What lens best for Safari ???

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Guysie

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Hi guys and girls, im new to all this, but i have a very pressing questions to ask you and would appreciate your comments on the following.

Im of on safari in a month and have a Canon 400D but only with the regular 18-55 lens, im looking to buy a new lens and was thinking of the Canon 75-300MM USM III as i dont really want to spend over £150.

I would welcome any comments and alternative suggestions.
Thanks
 
Sigma 70-300 DG APO and get a beanbag like the Pod Red. The cheap zooms are not great over 200mm but the slow aperture should be Ok as the sun should be in your favour, at least before it gets too bright. The key is to keep the lens super steady. If you need more shutter speed then up the ISO.
 
If i were you i wouldn't even waste my time with the Sigma 70-300 (i have one, and i hate it). You're best off buying an L lens like the 400 f5.6 L, 100-400 IS L. Buy it for the trip and sell after if you can't really afford it and get something cheaper. It's not as though they lose any money :)
 
Which version of the 70-300 have you got and, don't want to rude but I have to ask, do you have much experience using longer lenses and do you use a tripod or monopod with it? I also think it is an urban myth that L lenses don't lose any money. I have bought and sold at least 12 of them so i have some idea and I am pretty canny when it comes to buying and selling. Do you have any experience of buying and selling them?
 
I dont have the 70-300 yet im looking at getting either the sigma 70-300 or the canon 75-300.
 
300mm is not long enough for a Safari. I used my 70-200mm with a 1.7TC so that was 340mm and I struggled quite a bit. To be honest I think you need 500mm.
 
Re. length, it all depends where you go. Last year at Etosha I took lots of great shots with my 70-200mm, but at many other times I needed my 400mm. Same at Chobe, where extra length is very useful, and Moremi. I've been to maybe 12 different parks all through Southern Africa and all present different opportunities. We had a guy with us who had the 500mm IS L and he hardly used it other than for birds in flight: mainly he prefered the flexibility of a 100-400mm IS L. All depends on location and opportunities before you.

So, you will get lots of shots at 300mm and less if that is all you want to spend. You will also lose plenty but that is the compromise you have to work with if you use a cheap, shorter zoom. As I mention above, the key to keeping some quality is a steady platform to shoot from. If you keep as much quality as you can through that and good technique then you have scope to crop images afterwards.

Probably the most advised lens on safari is the 100-400mm IS L and that is because of flexibility of zoom. Its flexibility is valuable, tho' I'm not a fan myself, because in the real world birds and animals are both far and near and somewhere inbetween. The shorter your lens the fewer options you have for shooting ... but if I just had my 400mm with me then the long minimum focus distance would mean I would lose shots, likewise I would lose framing opportunities with just the prime. Several years back I had a male Lion stroll past our vehicle so close you could reach out and touch. A 400mm would have been useless then. Try getting a bull elephant fully in frame with a 400mm prime at anything other than long distance.

if you interest is more birds than animals then I do agree you need minimum 400mm and ideally something like the Bigma or 500mm IS L.

So, for Steveo to say you need 500mm, however well meaning, is mistaken in my experience becuase it doesn't account for the flexibility of opportunity and environment.

If you can hire or buy and then sell later then I agree that is the best option. If not, then don't be too put off. You can get lots of shots still. Every choice has its compromises, some just fewer than others.
 
I wrote my post in a bit of a hurry, I didn't mean you'll need a 500mm prime, was more thinking along the lines of a Bigma (50-500mm) or a 170-500mm.

When I was in SA the week before last I shot with the 70-200 with 1.7TC on one body and the 18-70mm on another body.
 
Ok, gotcha ;-)

I have a group of 6 heading to South Africa this Aug/Sept. Where did you go and did you post any shots here?
 
Some really nice shots ... I like the Bee-eater especially. Beautiful birds. I see you got a few of the classic safari 'arse shots' in there too :) Also demonstrates that at around 300mm you can get some very good shots still.
 
