budget camera to go on Safari with?

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greigym

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Hi there,

Im new to photography and am going on my honeymoon in South Africa in May. I have been advised to consider getting a Nikon D40 with a 300 lens. Are there any other cameras to perhaps be looking at considering my budget of sub £300?

Many thanks
 
I have and use a Nikon D40 with a 300mm lens and I think this combination would be perfect for you
 
I'd second the bridge to get the extra versatility. Longer zoom for far away stuff, wider angle for landscapey stuff.

If you've not used a dslr before you'll have a pretty steep learning curve before you go unless you want to leave it on auto - in which case you might as well have the bridge anyway.

(yes yes I know a bridge has lower IQ than a dslr but tbh if he currently owns neither then he's not going to be pushing either to their limits, particularly in sunny conditions.)
 
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I'm about to get an basting by suggesting a travel zoom compact and not a bridge or DSLR camera. My reasons for suggesting this being:
  • They have a wider focal length range than any single lens you will get for a DSLR, and a comparable (or exceed) the focal length range of bridge cameras;
  • They're lighter and more pocketable than either a bridge or DSLR;
  • Faffing around with a complicated camera is not what you want to be doing on your honeymoon, the quality of the holiday experience is more important than photos;
  • They have plenty of idiot-proof auto modes for almost every conceivable scenario;
  • They are discreet and unobstrusive;
  • They offer a better combination of image quality, features and usability than any other type of camera in the sub-£500 budget for the average camera buyer.
DPReview does regular group tests, the most recent Travel/Super Zoom group test is here.

This may be a controversial suggestion on a forum like this.. :wave:
 
I'd go d40 / d40x route. Why?

* A bridge will have crap IQ. Fact
* A bridge will lose value the minute you pay for it. Fact
* D40 can be resold for no loss - presuming it is not damaged
* You may like and will end up with good camera as opposed to a doorstop
* It is nonsense to claim that bridge can be easier to use - I have no idea how to take a decent photo with one to date!
 
The OP has less than £300.

Even if he went for a Nikon D40 or Canon D350, that's most of his budget gone, both bodies are still going for around the £150-170 mark. Doesn't leave much left for a lens(es) because he'll need standard walkaround and the zoom for the safari.

If the OP wants a DSLR then he would be better off saving some more money and buying the camera in a couple of months just before his holiday, but you're still looking at £200 for a body + 18-55mm lens and another £300-400 for a reasonable zoom 70-300mm.

As to the type of lens, that depends on the type of safari and where he's going. Kruger Park in SA your stuck to roads, so the wildlife can be a distance from the car, I was using a 300mm lens with 1.4 & 2x TC plus the 1.6x crop to get shots, equivalent to over 1300mm. On the other hand, Kenya safari you could get quite close to the animals because you were going off road, but you would still probably need a 100-400mm type lens.

So best advice, is find out what type of safari you're going on, save some more money and tailor your camera to that situation.
 
Alastair said:
I'm about to get an basting by suggesting a travel zoom compact and not a bridge or DSLR camera. My reasons for suggesting this being:
  • They have a wider focal length range than any single lens you will get for a DSLR, and a comparable (or exceed) the focal length range of bridge cameras;
  • They're lighter and more pocketable than either a bridge or DSLR;
  • Faffing around with a complicated camera is not what you want to be doing on your honeymoon, the quality of the holiday experience is more important than photos;
  • They have plenty of idiot-proof auto modes for almost every conceivable scenario;
  • They are discreet and unobstrusive;
  • They offer a better combination of image quality, features and usability than any other type of camera in the sub-£500 budget for the average camera buyer.
DPReview does regular group tests, the most recent Travel/Super Zoom group test is here.

This may be a controversial suggestion on a forum like this.. :wave:
Click to expand...

I'd have to agree with what Alastair has said. I bought my girlfriend a Canon Powershot 210 IS and I have been very impressed with it for the price. The IQ isn't quite as good as my Powershot G11, but then it is not in the same price bracket.

