Rogue Safari FAQ

1. How does Rogue Safari work?

Rogue Safari uses an optically-engineered fresnel lens to redistribute the light from a compatible DSLR’s pop-up flash, providing more light in a restricted field of view (>100mm focal lengths on a 1.5 crop-factor sensor).  In other words, the Safari lens takes light that would otherwise be spread out at short range and instead focuses it in a smaller area to extend the range of the pop-up flash.

2. Is Rogue Safari an electronic flash?  Does it emit light on its own?

No, Rogue Safari contains no electronics and uses no batteries.  Rogue Safari does not emit any light on its own, instead, it focuses the light from a DSLR’s pop-up flash.

3. Is Rogue Safari a replacement for an accessory flash (speedlight, flashgun)?

While Rogue Safari puts out a significant amount of light at a distance compared to a bare pop-up flash, Safari is not intended to replace more expensive accessory flashes for all applications.  Accessory flashes are more versatile, incorporating swivel heads to allow for bounce flash, providing more power, even at close range, and allowing for off-camera use.

We love accessory flashes and everything you can do with them, after all, we make Rogue FlashBenders.

That being said, for many photographers who do not intend on spending hundreds of dollars on an accessory flash, Rogue Safari greatly increases the capability of the pop-up flash at a fraction of the cost.  In addition, at only 2 oz., photographers may choose to carry Safaris in their bags rather than larger, heavier accessory flashes.  

4. How does the Safari attach to my camera? It seems like a tight fit on my Nikon camera, how do I easily remove Safari?

Rogue Safari attaches to a DSLR camera's hot shoe using a spring-fit mount.  Safari was designed to fit tightly into the hot shoe so that it won't fall out during active photography.  Because the dimensions of cameras' hot shoes vary significantly between brands and between camera models, Safari will fit some camera models more tightly than others. Safari is also designed to 'give' after the first few uses as the spring relaxes and it adjusts to your hot shoe, so it will slide in and out more easily after several uses.

Nikon cameras generally will have a tighter fit than Canon cameras.  If the fit seems tight at first, remove Safari by rocking it from side-to-side slightly as you remove it from the hot-shoe.  After a few uses, you will find that Safari is easier to remove.

5. What cameras does Rogue Safari work with?

Rogue Safari works with almost every Canon or Nikon APS-C or DX format (crop-factor) DSLR made in the last five years.  Please check out our current compatibility chart.  Lens position makes a significant difference in Safari performance, so just because Safari may fit a particular camera does not mean its performance is optimal. 

6. Why doesn’t Rogue Safari work with (fill-in-the-blank) camera brand or camera model?

Every camera model’s pop-up flash configuration is slightly different, including the pop-up flash’s position in relationship to the shoe mount.  Rogue Safari is optimized to work with a large subset of Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras, however, separate versions of Rogue Safari would have to be developed to work properly with other camera brands and models, including modifying the shape of the housing and perhaps the lens, depending on a given camera’s configuration.  Also, some older versions of Sony cameras utilize a Minolta hot-shoe mount rather than an ISO hot-shoe mount, which would require a different attachment. 

We love the variety of camera brands and models available in the market, but we were not able to accommodate all cameras with the Rogue Safari.  We do not have plans to release any additional models of the Rogue Safari in the future.

7. What are the spacers for included in the Safari packaging?

Some cameras, most notably the Canon Digital Rebel series, position the flash slightly higher in relationship to the hot-shoe mount than other cameras. The spacers are not required for any Nikon cameras.

The spacers included in the package lock onto the Safari mount, raising the height of the Safari.  The raised height allows for Safari’s light pattern to be centered in the field of view.  Two spacers of different heights are included to accommodate for current and future cameras.

8. What kind of light output should I expect from Rogue Safari?

Rogue Safari’s light output varies somewhat by camera model.  We have measured as much as a 3 f/stop increase (8x) in light compared to a bare pop-up flash at 20’-30’ (for instance on a Canon 7D). 

Up to 8x more light provided by Safari in reduced field of view versus bare pop-up flash (8x measured on Canon 7D):

9. What kind of photography is Rogue Safari best suited for?

Safari makes a difference whenever more light at a distance will improve your photography.  For instance, use Safari in low-light situations, use Safari in open shade, use Safari in cloudy weather, or use Safari in full sun as a fill light.  Vacations, family outings, and nature photography all provide great opportunities to use Safari.