stop soft grad is a common choice for general landscape work.
Remote Shutter Release: To avoid camera shake on tripod shots, use a remote or intervalometer. Especially for night shots or any exposure longer than 30 seconds (which requires bulb mode on many cameras), an intervalometer is very useful. You can also program timelapses with it or star trail sequences.
Spare Batteries & Charger: Bring more batteries than you think you’ll need. Cold nights can drain batteries faster, and if you’re doing time-lapses or a lot of long exposures, you’ll burn through them. I usually carry at least 3-4 per camera body for a full day (charging some at night at the lodge). A car charger that plugs into the vehicle’s cigarette lighter can be a lifesaver on long trips between locations – you can top up batteries while driving. Keep batteries in a cool place; extreme heat can also affect them (like if left in a car under midday sun).
Memory Cards and Storage: Namibia’s vast beauty means you’ll likely be shooting a lot of photos (and maybe videos). Carry plenty of memory cards (better multiple smaller ones than one giant one, to mitigate loss if one fails). Rugged, high-speed cards are good especially for wildlife bursts or 4K video. It’s also wise to have a backup storage solution – either a portable backup device or a laptop with an external hard drive – so you can copy your cards and not keep all eggs in one basket. I usually each evening back up the day’s shots to my laptop and a portable SSD. That way, I have at least two copies (cards + drive) while traveling. If you can, keep the backup drive separate from your camera bag (in case of theft of one bag, etc).
Cleaning Kit: Dust is a constant companion in Namibia. Essential cleaning items: a blower (like Giottos Rocket Blower) to puff dust off your sensor and lenses, a soft lens brush, lens cleaning solution and microfiber cloths, and sensor swabs if you know how to use them for stubborn dust spots on the sensor. Also consider bringing a rain cover for your camera or some plastic bags to shield it during a dust storm or if it rains (rare, but possible). Even a shower cap can work in a pinch to cover your camera+ lens when not shooting. I advise folks to keep cameras in their bags when not in use, rather than on a tripod exposed to blowing sand.
Other Handy Gear: A headlamp (with red light mode) for night shooting – red light preserves your night vision and is gentler when shooting astro with a group. Knee pads or a small folding stool if you find yourself kneeling a lot for low-angle shots (the ground can be rocky or thorny). A dust-proof bag or pillowcase to put over camera/lens when in a vehicle can help keep dust off between stops. If you plan to do any hiking (like up Big Daddy dune or around Spitzkoppe), a comfortable camera backpack that distributes weight well and perhaps a hydration bladder for water will be appreciated by your back and body.
Camera Settings and Techniques for Namibia
While there’s no one-size-fits-all setting (you’ll always adjust based on conditions), here are some setting considerations that often come into play in Namibia’s typical scenarios:
Manual vs. Semi-Auto: I often use Aperture Priority for general shooting in Namibia, especially for landscapes and portraits, because I can set the desired depth of field and let the camera handle shutter (with exposure compensation as needed). In consistent light, Manual mode is fine too and many prefer it for full control. For wildlife, Shutter Priority can be useful if you want to ensure a minimum shutter speed (like 1/1000s) and let aperture float a bit (especially on moving subjects). Ultimately, use the mode you’re most comfortable with, but be ready to switch or use exposure compensation when the metering might be fooled (e.g., lots of bright sand will make camera underexpose, so dial in +0.7 or +1 EV to compensate in aperture priority; conversely, a very dark scene might need -EV).
ISO Auto with Limits: Consider using Auto ISO with a maximum cap and minimum shutter speed setting if your camera offers it. This is handy for wildlife when light is changing (like animal moving from sun to shade). For example, set Auto ISO max at 3200 (if that’s where you’re comfortable with noise) and min shutter 1/1000s. In aperture priority at f/5.6 for instance, the camera will raise ISO as needed to keep shutter above 1/1000. This way you can focus on composition and focus, and trust the camera not to drop shutter too low.
Focus Settings: For landscapes and static scenes, single-shot AF (One Shot / AF-S) with single point or manual focus works great. For wildlife or moving subjects, switch to continuous AF (AI Servo / AF-C) and use tracking modes. If your camera has animal detection or 3D tracking, those can be helpful for birds in flight or running animals. Back-button focus (decoupling focus from the shutter button) is a technique I encourage – it gives you more control, especially when recomposing. When doing night photography, turn off auto focus and switch to manual; pre-focus at infinity (using live view on a bright star or distant light to nail focus).
Depth of Field: Generally, for the sweeping landscapes like Sossusvlei or Spitzkoppe, you’ll want a deep depth of field (f/8 – f/16) to get front-to-back sharpness. Use the hyperfocal distance if you’re familiar (focus a third into the scene often works as a quick rule). For portraits (Himba, etc.), you might open up to f/2.8 – f/5 to blur backgrounds. For wildlife, a lot of times f/5.6 – f/8 is a good compromise to get the animal sharp but still separate from background. If animals are in groups (like a pride of lions), you might need f/8 or f/9 to get multiple subjects sharp if they’re at different distances. At night for stars, shoot wide open (f/1.4 – f/2.8) to gather light, unless you want to do something like star trails where aperture isn’t as critical as capturing movement.
Shutter Speed Considerations:
For handheld landscape or people shots in decent light, aim for 1/ double your focal length at least (e.g., with a 70mm lens, 1/140s minimum without stabilization). But often you’ll have plenty of light in daytime.