If you are keen to try your hand on a DSLR I would suggest buying a used body and hiring a good lens. At the end of the holiday if you are still keen to take up photography you can keep the body, if not you can sell it on after and probably won't lose too much.

As for suggestions (I only know Canon, I'm sure there are Nikon, Pentax & Sony alternatives!) I would recommend:
- Buy a Canon 20D or 30D. These have high frames per second, which would be beneficial for shooting animals that may be moving quickly. You should be able to get ones with a kit lens for sub £200.
- Hire a Canon 70-300 F4-5.6L IS USM (the L is the important bit - much better image quality than the non- L) or the Canon 100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM

Here is a link to the website to hire equiptment from: http://www.lensesforhire.co.uk/

I hope that helps.
 
Wow! Just when I thought I was getting a little understanding! Seems ive created more questions than answers for myself. Thanks for the info guys. I will go go back to the drawing board and do some more research.
 
There are a number of good points that have been raised with the comments and im very appreciative. The point about bulk and hassle is a good one. I am on honeymoon after all so dont really want to be carrying around large amounts of equipment and changing lenses etc. Ive been warned that if getting the D40 with a 300 lens, to take a tripod as well so as to steady the shot. We do want to take some nice pics as they will be displayed on some big screens at our wedding party when we return and if we get a particularly nice shot, would probably have it blown up and put on canvas.

I have been looking at the D40 for a couple of months and it appears that they do sell used including the standard 55 lens and 300 lens for sub £300. I noticed that they also do a D40x which was higher in MPs but not much difference in price? One other thing that did confuse me is that you could buy a D40 with standard lens for around £230 and the 300 lens seem to fluctuate in price considerably. I presume this was to do with the lens features and quality? I understand that its worth getting an auto focus lens to go with the D40?

Im unsure about the travel zoom compact? Will it be man enough for the job as it reminds me a little of the rubbish standard digital camera I own! Im worried that it cant cope with potential zoom requirements?

The HX1 looks to be very good and has virtually everything onboard. Its very confusing but I think I would rather have something relatively hassle free although im worried that the quality of picture and versatility will be effected.

Decisions decisions!
 
I'd second the idea of getting a travel zoom compact. The image quality will not be as good as a dslr (but won't be crap), but unless you're planning on selling the photos or sending them off for publication, I wouldn't let that deter you. The Fuji F600exr got a good review in Amateur Photographer the other week, £209 at Warehouse Express.
 
The more somebody posts opinions as: "Fact." the more inclined I am to ignore everything they're saying, will say or have ever said.
 
greigym said:
I have been looking at the D40 for a couple of months and it appears that they do sell used including the standard 55 lens and 300 lens for sub £300.
Click to expand...

To be honest, you can get lots of old DSLRs with a cheap zoom lens going up to 300mm for this budget, but you will compromising on quality. What's acceptable to you may differ from that of others however, so I'd encourage you to identify some cheap 300mm zoom lenses and search for other people's results both here and on Flickr.

For example, I once owned a Tamron 70-300mm zoom lens which can be picked up used for about £60-70. It has a 300mm focal length at the long end, but has problems with purple fringing when zoomed to 300mm...what this means is that areas of high contrast will likely get purple lines appearing around the subject...perhaps not ideal for zebras :lol: Likewise, other cheap 300mm zooms may be soft unless stopped down, lowering shutter speeds which is not ideal if you are shooting whilst driving along and can't use a tripod.

In summary, look around at others' photos first and don't just grab something because it's 300mm / 400mm etc. :)
 
Have done safari and took a Nikon d50 and a 70-300 lens. Came back with loads of great shots all shot in auto. Nikon d50= £110-150, 18-55 £60ish, 70-300 £70ish, bag £10, and use the rest for memory cards.... Done.


