# Tanzania with minimal gear



## randym77 (Sep 29, 2013)

I'm going on a trip to Africa next August. I've searched the forums for other threads on this, and there was some good stuff, but I thought I'd ask for some more specific advice.

It's a two-week "Safari Serengeti" tour. Arusha, Tarangire, Olduvai Gorge, Serengeti National Park, and the Ngorongoro Highlands & Crater. It's a more "off the beaten" track type thing. We'll be sleeping in tents and will have to walk fair distances carrying all our gear at some points, so I don't want to bring too much. Plus, there are baggage limits. We'll be given one duffel bag, and everything we need for the two weeks has to fit in it. Plus a carry-on. I presume my camera gear will be in the carry-on.

I was thinking maybe one body and two lenses (and maybe a point and shoot as backup). 

I'm willing to buy or rent what I don't have for the trip, so...what should I bring?


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## Ellen Schmidtee (Sep 29, 2013)

In order to know what focal lengths you'll need, what are you going to shoot?

Will you take a crop body or FF body?

E.g. if you want to shoot landscape and take a crop body to save on weight, I'll recommend EF-S 10-22mm, while if you take FF body you'll have to buy the 16-35mm or 17-40mm.


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## RGF (Sep 29, 2013)

Check if camps will do laundry. Often will - which means clothes is not a weight/size limit.

For photo gear, two 7D M2 (or 70D) with 100-400 and 24-105 on each. Plus P&S. Seldom have used a tripod, but (2-3) bean bags are essential. Check w tour operator long in advance about getting beans. I think a std size bean bag will hold are 5kg of beans. You will fill the bags in Arusha.

Enjoy - trip of a lifetime


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## dw2013 (Sep 29, 2013)

I've just got back from 4 days in Kruger in SA...was also limited on baggage/weight. I took a 6D, 24-105, 70-200/4 IS, 300/4 IS and a 1.4TC. To be honest, I didn't need the 300/4 as the rangers we were driving with got us so close to all the wildlife.

The 6D was a great camera to have as most of our safari was early morning and late evening so light wasn't great..high ISO was required as didn't have a tripod.

You'll have a great trip, enjoy!


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## RAKAMRAK (Sep 29, 2013)

Ok, given the fact that you have a real constraint here (one duffel bag) I think long telephoto is out of question. But still some times you may want to shoot the thing at a distance. So it would be better to know what would be your photography objects. Without knowing all these my general suggestion would be 

If you are shooting with crop then get
Canon EF-S 15-85mm
On top of that if you have space get the 70-300mm L.

And a super zoom p&S.

For a full frame get
Canon EF-S 24-105
On top of that if you have space get the 70-300mm L

and a super zoom p&S

(All these suggestions are based on the real constraint you have, if there is no constraint we could probably bring the entire EF lens line up with us)


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## xps (Sep 29, 2013)

- Which gear do you own?

I´ve been in this area some days ago and did enough muscletraining for the next 10 years, because I took to much with me.

All of the tips from the CR photographers are well argued. 

The lens I used most of the times where in the range of 12-24mm, 28-70mm and 100-400mm. My 70-200 2.8 and the other primes have been left in the lodge. I used mostly the 7D. And i bought an not expensive lightweight tripod (Sirui). And do not forget an pol-filter!

My 2 friends used:
Nikon 7100 and D800 with the same ranged lenses (superb shots with the D800!!)
and the other one the
Fujifilm X-E1 with an ~18-50mm and an ~55-200mm.

From the sight of weight, the Fuji was an great idea. And the AF was very fast and the pics are really great.

If you have to carry all your equipment around, think of reducing the gear to the max. There something like the fuji (or coming Canon M2) will be the best for your back.

Oh, and get an gear-insurance (robbery, theft,...)


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 29, 2013)

Take a FF body and a 28-300mm lens. that's all you'll need, unless you want a 50mm f/1.4 for low light.

It really depends on how comfortable you are with changing lenses, and how much weight you want to carry, there are a ton of options, but for a single lens solution, you can't beat the 28-300 for wide zoom coverage, and with high ISO capabilities of FF bodies, you can get low light images.


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## randym77 (Sep 29, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. I have a tendency to bring too much gear, but I'm really trying to bring a minimal kit this time.

I like Spokane's idea of one long zoom, plus one 50mm for low-light. I'm also tempted to bring a wide angle, but I could probably just use my point and shoot backup camera for that. I love my tripod, but I think I'll leave it behind this time.

I'm not sure what I'll be shooting, to be honest. Wildlife, I assume. (This is a family trip which I had no part in planning.)

My favorite body is a 1DX, but I'm not sure if that's the one I'll bring. I've heard dust can be a problem, in which case the weather sealing on the 1DX would be good. OTOH, it's big and heavy and expensive. I might bring a cheaper, lighter body instead. Or a 1D Mark IV for a little extra reach? The autofocus on the 1DX is so much better, though.


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## Vivid Color (Sep 29, 2013)

I recently returned from an 8-day safari in Tanzania in August. We traveled in jeeps and viewed animals in jeeps and stayed in lodgings, so my experiences will be different from yours, but the areas I visited all of the areas you cited and I'll share with you what I did and learned. 

For gear, I took my 6D and T1i bodies. I generally had my 24-105L attached to the 6D and my 70-300L attached to my crop body. I also took my 18-270 Tamron super zoom (the PZD version) and Canon's 40mm pancake. I also took CP filters for all the lenses and at least one spare battery per camera. And, I took my Canon s100 P&S. I took 20 16 GB San Disk Extreme SD cards but I did NOT take a computer or other device for backup. With cables and chargers and other accessories, my LowePro ProRunner 350AW backpack weighed between 17 and 18 pounds. 

My experiences and what I learned: If you can take a 2nd body, do so as you will not want to change lenses in the field (too much dust in August) and even if you wouldn't have the dust, you wouldn't have the time to get the shot. The 70-300L on a crop body was generally sufficient for reach. In cases in which more reach was needed (to get better cheetah and leopard shots when they were in trees 100 meters away), I don't think an extra 100 mm as in a 400mm would have helped much. Something much much longer would have been needed. Canon's PowerShot SX50 HS with its 1200 mm would have been nice in those cases. 

Given the weather we had, I only used the polarizing filters on one day. Probably about 2/3 of my shots were taken with the 70-300L, but I'm really glad I had the 24-105L when we were close to the animals and we got really close in many more instances than I would have imagined. Then again, we were in jeeps (Toyota Land Cruisers with pop tops) and you may not get as close on a walking safari. (We had lions and elephants less than 5 feet from our vehicle. I hope you won't get that close!) I used the Tamron super zoom when I went on a ballon ride and when I went to Zanzibar. I used the P&S when I was in Dar es Salaam and I didn't want to be seen with expensive gear. I never used the 40mm pancake. 

