Is 300mm (on FF) long enough for Safari?

Nawty

Nawty

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Bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question I know but...

Currently using a D700 with 70-300VR which is a magic combo due to the FF sensor with large pixel size and has served me fantastically well for landscape over the years but I've not done much wildlife and certainly not a safari!

However, a Tanzania safari is booked which is as good an excuse you can get to upgrade your kit so I'm wondering if 300mm will be long enough for the main candidates.

Only other thing is that I have a J1 with FT1 for some 2.7x crop factor fun should things be mega far away!

I've been considering a AF-S 300mm + TC but am thinking the VR might be useful as I understand a fair amount of viewing is done at dawn/dusk. Also, as we are heading up Kilimanjaro too a (relatively) light lens such as the 70-300 would be handy.

Any other thoughts or advice would be welcome :)
 
It doesn't matter what lens you take - there will always be something further away that makes you wish you had a longer lens! :)

You're much better off with a light and portable zoom than a heavy fixed-focal length for situations like that, so I'd suggest you stick with what you've got. If you want to use the excuse to buy something new, maybe upgrading to an f2.8 zoom would be more useful?
 
Very difficult to say, are you only taking one body?
Ideally, a 70-200 on FF and a 300 on a crop, means you don't have to change lenses, and take a couple of pillow cases to shove your gear in when you aren't using it.
A bean bag is essential as well, take an empty one and fill with rice when you are there.
Where in Tanz are you going?

You'll see stuff close up and far away, so it's better to be prepared for both....and if a lion leans against your vehicle, you'll need a 14mm!!...but you'll have a great time, remember and enjoy the beasts without a camera some of the time!!

George.
 
You talk much sense, my wallet (and wife) thanks you :)

I still have an itch to scratch but I guess I'll focus elsewhere - a D600 is lighter weight... :nuts:

edit: George, I was thinking a 2nd body such as a D5100 (same sensor as D7000) would be good as I would like to give my mum my D60 and upgrade it so I still have a light weight SLR

We are heading up Kilimanjaro's Machame route and then doing a camping safari tour via Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Parks and Ngorongoro Crater.
 
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Nawty said:
You talk much sense, my wallet (and wife) thanks you :)

I still have an itch to scratch but I guess I'll focus elsewhere - a D600 is lighter weight... :nuts:

edit: George, I was thinking a 2nd body such as a D5100 (same sensor as D7000) would be good as I would like to give my mum my D60 and upgrade it so I still have a light weight SLR

We are heading up Kilimanjaro's Machame route and then doing a camping safari tour via Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Parks and Ngorongoro Crater.
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Sounds good, Ngorongoro can be a bit limiting as technically you can't spend the whole day there, however some of the guides seem to be able to circumvent this...don't ask me how!!
Great pink flamingos in the lake if you are lucky.

Are you going to Ndutu by any chance..it's a great lodge.

I really think a 2nd body would be a great asset...you can have equipment failure...(Yes even with a Nikon I believe!!!!:lol::lol:) so it's a backup anyway.
 
...ps the pillowcases are not a joke, they are great for shoving your gear in between shoots, and it's easily accessible...
 
Nawty said:
You talk much sense, my wallet (and wife) thanks you :)

I still have an itch to scratch but I guess I'll focus elsewhere - a D600 is lighter weight... :nuts:

edit: George, I was thinking a 2nd body such as a D5100 (same sensor as D7000) would be good as I would like to give my mum my D60 and upgrade it so I still have a light weight SLR

We are heading up Kilimanjaro's Machame route and then doing a camping safari tour via Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Parks and Ngorongoro Crater.
Click to expand...

She's gonna hate me then!

manualfocus-g said:
Grab a D600 then crop your images ;)
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A D800 will allow much more cropping and isn't that much heavier than a D700!
 
Nod said:
She's gonna hate me then!



A D800 will allow much more cropping and isn't that much heavier than a D700!
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Ha ha, you have no idea how many times I've contemplated that but in reality I don't thing the 70-300 is a good enough lens for that body so I'd have to embark on a round of lens upgrades too and that would be a bit much (and a bit heavy) having just paid for the holiday :lol:

I've considered a D7000 as a 2nd body but I think it isn't small enough for me to use it instead of the D700 when I want something smaller so that leaves the D5100 or maybe a D3200 (I have a D3100 at work which is actually very nice).

I've largely discounted the D7100 and D5200 as they don't seem to offer much over the previous versions...

Lenses are attractive as they hold value but a constant f/2.8 80-200 / 70-200 is going to be heavy and be a loss in length...

