Rent 500ml for Safari? Advice please

Going in August with family (wife and 2 teenage kids) on our first- and likely only- African Safari. We will be spending two weeks total, mostly in Tanzania with a private driver/guide then a few days in Kenya (Mara) with a small group in an open sided vehicle. I will have my 5D and 7D bodies with me.

I was planning to rent a 500mm f/4 for the trip as I really want the sharpness/image quality of my 300mm f/2.8 but with more reach. Reading the safari threads here I have started wondering though. Most are recommending the 100-400 (or 200-400 if it ships in time).

So now I am wondering if I should just bring my 300 f/2.8 and extenders for the 7D, and keep my 70-200 f/2.8 on the 5D and work with what I already have? I will still bring some wide lenses for landscape shots of course. The 300mm and 5D have spoiled me for image quality now so really want the best possible lens for the trip.

I have no problem lugging around heavy lenses. I hiked around the Galapagos islands a couple years ago with my 300 f/2.8 slung on my shoulder the whole time and didn't regret that decision for a second!

I appreciate any advice from those that have been.

Stuart Leslie wrote in post #13868993
Going in August with family (wife and 2 teenage kids) on our first- and likely only- African Safari. We will be spending two weeks total, mostly in Tanzania with a private driver/guide then a few days in Kenya (Mara) with a small group in an open sided vehicle. I will have my 5D and 7D bodies with me.

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I was planning to rent a 500mm f/4 for the trip as I really want the sharpness/image quality of my 300mm f/2.8 but with more reach. Reading the safari threads here I have started wondering though. Most are recommending the 100-400 (or 200-400 if it ships in time).

So now I am wondering if I should just bring my 300 f/2.8 and extenders for the 7D, and keep my 70-200 f/2.8 on the 5D and work with what I already have? I will still bring some wide lenses for landscape shots of course. The 300mm and 5D have spoiled me for image quality now so really want the best possible lens for the trip.

I have no problem lugging around heavy lenses. I hiked around the Galapagos islands a couple years ago with my 300 f/2.8 slung on my shoulder the whole time and didn't regret that decision for a second!

I appreciate any advice from those that have been.

Yeah 300mm and extenders WITH crop 1.6x 7D would be a great idea.
Imagine how far of reach that can go, unless you'd want to rent for more reach.

If it is a once in a life time trip, rent a 500 and take the 300 and 70 - 200 and TC's. You don't want if only moments

zzmorris wrote in post #13869254
If it is a once in a life time trip, rent a 500 and take the 300 and 70 - 200 and TC's. You don't want if only moments

That sounds like a lot of gear to carry around

I don't know what the hassles will be with the airlines carrying around excessive gear, but if it weren't a problem I wouldn't mind bringing a 500/4, 300/2.8, and 70-200 zoom, in addition to other lenses, bodies, etc.

I've never been on safari, but have heard from others that they enjoyed using their 600/4's in East Africa. So I certainly don't think 500mm is excessive. I think a nice combo might be your 500 and 700-200 on your two camera bodies. My personal opinion is that 300mm is too short, and you'd be tempted to use a TC with it most of the time. Not that using a TC is bad, but if you're going to use one, I'd rather use one and get some serious reach!

See here:

African Safari Photography & Safari Photography Tips

We're going there this September, we just carry 28-300L & 200L.

"Miss" 30% shoot, maybe. So what.

x_tan wrote in post #13869833
See here:

African Safari Photography & Safari Photography Tips

We're going there this September, we just carry 28-300L & 200L.

"Miss" 30% shoot, maybe. So what.

Stop traveling I am getting really jealous.

skater911 wrote in post #13870163
Stop traveling I am getting really jealous.

This time for 'education trip'

x_tan wrote in post #13870351
This time for 'education trip'

Ok then I will be your student. Were's my plane ticket?

skater911 wrote in post #13870447
Ok then I will be your student. Were's my plane ticket?

Actually, my wife and me go for 'continues education for professional development' We're the students, too.

I'd bring the 300, it with the TC's should be fine.

rick_reno wrote in post #13871400
I'd bring the 300, it with the TC's should be fine.

i bought the 300L for alaska but once i added a TC i actually prefered the focus and IQ of 100-400L, which i took to alaska and africa.

ed rader

Unless your interest is primarily in birds, I would leave the 500mm at home. The 300/2.8+1.4x on a crop is much easier to travel with and much, much easier to manage in the safari vehicle. This extra agility will gain you many more shots than you'll lose from the 80mm difference in reach.

It also means you have f/2.8 available if you need it. Many of the best photo opportunities on safari come in the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset and it can get really dark - especially if you're trying to shoot animals in or around trees. If you're already at your upper ISO limit an extra stop of shutter speed can make all the difference. AF is also better at f/2.8.

Regarding the second body, you might find there is too big a gap between a 70-200 on a 5D and the 672mm equivalent that the 300+1.4x gives you on a 7D. If you've got another 1.4x you could use that but I wouldn't recommend the 2x (the IQ is fine but the AF takes a hit). Personally I would rent/buy another crop body and use the 70-200 on that (what I now do) or perhaps rent/buy the 100-400 and use that on your 5D.

But whatever you do make sure you take at least one decent bean-bag with you. The 'molar' types work best, and I would fill it with lightweight synthetic beads before leaving. I've seen lots of guides that say fill it when you get there but the camp shops are often quite limited in what they stock.

HTH.

Personally - most of my favorite shots on safari were not the typical animal shots.

1. Wide angle shots of people in the vehicle also showing the background.
2. Landscape shots from Kopjes. Shots capturing the planes, the weather.
3. Shots capturing the herd - especially in thickets, near water, dusty
4. Sunset / sunrise shots - the classic serengeti tree shot, sunrise in ngorongoro
5. Low light shots with people around a fire, etc
6. Star trails over Kilimingaro.
7. Video

Been on 3 safari's - twice to Serengeti and once to South Luangwa. Most of my favorite shots were with the 17-35 2.8.

What are you going to want to remember - you decide. For me it was a overall experience, the place, the vastness, openness, simple beauty. Having a closeup of an animal 500 yards away that doesn't look much different than a zoo shot wasn't it.

I would just a soon carry a tilt shift lens and a tripod for that perfect panorama of the Serengeti - than a monster 500 mm lens for that perfect lion shot. That's me.

I am going to South Africa at the end of the year. Probably gonna pick up the 70-300L and the Tokina 11-16 2.8 II and take the 17-55, 30 1.4 and the S100. The Toki needs to fix their flare problem or it will be the 10-22.

When we go to South Africa, we rent 500s in country. We don't want the liability/risk/hassle of carrying those plus our other gear. We used the 500s with a 1.4 converter for the really long shots. But the vast majority of our shots were done with our 100-400s. For landscapes and walkaround shots we have 24-105 and 17-40s.