Lens for Safari photography

[RachelBell]

Im new to photography and am headed to South Africa for safari in October. I have taken some classes with a local photographer to get oriented with my camera (D3000) and am now in search of some good lenses to take on our trip.

I have the stock lens that came with my camera many years ago and a 50mm f/1.4 lens. Im in the market for a good telephoto but am not sure what the best choice would be. I plan to rent so I can afford to use a more expensive lens as I wont be buying new this time around.

Any suggestions?

I was looking at renting a D700 body to take with the D3000 and then renting a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR that I found on borrowlenses.com.

Good plan? Do you have a better one?

Thanks for any input or advice you could give

 

[Tailgunner]

Im new to photography and am headed to South Africa for safari in October. I have taken some classes with a local photographer to get oriented with my camera (D3000) and am now in search of some good lenses to take on our trip.

I have the stock lens that came with my camera many years ago and a 50mm f/1.4 lens. Im in the market for a good telephoto but am not sure what the best choice would be. I plan to rent so I can afford to use a more expensive lens as I wont be buying new this time around.

Any suggestions?

I was looking at renting a D700 body to take with the D3000 and then renting a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR that I found on borrowlenses.com.

Good plan? Do you have a better one?

Thanks for any input or advice you could give

Personally, if you got the cash, I would go with the D700, full frame sensors are better at handling low light conditions vs DX/crop sensors for example. The D700 is going to be a much faster body as well, D3000 has a 1/4000 max while the D700 is 1/8000. The D3000 is only 3 frame per second on continuous high (CH) while the D700 is 5 frames on CH. I would shoot continuous high out on safari but thats probably just me.

As for the lens, I wouldn't even think about Africa with anything less than 300mm...400mm sounds better. I don't have any experience with the 80-400mm Nikon but I read the newer version of this lens performs much better than the original. I think your 50mm will work on the D700 but not 100% sure. If not, I would look into renting something like either 28mm, 35mm, or 50mm...make sure their fast like 1.8 or faster like the 1.4. This lens will come in handy as the night grows dark, star/sky, camp fire etc.

Extras, the D700 uses Compact Flash cards (CF), I highly recommend quality high speed cards. These aren't cheap but their well worth the money.

You can buy 2-packs of 32 GB 1066xx cards for $155...I would buy 2-3 sets. The lowest I would go would probably be 800x when it comes to Lexar.

Lexar 32GB Professional 1066x Compact Flash LCF32GCRBNA10662 B&H

I would also buy a sand bag or some type of window mount for shooting from while out on safari.

Now If you decide to stick with your D3000

I would pick up a 70-300mm VR...make sure it's a VR model and take your 50mm.

Then I would buy 4-6 32gb Extreme Pro cards

SanDisk 32 GB SDHC Memory Card Extreme Pro Class SDSDXP-032G-A46

Or you could pick up some Extreme Pro 16gb cards if you don't want too much info on one card.

SanDisk 16 GB SDHC Memory Card Extreme Pro Class SDSDXP-016G-A46

I would also highly recommend shooting in RAW. The camera does an ok job sometimes figuring out what you're trying to do in a photo but once it creates a Jpeg file, you can't really correct much if you don't like what you see. RAW on the other hand allows a photographer a greater ability to correct things such as white balance. This can really save you and on a once and a life trip, I highly recommend it. You can shoot RAW + Jpeg and learn to adjust RAW photos later while still able to print up Jpegs. This does take up a lot of room, so I would use the 32 GB cards. I shoot exclusively RAW and my D800 produces some of the largest image files possible, larger than a D4 for example and I can get 400 images on a 32GB card. So you should be able to get 400-500 per card easy, even shooting RAW + Jpeg.

 

[KmH]

The D700 is a couple of levels more complex than a D3000. Little of your D3000 orientation will apply as far as the controls layout.

The D700 has no green AUTO mode and no Scene modes.
You get Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, or Manual modes.

The D700 has a lot more external buttons and controls which is a good thing for an experienced photographer. Adjustments can be made by feel while looking through the D700 viewfinder. To make those same adjustments on the D3000 requires 'menu diving'.

You can however look over the D700 user manual - http://cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/manuals/dslr/D700_en.pdf

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens will work fine in the daytime.

