Which is the Best Safari Lens to take with on an African Safari?

Our visits to African national parks spans nearly twenty years, during which time we have been on over 100 safaris, owned lenses from four different manufacturers and have used lenses from a super-wide 10mm fisheye to a 800mm super telephoto.

Our recommendations on the best safari lens are based on this experience.

If you are wanting to take photographs for publication or you want to enter your photographs into competitions or even sell your images, then you need to look at a minimum criteria, which we have based on two groups of photographers:

Best Safari Lens for the Beginner / Budget-Conscious Photographer

The 80-400 lens doesn't accept tele-converters and does not have a built-in motor so focusing is sometimes slow, especially in low light, but it has a 5X zoom and you don't need to take the lens off each time you want to add or remove a tele-converter - like you would have to do with the 300mm f4 - very convenient on a dusty safari!

When I bought my used Nikon 600mm f4 I gave my 200-400 f4 VR lens to Jenny - she used it for one week then gave it back to me - she wanted her old, light-weight 80-400mm lens back!

It suits her photographic style as she likes to hand-hold the lens and shoot birds in flight, which she does very well, contrary to other people saying you cannot photograph birds in flight with it!

Then, if you don't mind generic third-party lenses then you could also consider the Sigma 150-500mm lens. It is a sharp lens that costs less than the Nikon or Canon equivalent. One word of warning with these third party lenses - there is no guarantee that the lens will be compatible with future Nikon or Canon cameras.

We experienced this first-hand when we owned the Sigma 300-800mm zoom lens. It worked fine when used with the Nikon D2H but when we upgraded to the new Nikon D2XS in 2006 the autofocus was slow and the photographs were soft.

When we told the Sigma agents in Cape Town they didn't seem very concerned so we traded in the Sigma and bought the Nikon 200-400 that I used the 1.7X Teleconverter with. This turned out to be a much better lens than the bigger and heavier Sigma and I had a 680mm equivalent magnification that produced sharp images. If I did not have the 600mm f4 I would still be using this combination. So, the above three lenses (80-400 VR, 300mm f4 or the 150-500) would provide quality pictures and adequate reach for far subjects, without breaking the bank!

Some people have asked us about using the 80-200 / 70-200 AFS f2.8 lens with 2X converter. Our advice - please Don't! The 80-200 f2.8 AF-S with 2X tele-converter does NOT produce sharp photographs like the 80-400 VR does!

For Canon users the Canon 100 - 400 L f4.5 - 5.6 IS Zoom lens would be a good choice and you can use the Canon 1.4X tele-extender with it. Irvine Eidelman uses this as his backup lens and with 1.6 crop sensor it becomes 160 to 540mm lens. Irvine doesn't use extenders as he feels they degrade the image quality too much.

Best Safari Lens for the Intermediate / Budget-Isn't-an-Issue / Pro Photographer

Both lenses are very sharp and can take either the 1.4X or 1.7X tele-converters and will still autofocus.

For Canon users the Canon 500mm f4 L IS lens / 300mm f2.8 L IS lens plus teleconverter would be a great choice.

If you love photographing birds and you have a 400mm f2.8 (this lens works superbly with the 2X tele-converter to provide an 800mm f5.6 lens) or a 600mm f4 lens...

Canon users have another option of using Canon's longest production lens, the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM! This lens is used by Arthur Morris and he gets superb results.

Keep in mind, however, that these lenses are very heavy and bulky so you need to take into account how you will be travelling.

Self Drive Safari vs Guided Tour - Size Does Matter!

In this case you have space to store lots of photo gear as each person has their own benchand a left and right-side window plus the sunroof to shoot out of!

Please keep in mind that for sharp photographs the lens tends to be more important than the Camera body so you should try and get the best longest-reaching lens you can afford. If you bring a 300mm lens you will wish you had brought a 400mm and so forth - a nature photographer tends to never have enough reach!

Don't fret because you can always crop the image later - just ensure that your lens is SHARP!

Backup Camera and Lens

You may be tempted to bring just one body and two lenses - this would mean you would waste time changing the lenses and you may let dust into the camera. The ideal would be two bodies each with their own dedicated lens. But one body and two lenses would be better than no wide angle lens - just ensure you have a Safari Vest to carry the extra lens and any other accessories!

Our recommendation is the Nikon 18-200mm VR lens...

(Nikon's 'VR' stands for Vibration Reduction and Canon's equivalent is 'IS', which stands for Image Stabilization. These features reduce vibrations when the lens is hand-held to ensure sharper pictures).

Both these lenses double as wide angle lenses and everyday lenses to use when walking around camps. In addition they both have a short minimum focus distance providing you with macro capabilities.

If you are into macro photography you could make use of an extension tube and/or a close-up lens that screws onto the filter threads in order to gain even more macro magnification. The safari vest pockets will get used!

Another reason to have a second body and lens is in case something happens to your primary body and lens. Can you imagine coming on a once-in-a-lifetime African Safari and your equipment malfunctions! African national parks such as the Kruger Park, Etosha, Pilanesberg, Kgalagadi, Serengeti, Masai Mara and Okavango have extreme climates so the conditions can be very harsh with heat, sand and vibrations taking their toll on photographic gear and a backup may save your day!

We have had three lenses freeze/seize on us due to dust, heat or other factors - one Minolta, one Sigma and one Nikon and, in addition, I have dropped my one body and lens!

A backup is very handy. Todd Gustafson had a problem with his gear but, thanks to divine providence, he was with a 'good Samaritan' who loaned him a 600mm Canon lens and camera body! (Read about this incident in question 6 on the Todd Gustafson interview page).

What do we use?

Nikon 600mm f4 AFS lens with or 1.7x tele-converter

Nikon 200-400mm f4 AFS VRwhich is my backup lens that I sometimes use with my 1.4x teleconverter. (I found the 1.7x TC on the 200-400 lens does not produce very sharp images)

The 200-400 lens is also a great lens to handhold as I'm doing here at the Okaukuejo waterhole in Etosha...

Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 AFS zoom lens

Between Jenny and I we get different perspectives on the same scene by using our different lenses.

So, the best safari lens has been narrowed down to the above recommendations depending on your budget and how you will be doing your game drives.

Animal action can happen suddenly so be alert in order to get that shot!

Final words for the best safari lens

We know of people who witnessed some amazing animal behavior but they didn't bring their camera and lens with or they did not have the camera switched on, the lens cap off and ready to photograph!

Animal action can happen in the blink of an eye so be alert when on safari or walking around camps!

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