I'm surprised nobody has pointed you in the direction of these guys (assuming your in the UK)

http://www.lensesforhire.co.uk/

If you've only got a budget of £150 then hiring a lens would seem the ideal solution(y)
 
Thanks for all your help guys, keep the ideas comingi think im slowly making my mind up
:)
 
For the Antarctic, I used a 1 Ds with the 24-105 and a 40D with the 100-400IS. This for me is the ideal combo, but I agree with the comments above re the 100-400, it's a very useful lens for the kind of photography you'll probably be doing.

You really need 400mm (and with the 1.6 crop it will give you an extra bit of reach) and the ability to get the framing right with the zoom means although you might lose a bit of ultimate definition compared to a prime lens, the versatility in my opinion makes up for that.The IS function is also invaluable, you'll get away with hand held even at full zoom, but take a monopod for extra stability.
 
IanC_UK said:
Think if i was going on Safari (and i plan to this year or next) then i would take the 70-200 IS and my 100-400 as these seem ideal would probably throw the 17-40 in as well for the more landscapey shots :)
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Ian, that is a good combo depending on what you intend doing. On my last trip to Namibia and Botswana tho' we had a big selection of gear and the guys with the 70-200's and 100-400's just didn't get the 70-200's out their bags. Light is good during the 'golden hours' morning and afternoon and that is when the A1 shots are to be had ... it really is about the light. You can shoot probably 95% with the 100-400 IS on game drives.

I also has a 24-105 L on my ex 5D but hardly used it, just for some walkaround stuff - we were mainly in the bush tho' last time. I'll take my 17-40 on our next trip with some Lee filters as there will be more opportunities for landscapes and also we are mixing in much more 'cultural' stuff.

I had the 70-200 and 400mm plus 1.4x and it was a great combo but ideally needs two bodies. A fast prime is also very useful. I used an 85mm 1.8.

My plan next time is for the 40D/5D mk II plus 70-200 IS L 4.0, 17-40mm L, 300mm 2.8 IS L, 2.0 and 1.4 TCons, and 50mm 1.4, but I will keep an eye on reviews of the new Sigma OS offerings. The 120-400 and 150-500's look very attractive options if they have the quality.
 
Eric Mc said:
I'm surprised nobody has pointed you in the direction of these guys (assuming your in the UK)

http://www.lensesforhire.co.uk/

If you've only got a budget of £150 then hiring a lens would seem the ideal solution(y)
Click to expand...
Cheers Eric. Obviously I'm going to agree with you there!

We have a bunch of 100-400s and I'd expect them to be great safari lenses. And funnily enough, the whole reason I started the business was because I couldn't justify buying a 100-400 for a polar bear safari trip, and I found hiring so difficult and expensive... But obviously it isn't now.

Personally I wouldn't want to take too much kit, because my experience of (one) safari in Kenya was that absolutely everything gets covered in very fine dust. I'd probably be paranoid about changing lenses. But condyk has loads of experience there - he's the man to listen to.
 
condyk said:
Ian, that is a good combo depending on what you intend doing. On my last trip to Namibia and Botswana tho' we had a big selection of gear and the guys with the 70-200's and 100-400's just didn't get the 70-200's out their bags. Light is good during the 'golden hours' morning and afternoon and that is when the A1 shots are to be had ... it really is about the light. You can shoot probably 95% with the 100-400 IS on game drives.

I also has a 24-105 L on my ex 5D but hardly used it, just for some walkaround stuff - we were mainly in the bush tho' last time. I'll take my 17-40 on our next trip with some Lee filters as there will be more opportunities for landscapes and also we are mixing in much more 'cultural' stuff.

I had the 70-200 and 400mm plus 1.4x and it was a great combo but ideally needs two bodies. A fast prime is also very useful. I used an 85mm 1.8.

My plan next time is for the 40D/5D mk II plus 70-200 IS L 4.0, 17-40mm L, 300mm 2.8 IS L, 2.0 and 1.4 TCons, and 50mm 1.4, but I will keep an eye on reviews of the new Sigma OS offerings. The 120-400 and 150-500's look very attractive options if they have the quality.
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thanks for that it sounds like one of those plans that i will keep revising right up to the day i go lol i have 2 bodies and the tc's as well.
 