 

[RachelBell]

Thanks for so much great info! This helps a lot I actually already own the D3000 and am looking at renting the D700. I was told that it's a good idea to have two bodies with a lens attached to each so I can avoid dust while trying to change lenses while out on the reserve.

 

[RachelBell]

The D700 is a couple of levels more complex than a D3000. Little of your D3000 orientation will apply as far as the controls layout.

The D700 has no green AUTO mode and no Scene modes.
You get Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, or Manual modes.

The D700 has a lot more external buttons and controls which is a good thing for an experienced photographer. Adjustments can be made by feel while looking through the D700 viewfinder. To make those same adjustments on the D3000 requires 'menu diving'.

You can however look over the D700 user manual - http://cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/manuals/dslr/D700_en.pdf

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens will work fine in the daytime.

KmH- I have taken a few photography classes with a local photographer to learn my D3000 and my plan is to rent the equipment for a week or two before we leave for the trip so I can schedule some time to be oriented to the higher tech model as well as to get some practice in. I've been working on staying out of auto mode on my current camera so I'm hopeful that having the basics down will give me a good place to start from when I meet with Peter (local instructor).

thanks for your help!

 

[PaulWog]

If I was going on a safari with two cameras (the D3000 and the D700), I would look at taking a telephoto lens on one camera body and an ultrawide lens on the other camera body. I would bring that 50mm prime with me in the bag.

As far as the lens goes, the 80-400mm vr is good. You could consider a higher megapixel crop body camera (D7100) instead to rent, which will give you 50% more zoom power than on a full frame camera. It also has over double the megapixels of the D3000 (that's almost like double zoom again), and much better ISO performance. Do note that the new Tamron 150-600mm is 600 grams heavier than the 80-400 VR, and 70-300 VR Nikon lens is about 600 grams lighter than the 80-400 VR.

I think the D700 could be good, but the D7100 is better if telephoto is your prerogative. More megapixels, 1.5x crop factor for better zoomed pictures, good ISO performance, good autofocus.

If you're on a safari with a long telephoto lens, you'll need a really quick shutter speed if you're shooting from a moving vehicle. Shoot at above 1/1000 at long telephoto in many situations or you might be disappointed more often than you think. If you're standing, you still will need a fast shutter speed especially if hand-holding.

 

[RachelBell]

If I was going on a safari with two cameras (the D3000 and the D700), I would look at taking a telephoto lens on one camera body and an ultrawide lens on the other camera body. I would bring that 50mm prime with me in the bag.

As far as the lens goes, the 80-400mm vr is good. You could consider a higher megapixel crop body camera (D7100) instead to rent, which will give you 50% more zoom power than on a full frame camera. It also has over double the megapixels of the D3000 (that's almost like double zoom again), and much better ISO performance. Do note that the new Tamron 150-600mm is 600 grams heavier than the 80-400 VR, and 70-300 VR Nikon lens is about 600 grams lighter than the 80-400 VR.

I think the D700 could be good, but the D7100 is better if telephoto is your prerogative. More megapixels, 1.5x crop factor for better zoomed pictures, good ISO performance, good autofocus.

If you're on a safari with a long telephoto lens, you'll need a really quick shutter speed if you're shooting from a moving vehicle. Shoot at above 1/1000 at long telephoto in many situations or you might be disappointed more often than you think. If you're standing, you still will need a fast shutter speed especially if hand-holding.

Good to know... looks like the D7100 is actually less expensive to rent than the D700. Win-win!

I knew that any motion would be an issue with a telephoto lens. We will be on a private reserve so our guide can drive fairly close to whatever we are looking at and isnt restricted to staying on a path (but I still want telephoto for some situations that we may not be able to get as close to). Im hopeful that this will give me plenty of opportunities to shoot from a still position. There are bars on the Range Rover that I can use to steady my lens and I was planning to purchase "The Pod" bean bag to rest the lens on to steady it. I found a tripod that is ~2lbs that Im going to bring for our time in Cape Town and Victoria Falls but realize that it isnt practical for the safari itself.

I appreciate all of your knowledge!

 

[Derrel]

I would rather have the D7100 than the now-old D700.

 

[ScottMac]

If I were in your shoes, I would rent a D7100 rather than a D700, purely for the crop factor achieved when needed for zoom/telephoto opportunities in the African bush. Be aware - the D7100, however, will, be less forgiving than the D700 for poor photographic technique when using telephoto/zoom lenses, and any camera movement will be exacerbated in sharpness on this camera. Make sure you are comfortable with the output, especially sharpness, before arriving in Africa.

