70-200mm enough?

[PatrickZ]

I'm planning of buying the 70-200mm f/4L to replace my 'old' 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens. I have someone who is interested in buying the 100-300mm from me.

However in november I'm travelling to South Africa. Is the 70-200mm enough for safari tips? Or should I hang on to the 100-300mm (although the quality is far less than the 70-200)?

I'm using Canon 20D and 17-40mm f/4L.

Thanks

[gramps]

Have you thought about the 70 - 200 with a 1.4 TC?

[Turbowolf]

if it was me I'd go with the 70-200 and add a 1.4 TC for those longer shots, hate to miss those longer wildlife shots.


... but since I have a 100-400 IS USM, I'd take that instead.

[tommykjensen]

Sell the 100-300 mm and buy both the 70-200 f4 and the 1,4x extender. I have that combination and it works excellent. I can't see any deteriation in quality when using the extender.

[Medic1]

I don't think the 70-200 is anywhere near what you would need for a Safari trip.....maybe closer with the 1.4X, but still......

[Anders Östberg]

I haven't been on a safari but my gut instinct is you'd need the 100-400, plus a wide-angle for scenics. 70-200 for me is a people and sports lens, not a wildlife lens. 200mm is seldom long enough in my experience.

[Mark Kemp]

I would agree with most of the guys here - 200mm is a bit short for wildlife except maybe elephants and hippos if they aren't too far away.

[DocFrankenstein]

Yeah... you need those 400 mm

70-200 is "middle range" zoom as came to understand it.

[PatrickZ]

I think I like the 1.4x converter option better as it is the more economical option. I'll probably will not use the 400mm very often after my trip.

I know, it's a compromise, but I think I'll go with the 1.4x.

Thanks!

[DocFrankenstein]

gotta start somewhere

[Adam Hicks]

My advice.. find a shop that RENTS lenses and rent one. Get a 300mm 2.8 IS with a 1.4TC and you're set!

Or I am in the 100-400L camp over 70-200. Better range without the quality loss from a TC. I haven't found any real instances where I needed or wanted f2.8 at 200mm anyways, so the 4.5-5.6 thing has worked out fine. I do all daylight work at those lengths anyways. If I was shooting weddings it would be another thing, but I'd probably use the 85mm 1.2, 50mm 1.4 for that anyways.

Adam

[blackviolet]

i'm going to south africa, zambia, and zimbabwe in april. i've got 2 bodies, some decent coverage in lenses, solid tripod, lots of spare batteries, a few flashes, and bags to hold it all. i was planning to take just about all of my lenses, including the sigma 50-500, canon 80-200 2.8L, and so on down the range. unfortunately there is a weight restriction on what i can carry (including luggage) so i'm forced to slim down my kit :( i have decided that 200mm is just *way* too short, even with a TC so it will remain back home.

have a look at a lot of the shots on pbase and check the lengths being used, and you can gauge the distance from the safari vans to the action.

[robertwgross]

I shot my Canon film camera while on safari in East Africa, and my longest lens at the time went to 300mm, which was not long enough. If I were going back there today, I would take my 100-400mm lens with one or two 1.4 teleconverters. It is very common to shoot your camera from the side or roof of a Land Rover, so a tripod may or may not be needed. A monopod might be good. A beanbag is good.

However, a lot of what you need depends on what animals you are going after. If it is African elephants, then 70-200mm is possibly enough. If it is a lion in the grass, you'll need more. I got one shot at a Hyrax, but it was way out there (little black furry mammal). The Dik Dik is pretty small, also.

Each morning, we would drive around in vehicles and look for the animals. Then each afternoon, we would go walking and let the animals look for us!

---Bob Gross---

[tim]

How would the 70-200 F4L be with a 2X TC?

[robertwgross]

How would the 70-200 F4L be with a 2X TC?

Well, no autofocus.

---Bob Gross---

[Harry Settle]

The last time I was in Kenya on a safari, I used a 400mm with a 3x and ASA 1000 film for many situations.

[gardenweb]

well here is a cheesy idea. You could buy a long lens just before your trip (400mm), and he-hem, try it out" during the trip, and uh return it when you get back. Im sure you will take great care of it, so it shouldnt be a problem. But if i were you id see if i could rent (or maybe borrow) one first.

[gardenweb]

i'm going to south africa, zambia, and zimbabwe in april. i've got 2 bodies, some decent coverage in lenses, solid tripod, lots of spare batteries, a few flashes, and bags to hold it all. i was planning to take just about all of my lenses, including the sigma 50-500, canon 80-200 2.8L, and so on down the range. unfortunately there is a weight restriction on what i can carry (including luggage) so i'm forced to slim down my kit :( i have decided that 200mm is just *way* too short, even with a TC so it will remain back home.

have a look at a lot of the shots on pbase and check the lengths being used, and you can gauge the distance from the safari vans to the action.

why not ditch all of the useless bags ...your clothes...ha ha h ha

[PatrickZ]

mmm, interesting thoughts. Makes me doubt if I should buy the 70-200mm f/4 at all! My initial idea was to start with 17-40mm f/4 and the 70-200mm f/4.