As for taking just the SD cards and no backup--that method worked great for me. I will, however, highly recommend the Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket card holder that holds ten CF (or SD) cards. I took two of them. They add only a few ounces and are a much superior system to plastic baggies for keeping track of your cards and knowing which are used and which are blank. Plus, they come with a ribbon and clip on them so you can clip them to your bag or pack or person and not worry about losing them. 

If I ever get to go back, I'd probably keep pretty much the same two-body gear set-up (a newer crop body might be nice but the T1i did just fine). The biggest thing I would do differently would be to get the Powershot SX50 for that extra reach and as a backup and for times when you only want one camera, such as on the ballon ride. Then, I'd leave the Tamron superzoom at home and maybe the P&S and 40mm pancake. Again, this is what I took knowing that I'd only have to lug my pack through airports and to and from the jeep to my hotel room. If I had to carry all my gear on my back all the time, then I'd have to give serious consideration as to how to reduce the weight. However, you may be much stronger than I am and could deal with more weight. 

I also want to say this about the ballon ride: If you have the chance to do this in the Serengeti, just do it! I highly recommend it. The operator there is outstanding and it was one of great highlights of my trip. 

Hope this helps. I'm happy to answer any other questions about clothes or anything else. 

--Vivid


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## randym77 (Sep 29, 2013)

Thanks, Vivid. That was very helpful.

I have a PowerShot SX50 HS. It needs really bright light for good results, so I wasn't sure about bringing it. 

Was that enough memory cards? And were you shooting RAW?


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## michael6liu (Sep 29, 2013)

100-400 is probably the only lens you need if wanna keep your gear minimal. The only time I swapped it out for a wide angle is to shoot the crater. Most big cats in Serengeti need more reach than Ngorongoro and 400mm is a must. Birds need even longer reach. Elephants and giraffes are large and you can get pretty close to them so you may find 100mm on a crop too close. I brought a monopod last time I visited and it worked very well.

First pic 7D @ 100mm; Second pic 7D @ 330mm


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Sep 29, 2013)

dw2013 said:


> I've just got back from 4 days in Kruger in SA...was also limited on baggage/weight. I took a 6D, 24-105, 70-200/4 IS, 300/4 IS and a 1.4TC. To be honest, I didn't need the 300/4 as the rangers we were driving with got us so close to all the wildlife.
> 
> The 6D was a great camera to have as most of our safari was early morning and late evening so light wasn't great..high ISO was required as didn't have a tripod.
> 
> You'll have a great trip, enjoy!



In Kruger they can get you a lot closer though more often than in Tanzania.


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Sep 29, 2013)

randym77 said:


> Thanks for the replies. I have a tendency to bring too much gear, but I'm really trying to bring a minimal kit this time.
> 
> I like Spokane's idea of one long zoom, plus one 50mm for low-light. I'm also tempted to bring a wide angle, but I could probably just use my point and shoot backup camera for that. I love my tripod, but I think I'll leave it behind this time.
> 
> ...



A 50mm for low light was my single LEAST needed lens on such a trip. I'd bring some high density camera, maybe 7D2 by then or a 70D and a 70-300L (100-400 if you can handle just a bit more weight) and one wider, maybe tamron 17-50 or something like that (Africa tends to be so wide that no matter how wide you go it all looks the same at some point, the one single place an UWA would be nice is on top of Ngorongoro though, 17mm aps-c doesn't at all fit it in at once).

Many animals just sit or stand and you can even do 10x zoom liveview manual focus so tracking AF is rarely needed (although something precise so as to not focus behind or in front certainly always helps).

1DX doesn't have a lot of reach and it's so bulky, I wouldn't use up my weight on the body when you could put the weight into lenses instead (although the 1DX does have nice video, better than the 70D (other than for focusing where 1DX is a real pain; maybe 7D2 will be out by then and solve it all?)


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## ajfotofilmagem (Sep 29, 2013)

1D Mark IV + 70-300L + 40 pancake. 8) Lighter than that, only leading a SL1. : SX50 can also be very helpful with good light.


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## Vivid Color (Sep 29, 2013)

randym77 said:


> Thanks, Vivid. That was very helpful.
> 
> I have a PowerShot SX50 HS. It needs really bright light for good results, so I wasn't sure about bringing it.
> 
> Was that enough memory cards? And were you shooting RAW?



Yes, I had plenty of memory cards. As I mentioned, I had 23 16 GB cards with me--one in each of my 3 cameras and 20 in the card holders. I shot RAW + JPEG (highest resolution for each). According to iPhoto, I captured 5013 RAW and 5013 JPEG images for a total of 10026 files. These were spread out over 14 cards. (Had I been a little more careful with card management, I could have used only about 10 or 11 cards for the number of images I took.) Again, I was on an 8-day photo safari and then spent 4 days in Dar and 1 in Zanzibar. I took only a few photos in Dar. It sounds like your trip will be longer so you may need to plan for taking even more images. And, our shooting styles may vary. I will say that I would not want to have to deal with more than two card holders. While I used 16 GB cards, you may wish to get 32 GB cards for your trip--just to keep the numbers down. The good news is that they are most likely to be cheaper a year from now. 

And, something I forgot to mention earlier: I highly recommend B+W's XS-Pro Digital 010 UV-Haze MRC nano filters. I had these filters on my 24-100L and 70-300L lenses and they repelled dust extremely well--so well that I rarely had to clean them. In comparison, my older Calumet MC UV Haze Made in Germany filter on my Tamron super zoom didn't repel dust as well and was more difficult to clean. Sometimes you get what you pay for.


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## DianeK (Sep 29, 2013)

Here's a few of my thoughts:
1. I was in Africa two years ago with my first digital kit: 60D+18-200mm kit lens + 100mm macro.
2. I have since added a 7D body, 70-300L, 10-22, 15-85, Sony RX100 P&S
3. What I found on my trip is that the only time I felt comfortable changing lenses was in camp under dust-controlled conditions which was fine because the 100 macro was only used in camp shooting plants and insects.

If I were in your situation I would do one of two things:
1. Take 60D (so I had video available) with the 70-300L for wildlife (and reasonable macro) plus the Sony for wider-angle landscape and safety when in cities.
OR
2. Convince a family member (you did say this was a family trip?) who is not into photography to share the gear load with you in exchange for your incredible images. One person would carry the 60D + 70-300L, the other the 7D + 15-85.

I know many would argue that the 70-300 should go on the 7D for wildlife but I found wildlife to be so cooperative I didn't miss the better autofocus of the 7D when I only had the 60D. Also, since the 60D allows for video, you can switch between stills and video with the good range of the 70-300.

