McNab Report

My girlfriend and I are planning to go up to the Sudan some day in the near future, we’ve been invited by a photographer that is currently working for the UN there.

One of the main things that has been on my mind for a while is what equipment I should take up there, I’m sure resources will be few or not working at the best of times. So I wonder what will i need to make sure I get as much copy, pictures and video as I can possibly get.

Taking a look around the internet I have gathered together some of the items I would really like to have. But knowing my luck and current wage, I doubt I would ever be able to afford. So below I list a dream list of things I would love to have for our trip to the Sudan.

Voltaic Solar Bag

Seeing as power will not be just a plug away, not that it is in South Africa, a cheap, unlimited power supply would be a great idea. So a solar powered backpack seems to me to be the thing to have. Able to charge my cellphone, laptop and camera batteries the back pack would surely be one the list of things that one must have.  Having looked around the internet for a while, the Voltaic Solar bag seems like the one to have. It looks nice, with a power output of 14.7 it would be able to power a laptop from one day of direct sunlight. Its waterproof, not that I expect a lot of rain in the Sudan, plus comes with all the plugin’s that most cellphones and laptops use now days.

Cost: $249.

MACBOOK PRO

I’ll never be able to afford one of these, not in my wildest dreams. But the Macbook pro has been something that I check out on a require basis. In fact, not a week will go by with out me looking at the mac website and just looking at it. As I said at a 27 dinner the other day, where the key speaker had a Macbook pro, “I would mud wrestle my mother for one of those”. Seeing as nobody would pay me to mud wrestle my mother and my mother already saying no to my desire to wrestle her I wont be getting one of these any time in the near future. I wont ramble on about what this great machine has to offer, as i am sure most readers of the blog will have at some point checked that out for them selves. But for those of you that have not visited the apple site, here is a link… just for you http://www.zastore.co.za/macbookpro08.php

Cost: R22,999.00

Sony HVR Z1E HDV Professional Camcorder

This camera, is for a lack of better words awesome. Its so awesome in fact that to buy one most people would have to wait a couple of years just so that they could knock up the wife, wait for her to pop a couple of bastards out and then you sell them so some body that is looking for top dollar fruits of your loins. Its HDV / DVCAM / DV Switchable, which means that you can use various mediums to tape all the awesome things I will no about see. A camera like this, well the options are endless. They would make my driver along’s with the PE flying squad a hell of a lot more interesting. Having moving images can really show the action and danger that I like to get my self into. On my budget I doubt I would be able to ever afford this camera, it costs more than the Macbook Pro, I don’t even know what I would have to do to be able to get one of these. Plus seeing as I would have to buy a Mic, hard drive, tapes and other things just to be able to use the Camera. But still its amazing, and brings a tear to my eye when ever I look at it.

Cost: R60,199.00

Canon 40D

Already the owner of a Canon 400D, the 40D is a step up in the world of photography. I’ve been reading about it, and it seems that its the camera for me. Its got a metal body, so I dont have to worry when I fall over or have to duck for cover, that the camera will get broken. Plus it has a far easier interface to use, all the buttons I could want are right were you figures want them. No having to hold extra buttons just to be able to engage or change other things. Plus the nice thing is, is that I am able to use the lenses that I already for my 400D on the 40D. The only problem that stands in my way to be able to get this camera is that buying my last camera my grand mother had to die. Well she didn’t have to, nor did I want her to, but that is how I was able to get the money to buy the 400D. And seeing that I am rapidly running low on grand parents to peg it, and leave me some money, it looks like the only way I will afford it is when I either get a raise or when I my parents leave this mortal coil.

Cost: R17,999.00

 There are many things I would like to have, loads and loads in fact, however for my trip to the Sudan these items for me would make the trip better and easier to document.