Given that you are travelling by air, I would resist bringing anything too big, but your options are fairly large. It is all about compromising in one way or another. IF you bring a dx camera, I would seriously consider renting the Sigma 10-20mm for landscapes and the like, or some other very wide zoom (I think Tokina has something like a 11-22mm available?).

On the telephoto/zoom side of things, there are many options, each with its own compromises regarding weight, cost, and other issues. If I were to rent, I would probably consider these lenses in the following order: 70-200 f/2.8VR with a 2x converter, 300mmf/4 with a 1.4x converter, 80-400mm, or even the 70-300mm VR, if space and weight is especially a problem. You will, of course, need a general walk-about lens for many, if not most of your shots while on holiday, and the 16-85mm VR will fill this gap nicely. Personally, I take my entire kit when I go on safari, but then it is easy for me as I live in South Africa.

Given the restrictions on size and weight when flying internationally, I would seriously consider bringing the D7100 and a 70-200 with a 2x converter, a wide-angle lens, spare batteries, and ditch the D3000 (probably the worst sensor in any camera ever made by Nikon) in favor of a decent pocket camera for everyday memories. Forget a tripod and rather bring an empty beanbag that you can fill when here (and a rolled-up towel will work just as well when in a safari vehicle). The last thing you would want to do is spoil your holiday by having to lug too much equipment around to various places, including backup equipment, simply for a few days of safari on the wild.

Lastly, may you enjoy your visit to this part of the world - and take great memories home with you.

 

[RachelBell]

If I were in your shoes, I would rent a D7100 rather than a D700, purely for the crop factor achieved when needed for zoom/telephoto opportunities in the African bush. Be aware - the D7100, however, will, be less forgiving than the D700 for poor photographic technique when using telephoto/zoom lenses, and any camera movement will be exacerbated in sharpness on this camera. Make sure you are comfortable with the output, especially sharpness, before arriving in Africa.

Given that you are travelling by air, I would resist bringing anything too big, but your options are fairly large. It is all about compromising in one way or another. IF you bring a dx camera, I would seriously consider renting the Sigma 10-20mm for landscapes and the like, or some other very wide zoom (I think Tokina has something like a 11-22mm available?).

On the telephoto/zoom side of things, there are many options, each with its own compromises regarding weight, cost, and other issues. If I were to rent, I would probably consider these lenses in the following order: 70-200 f/2.8VR with a 2x converter, 300mmf/4 with a 1.4x converter, 80-400mm, or even the 70-300mm VR, if space and weight is especially a problem. You will, of course, need a general walk-about lens for many, if not most of your shots while on holiday, and the 16-85mm VR will fill this gap nicely. Personally, I take my entire kit when I go on safari, but then it is easy for me as I live in South Africa.

Given the restrictions on size and weight when flying internationally, I would seriously consider bringing the D7100 and a 70-200 with a 2x converter, a wide-angle lens, spare batteries, and ditch the D3000 (probably the worst sensor in any camera ever made by Nikon) in favor of a decent pocket camera for everyday memories. Forget a tripod and rather bring an empty beanbag that you can fill when here (and a rolled-up towel will work just as well when in a safari vehicle). The last thing you would want to do is spoil your holiday by having to lug too much equipment around to various places, including backup equipment, simply for a few days of safari on the wild.

Lastly, may you enjoy your visit to this part of the world - and take great memories home with you.

Thanks so much for the great advice! As I said before, Im very new to photography... with that in mind, do you think the D7100 would be TOO sensitive for me to use as the only body? I would hate to leave the D3000 at home and have only blurred shots because my technique isnt that good yet. Or do you think that would only be a problem with the telephoto lens? Im toying with the idea of buying a used body (D7100 or otherwise) to take with me because the rental rate for 3-4 weeks (2 weeks of travel plus a week or two to meet with my instructor and practice prior to leaving) would be almost 65% of the price of just buying one used. For a little more money, I would have a nice body to keep and continue to improve with rather than having to send it back and start from scratch later.