Diane


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## langdonb (Sep 29, 2013)

randym77 said:


> I'm going on a trip to Africa next August. I've searched the forums for other threads on this, and there was some good stuff, but I thought I'd ask for some more specific advice.
> 
> It's a two-week "Safari Serengeti" tour. Arusha, Tarangire, Olduvai Gorge, Serengeti National Park, and the Ngorongoro Highlands & Crater. It's a more "off the beaten" track type thing. We'll be sleeping in tents and will have to walk fair distances carrying all our gear at some points, so I don't want to bring too much. Plus, there are baggage limits. We'll be given one duffel bag, and everything we need for the two weeks has to fit in it. Plus a carry-on. I presume my camera gear will be in the carry-on.
> 
> ...



Hi, can you tell me the name/contact of the tour company? I wish to do a similar trip..Thanks!


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## eml58 (Sep 30, 2013)

I probably spend around 6 to 8 weeks a year on Safari in Africa, so getting gear around has become a bit if an Art.

You mention a Hiking/Tent type Safari, so that may mean your Photography may well be mostly from Foot, as against from a vehicle, and that would suggest two different Rigs, or one Rig that would suit both Foot & Vehicle Photography.

Serengeti/Tanzania can be wide open plains, subjects next to the vehicle, or quite a distance away, if on foot I'de suggest mainly at a distance, which is where you want them if your on Foot, you don't want a Fully grown Male Lion 10 metres away.

A general purpose set up that you need to consider carrying in a backpack while hiking might look like this.

5DMKIII
24-70f/2.8 L II
70-300 f/4-5.6 L

I'de suggest the 70-200f/2.8 L II + 1.4x as an alternative to the 70-300, but be aware the 70-200 f/2.8 gets quite heavy after a while, where the 70-300 is quite a bit lighter, the 24-70f/2.8 or the 24-70f/4 will take care of your wide angle & closer up Imaging, I'de go the f/2.8 here as you will then have something that will take care of those Dawn/Dusk shots.

The 1Dx might be an alternative to the 5DMKIII, but it's heavy and the real world value is better dust protection & 14fps over the 5DMKIII. I've used both in Africa and no issues with either. The 6d might be a choice as well, you loose the wonderful AF Options of the 5DMKIII/1Dx though, and generally I only recommend gear I own & use, but my Son uses a 6D + 28-300 when he comes with me & produces some great Images with this Combo.

This suggested gear will present no issues for Carry On, I had a horrible experience with Carry On gear leaving Dar Es Salam on a SAA flight, it finally worked out, but the Cabin Staff were removing carry on Camera gear at the door, even from Business Class Passengers, tagging and putting the gear to the Hold, in many cases unlocked, and despite Passengers being really upset, in a case like this you are best to refuse to Board and make them remove your checked baggage then get another flight.

Be also aware that any Camera Gear that you put into checked luggage stands a reasonable chance of going missing, out of Johannesburg is unfortunately infamous for this.

Otherwise, enjoy your trip to Tanzania, I was there for 5 weeks in June/July 2013 & totally loved it, except for Dar.


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## randym77 (Jun 16, 2014)

Follow up to this post, as my trip approaches...

The tour company sent me a packet with more info. We will be doing some touring in Range Rovers, but will also be walking a few miles a day over uneven terrain. We will sometimes be traveling in small planes, so there are strict weight limits. 44 lbs. for the provided duffel bag, and 15 lbs. for the carry-on. I plan to put all my camera gear in the carry-on. 

They said point and shoot cameras don't have enough range for wildlife. They recommend a superzoom camera, or a DSLR with a mid-range zoom (up to 300mm) and a fast prime for low-light shooting. 

Based on the comments in this thread, I am going to try to bring two bodies. Both so I have a backup, and so I don't have to switch lenses in the field. I have a 5D Mark II. I was going to convert it to IR, but I think I'll hold off until after the trip. I plan to buy a 5D Mark III, and will bring that, too. Electricity will be unreliable, so they recommend bringing extra batteries.

I'm still deciding on lenses. The lens I bring when I bring only one lens is the 24-105. But I'm thinking I might want to go longer and wider. Maybe my 16-35mm F/2.8 instead of a fast prime, and my 70-200 f/4 plus 1.4 extender. Not as fast as the f/2.8, but so much lighter.

I usually use prime lenses when I need reach, so the 70-200 the longest zoom I have. Well, I have a Sigma 150-500mm, but it's too bulky for this trip. I am considering buying a zoom lens for the trip. 

I think the 28-300mm will be too heavy. The 70-300mm and the 100-400mm are possibilities. The 100-400mm might also be too heavy, though it has the advantage of being compatible with the Canon extenders. 

I am planning to buy the Pocket Rocket card holders as Vivid Color recommended, and the B&W filters (once I nail down what lenses I'm bringing). And I'm stocking up on memory cards.

Still considering what other cameras I'll bring. I have a point and shoot Lumix I use as a backup and when I don't want to bring all my gear. (I'm planning to leave my smartphone at home.) And a SX50 HS. The superzoom might come in handy, though I am generally not thrilled with the image quality. I also have a point and shoot Lumix that's been converted to infrared. I love IR photography, but I doubt I'll have time on this trip for the long exposures needed when using an IR filter on a regular camera.


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## wickidwombat (Jun 16, 2014)

for me in that situation i would take from the list of what i have

5Dmk3
Tamron 150-600
Sigma 50 f1.4 art
Canon 135 f2L

EOS-M and EOS-M IR
EF-M 11-22 IS STM

lots of batteries and cards


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## Hjalmarg1 (Jun 16, 2014)

Simply take 1 body and two lenses: 70-300L/100-400L and 24-70L/24-105L and a super zoom p&s.


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## Sashi (Jun 16, 2014)

Bare Minimum:
100-400
Blower brush
Batteries and Memory Cards
Bean Bag(you can fill it up with rice or beans once you get there)

Optional if volume permits:
1 portrait lens
1 fast ultra wide should you want to try night sky/milkyway
Extra charger so you can charge 2 batteries at the same time
More memory cards
Model
Studio strobes
Softboxes and umbrellas


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## dslrdummy (Jun 16, 2014)

randym77 said:


> Follow up to this post, as my trip approaches...
> 
> The tour company sent me a packet with more info. We will be doing some touring in Range Rovers, but will also be walking a few miles a day over uneven terrain. We will sometimes be traveling in small planes, so there are strict weight limits. 44 lbs. for the provided duffel bag, and 15 lbs. for the carry-on. I plan to put all my camera gear in the carry-on.
> 
> ...


Having done the safari this time last year (Botswana/Zambia), my advice is to remember to enjoy the moment, not just the photography. You can go to a Zoo to photograph animals up close, but it's being with them in the wild that makes it so special. Breath it in. Post some pics when you get back.


