{"id":631,"date":"2018-05-30T15:39:33","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T20:39:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/luxumbraque.com\/-\/?p=631"},"modified":"2019-06-30T11:42:52","modified_gmt":"2019-06-30T16:42:52","slug":"cameras-lenses-fantastic-photo-safari-africa-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/luxumbraque.com\/-\/2018\/05\/30\/cameras-lenses-fantastic-photo-safari-africa-complete-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing Cameras and Lenses for a Fantastic Photo Safari to Africa: A Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

A photo safari to Africa is unlike anything else you’ll ever experience, so you’ll want the right cameras and lenses with you. Here’s a short checklist of things to keep in mind, and a detailed list of recommendations<\/a> to fit any budget, from a super-low $700 to the sweet spot of $5,000 to sky-high five-figure plans.<\/p>\n

Checklist<\/h3>\n

1. Bring two cameras.<\/h4>\n

In addition to the obvious telephoto lenses for close-ups of the wildlife, bring a general-purpose camera that includes a wide angle option. This way you can capture the stunning landscapes, and, if you’re lucky, the context of animals that get close.
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A second body let me capture this wild rhino it its beautiful context as we drove by in the Pilanesberg.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

You don’t want to change lenses on a game drive. And that’s not just because of the ubiquitous dust. You don’t want to risk having the wrong lens on your camera when you finally glimpse an animal you’ve spent hours tracking.<\/p>\n

If your budget or suitcase size prevents you from bringing a second body, consider upgrading your phone if it doesn’t already have a great camera. In this regard, it’s hard to beat the amazing, and amazingly priced, Google Pixel 3a<\/a>. (Read more here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

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I used my now-antiquated Samsung G5 to capture this landscape of the Pilanesberg in South Africa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Bring a good telephoto lens.<\/h4>\n

The key here is “good.” Don’t just look at the zoom range.<\/p>\n

For instance, Tamron and Sigma both make 150-600mm lenses that you can pick up for under $1,000. But Canon’s 100-400mm Mark II<\/a> will actually give you more reach than either one, even though it tops out at a “mere” 400mm. By that I mean that if you take the same photo at 600mm with one of the cheaper lenses and at 400mm with the Canon, and then crop the Canon image 1.5x, you’ll still have more detail in your shot with the Canon, despite the loss of quality from cropping.<\/p>\n

There’s nothing wrong with the Sigma and Tamron lenses. Just don’t think that they get you closer to the animals than Canon’s 400mm lens.<\/p>\n

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Even this ridiculously severe 13x crop of an image I shot with the Canon 100-400 Mark II on a 7D Mark II body contains a surprising amount of detail. The full image is in the inset.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For similar reasons, a teleconverter probably won’t be useful. You’ll think you’re getting closer. But you’re not.<\/p>\n

In general, 150-600mm (equiv.) is a great range, though you can never have too much reach. <\/p>\n

3. Practice with your equipment.<\/h4>\n

Especially if you buy new equipment for your trip, don’t wait until you get to Africa to learn how to use it. My recommendation is to plan for a couple trips to a zoo. It’s not the same, of course. But you’ll get used to shooting moving animals.<\/p>\n

When you get back, ask yourself if you missed any shots because you were fumbling with your equipment, or if you ever accidentally dialed in the wrong settings. And while you’re at it, what about your results? Did you nail focus on the eyes (almost always key)? Do you like the depth of field? Which autofocus settings worked best?<\/p>\n

Then go back and try again.<\/p>\n

4. Experiment with different settings.<\/h4>\n

Most modern cameras offer sky-high ISOs, and it’s temping to use them — especially because that way you can get fast shutter speeds to stop action and wide apertures for beautifully narrow depth of field. But you pay a price when you up the ISO.<\/p>\n

In fact, my biggest mistake on my first safari was prioritizing high shutter speeds over low ISOs. I was still using the antiquated<\/a> reciprocal rule, even though modern stabilized lenses and bodies often let you get a great shot at surprisingly low shutter speeds.<\/p>\n

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Zebra Love. There was no reason for me to shoot this at 1\/1600sec. It forced me to ISO 6400, and I lost a lot of detail.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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I captured this wild lion after dusk using a mind-boggling 1\/13sec exposure, hand held. ISO 2000.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is another reason to try things out at a zoo. Take a few shots at full zoom and, say, 1\/800sec at ISO 2000. Then try 1\/400sec at ISO 1000, 1\/200sec at ISO 500, all the way down to 1\/50sec and ISO 125. Which shots came out best?<\/p>\n

Do the same thing for the really high ISOs to see how high you can go.<\/p>\n

Now, with those four things in mind, here are some specific recommendations.<\/p>\n

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