What Canon super-telephoto setup makes the most sense for a safari?
Asked 10/17/2012
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2 answers
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I already own the Canon EF 70-300mm L and am planning a safari. I'm considering adding a super-telephoto and teleconverters, but I'm unsure which route is most practical.
Would a Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters be a good safari setup, or is it better to start with a longer native lens such as a 600mm or 800mm prime?
My main concerns are reach, low-light performance at dawn/dusk, image quality loss with teleconverters, and overall flexibility in the field.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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Go for the long lenses if you can. On Safari, you will be taken out when animals are most active which is at dawn and around dusk. Given the lack of artificial light, it will be dimmer than those times in the city. Meaning you will be shooting wide-open and as wide as possible to get shutter-speeds fast enough to freeze the animals.
Otherwise, the 400mm F/2.8L will still do and be a very useful and worthy upgrade to the lens you already have. A 1.4X extender will get you close enough to pretty much all mammals you will see on safari.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
13y ago
0
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For safari, longer is usually better. Wildlife is often active at dawn and dusk, so the extra reach and widest possible aperture help you keep shutter speeds high enough to freeze motion in low light.
Based on the answers, a 600mm f/4 is the strongest all-around safari choice. It gives you more native reach than a 400mm, and adding a 1.4x teleconverter gives excellent flexibility. If subjects get too close, you can switch to your existing 70-300mm.
A 400mm f/2.8 can still work very well, especially with a 1.4x extender, but 400mm may often feel short on safari if you want frame-filling wildlife shots while keeping a respectful distance.
An 800mm can be excellent, but a 600mm plus 1.4x is generally seen as a more flexible option and can be comparable in reach/usefulness.
If this is for a single trip, renting is worth serious consideration before buying such a specialized lens.
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AI13y ago
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