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## sanj (Jun 16, 2014)

Dust is an issue only when you change lens, not about weather sealing.
You say you do not even know what type of photography you will do. Hmmmm. That would be the first step for you to figure. But I already know what you will photograph:
1. Wildlife
2. Wildlife
3. Wildlife
4. Some tribes
5. Some sunsets.
6. Family photos.
You need:
a) Crop body for its reach. There will be no off road driving where you going and you need all the reach. 
b) 100-400mm lens.
c) 24-70mm. (Tribes)
d) A pocket point and shoot for the real fun photos.
e) 35mm f2 IS lens for sunsets. (IS elements need for tripod)

You can do without the 35mm if you point and shoot has decent IQ and IS.

Enjoy the trip and be prepared to get addicted.

I will be in Tanzania too most of August. My list is:
1DX
5d3
200-400
70-200
16-35
35 Zeiss 1.4 for post sunset shots.
Light tripod, head. 
1.4x
Fuji XE2 for evening dinner/campfire photos. 
Contemplating on:
Flash
24-70

The airline allows 15kg including handbag. Having serious fights with my girlfriend already.


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## scottkinfw (Jun 16, 2014)

Everyone raised such great points.

I'll add my 2 cents.

Get a safari vest and load it up- they don't count that weight, plus, very handy in the bush.
I used Africa Dream Safaris X2- very good.
I went to all of the above places plus a few more. The animals while in Range Rovers will be quite close, and you will likely go off road to get the shots. Other times you will need the reach. For me, the 70-200 was most used, and the f4 is is my preference over the 2.8 is II due to weight/size and the fact that there will be hiking and restrictions.

I would agree with the 24-70 2.8 II for quality and fast lens.

5DIII is excellent for focus and low light and weight/size compromise vs. 1DX.

I would not go without two bodies however, but I am paranoid. Aside from possible camera failure, two bodies lets me be ready for close and far situations at all times.

I like my good old 400 5.6L- great images, light and small, inexpensive compared to the big white brother, plus it is paid for. I only used it a few times for distant large animal shots and some birds.

With the 5DIII you can use multiple inexpensive sd cards as a backup/storage solution.

Don't forget to enjoy your time.

sek


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## Synkka (Jun 16, 2014)

I have done a similar trip last year, the same locations. You can check my flickr all my Africa shots were with a 7d and 70-300L, almost all my shots were at 300mm

Here are a few tips from my trip. You will be shooting in pop up hood landrovers so a bean bag is useful to lean the camera on. A lightweight tripod is well worth it for the beautiful sunrise/sunsets. In those parks you are not allowed to drive off the tracks but you will still get close to wildlife. Some of the best photo chances are at the lowest light so prepare to bump the ISO. Luggage requirements on small aircraft for carry on are often smaller than international requirements, pretty much it has to fit under the seat. Regarding batteries I bought a grip purely for the ability to take AA's as you can get them at any major rest stops or hotels. You should be allowed to charge while the land rovers are running, the travel agency should be able to confirm (British plugs I think). On a really small plane you might get weighed as well as your luggage. Lenscoat hoodie !. I was shooting in the rain so I used my lenscoat rain cover quite a bit.

That's about all I can think of for now


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## Abmurksi (Jun 18, 2014)

All very good points. I'm in the same position, will be on Safari in Kenya/Tanzania for 8 days and havent figured out yet what to bring.

At the moment I'm strongly considering bringing my 5D3 as my (only) DSLR and:
- Buy the Tamron 150-600 as main lens for the whole trip
- Bring the 24-70 II for the landscapes and environmental shots (but considering the dust, that would stick on the 5D the whole day, hmmm)
- Get a RAW capable point & shoot (e.g. the G1X II?) in case wildlife gets very close and for the shots in the villages, environmental shots, etc.

Would like to prevent bringing a second DSLR body as we are already hassling with the weight limit of 15kg.

Although an other option would be renting a crop body and use my 70-300L and keep the 24-70II on the 5D3 but wouldn't that spoil the quality of the more distant wildlife?

Would love to hear your thoughs on that.


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## Synkka (Jun 18, 2014)

Check my flickr for shots done by a 7d and 70-300L in Africa that should give you an idea for distance to shots and lower quality of the dusk/dawn shots.


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## Corvi (Jun 18, 2014)

Ditch all that digital nonsense and get a Leica M6 with a 35mm and a 50mm Summicron


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## sanj (Jun 18, 2014)

Abmurksi said:


> All very good points. I'm in the same position, will be on Safari in Kenya/Tanzania for 8 days and havent figured out yet what to bring.
> 
> At the moment I'm strongly considering bringing my 5D3 as my (only) DSLR and:
> - Buy the Tamron 150-600 as main lens for the whole trip
> ...



You seem to be on the right track. Unless you are into bird photography, 600mm is mostly good enough on full frame. 
Crop frame would give you perfect IQ till about 400 ISO. I would recommend the full frame option.

When you will change lenses from tele to that wide it would mostly be in your hotel room or a not so dusty environment. Wildlife and tribes will be far apart and give you enough dust free options to change lenses.


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## Abmurksi (Jun 18, 2014)

Synkka said:


> Check my flickr for shots done by a 7d and 70-300L in Africa that should give you an idea for distance to shots and lower quality of the dusk/dawn shots.



Thank you, some very nice shots!! Looks like 500-600mm on FF would be similar and good enough.
Do you think 150mm (100mm on crop) would be too tight for wildlife that comes very close to the car?


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## Synkka (Jun 18, 2014)

Thanks for kind words, I think I have improved my photography since then so I can't wait to go back and try harder.

We never had any wildlife approach our vehicle, but 100mm would get you portraits if they did. Some drivers will go very close to the wildlife. The closest we got was the lion cubs and by keeping our distance we got to see the beautiful natural behaviour. A driver came in front of us at one point and the lions all turned around, fortunately the drivers passengers got bored so they left and we got to watch again.

500-600mm should get you some lovely shots, when I go again I will be taking FF and 300 2.8 plus extenders, in a budget I love my 70-300L it was a great choice, on FF I think the high ISO makes up for the loss of reach. If you get a good quality 100-400 I think that's a good option too, but my 70-300 has seemed sharper than any 100-400 I have seen.

Sanj would have better knowledge of wildlife photography than myself, but I have always thought that you can still get wonderful shots with longer focal lengths at short distances. I love seeing close up portraits of elephants eyes they have so much character. Anyway don't always let a focal length dictate how you have to frame a shot.


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## Abmurksi (Jun 18, 2014)

sanj said:


> You seem to be on the right track. Unless you are into bird photography, 600mm is mostly good enough on full frame.
> Crop frame would give you perfect IQ till about 400 ISO. I would recommend the full frame option.
> 
> When you will change lenses from tele to that wide it would mostly be in your hotel room or a not so dusty environment. Wildlife and tribes will be far apart and give you enough dust free options to change lenses.



Thank you Sanj for your insight regarding changing lenses between Wildlife and Tribes.
That was exactly my thoughts, as with a budget telephoto lens with f5.6 or higher ISO 400 wont be enough in early morning/evening twilight settings.