For creative motion blur of, say, moving sand or waves at the coast, try slow speeds like 1/15s or 1/4s with a tripod. For panning shots of animals running, something like 1/30s to 1/60s can create a nice motion effect with some trial and error.
For astrophotography, use the rule of 500 (or better, 400 for modern high MP sensors) to avoid star trails: e.g., 500 divided by focal length = max seconds. So with a 20mm lens, ~500/20 = 25 seconds maximum for pinpoint stars (on full frame). With a 14mm, you could do ~35s. But I often stick to ~20s to be safe for sharp stars and limit star elongation.
For star trails, you either do many short exposures (like 30s each at lower ISO, then stack) or one long one of say 15 minutes at lower ISO if your camera can handle that without overheating (some can, but noise can build up).
Exposure and Metering: As mentioned, Namibia’s bright surfaces can trick camera meters. Using exposure compensation is important. I often meter in evaluative/matrix mode and just dial compensation. Alternatively, spot metering on a mid-tone area (like the dune sand that’s mid-bright, not the brightest highlight) can give a base reading. But be careful with spot if you accidentally meter a dark tree, you’ll blow out the rest. Checking your histogram regularly is key, and use blinkies (highlight warning) to ensure you haven’t blown out something important like the bright clouds or sand. It’s usually okay if the sun itself or a specular highlight is blown, but you want to preserve detail in the majority of the scene.
White Balance: If shooting RAW (which I recommend, for flexibility), white balance can be adjusted later. But it helps to set it roughly right in camera for preview and to ease processing. In desert daylight, Auto WB does fine, or Daylight preset for consistency. For sunsets, auto might neutralize some warmth – I often set “Cloudy” or “Shade” WB in late afternoon to enhance the warm tones (or just leave auto and later bump it in post). For night skies, a cooler white balance (around 3500-4000K) often makes the sky a nice neutral/blue and brings out star colors. You can experiment – some like a slight warm tint to night sky too.
Continuous Shooting Mode: For wildlife or even fleeting human expressions, use burst mode (high-speed continuous). Memory cards are cheap compared to missing the moment. When a lion starts to yawn or a Himba child breaks into laughter, holding that shutter to capture a sequence can ensure you get the best micro-expression or the peak of action. Just be mindful to refocus or track focus as needed during bursts if depth is shallow.
Bracketing: For tricky lighting (inside a hut looking out, or high contrast scenes at sunrise), consider auto-bracketing exposures (AEB). Taking 3 or 5 shots at different exposures can later be combined (HDR) or at least give you choices. For example, in Deadvlei, I sometimes bracket ±2 stops to capture detail in the shadows and highlights, since the dynamic range is extreme at times. Modern cameras have good dynamic range, so a single RAW with shadow recovery can suffice in many cases, but bracketing is extra insurance.
Video Settings: If you plan to shoot video (many do for travelogues), don’t forget ND filters for video as well to maintain proper shutter (around 1/50s for 24p video, etc. to get natural motion blur). A tripod or gimbal helps for stable footage, especially for sweeping landscape scenes or walking shots. Check your audio (maybe bring a small mic if you want to capture sounds like Himba singing or wildlife). Video can capture the mood (like the sound of silence, which is ironically captured by ambient sound of maybe wind). It’s a nice supplement to stills.
Namibia will put your gear and skills to the test – from fine dust trying to invade your camera, to rapidly changing light at dusk, to subjects ranging from the microscopic to the infinite cosmos. The key is to be prepared but also flexible. I always tell people: the best camera is the one you have with you and ready. So rather than lugging every piece of gear, bring what you’re comfortable using and what suits your interests (landscape vs wildlife heavy, etc.), and then get to know that gear well.
Before your trip, it’s wise to practice: try out your night photography settings at home on stars (or even on a dark room with a few LEDs to simulate), practice quick lens changes, practice shooting moving subjects (even kids or cars) to refine your tracking technique. That way, in Namibia, using your gear is second nature and you can concentrate on creativity and observation.
One more thing: gear can always be repaired or replaced, but opportunities cannot. So if an unexpected situation arises (say, your main camera fails), don’t panic – use your backup or even a smartphone if you must, but keep capturing the experience. Some of my workshop attendees have made fantastic images with spare or lower-end gear after an issue, because ultimately the photographer and their vision matter most, not the newest camera model. Have confidence in yourself and use gear as a toolbox to express your vision of Namibia. With the right preparation, your equipment will help you translate what you see and feel into stunning photographs.
We have also written pages that describe our other favorite locations in Namibia. Please continue reading about some of the other areas that keep us going back to Namibia with small groups.
The Spitzkoppe Region of Namibia - a favourite for landscape and astrophotographer enthusiasts
Our favorite WIldlife areas we like to visit in Namibia
Deadvlei and Sossusvlei - one of the most dramatic landscape photography areas we have ever visited
Kolmanskop - the abandoned mining town being taken back by the desert.
The Quiver Trees Forest - a favorite for astrophotographers
The Himba Tribe - a fantastic experience to visit these nomadic people in their villages
Thinking of joining a Namibia photo tour? Learn the skills we teach on our Namibia Photo workshops
Learn what to expect on one of our Namibia photo tours, and what tours we are leading