Suggestions on Lens Purchase for African Wildlife

Jambo!! My husband and I have lived in Africa for over 10yrs, currently residing in Tanzania. We spend a great deal of time on safari both here and in Kenya. I purchased the Canon 100-400 lens for him 2yrs ago for Xmas, and after all of the fabulous suggestions I received (thanks Tony) I ended up getting him the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II Ultra Wide Angle. Now if I could solicit suggestions on filters or polarizers for these lens for safaris, that would be great. Our next trip before our Kenya Migration in 7/2008, is Feb 08 for the Calving Season in the Serengeti. Thanks!!

Well, I'd say the Sigma 10-20, Canon EF-S 10-22 or Tokina 10-17 for a crop camera. Seems like Tamron makes one, too. All pretty good, optically, but the Sigma is probably the best built and comes with a lens hood and soft case at no extra cost. Whichever you get, get a decent circular polarizer to go with it.

We are getting ready to go on our Kenya Migration safari next month, and I was thinking of ordering extensions or teleconverters, but need advice!! My husband has the Canon 100-400, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8l II USM Ultra Wide lens and the 15mm F/2.8 fisheye. He also owns an older doubler 2x......I am in the dark in all of this, but thought I would look for something for him to bring things closer.....We live in Tanzania, so nothing goes to waste with his gear. All suggestioins welcome.

I personally think with the 100-400 you have a dead end because IMO it won't support a 1.4x at long distance IQ wise. You may get use from it close up as the quality loss is much less. What body does he have? A 1 series will retain AF but a crop/5D won't andf trying to MF at distance is very, very difficult.

The cameras he would use them on would be a Rebel XT and Rebel XTI. A colleague just purchased a Canon convertor for her Rebel XT with 100-400 and can't get it to work. Also is it true that if it does work it would have to be manual and not automatic? Thanks for everyone's help!!

It won't autofocus on a Rebel with converter as it would become the equivalent of an f8 lens (with 1.4 converter) and only 1 series would be able to do this. And as condyk says manual focussing at a distance is not a pleasant experience.

The metering would still work as normal though.

Habari za Jioni!
I live in Dar as well and was wondering where you purchase all your equiptment. I buy from the states, and Im heading there in 1 more month. Nice to see another TZ member!

Trvl_Wmn wrote in post #5695164
We are getting ready to go on our Kenya Migration safari next month, and I was thinking of ordering extensions or teleconverters, but need advice!! My husband has the Canon 100-400, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8l II USM Ultra Wide lens and the 15mm F/2.8 fisheye. He also owns an older doubler 2x......I am in the dark in all of this, but thought I would look for something for him to bring things closer.....We live in Tanzania, so nothing goes to waste with his gear. All suggestioins welcome.

we're leaving for africa at the end of the month. i'm taking the 100-400L and 16-35L II and 1d mark III and 30d. i will also take a 1.4 TC but i may not use it much because i'm really not too keen on TCs.

ed rader

Trvl_Wmn wrote in post #4255495
Jambo!! Our next trip before our Kenya Migration in 7/2008, is Feb 08 for the Calving Season in the Serengeti. Thanks!!

Hukuna Matata !! We were there then in the Serengeti - awesome experience would love to go back

ed rader wrote in post #5708801
we're leaving for africa at the end of the month. i'm taking the 100-400L and 16-35L II and 1d mark III and 30d. i will also take a 1.4 TC but i may not use it much because i'm really not to keen on TCs.

ed rader

Ed - Ive got the 10 -22 for my 40D so really a 16-35 would love to get a 100-400L before I got to Africa next time doing Botswana- Okavanga Delta and Rwanda the Gorrillas next.

As Im still fairly new to this DSLR game not used a TC yet but I believe some like them and some dont...

Safari is the best type of Holiday

M5Man wrote in post #5708956
Hukuna Matata !! We were there then in the Serengeti - awesome experience would love to go back


Ed - Ive got the 10 -22 for my 40D so really a 16-35 would love to get a 100-400L before I got to Africa next time doing Botswana- Okavanga Delta and Rwanda the Gorrillas next.

As Im still fairly new to this DSLR game not used a TC yet but I believe some like them and some dont...

Safari is the best type of Holiday

this is a trip of a lifetime for us....i have a book on botswana in my truck and every time i stop to eat lunch i read a little bit. the okavango delta looks like a fascinating place.

but so do all the other places we are going to. kruger, chobe, mashatu, moremi, malamala.....and the last couple of days we'll spend at victoria falls .

the 16-35 won't be an UW on the 30d but will be on the 1d mark III. i plan to use the 16-35L on the 30d on game drives and on the 1d mark III when walking around or doing landscapes (e.g., victoria falls).

ed rader

Jambo rafiki, habari gani

The 100-400 is great for safari. But, you asked about filters. I would go with a high-quality circular polarizer (77mm thread if its for the 100-400). You won't need much more than that. You could get fancy and get some split neutral density filters for the 16-35.

July might be a bit early for the crossing in the Mara. They didn't start crossing last year until the first couple of days in September. There was enough rain to keep the grass green on the Kenyan side for so long that they just didn't cross.

ed rader wrote in post #5709036
this is a trip of a lifetime for us....i have a book on botswana in my truck and every time i stop to eat lunch i read a little bit. the okavango delta looks like a fascinating place.

but so do all the other places we are going to. kruger, chobe, mashatu, moremi, malamala.....and the last couple of days we'll spend at victoria falls .

the 16-35 won't be an UW on the 30d but will be on the 1d mark III. i plan to use the 16-35L on the 30d on game drives and on the 1d mark III when walking around or doing landscapes (e.g., victoria falls).

ed rader

Ed,

Not started researching that trip yet, but the book I took with me last time was "The Safari Companion Revised Edition by Richard Estes" Excellent....

We stayed at Kruger in 2005 when we mainly did S Africa, Kruger is awseome, we saw all the Big 5 there on that trip we also went to the Victoria falls and stayed at the Royal Livingstone it has a bar on some decking get there early (4.15pm ish) and you will get some great shots i beleive even people who arent staying can come in for drinks this was a great place for some evening sunset shots and hipos playing in the river.

I also recomend the helicopter trip over the falls

Unfortuanatly I only had my Fuji S5000 on this holiday but still took loads of shots....

M5Man wrote in post #5709393
Ed,

Not started researching that trip yet, but the book I took with me last time was "The Safari Companion Revised Edition by Richard Estes" Excellent....

We stayed at Kruger in 2005 when we mainly did S Africa, Kruger is awseome, we saw all the Big 5 there on that trip we also went to the Victoria falls and stayed at the Royal Livingstone it has a bar on some decking get there early (4.15pm ish) and you will get some great shots i beleive even people who arent staying can come in for drinks this was a great place for some evening sunset shots and hipos playing in the river.

I also recomend the helicopter trip over the falls

Unfortuanatly I only had my Fuji S5000 on this holiday but still took loads of shots....

we're staying there too. tell me, would i be foolish not to bring a tripod? i'm thinking that for Victoria falls especially i'll want a lightweight tripod for landscapes.

we have some austere weight restrictions and i have to pack wisely.

thanx for the info !

ed rader

Ed,

Like I said I had my SLR then but yes take a lightweight tripod or monopod that decking is awesome spot but they know and the drink prices reflect it but you get what you pay for....

I was lucky we paid for the cheaper\shorter helicoptor trip as my wife wasnt to keen, then they couldnt fill the long trip so they put us in on that one

PS watch the monkies on the decking they run off with anything

Well Ed,

I just dug these out.....

Not brilliant but gives you an idea of the place
1) The sunset natural colour
2) The balcony - bar on the left

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