Will probably go with a 5D3 and 150-600/24-70 2.8 II & a nice compact camera as a emergency backup and hope our driver is conscious enough not to drive too close and disturb the animals.

@Synkka: Many thanks for your valuable input. 300 2.8 with externders would be brilliant but unfortunately way above my budget . I was also considering the 100-400 with extenders as it would still (slowly) auto focus with the 5D3 but I think I opt for the Tamron as I heard many very good stories about that lens. Cost wise it is not big difference anyway and the extra 200mm might increase the chance for some of these "character shots" I also love to get..


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## tomscott (Jun 18, 2014)

I am also heading to Africa but in September.

Similar dilemma in what to take:

Options: 

Canon 70-200mm F2.8 II with 2x tele conv
Canon 70-300mm as is but could take Kenko tele conv
Canon 100-400mm as is but could take tele conv
Canon 400mm 5.6
Tamron 150-600mm

The 70-200mm delivers great IQ at 400mm with 2x conv effectively making 400 5.6, very similar to the 100-400mm at 400mm (as it struggles at 400mm) but obviously slower AF. Rules that out.

70-300mm small, good range but 300 I don't think is long enough, you could add keno extenders but heard mixed results.

100-400mm great all rounder, IS, but don't like the pump design its a dust trap and its pretty old, 400 is pretty poor performer which I'm guessing is where most will be shot.

400mm F5.6 L Prime, best performer very sharp. From reviews much sharper than any of the above, smallish, light and fast AF. 400mm cropped to 600mm outperforms the 150-600mm at 600mm but neck and neck at 400mm. Downside, no IS, not as flexible as its a prime would need to take a 70-200mm to fill.

Tamron - best range beats anything by 200mm, has IS, very flexible but large and heavy. 600mm is more like 565mm in tests, but from 500-600mm suffers from fairly bad CA and is quite soft. But it outperforms the 100-400mm from 100-400mm 400 is sharper across the frame than the 100-400mm at 400mm but the 100-400mm is sharper in the centre.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=929&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=3&API=0&LensComp=113&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=7&APIComp=0

So basically the tammy is better than any zoom canon has to offer at this length and as its £200 cheaper you get an extra 200mm you can use for free. As there is nothing to compare it to at this length in a zoom or price range its a compromise worth taking. The Tammy also holds its own vs the 400mm F5.6 at 400mm its only slightly shaper at F5.6

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=929&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=3&API=0&LensComp=278&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0

So in my mind its the Tammy vs the 400mm F5.6 not sure yet but leaning toward the Tammy.

At £950 the tammy is a bargain. Cheaper than all of the Canon offerings and holds its own to all of them.

The only concerns I have copy variation, haven't heard a lot about this yet, also build quality and weather sealing. Africa is a very harsh environment, I have been to the sahara and ruined my 17-85mm EF-s lens the zoom barrel was so full of grit and the lens full of dust and it never left the camera but obviously wasn't designed for such harsh environments.

Similar problems could be had with the 100-400mm with its dust pump, but the 400mm L, 70-200mm L and the 70-300mm L may fair better??

Im leaning on this as my kit to take.

40D Coupled with either 17-55mm 2.8 or 24-105mm F4 
(my only crop camera, like the IQ and if I don't feel 600mm is enough on the 5DMKIII you get near enough 1000mm on APC with the tammy)

35mm F2 IS prime for low light and a nice length for landscape.
5DMKIII with Tamron 150-600mm


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## -hh (Jun 18, 2014)

randym77 said:


> I'm going on a trip to Africa next August....
> 
> It's a two-week "Safari Serengeti" tour. Arusha, Tarangire, Olduvai Gorge, Serengeti National Park, and the Ngorongoro Highlands & Crater. It's a more "off the beaten" track type thing...
> I was thinking maybe one body and two lenses (and maybe a point and shoot as backup).
> ...



I've done two trips to Tanzania, in 2006 and 2008 (time flies!); some pics at: http://www.photo-hh.com/Photos-I/Pages/Southern_Tanzania.html

FWIW, the parks I went to were further South and even more off the beaten path, although not in ground tents: Mikumi NP is a pretty popular daytrip out of Dar es Salaam, whereas it was Cessna flights to Ruaha NP and Katavi NP (which is waaay out there).

For gear,

2006:

Canon 20D w/70-200L 2.8 & 1.4x 
Canon 35mm film w/19-35mm WA
CF Cards, 'Hyperdrive' digital wallets, batteries, cleaning supplies, etc
Pocket P&S

2008:

Canon 20D w/70-200L 2.8 & 1.4x 
Canon 20D w/19-35mm WA
Spare Lens: 28-135mm IS
CF Cards, 'Hyperdrive' digital wallets, batteries, cleaning supplies, etc
Pocket P&S
(Empty) beanbag ... added a couple of ziplock bags in it to fill locally with sand/dirt so as to not carry the weight, or to ask a kitchen for rice/dry beans/etc. The one that Thinktank makes is suitable for this.


If I were to do it again (and I do want to go back to Katavi again), the things I'd change (other than updates):

A. _I'd drop the 3rd lens: _ I barely used it, just to be able to say I used it. I think that 2 bodies + 2 lenses is adequate: each body has a dedicated lens (avoid swaps risking dust/dirt) whereas if a body were to fail (IMO more likely than a lens failure), I could then swap lenses.

B. Memory cards have gotten cheap, _so I'd skip carrying the hyperdrive digital wallets and just have a ton of CF cards. _ I found that I averaged around 300 shots per day, so that's what I plan, although I'd also include transit days so as to build in a contingency reserve. 

C. Power management: I carried two bodies which use the same battery, which allowed pooling of spares; the rest of the stuff was IIRC all on AA's and I carried an AA charger. FYI - - carrying a short extension cord(s) to be able to charge your stuff from only one outlet (w/adaptor) is a good thing. _What I'd change here is that I realized that the one area where I didn't have redundency was in a spare camera battery charger._

D. I don't really remember doing much with filters, but I'm sure that I must have had polarizers for both lenses with me. 


On luggage planning:

1) the advice to research if camps have laundry service is an excellent tip. Use it proactively. 

2) having a non-photographer wife helps ... our 'deployed' luggage was three duffels of roughly 25lbs each: one for photo gear and one each for clothing/toiletries/etc

3) check with your tour company on if they can store any luggage for you in your gateway city (in my case, Dar): we did this on our 2nd trip and left behind a 22" rollaboard which contained the clothing that we travelled internationally with (including clean cotton underware for homeward).

Finally, for anyone looking at Tanzania including Katavi, we used Foxes of Africa: http://www.tanzaniasafaris.info/ and the family's 'Safari Air Link' for bush plane flights between camps ... very easy hand-offs all the way around, and (important for photogs) the safari jeeps were pretty much always loaded lightly - just one couple per row. 