I know the D3000 isnt that great in comparison to other options, it was gifted to me 5 years ago and Im just now getting around to learning how to use it (something that I wish I had done much sooner!). Was thinking I would keep a wide angle lens on it so I can switch out depending on what we see and how close we are to different animals, etc. Bad idea? Im worried about changing lenses on just one body while out on the reserve and the risk of getting dust/sand/dirt on the sensors.

I really appreciate everyone's great advice and Im excited to get started and seeing improvement in my technique. Thinking about starting to shoot some things and posting on here to get some criticism and advice. I think it would be helpful to have experienced people take a look and let me know what i could do to improve. (my feelings dont get hurt very easily... I can take it!)

 

[Tailgunner]

do you think the D7100 would be TOO sensitive for me to use as the only body? I would hate to leave the D3000 at home and have only blurred shots because my technique isnt that good yet. Or do you think that would only be a problem with the telephoto lens? Im toying with the idea of buying a used body (D7100 or otherwise) to take with me because the rental rate for 3-4 weeks (2 weeks of travel plus a week or two to meet with my instructor and practice prior to leaving) would be almost 65% of the price of just buying one used. For a little more money, I would have a nice body to keep and continue to improve with rather than having to send it back and start from scratch later.

The problem with renting a D7100 is you're not going to want to give it back after the trip and resume using the D3000. It's that much better of a body in my opinion. I upgraded from a D3100 to a D7100 and it was one of the best things I did outside of buying quality glass.

Anyhow, when it comes to sensitive and shaky shots, make sure your shutter speed is equal to or more than your focal length. Example, 50mm should equal 1/50 +, 100mm = 1/100+ 300mm = 1/300+. I personally like to go over a little: 100mm = 1/125, 200mm = 1/250 etc.

Now the D7100 comes with twin card slots, I strongly urge you to use the extra slot as a backup. This means, when you take a photo, it records the same photo on two different memory cards at once. So if one card craps out on you, you still have a back up card. Another option would be shooting in RAW + Jpeg. You probably shoot in Jpeg being new to photography but learning to process RAW files is import if you plan to get serious about photography. So having a back up set of RAW files to play with in the future would be nice. I also recommend running only Scandisk Extreme Pro class 10 90/95MB write cards, especially with the D7100. These cards write faster than your cheap walgreen cards which help speed up the performance of the d7100. i saw a nice bump in performance switching to them my self. The 32gb versions have come way down in price, about $40 each. That is what we used to pay for 16gb.

 

[RachelBell]

Will someone check this out and see if it looks legit? I noticed that the 70-300mm lens isnt a VR, but that should be ok as long as I dont use it on the D3000, right? Does Zeikos equipment tend to be of a decent quality? (flash and wireless remote).

Thanks in advance- Nikon D7100 Digital SLR Camera 4 Lens Kit 18 55mm VR 70 300 mm 32GB Kit 017856441659 | eBay

 

[Braineack]

too bad borrowlenses won't have the 150-600mm in time for your trip. that lens coupled with a D7100 is what I'd go with.

 

[jaomul]

I would be careful of that kit. Good camera but lots of mediocre stuff thrown in. That 70-300 is ok but wont autofocus on your d3000

 

[Tailgunner]

Will someone check this out and see if it looks legit? I noticed that the 70-300mm lens isnt a VR, but that should be ok as long as I dont use it on the D3000, right? Does Zeikos equipment tend to be of a decent quality? (flash and wireless remote).

Thanks in advance- Nikon D7100 Digital SLR Camera 4 Lens Kit 18 55mm VR 70 300 mm 32GB Kit 017856441659 | eBay

It's not an issue of needing or not needing VR. I've heard nothing but poor image quality from the None VR variant 70-300mm. I once read it was like the None VR was a cheap consumer model while the VR was considered a Professional grade model. I've seen a lot of really nice shots from the VR model compared to the None VR. I know if it was me, I would rent, borrow, or beg for a VR model if I was taken an african Safari...that or a newer 80-400mm.


Check out what people have have shot both have to say and some of the photos take by the 70-300mm VR

https://www.flickr.com/groups/nikonphotography/discuss/72157626713783837/

As for the above mentioned kit, the only thing I would take on an African Safari would be the D7100 body. I wouldn't even use their memory card.

If money is tight, you can pick up a refurbished D7000 for $600 and a 70-300mm VR for 400. That put you at $1,000 and with a good body and much better lens. You're still looking at an additional $500 for misc gear, camera strap, backpack, memory cards, etc.