:bonk::bonk::bonk:
 
George said:
Sounds good, Ngorongoro can be a bit limiting as technically you can't spend the whole day there, however some of the guides seem to be able to circumvent this...don't ask me how!!
Great pink flamingos in the lake if you are lucky.

Are you going to Ndutu by any chance..it's a great lodge.

I really think a 2nd body would be a great asset...you can have equipment failure...(Yes even with a Nikon I believe!!!!:lol::lol:) so it's a backup anyway.
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Not going to Ndutu - I think we are in tents every night! :eek:

A backup body is a very good idea - my previous D700 died after a condensation issue on our last trip to NZ (having already survived 2 days in solid NZ spring rain!) and we had no backup other than an Canon S90.
 
Nawty said:
Not going to Ndutu - I think we are in tents every night! :eek:

A backup body is a very good idea - my previous D700 died after a condensation issue on our last trip to NZ (having already survived 2 days in solid NZ spring rain!) and we had no backup other than an Canon S90.
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When are you going?

Bet you have a great time, we are going again to that area next March..
 
I did a safari in Kenya last year with a D5100 and 55-300 lens, it reached almost everything i needed it too. There is some shots away at the start of my flickr photostream if you are interested. Not great shots but will give you an idea.
 
Thanks George and thanks Phil, they're exactly the kind of thing I'm aiming at - I guess you get quite close!

I definitely think it's worth getting a 2nd body, just in case, and some spare pillow cases too!
 
Nawty said:
I'm wondering if 300mm will be long enough for the main candidates.
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From our experience at Governor's Camp in Masai Mara, I'd say you would be struggling, especially if, unlike Masai Mara, you're not allowed to go off-road and cross-country.

You will almost certainly be out at dawn (it will be cold: take something warm to wear) and dusk so VR/OS will be more than useful in that sort of light and with the focal lengths you'll need.

Don't forget to put the camera down from time-to-time and enjoy the view without a viewfinder.

Oh, and two bodies would be good to avoid missing whatever turns up at the side of you.
 
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This particular instance sounds like a perfect opportunity to rent an additional lens (or 2) for the trip. Although, obviously, you still need to consider whether it's physically worth carrying heavier glass for the trip you could probably rent a great lens for the 2 weeks for something in the range of £100-125 (depending, of course, on the site, lens and other options, such as deposit amount). Perhaps something to think about.
 
The 70-300 is good enough for the D800 but since you're after some extra reach (potentially), have you thought about a 2nd hand D300? Shares batteries etc with the D700 but being crop gains that extra apparent reach. Shares a grip too (if you use one).
 
A D300 did cross my mind but the way I can justify a new body to myself is if it gives me something different to the D700 and I can't think of any normal situation where I'd take the D300 instead of the D700, whereas something like a D3100 or D5100 would be a nice lightweight option when I can't be bothered to lug the D700 around but still want an SLR. A cheap D90 on the other hand might be good as it's smaller and I've loads of batteries which, of course, fit both and is a major consideration because I don't know if we'll have access to electricity when we're camping.

Renting is an option but I think weight wise a small crop body would give me 450mm equivalent with the 70-300 and that is as much as several kilos of good glass would get me (granted quality won't be as good but should be good enough).
 
Whereas 300mm might be OK for southern Africa, where the bush tends to mean that animals aren't too far away (well, not if you can actually see them) it may be a bit short on the wide plains of the Serengeti. Renting something that's 400mm is a good idea.
 
Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 + Sigma EX DG TC's: Heavier but most versatile
Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 + Nikon TC's (only the ver III if getting a 2x): small/light and versatile (but too short for many/most situations without the TC's)
Sigma 150-500: longer but slower
Nikon 70-300: faster but shorter

I would choose the option to have f/2.8 available over VR (but the 2.8's have both). MANY wildlife shots will be dusk/dawn, most animals aren't very active in the heat of the day (when the lights brighter for the slower lenses).

Here's an example of the 120-300 w/ 2x

Mallard by skersting66, on Flickr
 
I'd get a D800 or if bulk is a consideration a D600. The tests I have seen show that the D800 in crop mode is better than the D7000, especially when you start pushing ISO's. Not sure how is compared to the D7100 but I bet it's probably very close at High ISO's. The D600 is probably not far off either.

I'd look into TC's but you really need a 70-200 for them or I believe the 300 F4 is very good with the TCE 1.4.
 
I've always quite fancied a 300mm f/4 with a TC, it lacks zoom and VR but the IQ is great - I'd probably get the x1.7 TC as apparently that works really well and will give me a useful boost in length over the 70-300.

I would rather like a 70-200 VRII + x2 TC but that combo comes in at around £2k so somewhat over budget...

Thanks for all your thoughts, I'll ponder the options for a while and see what floats to the top.
 
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