-hh


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## randym77 (Jun 18, 2014)

Thanks, lots of very useful tips.

The tour company says that every seat is a window seat in their vehicles, so that shouldn't be an issue. 

However, we will be walking several miles a day over easy to moderate terrain, and so I'd like to keep my gear light. 

I am going to try and bring two bodies (5d Mark II and 5D Mark III), so I have a backup. They take the same batteries, and I guess I could bring both chargers, too - they're pretty small. I plan to take only two lenses. 

Still undecided about which lenses. Probably the 16-35 f/2.8, and a telephoto lens.

I'd like to have the range of the 100-400mm, but it's an older lens, and at 3 lbs. might be too heavy for me to hand-hold all day. Like TomScott, I also worry about its reputation as a dust magnet. 

The 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS is newer and lighter (2.3 lbs). I've heard it also has better image quality. 

Or I could go with the 70-200 f/2.8 and the 1.4x and/or 2x extender. That would actually be heavier than the 100-400mm, but I'd have the advantage of being able to remove the extender for low-light situations. 

Also considering going super-light, with the 24-105 and the 200mm f/2.8 (and extenders). I'm quite fond of the 200mm f/2.8, because it's so light compared to the 70-200 f/2.8. It's also compatible with the extenders, and if it's true that 400mm is the most useful focal length, I won't miss the zoom range too much.


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## tomscott (Jun 19, 2014)

The other option is because your on FF you can crop?

400mm is still a good length. The tammy is still the best all rounder when it comes to all in one, the 70-300mm is a decent choice but I still think 400 is a minimum.

Problem with the 70-200mm is that removing the conv anywhere in the field will most probably create dust and do you want to lug that around for low light a fast prime makes more sense. 35mm F2s a good choice and is a nice length for landscapes.

The 100-400mm with a filter is still a good option especially if you already own it. I would take that.

But if you don't Tammy.

if the 16-35mm your missing 35-100 or 150. Instead I would take the 24-105 and a fast prime for low light, 24 will be wide enough for landscapes.


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## tomscott (Jun 19, 2014)

Have you read the CR review of the 70-300mm on safari?

http://www.canonrumors.com/reviews/ef-70-300-f4-5-6l-is-review/


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## randym77 (Jun 19, 2014)

tomscott said:


> 400mm is still a good length. The tammy is still the best all rounder when it comes to all in one, the 70-300mm is a decent choice but I still think 400 is a minimum.



For me, the Tamron is way too big. It's over four lbs.



> Problem with the 70-200mm is that removing the conv anywhere in the field will most probably create dust and do you want to lug that around for low light a fast prime makes more sense. 35mm F2s a good choice and is a nice length for landscapes.



I assume I'll know what the lighting situation will be before I leave my tent, and will be able to set up accordingly. I love fast primes, and have a 35mm f/2, but I don't think I'll bring it. Just not versatile enough. I like to go much wider than that for landscapes.



> if the 16-35mm your missing 35-100 or 150. Instead I would take the 24-105 and a fast prime for low light, 24 will be wide enough for landscapes.



I might take the 24-105 instead of the 16-35. But I don't think I'm going to take a fast prime (unless it's a telephoto). Others have said they brought one but didn't need it. And that's kind of been my experience as well, on other trips. Brought it, hardly used it. 

Thanks for the link to the review of the 70-300mm. It weighs about half as much as the Tamron, which makes it much more practical for me. Definitely considering that one. Maybe with the Kenco extender.


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## Vivid Color (Jun 19, 2014)

tomscott said:


> Have you read the CR review of the 70-300mm on safari?
> 
> http://www.canonrumors.com/reviews/ef-70-300-f4-5-6l-is-review/



This review is what prompted me to buy the 70-300 L lens. And it performed in an outstanding manner on my trip to Tanzania. And I went to the same place that the OP is going to, although I was in a land rover the entire time. 

I had it mounted on my Canon T1i so it was effectively a 480 mm lens. I've blown photos from it up to 16 x 20 and they are pin sharp. As for the suggestion of a 400 mm lens, that may be true for some locations, but where I went, if the reach from my lens wasn't enough, an extra 100 mm wasn't going to do it. And that only happened two times on the trip, once with a cheetah, and once with a leopard up in a tree at a far distance. At that point, I think only an SX-50 or some ridiculously heavy and expensive supertele might've worked. 

By the way, this advice only applies to the L version of the 70-300 lens. Also, I bought it because the 100-400 was too heavy for me.


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## tomscott (Jun 19, 2014)

Well thats it you say 400mm wasn't necessary but you were shooting effectively at 480mm which is 180mm more than 300mm on FF so more than 50% more than the lens produces natively. 

So I would say 400 is a minimum with full frame.

If you'd had the 100-400mm you would have 640mm so that would have probably got you the cheetah.

Worth considering taking a 7D and a 5DMKIII crop can be useful as long as its under ISO1600.


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## randym77 (Jun 19, 2014)

I'm not sure I buy the crop factor advantage. If the extra reach is due to a smaller sensor, wouldn't it be the same as using a full frame camera and cropping the final image? 

Vivid, thanks for sharing your experience. I am now leaning toward the 70-300. 

Has anyone used this lens with the Kenco extender?


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## haupt (Jun 19, 2014)

Vivid Color said:


> tomscott said:
> 
> 
> > Have you read the CR review of the 70-300mm on safari?
> ...



Me too - going to Tanzania in July.


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## tomscott (Jun 19, 2014)

That is true, but you do get more pixels on the target. With cropping you loose pixels, but with FF you get reduced noise and better DOF with crop you get more DOF longer range but with more pixels more noise and less light gathering. The 7D is good to 1600ISO tho but sometimes thats not enough.

A 7D with a 70-200mm F2.8 IS with 2x is effectively 224-640mm F5.6 IS.

There are loads of adv and dis and the forum is full of material it depends how you feel. Personally I think filling the frame is better than cropping but filling the frame with FF is difficult and filling the frame with wildlife is the dream but it doesn't happen which is why any advantage in focal length is a bonus. The latitude you get with crop is poor compared to FF once you go full frame you get spoiled as 3200ISO is pretty much equivalent to 800-1000ISO. 

Crop is also cheaper and lighter, gives you the 1.6x thats why many use crop with 400mm F5.6 as the go to amateur wildlife combo.


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## randym77 (Jun 19, 2014)

Well, the full frame 5d II and III have more megapixels than the 7D, so I'm guessing they get plenty of pixels on the target. 

Right now I'm leaning toward the 70-300 L, possibly with the Kenco teleconverter. 

For my other lens...I'd like to take my 16-35 f/2.8. When I go wide, I like to go really wide. 

But will I miss that 35-70 hole in the focal range? 

I could bring the 24-105 f/4 instead. Not as fast, but it has the advantage of being a very useful walkaround lens, should I find myself in a situation where I want to carry just 1 body and 1 lens.