StewartR said:
Personally I wouldn't want to take too much kit, because my experience of (one) safari in Kenya was that absolutely everything gets covered in very fine dust. I'd probably be paranoid about changing lenses.
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For a safari based trip you want a long lens. Anything else will get minimal use. A fast prime will do you for walkies and evening shots.

Dust depends so much on location. Dust is definately an issue in the desert/semi-desert parks but rather less so in others. Etosha and Kgalagadi are pretty dusty in the dry season. Also depends how you drive and the kind of vehicle. In an open 'public' safari vehicle then dust is an issue you need to take care about. In a personal vehicle then you have control. I try not to stop suddenly, because it brings up dust, and also I keep the windows closed until the vehicle is still and people ready to shoot. As people have independant control of their window less dust gets in if someone wants to lens change. gear must always be well sealed when stored in bags in the back. Dust does get everywhere driving on sand and gravel roads. Just make sure everything is closed and zipped. i advocate large ziploc bags for storing and separating stuff in your bags. Take a senor cleaner as you will likely get snot and dust however careful you are. Take a lens pen and brush too to keep the optics clean. Back at camp I clean my gear each day as necessary. I use Hoya Pro1 UV's on safari and you will need cleaning wipes for these. They can get very dusty. Good planning and discipline takes care of many dust related issues. None of my gear had any problems with dust because of how I took care of it all.
 
I think im gonna go fo the Sigma, any suggestions where to buy apart from eBay?
 
Guysie said:
Im of on safari in a month and have a Canon 400D but only with the regular 18-55 lens, im looking to buy a new lens and was thinking of the Canon 75-300MM USM III as i dont really want to spend over £150.
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Hi Guysie,

I've been on a dozen safaris in Africa, South America, and Antarctica, and found you can never have enough tele. So if you can beg, borrow, or steal a 500mm or bigger, do it!

If you go to Africa the lens's light sensitivity is not very important. Plenty light in Africa! So much light, in fact, that you usually have the option of using a circular polarizer filter.
When not using a cp filter I use a good quality UV filter (because there is a helluvalot of that too!). Don't stack filters!

On an African safari you will rarely have an opportunity to use a tripod from the game drive vehicle: usually the engine keeps running and there's very little time to set up and shoot before the vehicle moves on again.
But if you shoot from outside the vehicle you can use a tripod. Which increases image quality tremendously. So take one with you.

For photo storage:

1) The cheapest and lightest (weight-wise) solution is a couple more flash memory cards. They've never been cheaper, and from a tech point of view they're the most reliable digital data storage technology by a streetlength.
But you can lose 'm, they can be stolen, or impounded.

2) You could also consider an iPod Classic with Camera Connector, that doubles as a portable HD, and hosts your music and video collections too:
http://www.apple.com/ipodclassic/features.html. You'll never fill up 160GB.
And there's a number of specialized portable PSDs (Photo Storage Device) on the market:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/digi_accessories.html#storage, but those are one-trick-ponies of course.

3) If you have occasional access to broadband internet on your trip – a rarity outside north America, Europe, Japan, and Australia!!! – you can upload the contents of your full cards (password protected if you want) to a trusted email address back home via www.pando.com, or www.podmailing.com. Then you can erase your cards for re-use and no thief or dodgy authorities can steal or impound your precious photos, because they're already safely back home!

Have a nice trip!

1200mm . . .

WFJCheetah0411-1200mm.jpg
 
Good advice above ... I would add try and get the driver to turn off the engine. Buy a Pod Red beanbag and try and steady the camera on the vehicle somewhere (get a good seat suitable for shooting from!) You can get The Pod from 7dayshop. I would get the lens from Kerso or shop around for a UK source online. As above, there is plenty of light. There is also plenty of dust esp in an open vehicle so use a decent UV filter, but test there is no impact on image IQ. Just clean your gear after each drive. UV's need to be cleaned too. Have a great. Hard to beat well organisaed safari and even harder to beat one that is set up for photography ;-)
 
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