Lens for Safari??? Leaving in two weeks!!

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Chloe True

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Hi everyone!

I'm really new to photography so any advice would be really appreciated :):)

I've a Canon E0S 400D with the regular 18-55mm lens it came with, but I'm going on a safari in two weeks in Tanzania and really need a better lens! I haven't the biggest budget and dont want to spend too much when I'm still a novice! Having read previous threads and considering my budget (I really want a wide angle lens too :( :( ) I've narrowed it down to the bottom three:

Canon EF 75-300mm £153.90
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-75-30...-Filter/dp/tech-data/B00004THCZ/ref=de_a_smtd

Canon EF-S 55-250mm £156.90
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-55-25...D5LG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308499331&sr=8-1

Sigma AF 70-300mm £122
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-70-30...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1308864703&sr=1-19

Is the IS important enough to get the Cannon 250mm rather than the 300mm without IS? Or is the length more important?

And will I need a wide angle lens as well, or will my 18-55mm be ok? (which I really am not liking because it seems I can only take pictures providing I'm outside with plenty of sunshine... :thumbsdown:)

Thanks everyone!! [/FONT]
 
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I have a friend that's just returned from a AF safari and he swore by the 100-400 that he had rented. He also did a few wide shots, some very good sunsets
 
the 55-250 is the best lens of the three for image quality but you do lose 50mm on the long end.
i had the canon 75-300 and sold it after a week as i was very dissapointed in it, i went and bought the 55-250 and i absolutely love it, it's a nice sharp lens that gives image quality above it's price tag, plus the is will be a bonus
as cdiver2 says might be worth seeing how much a canon 100-400 is to rent as that will fantastic on a safari.
 
Even i'd second the rental option of the Canon100-400. You'll appreciate the extra length on the lens! not to mention the better quality of images the lens will give you! Is wont really mater as the sun will be beaming down, however useful to have if your on the move on the Land rover.
 
The new Tamron 70-300 with IS is supposed to be a decent option...

None of them come close to the 100-400 but they also don't come close to the price...
 
Chloe True said:
And will I need a wide angle lens as well, or will my 18-55mm be ok? (which I really am not liking because it seems I can only take pictures providing I'm outside with plenty of sunshine... :thumbsdown:)
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You could always go for a superzoom, something like 18-250mm? That way you'd cover wide to long and avoid having to change lenses. If you're stuck with a relatively slow lens like a superzoom or your kit lens why not crank up the ISO? We probably worry too much about noise and post capture processing can achieve much as long as you don't pixel peep.
 
Thanks everyone for the tips

Renting would be ideal, but unfortunately isn't an option as I'm going for 6 weeks! (the safari isn't long but Im doing volunteer work afterwards) Renting for that long would work out more expensive than buying :thumbsdown:

So...
Considering I cant rent, which of the two Canon's would you guys suggest?
Sigma - ruled out?
Tamron - Thanks for the tip but I can't seem to find the one mentioned with IS and for a 58mm...?
18-250mm - This may indeed save me buying two lenses, but (and this may seem a really silly question - im new!), would at the 18mm point, this lens be better than at the 18mm end on my 18-55mm? Also however, when I was thinking wide, i was thinking more along the lines of 10-20mm...but they're big bucks i know :(

Cheers everyone, keep them coming!
 
Another vote for the 55-250.
 
Chloe True said:
18-250mm - This may indeed save me buying two lenses, but (and this may seem a really silly question - im new!), would at the 18mm point, this lens be better than at the 18mm end on my 18-55mm? /QUOTE]

You should be able to Google your way to a superzoom review. These lenses may not offer the best optical quality (although could we really tell what lens was used when looking at a whole image at normal viewing distance?) and they have relatively small apertures but the big advantage is that they offer a large zoom range and negate the requirement to change lenses when it's not really convenient to do so. I used to have a 28-300mm and it was at best an average lens but I took it on holidays and days out and got some shots that are amongst my favourites. I think superzooms are worth thinking about, if you play to their strengths you can get good results.
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+1 on the 55-250mm
 
I guess safari doesn't come cheap, so why get a cheap inferior lens? As suggested 100-400mm or perhaps sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 are the best options and will serve well. You could buy one used and sell afterwards, if you don't get attached to it by then (and lose no money)
 
daugirdas said:
I guess safari doesn't come cheap, so why get a cheap inferior lens?
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Because for a whole image they may be perfectly ok and you don't have to change lenses while shooting from the back of a truck etc... Fumbling with lenses on the move in dust or rain etc might not be a great idea and if you have a superzoom you might just take pictures that you wouldn't take if you had a two or three lens kit.

That's what I've found when travelling anyway.

Another option is to have more than one camera with different lenses, as per the last twice I've been abroad. I went for cameras with a zoom and a fast prime.

It's just things to think about and other options...
 
woof woof said:
Because for a whole image they may be perfectly ok and you don't have to change lenses while shooting from the back of a truck etc... Fumbling with lenses on the move in dust or rain etc might not be a great idea and if you have a superzoom you might just take pictures that you wouldn't take if you had a two or three lens kit.