Or I could buy the 24-70mm f/2.8L. It's only $900 if you buy it with the 5D Mark III.


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## tomscott (Jun 19, 2014)

The 5DMKIII does have more MP but has less density the chip is 1.6X bigger therefore pixels are more spread out. APC crams 18MP on a sensor that is 1.6X smaller therefore the 18MP APC chip has the largest pixel density of any Canon sensor meaning more pixels on target and a sharper image. That image sharpness depends on the ISO, 1600ISO is about as high as you would want to go. The density makes the sensor pretty noisy, which is the benefit of full frame.

Also if you use a 1.4 with the 70-300mm you will get a slower focusing high aperture lens so you will have to compensate with ISO on the 5D anyway. the 70-300mm with a 1.4 will be a 98-420mm F5.6-8 lens, which is pretty slow and the AF will be even slower.

With a 7D you get 112-480mm F4-5.6 lens with full speed AF and you could still put a 1.4 on it if you wanted making a 157-672mm F5.6-8 you also get 8fps rather than 6fps, and more depth of field on the subject.

An image cropped from a 5DMKIII and upscaled to 7D size will perform similarly. But the 5DMKIII needs more sharpening.

The fact is if your shooting in good light crop is better for wildlife if you want smaller, lighter and more length for your $ if you don't have the funds/don't want to carry the big whites.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/2791104

Why not take the 16-35mm and the 24-105mm, the main reason for the 24-70mm F2.8 is the F2.8 will you need it? also has no IS, much heavier and much bigger (if your talking MKI). The 24-105 fills the gap has a better range and IMO is the best walk around lens maybe not the sharpest but its a very good lens. I would have two bodies with the tele you choose and the 24-105mm attached to the other.


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## sanj (Jun 21, 2014)

24-105 is practically useless for wildlife


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## randym77 (Jun 21, 2014)

The 24-105 would not be for wildlife. It would be for everything else. Landscapes, street photography, family photos, etc. 

I think I have decided to take the 70-300mm as my telephoto.

Still making up my mind on what else to bring. I'd really like to limit it to two lenses.


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## Mr_Canuck (Jun 21, 2014)

I would take an apsc camera, the 70-300L and a 10-18 if you want to go light, or maybe a 17-50 if you're not into ultra-wide.

Full-frame, I'd look at the Tamron 150-600 and a 16-35/4is.

If you want to get candid stuff you could take a 50/1.4. It'll be a relief after the zoom, and you could get some really interesting cultural and people shots.


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## randym77 (Jun 21, 2014)

The Tamron 150-600 is way too heavy for me, at least for this particular trip. 

I have a 16-35/2.8 that I use a lot, but if I bring it and the 70-300, I wonder if that 35-70 hole in my focal range will be a problem.

That said...I'm also considering going with just the 70-300, and bringing a Fujifilm X100S for non telephoto situations.


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Jun 21, 2014)

dw2013 said:


> I've just got back from 4 days in Kruger in SA...was also limited on baggage/weight. I took a 6D, 24-105, 70-200/4 IS, 300/4 IS and a 1.4TC. To be honest, I didn't need the 300/4 as the rangers we were driving with got us so close to all the wildlife.
> 
> The 6D was a great camera to have as most of our safari was early morning and late evening so light wasn't great..high ISO was required as didn't have a tripod.
> 
> You'll have a great trip, enjoy!



You can't drive off-road and up close in Ngorongoro or Serengeti, very different than S.A.


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Jun 21, 2014)

randym77 said:


> and my 70-200 f/4 plus 1.4 extender. Not as fast as the f/2.8, but so much lighter.



too short and compromised, I'd look 100-400L (or at least 70-300L + kenko 1.4x DGX TC)


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Jun 21, 2014)

randym77 said:


> Thanks, lots of very useful tips.
> 
> The tour company says that every seat is a window seat in their vehicles, so that shouldn't be an issue.
> 
> ...



your 5D3/5D2 have about the same reach my 20D/40D did and I found that 420mm (300 2.8+1.4x TC) was too short many times (although other times I needed to use 70mm for widlife!), you are often quite far in Serengeti


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Jun 21, 2014)

randym77 said:


> Well, the full frame 5d II and III have more megapixels than the 7D, so I'm guessing they get plenty of pixels on the target.
> 
> Right now I'm leaning toward the 70-300 L, possibly with the Kenco teleconverter.
> 
> ...



No, and as I said, Serengeti region is the sort of wide that 40mm is the same as 10mm, it all looks the same either which way (I'm being perfectly serious). The only place it makes a difference is Ngorongoro where you need UWA to get all the crater at once.

Also IS can be handy for the long lens, since vehicle rock about a bit evne with engine off, each time anyone takes a step.

The 5D2/5D3 have more MP than the 7D, but spread over a MUCH larger area so they both give noticeably less reach than the 7D, the 7D is like using an extender compared to the 5D3.



> Or I could buy the 24-70mm f/2.8L. It's only $900 if you buy it with the 5D Mark III.



heavy lens, better put the weight to the long lens by far


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## randym77 (Jun 21, 2014)

LetTheRightLensIn said:


> too short and compromised, I'd look 100-400L (or at least 70-300L + kenko 1.4x DGX TC)



I'm considering the Kenko. The 100-400 is too heavy. This is a trip where we will be walking a lot and staying in tents. I anticipate having to carry my camera gear with me on moderate trails and not being able to use a tripod or monopod.

FWIW, the tour company recommends a 300mm lens.


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## JumboShrimp (Jun 21, 2014)

Don't underestimate the dust you will encounter on this trip. It is incredibly fine and is a killer if it gets into your equipment. Put everything in double zipper bags and keep it there until you're actually using it. Enjoy!


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## goulab (Jun 21, 2014)

I just returned from a trip to Namibia (a little different from tanzania). Like you I had questions about the gear to take with me. In the end, as many members recommend, I went with 24-105mm and 70-300mm. It covers almost all my needs. You can take a look at some of my pictures if you want!

http://500px.com/Goulab

Personally I prefer the 70-300mm than 100-400mm especially concerning bokey (and weight)


Hope it helps


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## randym77 (Jun 21, 2014)

goulab said:


> I just returned from a trip to Namibia (a little different from tanzania). Like you I had questions about the gear to take with me. In the end, as many members recommend, I went with 24-105mm and 70-300mm. It covers almost all my needs. You can take a look at some of my pictures if you want!
> 
> http://500px.com/Goulab
> 
> ...



Nice photos. I like the nightscape - "Road To Nowhere." I guess 24mm is wide enough.


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## Cariboucoach (Jun 21, 2014)

I may be naive but it seems like you can have a one lens solution in the 28-300L lens. It seems to be a perfect fit. Wide and long. Although heavy at 3.7 pounds. I assume that most of the pictures will be in decent light so you wouldn't need an f/2.8. But I have never used it so I can't speak to its focusing ability or IQ.

