Need Help - SUV for Wildlife Photography EDIT- Its The Scorpio

[kvish]

[PS: Are you the same person from the jungle look site? ]
Off topic: I got the link to your site from one of my friends (about Wild dogs and bisons in Bannerghatta.) Just mindblowing to say the least.

I would suggest the tata xenon or Scorpio Getaway. Mainly because there is space behind where you can mount the camera and get a uninterrupted view.

[rkbharat]

wow one more , I just love to hear the reasons to buy the SUV. Just joking

My suggestion is, buy whatever but retain Fusion. Or you will buy another hatch very soon after buying SUV.

4X4 will the suited as you might venture out to places which opens up the world for photography.

[trammway]

Hi Sudhir,

You have known to me for a long time, I'm a regular visitor to your gallery site.

I would say, stick with a brand new Gypsy (will cost you around Rs.5.5L) ordered from MUL. Keep your Fusion for regular use. You can't expect a comfort drive from gypsy but it is a light weight no noise simple SUV.

Otherwise take a JEEP and enjoy your life with it, but be careful not to make my kind of diversion after taking jeep into offroading. Confused ? ok here is the story I did searched for a SUV to take me for wildlife photography jungle trips. So rounded off to Jeeps and there I have started my journey into the jeeping world... (sadly derailed from my photography hobby, for me as of now Jeeping is more attractive than Photography today)

Read the whole story here:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ve...-exercise.html (Mahindra Classic - Jeeping exercise)

Jeep is simply best because as I thought it can carry me and a ladder for photography in the jungle whenever I need a above eyelevel composition.

I should also tell you this, my next vehicle on the four wheeler segment will be Bolero and next to that on the queue is Pajero.

[sukiwa]

Off Topic:

[PS: Are you the same person from the jungle look site? ]

@ kvish : yes, he is the same person.

Wondering why Samurai has not commented on this thread yet. Would he recommend a GV?

[vasudhir]

Originally Posted by kvish

[PS: Are you the same person from the jungle look site? ]
Off topic: I got the link to your site from one of my friends (about Wild dogs and bisons in Bannerghatta.) Just mindblowing to say the least.

I would suggest the tata xenon or Scorpio Getaway. Mainly because there is space behind where you can mount the camera and get a uninterrupted view.

Hi Vish,

Yes, I am the same person. It was a fantastic experience watching the wild dogs and the Gaur...

The Tata Xenon looks a bit big. I may go with the Scorpio or the Bolero. Will be doing some TD of the vehicles during the weekend.

Rgds,
Sudhir

[hellstar]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

All you guys are wrong. A diesel engined car will absolutely scare away all animals.

wrong there Redliner IMHO !

Visit BR Hills or Bandiour and you will find that majority of safari vehicles are diesel , the animals are used to the sound of diesel clutter , but i have heard that the sound of turbo charger turning on sometimes irritates the elephants so much so that they charge the vehicle. When you are in their territroy it pays to be in thier good books.

Animals are used to the sound of Trucks and Mahindra jeeps .

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by hellstar

wrong there Redliner IMHO !

Visit BR Hills or Bandiour and you will find that majority of safari vehicles are diesel , the animals are used to the sound of diesel clutter , but i have heard that the sound of turbo charger turning on sometimes irritates the elephants so much so that they charge the vehicle. When you are in their territroy it pays to be in thier good books.

Animals are used to the sound of Trucks and Mahindra jeeps .

That basically rules out all present gen diesel vehicles except Bolero 4x4 which has the XD3P engine.

[Spitfire]

I am no photographer - forget widlife.

But do you like drive upto say a lion, get off your SUV(in a jungle??), set up the tripod and stuff, ask the lion to give his best smile and click away?

I think its more like drive to a watering hole or someplace animals visit, stay there put for a day or 2 and click away to glory.

Diesel clatter and for heavens sake elephants not liking the turbo(i learned something new today) wouldnt matter much.

Only issue get a good vehicle that will get you there through bushes, stones, etc.

4x4 would be mandatory.

[bhp1]

Try the Bolero 4x4 or Bolero twin cab(camper) 4x4, these are good machines with nice offroad capability in an affordable price range.

[MileCruncher]

Seen the Bolero 4x4 Campers doing duty in Coorg and they are supposed to be very good as well.

P.S.: Camper Gold / Deluxe comes in PS & AC version with 3 year warranty and will be well within your price range.

[Spinnerr]

I too feel gypsy fits your requirement. You could modify that to include a 1/4 cabin. Something like the ralley gypsys do. That should keep your equipments safe, at the same time make the A/C really effective (if you choose to add one).

This should give you and idea. Pic borrowed from our 4x4 thread.

[COUGAR]

One option only: Gypsy! This vehicle is built for this task! Super Quiet and a very capable beast offroad, quite reliable and very carlike in handling. Even someone with poor offroading skills like myself was able to ford streams etc with relative ease from the word go.

Also, when considering a vehicle for use in forests please note that many national parks in india (and some state forests as well) do not allow entry for diesel vehicles. Not very rigidly enforced but why take the chance? must confess that it was this one issue that turned my decision in the Gypsy vs Gurkha vs Bolero koshun.

I have bought my Gypsy exclusively for forest use and while it may not be as torqueey as my original choice, the Bolero, it has one main advantage: low noise. in the relative silence of the jungle even the more refined Crde engines etc create quite a racket. The Gypsy on the other hand is virtually noiseless. The noisiest it gets is when u crank the starter. But once started it is pretty quiet.

Put it into 4L,free the clutch and throttle and you can follow a tiger noiselessly as it walks down the fireline! The racket a diesel creates makes such stuff near impossible.

A soft top gives greater "freedom of operation", but as i once found after an encounter with a bear in the Tadoba forest, not very secure! Best option would be a kind of hard top with a openable top for u to standup and take snaps.

[GTO]

Wild-life Photography = PETROL! In fact, some parks don't even allow diesel vehicles. The noise of their engines is enough to scare away the species.

The Gypsy is your best bet. Customisation options are endless for it to suit exactly the purpose.

[Torqy]

For wildlife photography, you need a really quiet vehicle.
You need a Bolero.

[meghan]

Even after so many differing opinions, I would add one more vote for the Gypsy, with a hard top over the front cabin (as shown in the pic a few posts above) to keep the equipment safe and an open rear to keep the tripod/bean bag etc.

I am also a nature lover and have seen your wonderful pics on INW etc.
Also been to various national parks including Corbett, Kanha, Bandipur/Mudumalai, Pench etc. Except for Bandipur, I saw the Gypsy being the preferred local vehicle choice.

However I would also like to add that the diesel options suggested before are more practical vehicles than the Gypsy for daily use.