Going on safari. Hire a decent lens, or buy a cheaper one?

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molinari

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Hi,

I'm just getting into photography having bought myself a Nikon D90 in January. I need a bit of advice though regarding lenses.
In April I'll be going on a safari in Botswana :). The only lens I have at the moment is the 18-105mm that came with the camera, and perhaps that isn't going to be good enough for the safari.
I think I have two choices:

1) Hire a lens. I was looking at this one which will be about £100 for the 3 weeks.

2) Buy a lens. Realistically, all I can afford at the moment is the Sigma 70-300mm which isn't as good, but will be mine to keep and use again (could I also then hire a tele converter for it?).

I'm no great photographer, so what would you do in my place?? Your advice would be greatly appreciated :).
 
I dont know which to recommend you yourself, but personally;
1) I'd rather own a lens than pay quite a bit of money for a lens you have to give back.
2) Buying a cheaper lens is going to hinder you in what you want to achieve. Hiring a teleconvertor would be a good idea, if the lens is compatable and can handle it with auto focus.
 
With prices rising you could possibly buy a lens on a buy now pay later credit card, use it for three weeks, sell the lens afterwards and get most of your money back (maybe make a profit depending upon price changes between now and then)
 
With prices rising you could possibly buy a lens on a buy now pay later credit card, use it for three weeks, sell the lens afterwards and get most of your money back (maybe make a profit depending upon price changes between now and then)
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Very sneaky that, but I guess it could work :lol:
 
I'm on Safari in 4 weeks and chose to hire a 100-400L.
I've got a 70-300, but I really don't use it that often, so the prospect of spending £1000 on 100-400L that I wouldn't really use on a day to day basis wasn't what I was after.

Ask yourself "Will I use this after the safari?"
 
The other problem with buying then selling is what if you drop it, the renting option includes insurance so if you drop it you're covered, if you buy with the intention of selling then damage it you'll have a knackered lens and a credit card bill
 
Unless you go on safari in Botswana fairly often, I'd go for the hire and really make the most of the opportunity.

I don't believe in gear elitism but there is lots to be said for having the right tool for the job. :)
 
Hi were going on Safari in Kenya at the end of April, I'll be taking my 500mm lens,but in your case I would hire a lens
 
Make the most of the photo opportunities that you will get on that safari and take the best equipment that you can. My choice would be to hire the lens for £100.00, consider it as a trial - if you like it you can always buy one for future use, if you don't it has not cost you much.

Expensive and risky gamble to buy the lens first, finding out that its not for you and having to sell to recoup your money.
 
I can see the whole thing about hiring, and if you aren't going to be making a habit of this then yes it makes a lot more sense.

I have one proviso, I think there is a lot of technique to getting the best out of these lenses.

I think there is a real risk that you spend a fair chunk of your holiday getting to grips with that technique and not enjoying either the experience or the results.

I would recommend hiring one sooner than the holiday and trying it out.
 
dazzajl said:
Unless you go on safari in Botswana fairly often, I'd go for the hire and really make the most of the opportunity.

I don't believe in gear elitism but there is lots to be said for having the right tool for the job. :)
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trapper501 said:
I would recommend hiring one sooner than the holiday and trying it out.
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Hire it for an extra week, after all the cost will be very small compared to the cost off the Safari & if you get it right the images will pay you back for years :clap:
 
Thanks for the replies!
I think I'll look at hiring the lens then, and get it for an extra week so I can get some practice with it before I go.
 
molinari said:
I think I have two choices:

1) Hire a lens. I was looking at this one which will be about £100 for the 3 weeks.

2) Buy a lens. Realistically, all I can afford at the moment is the Sigma 70-300mm which isn't as good, but will be mine to keep and use again (could I also then hire a tele converter for it?).

I'm no great photographer, so what would you do in my place?? Your advice would be greatly appreciated :).
Click to expand...
I have a clear conflict of interest, so I dont think it would be appropriate to advise you what to do!

But I don't have any qualms about passing on factual information...

The Sigma 70-300 is not compatible with a teleconverter, according to the official table here. It might be possible to use a 3rd-party teleconverter (eg Kenko). However, teleconverters and zoom lenses really don't mix well, and all the lens manufacturers recommend only using TCs with their top-of-the-range zooms such as their 70-200s. None of the budget 70-300s are recommended for use with a TC. I imagine (though I don't have any direct experience) that even if you could find a TC that will fit, the image quality is likely to suffer quite severely.
 