But after reading all you comments, i question if I will use the 70-200mm very often? Maybe better to save up some more money and get the 24-70mm f/2.8 instead of the 70-200mm. And use the 100-300mm when I need real zoom (might not be very often).

[SkipD]

Patrick, you will soon be sorry if you select lenses that leave large gaps in the coverage. I would recommend that if zooms are what you want, you choose lenses that have a slight overlap - or at least a minimal gap - in their focal length ranges. For example, I have a 16-35, 24-70, and 70-200.

The total range of the lenses that you will want/need depend on what you photograph (and where). Since it appears you will be shooting wildlife out in the open, I would suggest adding a 70-200 to your collection, along with an extender as suggested before. If you can afford the 70-200 f2.8 (and the IS option would be a REAL plus for you), get the 2x extender. That lens is something you'll appreciate for a long time.

[PatrickZ]

... or rent 400mm for my africa trip of course

[Anders Östberg]

I have to disagree on the 2x extender. The quality drops too much even with the excellent 70-200 zoom. The pictures will be a disappointment and the 2x extender will sit unused in your camera bag . If you need that range save the money for a longer lens. Just my experience and opinion of course.

[SkipD]

I have to disagree on the 2x extender. The quality drops too much even with the excellent 70-200 zoom. The pictures will be a disappointment and the 2x extender will sit unused in your camera bag . If you need that range save the money for a longer lens. Just my experience and opinion of course.Glad to hear that before I invested in one - sounds like I just saved a couple bucks. How's the quality of Canon's 1.4 extender?

[Harry Settle]

I have to disagree on the 2x extender. The quality drops too much even with the excellent 70-200 zoom. The pictures will be a disappointment and the 2x extender will sit unused in your camera bag . If you need that range save the money for a longer lens. Just my experience and opinion of course.

Yes, you lose quality. But, the only other option sometimes is to have a 1200mm lens with you. The critters are where the critters are. I shot a lion kill with my 400mm, 3X and ASA 1000, at a distance of a half mile or more. Results were grainy, needless to say, but I have some really nice shots of a lion kill.

The only other option is those big expensive cannons that you see on tv.

My recommendation for lenses: 24-135mm range will cover nearly everything you want to cover. 100-400 will get you things that everyone else with you wishes they could get. Anything bigger and faster will be a bonus for you.

And don't forget to take lots of cleaning gear with you, the red dust gets into everything.

[gramps]

... or rent 400mm for my africa trip of course

Have you check in the city where you are flying into if there is a rental place there? If there is it might save you the hassle of taking a big lens on the plane.

[Anders Östberg]

Well, both extenders work better with a high quality base lens. The 1.4x is very good with most lenses that will take it, including the 70-200, but in my opinion the 2x is really only suitable for the longer super teles. Of course if you have to choose between a lower quality image and not getting one at all...

If I were to go on a safari or any other once-in-a-lifetime trip, I would consider renting whatever equipment I would like to use, rather than buying some compromise that I won't be happy with and maybe won't use much later.

Again, just my opinion.

[PatrickZ]

I guess I will take your advice and rent a supertele for my africa trip. For now I will buy the 70-200mm replacing my 100-300. That will give a nice overlap (17-40; 24-85;70-200).

In time, when I have saved some money I can always upgrade the 24-85 for the 25-70 f/2.8L.

[who me?]

Having been on a 3 day safari in South Africa several years ago, I only used a AE-1, 100-300F4 lens and a monopod, the lens never left the camera body. I found that for the trip I was on, there were only a FEW times where I wanted anything longer.
It really depends on where you go and what vehicle/tourguides are doing to get you close. We were within 25 feet of some mating lions and one female lion got within 10 feet of the spotter on the front of the vehicle. I felt that we were fortunate to get some of the shots we got though.
Renting a lens that gives you more would be a good idea as well as purchasing the 70-200 you were looking at.
two other things though. bring at least 1 backup battery and SEVERAL extra 1-2Gb flash cards. I found that when I was there, I burned through film like it was nothing because I figured I would never get that opportunity again. I had a camera battery die and it was almost impossible to find another one.
So, just make sure you are prepared in the power and memory department.
And above all, HAVE FUN!!!!

[merrrrjig]

I like the idea of the 70-200 w/ the 1.4 extender

[chris.bailey]

To add a slightly different perspective, a lot will depend on the style of the Safari. Most game parks are restricted to the vehicles using roads and marked tracks.This tends to mean you will always be a long way from the action. Some reserves however are "free to roam" and the guide will look for the action and get you close, very close, reach out and touch close! My last Safari was at the Mara in Kenya and was free to roam from closed sided/open top vehicles. At that time the longest lens I had (actually the only lens) was the 28-135 and I got some good shots with it. A fixed long lens would have been hopeless for much of this and I would have thought the 100-400 to be the perfect choice though I think I will probably take the 70-200 as well next time around.

So I would find out a bit more about the style of access you will have and plan your lens choice to suit.

[Headcase650]

Why not the BIGMA 50-500 sigma for day shots and a fast long prime for late in the evening.