Look at my Flickr, wildlife, kenya
 
Stokes, sounds simple....so does that price include you taking the photos?!
 
greigym said:
Stokes, sounds simple....so does that price include you taking the photos?!
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Afraid not... But honestly the d50 is a work horse, and nicer in the hand than the d40... I've had both. D50 does not take sdhc sd cards. Don't take a tripod, you won't use it. Where are you going?
 
stokes said:
Have done safari and took a Nikon d50 and a 70-300 lens. Came back with loads of great shots all shot in auto. Nikon d50= £110-150, 18-55 £60ish, 70-300 £70ish, bag £10, and use the rest for memory cards.... Done.


Look at my Flickr, wildlife, kenya
Click to expand...

Glad to see this Stokes. I'm heading to Kenya on 27th of this month, Tsavo East, West and Amboseili. Checked your flickr and pleased to see what you can shoot with only 300mm as that is all i have. Cheers.
 
phil_b said:
Glad to see this Stokes. I'm heading to Kenya on 27th of this month, Tsavo East, West and Amboseili. Checked your flickr and pleased to see what you can shoot with only 300mm as that is all i have. Cheers.
Click to expand...

I did East and West :)

Jealous! :)

Honestly Tsavo with a 300 if fine.... the first ten mins you might think, argh wish i had a 500mm, but after an hour you will be laughing!

Top tip. Watch out for the meerkats on the signs, they are quick and love hiding when a car comes past!
 
You won't have much opportunity to use a tripod if you're travelling by vehicle. A bean bag on the window sill works pretty well, or one of the supports that clamp to the door with the window down. Bean bags cost next to nothing and you can carry them empty (fill it when you get there), so it's probably a good choice.

Lens choice is tricky, because it's difficult to predict where the animals will be. Most animals in the reserves are used to vehicles and don't seem to associate them with humans/danger, and you can sometimes get very close. Zooms in the 70 - 300mm or 100 - 400mm range are versatile and probably the most popular. Have a look at http://www.outdoorphoto.co.za/joomla/. They rent lenses from their Pretoria and Nelspruit offices, and this might work for you, if you're going to use a Canon or Nikon DSLR. The owner Hedrus Van Der Merwe is a professional wildlife photographer, and a great guy, so it might be worth sending him a mail, telling him where you're going, and asking for his advice.
 
Thanks everyone for the posts. We are visiting various places but are doing most of the drives at Amakhala. Im very new to photography so my expectation levels are probably nowhere near as high as yourselves but it would still be nice to come back with some great shots to upload for the wedding party and possibly one of two to get blown up and put on canvas.

Thanks again for the advice
 
It looks like im weighing things up between a Nikon D50 with 18-55 & 70-300 against something like the Fuji HS20EXR.

I wish I had more knowledge or had posted enough so I had access to the classifieds on here!!!
 
Potentially very stupid question but I said I was a novice....18-55 vs 70-300 is the only difference the ability to take a pic over distance ie zoom? Ive seen a D50 advertised with a 70-300 and wondered if it was absolutely necessary to buy an 18-55 as well?

Apologies for asking what must be such stupid questions but not having owned a DSLR or any camera of note, its all very new to me.
 
You'll probably want the standard zoom to take photos of other aspects of your hols, not everything will be at a distance, portraits of you and your bride, landscapes, the locals etc
 
I bought a Panny FZ28 (about three models ago) bridge camera for our safari. It was absolutly fine. Great zoom. Recommended.
 
I did South Africa (Kreuger- Sabi Sands) Not quite 2 years ago. We were on a private reserve where driving off road was daily and we were pretty close to most animals at some point. I had the D40 with 18-55 and 55-200 VR set. I didn't use the 18-55 for more than a few shots all week. The 55-200 VR stayed on my camera all week and was basically long enough. I would have preferred to have 300 some times (mainly birds) but 200 and lightly cropping did the job. Amakhala looks like a private reserve so you're probably not limited to the road system.

For me, I would get the 55-200 VR over the cheap 70-300 non VR. The VR was very useful for me since we were driving at dawn and dusk. Mid day light was naptime. The 70-300 VR would be a better bet, but would take all of the OP's budget alone. You should be able to get the 55-200 plus a D40 (probably with the kit lens too) inside of 300 and that set would be my choice again in that price range.

Thanks,
Rick
 
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