I've spent quite a lot of time in Botswana and would recommend a hired lens if you can't afford or justify buying a suitable one. I think the 80-400 is a good alrounder but I know people who aren't happy with the quality of it. Other lenses to consider are:

300 f/4 prime
70-200 f/2.8 and converter
80-200 f/2.8 and converter

One thing to consider is that the light in parts of Botswana can be very harsh during the day and so most game drives will be mornings and evenings. At this point, the option for a wider aperture may be useful.

I've had a very successful trip to Botswana with 300mm lenses and a cropped body. If you can run to it, I think a 70-200VR and a 1.7 converter would be a good option. It would give you up to 340mm reach but the chance to also sacrifice reach for light.

Remember that 340 on a cropped sensor is equivalent to 500mm on a 35mm camera and quite a lot of reach to manage.

Where in Bots are you going?

Paul
 
Based on my one and only safari experience in SA I'd say you need wide apertures available as much, if not more than reach. You go out in the early morning and late afternoon/evening and there isn't the light that you have during the day. Big glass is expensive to buy.
 
RE the Sigma 70-300 and a teleconverter, my Canon fit one works fine with a Canon fit 1.4x or 2x converter.
 
Also a thing to remember is that in Botswana it is normal that the vehicles are NOT allowed off the tracks - where as in the Mara in Kenya you are allowed to go off the track and get as close to the animals as possible.
All this means is that where a 70-300 in Kenya might be sufficient, you might want more reach in Botswana.

Also with the necessity of wide apertures being suggested, I'm not sure I agree. When you leave the light will be poor, but the sun rises very quickly and I had no problems with my 70-300 VR in Botswana last year.

Also another thing to consider is that the 80-400 doesnt get the best reviews. A lot of people think that the focussing is too slow. I dont have this lens myself so I cant comment, but if you suddenly see a chase and dont have time to get the AF to lock on and miss the photo opportunity then it might be very frustrating.

You will have a great trip whatever lens you have though, im 100% certain of that. The holiday of a lifetime!
 
grumpybadger said:
I've spent quite a lot of time in Botswana and would recommend a hired lens if you can't afford or justify buying a suitable one. I think the 80-400 is a good all rounder but I know people who aren't happy with the quality of it. Other lenses to consider are:

300 f/4 prime
70-200 f/2.8 and converter
80-200 f/2.8 and converter

Where in Bots are you going?

Paul
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Hi. We're going to Chobe national park.
This lens selection is harder than I thought it would be :).
I've just been to lunch with a friend who just happens to have the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8, so I'm going to borrow that and perhaps hire a 1.7x tele converter. I still might hire the 80-400 as well, so it will give me an extra option.
 
I had the same questions having just done a safari trip to Tanzania. I used LFH and got the 120-300 f2.8 with 1.4 teleconverter. I also hired a 18-200 VR for my back-up body. Sure this was a bit of money to spend (especially once you add postage costs) but I dont regret it at all. It was stress free (compared with trying to find a good deal byuing a lens and then re-selling it) and having the lens was one of the highlights of the trip.

I didn't have a lens in my kit longer than 55mm so was a bit worried that I wouldn't get the best results from the lens having never shot wildlife or used a long lens before. But it was a dream to use and I didnt have any issues....really pleased with the results (see here )

For me the main consideration is that I thought I would never need a long lens again after the safari. Having enjoyed both the trip and the lens so much I'm now planning future wildflide adventures (antartica etc) so might have to buy one now :(

Can highly recommend both LFH and the 120-300 for safaris.
 
molinari said:
Hi. We're going to Chobe national park.
This lens selection is harder than I thought it would be :).
I've just been to lunch with a friend who just happens to have the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8, so I'm going to borrow that and perhaps hire a 1.7x tele converter. I still might hire the 80-400 as well, so it will give me an extra option.
Click to expand...

Chobe's great and this time of year is fun too. You'll want something light enough to use from a boat as the Chobe riverfront is a great place for elephants coming down to drink at dusk (sometimes herds of over a hundred)

I think 70-200 and converter would do you well. I not wanted for more than 500mm on a full frame camera in Chobe.
 
Ted said:
much I'm now planning future wildlife adventures (antarctica etc) so might have to buy one now .
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I'm not sure you will need a long lens for Antarctica, the wildlife gets extremely close. I'd go wide for that.
 
i followed your link his decriptions are very honest and helpful

i would get this one its cheaper focuses closer and you can use the convertors

smaller and lighter maybe easier to use when bangin about in the back of a truck

also buy a bean bag its so light to carry and maybe a superclamp

if your in a vehicle with open hoops for the tarpailin you can fix it and with a small ballhead have a very stable shooting platform

http://www.lensesforhire.co.uk/nikon-af-s-300mm-f4-d-if-ed-45-p.asp
 
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