That's what I've found when travelling anyway.
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So true... and you don't have to edit any photos afterwards, as they all can be safely deleted. Double win :thumbs:
 
Oh for God sake :bang: Dunno why I ever respond to you. Lesson learned and will not be repeated :o)

OP. At least you have some options to think about.
 
All are IS lens:
Sigma 18-250 os hsm 399 pounds approx. ... rated very well on dpreview forums.
Tamron 18-270 VC PZD 399 pounds approx ... seems to get decent ratings
Tamron 70-300 vc usd 350 pounds approx. ... rated as very good/excellent in most test, best of the bunch IQ wise with the sigma a close second.
 
Buying a used 100-400L actually isn't a bad idea. You could then sell it and not lose a bean, even make a couple of quid if you got lucky ;)
 
Seriously, the op has stated that the lenses in his selection are the ones he can afford, how can anyone recommend the 100-400 or the 150-500? The 50-250 is the best of that selection.

Do you have more budget? Can you cope without a wide?
 
If the OP really wants to buy a lens, for a small budget, get the 55-250 canon.

However, I would really suggest renting a lens (Canon 100-400) for better reach!

Some people are suggesting to buy a second hand 100-400 then sell it on again, which may work, but only if the OP has the means to do that. (I wouldn't be able to do that, as I don't have £1k lying around).
 
Hi everyone,

Thanks again for the input, its really appreciated :)

Well unfortunately, no I don't have a spare 1k for the 100-400...one day maybe :cool: And just to confirm, renting isn't an option as I'm away for 6 weeks. Also just an aside, there seem to be a lot of second hand Tamron 70-300mm (without IS) for sale on gumtree for about £100, any thoughts?

menthel said:
Seriously, the op has stated that the lenses in his selection are the ones he can afford, how can anyone recommend the 100-400 or the 150-500? The 50-250 is the best of that selection.

Do you have more budget? Can you cope without a wide?
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Thanks for the above. The thing is that I need a lens that I can use on THIS safari. But what I wanted for long term, more versatile use was a better, wider lens than my 18-55mm that can essentially receive more light and I can use more everyday and for traveling. That's simply why I didn't want to spend too much on a huge-safari-zoom lens as I suppose it's not everyday I'll be photographing on safari. Any thoughts on an upgrade on the 18-55mm...? That way I can think consider zoom lens pricing

However, if the zoom lens' for around £150 truly aren't going to do the job for Tanzania, then I would indeed rather up my budget...I'll kick myself if I cant get the shots :bang: there's no point in saving now if I'll loose out in the long run


Cheers everyone :)
 
If I was going on safari, which will hopefully happen before I get much older, I would take my 15-85 and my 70-300L and perhaps rent something fixed and a bit longer. Of course none of this helps the OP.
 
Chloe True said:
Hi everyone,

Thanks again for the input, its really appreciated :)

Well unfortunately, no I don't have a spare 1k for the 100-400...one day maybe :cool: And just to confirm, renting isn't an option as I'm away for 6 weeks. Also just an aside, there seem to be a lot of second hand Tamron 70-300mm (without IS) for sale on gumtree for about £100, any thoughts?

Thanks for the above. The thing is that I need a lens that I can use on THIS safari. But what I wanted for long term, more versatile use was a better, wider lens than my 18-55mm that can essentially receive more light and I can use more everyday and for traveling. That's simply why I didn't want to spend too much on a huge-safari-zoom lens as I suppose it's not everyday I'll be photographing on safari. Any thoughts on an upgrade on the 18-55mm...? That way I can think consider zoom lens pricing

However, if the zoom lens' for around £150 truly aren't going to do the job for Tanzania, then I would indeed rather up my budget...I'll kick myself if I cant get the shots :bang: there's no point in saving now if I'll loose out in the long run

Cheers everyone :)
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Thoughts...

Steer clear of gumtree. The canon 50-250 is the lens to go for. Also, 18mm is quite wide on a crop and you can shoot landscapes quite happily. You could even take 2 or more shots and stitch them together. Only taking the 18-55 and the 50-250 would allow you to travel light (which sounds like a good idea for the volunteer work after) and give you a fairly flexible range. If you want truly great safari shots you will need a bigger and more expensive lens. Perhaps something for the future. :)
 
Have you considered the 70-200 F4L? While it's not necessarily got the reach of a 300, it's get you some cracking quality images. And it's Canon's cheapest L series lens by some margin
 
Chloe True said:
However, if the zoom lens' for around £150 truly aren't going to do the job for Tanzania, then I would indeed rather up my budget...I'll kick myself if I cant get the shots :bang: there's no point in saving now if I'll loose out in the long run
Cheers everyone :)
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It all depend on how close you get to the action, here's some samples of what the 55-250mm captured in Africa, from flickr members.

http://www.flickriver.com/search/55-250mm+africa/
 
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