Beginner Camera(s) / Lens for safari

markwalker84 · 12 May 2016

Hi all,

New member here looking for some advice.

Apologies if this is a commonly asked question (nothing more annoying than new forum members asking the same questions over and over...!) I've had a search and most of the safari results were examples of people's amazing work rather than kit recommendations etc.

Happy to be pointed in the direction of any threads I may have missed.

Anyway...

We just booked our return flights to South Africa for our honeymoon in January. Yippee!!
Part of that will be 3 or 4 days in the Kruger park on safari.

Obviously I want to make the most of it and catch a few pictures so wondering what the best options are.

I've got a Sony NEX3 which as far as I'm concerned takes a cracking photo, but the longest lens I've got is the 55-210mm telephoto that I picked up off ebay a while back to compliment the 18-55mm kit lens.
https://www.amazon.c...t/dp/B005JZ7YWS

To be honest I've not used the telephoto a lot.

My concern would be that it's probably not that good... and although 210 is a decent reach it's not all that for safari conditions from what I've read where you really want 300+

I'm comfortable with using cameras in auto manual mode and reckon I just about get the basics, but to be totally honest I don't want to spend my time playing with buttons and reviewing 1000's of photos... I'll most likely put it in Auto or 'P' mode and leave it at that.

So I've got a few ideas:

1)
I good friend of mine has a DSLR that I reckon he would lend me. Think it's lower / mid range Canon from a few years ago.
Not sure he's got a long lens, but I could probably hire one specifically for the trip (not sure on cost?!)
I could then keep the kit lens on the Sony for close up stuff and keep a long lens on the DSLR.

2)
As above, but pick up a 16mm pancake lens for the Sony and have that on there instead.
Always wanted the pancake as it would make the camera pocket friendly, but not sure if an extra 2mm is really worth it.

3)
Pick up some kind of teleconverter for the sony and use my current longest lens, although no idea if that would take a half decent picture to be honest.

4)
Another option could be to just buy a big fat zoom for my mate's DSLR (of course assuming I can actually borrow it...) and then sell it on again when I get back. Go second hand and I guess I wouldn't lose too much?
Seen a Sigma EX 80-400 for about £300 on ebay which seems like a cracking deal.

If my mate's camera isn't available then I guess I'm looking at either a bridge camera for the long stuff, or making the best of the Sony I've got?

Any thoughts?

Teflon-Mike · 12 May 2016

You are going on Honeymoon....
My thoughts? If you come back with holiday snaps, you have sort of missed the point, kid! ;-)
Otherwise.. for a beginner.... I'd say dont buy a camea for a holiday.... do you want a holiday full of sight seeing, or a holiday full of fumbling with a camera you have yet to learn to use, looking at 'menu's and trying to google what a mode means?
POST-CARDS at the front desk of the hotel, shot by a pro, with the time, dedication and 'inside track' on the wildlife's habbtis, will always get better shots than will e offered to you by the tour guide.... and you can buy an awful lot of them for the price of a camera... crikey, you could even 'adopt a Hippo' (or was that just my marriage?!? ;-)) and have them send you snap shots of it at reglar intervals for a lot less than a new camera!
So, sod the camera, enjoy your honey-moon... buy post cards, ad take a smart-phone or cheap pont and shoot for the selfies & snap-shots!
OR... plan on spending a lot of time.... which if there's a wedding to be planed you et likely t have much of... to learn how to use a DSLR, more, how to get decent wild-lfe shots with one.... which one probably wot matter much, and on safari, odds is whatever lens you have... it wont be long enough... and if it is? Hand holding, worse hand holding in the back of a Safari-Bus bouncing over the Savanah, everythig will come out rather bloomin blurry....
So back to where I started, really... worry about enjoying your honey-moon, rather than the photo's you may get on it!

Nawty · 13 May 2016

Personally I would just take what you've got unless you plan to get into photography and want an excuse to splash some cash (as if a wedding isn't expensive already!).

210mm on your camera is enough to get some good shots, I had the equivalent (300mm on a full frame camera) in the Serengeti and was happy with my shots.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/72341657@N02/albums/72157634845929635

On Safari there will ALWAYS be something just that bit further away and you can break your bank (and back) on monster lenses and still not have enough.

Buy more batteries though.

BillN_33 · 13 May 2016

If you are on a budget - Nikon DSLR + Nikon 70 300mm zoom

if you can spend more Nikon DSLR + Nikon 300mm f4 AFS, (old model) + Nikon TC1,4

a bit more Nikon DSLR + Nikon 300mm PF + 1,4TC

if tight budget - spend less on body than lens

plus the kit lens or 50mm

(or Canon equivalent - the 400mm f?)

I usually do a few "game parks" every year - in the back of a Landcruiser you need something that is easy to handle

realspeed · 13 May 2016

Why not got to your local zoo or preferably a wildlife park and try some distance shots there. It may give some idea of lens reach you may need .. Oh once you are married you won't have any say in the matter the boss will see to that

Remember women take one of three routes to nagging.

First they are born to nag
Second their mums teach them to nag
Third once married they think they have the right to nag

What is worse is us men let them

markwalker84 · 13 May 2016

@ Teflon Mike
100% agree that I want to "live" the experience and not be stuck learning new gadgets or tools.

That said... A photo you've taken yourself is always going to be a thousand times more precious and meaningful than a postcard.
I'm not going to throw money at this but if I can get a reasonable kit list together for minimal outlay I'd prefer to give it a go.

@ the other posts that appeared whilst I was replying...

Thanks for the suggestions / info.

Going to a zoo / wildlife park is a great shout.
Test out the zoom I've got and see if it's up to task.

pete.rush · 24 May 2016

What type of safari are you going on, some you can get right up to the animals because the vehicle your in can go off the tracks, or like the Kurger Park, your limited to the roads, tracks and its pot luck whether you see the animals close up or at distance. If your going on the first type, then your current kit may just work for you.

condyk · 24 May 2016

I know Kruger well and have travelled throughout the park. The animals are generally closer than in a number of other parks tho if you're going in January then perhaps not as it's wet season. There'll be plenty of greenery and maybe baby animals around. But because there's lots of water they may all stay out in the bush. Kruger is a big park and most of it is restricted as you stay on the roads, so if the critters are happy away from the roads (and the humans) because thye have easy access to water and grazing then tough luck basically. You can use a saloon car throughout Kruger, so no need to spend a wad on a 4x4! Do you know where you're staying, which camp/s?

You also need to assume Malaria is a possibility. You're pretty safe in the dry season.

Kruger is wildlife rich but you just aren't going at the best time. I would say you can take a 70-300 IS with your mates Canon and you may get some decent shots. An valid alternative, arguably better and cheaper, is a Tamron 70-300 VC. I've had both and prefer the Tamron. You might bag a S/H one for around £230 if you're lucky and if you sell it on your return for close to the same you're quids in. Just be careful of dust. Again, dust in the wet season isn't a big risk but you should avoid taking the lens off the camera all the time. Leave it on and keep it covered if necessary and when not in use. Better would be to rent a 100-400 IS L on the mates body. Take the Sony too as it'll be fine for camp shots and general walkaround.

Where will you going to be in ZA? There may be alternative parks where Malaria isn't present.