Leo


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## randym77 (Jun 21, 2014)

Cariboucoach said:


> I may be naive but it seems like you can have a one lens solution in the 28-300L lens. It seems to be a perfect fit. Wide and long. Although heavy at 3.7 pounds.



I considered it, but it's definitely too heavy for me. Even the 100-400 is probably too heavy (at 3 lbs.)

I want something I can hand-hold all day without killing myself.


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## JonB8305 (Jun 22, 2014)

randym77 said:


> Cariboucoach said:
> 
> 
> > I may be naive but it seems like you can have a one lens solution in the 28-300L lens. It seems to be a perfect fit. Wide and long. Although heavy at 3.7 pounds.
> ...



just lift bro


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## randym77 (Jun 22, 2014)

JonB8305 said:


> just lift bro



I'm not a bro. :-Þ

Men have 3 times the upper body strength of women. What is a reasonable weight to hand hold for you might not be for me...no matter how much lifting I do over the next month.


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## Vivid Color (Jun 22, 2014)

sanj said:


> 24-105 is practically useless for wildlife



I have a completely different perspective having done the northern Tanzania safari circuit as the OP is going to do. I found the 24-105 to be the perfect lens for times when the animals were close to our land rover, which was pretty often.


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## randym77 (Jun 23, 2014)

Vivid Color said:


> sanj said:
> 
> 
> > 24-105 is practically useless for wildlife
> ...



Thanks. You've talked me into it. I'm going to go with the 70-300 and the 24-105. I'll miss the super wide angle and the fast glass, but sacrifices must be made.


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## Vivid Color (Jun 28, 2014)

You are most welcome and let us know how your trip goes.


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## JonB8305 (Aug 27, 2014)

What travel agency did you guys use for your Tanzania Trips, looking to honeymoon there in January.


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## Vivid Color (Aug 27, 2014)

I used Abercrombie and Kent. I've heard good things about Micato, but they are more expensive.


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## JonB8305 (Aug 27, 2014)

Vivid Color said:


> I used Abercrombie and Kent. I've heard good things about Micato, but they are more expensive.



I've read reviews on both and A&K gets the nod, but they are both very expensive.


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## Canon1 (Aug 27, 2014)

tomscott said:


> The 5DMKIII does have more MP but has less density the chip is 1.6X bigger therefore pixels are more spread out. APC crams 18MP on a sensor that is 1.6X smaller therefore the 18MP APC chip has the largest pixel density of any Canon sensor meaning more pixels on target and a sharper image.



Not that this correction helps the op decide... But the sensor on a 5d3 is actually 2.56x bigger than the sensor on a 7d.


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## JumboShrimp (Aug 27, 2014)

When I was fortunate enough to be on safari, I was amazed and humbled by the variety of wildlife. There were small animals/birds far away (or the next second right in your face); and then there were the really big guys far away but the next second charging your vehicle. Be prepared for near/far and small/large, and any combination of these. If there were an ideal lens, it would probably be a 28-300 variety. Don't forget about cultural encounters, small insects, flowers, sunsets, flora of all kinds, and the enormous sky all around you. Enjoy.


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## dickgrafixstop (Aug 27, 2014)

I'd take a completely different tack since you emphasize "minimal" gear. Suggest a Rebel T5i with the 70-200f4.0is,
(good image quality, light and rugged). Add a 40mm pancake and if you feel you need "back-up" add a Rebel T5.
This whole package is not much more than the 70-300 by itself and you won't feel terrible if it's "missing" during the trip. Don't forget an ND filter, a polarizer, and extra batteries. Have a great trip.


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## Vivid Color (Aug 27, 2014)

JonB8305 said:


> Vivid Color said:
> 
> 
> > I used Abercrombie and Kent. I've heard good things about Micato, but they are more expensive.
> ...



All safaris with reputable tour companies in Africa are expensive. There may be less expensive ways of going, but, my recommendation is to only go with a reputable tour provider. This is basically the tour I went on:

http://www.abercrombiekent.com/travel/?tid=6012

And, don't forget to add in travel insurance with really great medical evacuation. You can buy policies through the tour company, but I recommend buying the policy on your own. It may be that you'll buy a policy from the same insurance company as offered by the tour company (this was the case when I bought a policy from Travel Guard), but you will be able to buy exactly the type of coverage you want. You generally can't taylor, or taylor very much, the policies you buy through the tour company. The price I paid for my coverage was about the same as if I would have bought it through A&K, but it provided a lot better coverage. 

I found this website (see below) to be very helpful in figuring out what the right insurance plan was for me. Plans vary by the state you live in so it's a lot more complicated than one might think.

http://www.insuremytrip.com


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## randym77 (Aug 28, 2014)

I am back from my trip. (BTW, it was with Overseas Adventure Travel. A good balance of cost and quality, IMO.)

In the end, I took two bodies, a 5D Mark II and a 5D Mark III. They share batteries/chargers, which was convenient. I brought a half-dozen batteries, but 3 would probably have been enough, even with no electricity on some of our stops. 

I brought the 70-300mm, the Kenco extender, and the 24-70 f/4. (At the last minute, I decided to bring that one over the 24-105. It's smaller, newer, has better macro capabilities.) I was pretty happy with that combination, but if I had to do it over again, I might take the 16-36mm f/2.8 instead. I missed going really wide. Not really for landscape vistas, but for interiors and for stuff like the kopjes. 

300mm plus Kenco extender was generally long enough. I didn't miss my 600mm f/4. I did miss the speed of my faster lenses. But considering weight and all, the 70-300mm was perfect.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. It was really helpful. Especially the tip about the filters. I did not need my rocket blower. I never used the circular polarizer. But those B+W filters were gold. Dust stuck to everything except those filters.


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## candyman (Aug 30, 2014)

randym77 said:


> I am back from my trip. (BTW, it was with Overseas Adventure Travel. A good balance of cost and quality, IMO.)
> 
> In the end, I took two bodies, a 5D Mark II and a 5D Mark III. They share batteries/chargers, which was convenient. I brought a half-dozen batteries, but 3 would probably have been enough, even with no electricity on some of our stops.
> 
> ...




The 70-300L is truly a great travel lens.
I like your pictures. Especially the secretary. Most have been relatively close considering the OOF. Well done!


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## randym77 (Aug 30, 2014)

Thanks! Yes, we got pretty close. A lot closer than I expected.

The photos I posted were resized for bandwidth reasons, but mostly not cropped. (In some cases, they are slightly cropped for aesthetic reasons. Straightening horizons, stuff like that.) I wanted people to get an idea of how well suited the lens was for this trip.

I found that all you had to do was be patient. If an animal was too far away, don't panic. You'll get another chance, and you'll get a chance to get closer.


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## Synkka (Sep 12, 2014)

Glad to see the trip went well and the choice of gear


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