Advise for camera for safari

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stefan9

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Need some advice.

Looking to buy a camera for Safari, mainly animal photos(we aren't big on birds or plants). I have always just used the snap and go digital cameras but I am looking for something a bit better.

I have heard about options like bridge and dslr. What should I look for and where should I start?
 
prOd said:
At close to 7k I'd much rather get a Canon DSLR entry level pack
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Without knowing the OP's budget that might not be the right way to go. The SX60 has the equivalent of a 21–1365 mm lens which would be expensive to match on a dslr.
 
Would prefer not to spend over R5k. The canon Sx60hs powershot that was mentioned seems to be selling for R4800-R4900 at takealot
 
stefan9 said:
Would prefer not to spend over R5k. The canon Sx60hs powershot that was mentioned seems to be selling for R4800-R4900 at takealot
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Something like that might be the way to go. You'll should get some good images out of it.
 
The best safari shots are at dawn or dusk. A small sensor camera is going to really struggle in poor light, your photos will be a blurry mess of over keen noise reduction. An entry level SLR kit with a telephoto will give you much better results. I say this from my experience on safaris taking along my R60k worth of camera which still struggles in the low light!
 
DMZ said:
The best safari shots are at dawn or dusk. A small sensor camera is going to really struggle in poor light, your photos will be a blurry mess of over keen noise reduction. An entry level SLR kit with a telephoto will give you much better results. I say this from my experience on safaris taking along my R60k worth of camera which still struggles in the low light!
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All true(ish) but did you take note of his budget?
 
bwana said:
All true(ish) but did you take note of his budget?
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You can get canon twin lens kits for R4589 from takealot. I would suggest the 100D twin lens bundle although some may find the body a bit small to be comfortable.
 
DMZ said:
You can get canon twin lens kits for R4589 from takealot. I would suggest the 100D twin lens bundle although some may find the body a bit small to be comfortable.
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The real recommendation is to buy second hand, try the outdoorphoto classifieds. Cameras like all hobby equipment are often bought, used once, kept in a cupboard and then sold at a massive discount. Not everyone is comfortable with second hand though. Google will have plenty of tips and things to look out for when buying second hand photography gear.
 
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For a few years I used a Fujifilm X-s1, and it did wonders in this segment, I still have it but for birding the zoom was just not enought, I have now upgraded to a mirror-less for other functions as well..
 
For safaris etc (unless you are a pro or have the equipment already) I'd say go for a superzoom. One lens means it is much easier and convenient to handle and much cheaper to get going. Since you are asking this question I think it is safe to assume a DSLR is not gonna be something you are looking for anyway.

It is out of your budget, but the Canon G3x has a 1" sensor which makes it a bit better than your average point and shoot/superzoom. Gives you 25x zoom (600mm equivalent) which is great for wildlife imo.

On the other hand, I almost got this instead: https://www.panasonic.com/uk/consum...t-and-shoot/superzoom-cameras/dmc-tz80eb.html

...and sometimes I wish I did. Even though the superzooms are easier and more convenient to carry around they are still too big to carry around everywhere.
 
DMZ said:
You can get canon twin lens kits for R4589 from takealot. I would suggest the 100D twin lens bundle although some may find the body a bit small to be comfortable.
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What is the difference between the 100d and the 1200d? The 100d is about 500 over budget, can stretch if it will be a lot better.


As for other suggestions of going second hand. sorry just not comfortable buying second hand and probably never will be.
 
Have you thought about buying just the camera body (DSLR) and renting a lens for your trip.. might work out a lot cheaper. Outdoorphoto does lens rentals
 
I have the SX60 and love it, excellent bang for your buck. You can get up real close and personal.

At the long end of the zoom you need a REALLY steady hand, or a solid surface / tripod, especially in low light conditions as mentioned earlier. I usually set mine not to go beyond +- 400 ISO to avoid the noise mentioned previously.

Here are some examples from the Kruger I took last year.

IMG_5025.JPG
IMG_4986.JPG
IMG_0791.JPG
 
Ja, at that budget I think the SX60 would be the way to go as well.
An entry level DLSR like the 100d at R5k will probably only come with the 18-55 lens, so if you're happy just taking landscapes - but I guess you'll want at least a 300mm zoom? The 75-300mm gets very soft at the extremes - for something half-decent, you're looking at another R5-7k, although you could probably get a second hand one.

IMO, if this is gonna be something you use once a year when on holiday, I'd go SX60...however, if you're wanting to turn it into more of a hobby, then maybe the DSLR.

Btw, nice bee shot @IdleP!
 
Regarding low light, the camera still performs adequately in my opinion. This was taken in Wilderness at 06:45 AM just after sunrise:

IMG_1553.JPG
 
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