Camera Recommendations

[ScottH]

Can anyone recommend a decent camera that will serve novices well on a safari trip please? I've read the camera threads on here and a variety of google recommendations but that hasn't made things any clearer.

We have a couple of months to practice but ideally nothing too complicated!

Budget is probably up to around £600, more than happy to go the second hand route.
Would prefer fewer extras due to weight / luggage limits but will make space for any required lenses, etc.
Primarily for safari so (I presume) medium - long distance animals, hopefully not moving too fast for my yet-to-be-tested skills. Going forward will probably be used for landscapes / cars / animals in much the same way.
Most likely just used for some form of photo book afterwards / screen viewing but would be nice to be able to print a larger version on the small chance we capture something good!

Any recommendations gratefully received!

 

[Scaf]

I will watch this post with interest as I am off on Safari in October.

So far most advise to have your Camera phone as when in the safari vehicle a proper camera set up is a hassle.

I will probably take a mid range “bridge camera” with a decent zoom as well.

 

[highlander]

you are spoiled for choice nowadays really for £600 budget, anything with good low light abilities and equivalent of min 300mm optical (not digital) zoom will do the job perfectly well. dont get pulled in to the pixel wars, anything around 20- 30 mega pixels on a good camera will do the job ok and not swallow up memory cards..........you will be taking a lot to get one good picture lol. a good fast lens' for even a 2nd hand DSLR will take you over budget though so maybe not the dslr route this time round. If i was you i would look to something like the Canon powershot SX740, it gets good reviews all round and will do the job fine........leaves you around £100 for some cards
have been on safari several times so dont forget to sometimes put the camera down and just enjoy the scene!

 

[sionie1]

https://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/safari.htm

Best Big Lens for a Wildlife Safari - Piper Mackay Photography

As we all know, photography on every level is generally a series of compromises. Buying gear is usually a compromise between budget and weight.

www.pipermackayphotography.com

His site is a goldmine for camera information and Piper is a pro photographer who discusses cameras etc with contributions from the public. Unless you'll be printing a billboard you can go as low as anything around 12-20MP, which will be more than good enough as well as allowing you to buy some decent lenses, there will be a sea of choice though in this price range. Sony do a fab camera will some stunning lenses which sometimes passes people by (A7 from memory). You might get away with 2 lenses if you choose right. MPB have a great selection of used cameras, and you can get cashback if you use Topcashback. For a DSLR the lens is almost if not more important than the camera body so try and get the fastest lens you can.
I'd recommend if there is a local camera shop that does second hand you pay it a visit. Feel and button location is a big thing, I can't get on with Nikons for example but Fuji fit my hands well, so do Leica/Panasonic. That way you can pick one up and see what you think. A warning though, cameras are like cars and hi-fi, once you start to get into them it opens up this vortex that can suck you in!

 

[highlander]

agree re sony ergonomics (i use the A7 and the A77 as a pair with diff lens on each lol) but fast sony lens or minolta apo lens' which also fit the sony alpha range, are going to be way outside the OPs budget, i paid 1.5k for a 2nd hand 40 year old minolta 2.8/300mm apo nearly 8 years ago because the sony version was nearly a grand more!..........and yes, the minolta glass is by far crisper too
last point re safari tho, i now always run with 2 cams one fixed with a big lens and one a medium zoom..........first time out my dslr was ruined changing lens' in dusty safari cars got dust on sensor so lesson learned!

 

[Ebenezer]

In your shoes I'd get a superzoom. Take a look at Panasonic Lumix TZ200 ZS200

on ebay around £500 - £700 second hand

Eb

 

[zagatoes30]

DSLR bodies are super cheap at the moment, mate just bought a Canon 5d MkIII for £350 he sold his Canon 77D for £230. Almost tempted me to upgrade my 6D but a %d doesn't have much more and a 1DX is still expensive and heavy. So decided to look for another decent lens but not quite sure what to get, maybe something longer than my current 70-200 L Series of maybe the other extreme of a shorter macro. Then I realised I'm picky and would want with the speed and quality of my current lenses but even 2nd hand I would be looking at you budget plus so decided to be sensible (for now)

Decent fast long lens are still silly money and they can be heavy but you pick up decent EF lenses at reasonable prices. If you going DSLR a mid range cropped sensor from Canon or Nikon or the like for £200-300 and then a cheap 50mm prime and a 100-300mm zoom should cover most bases.

 

[Guy]

Used Canon 5D or 7D body for value and the best 300mm lens you can afford but there are alternatives from Nikon, Sony etc. 2nd hand but from a reputable dealer so you have warranty and know it has been thoroughly checked will give you the best vfm in my view.

 

[JMS]

Have a look at Panasonic LUMIX FZ82 bridge camera.

Simple to use, fast autofocus, excellent zoom. Also does video.
Has loads of manual tweaks if you know what you’re doing, but auto modes are great for a novice.

 

[MarkMas]

First question is whether you think you are going to be (a) carefully photographing things a long way away, or (b) quickly photographing things quite close.

For (a) you will probably want a DSLR with a long lens, and I know nothing about that.

For (b) either a high quality compact or your phone, as these will be handy and ready to go. I think that unless you really know your compact's settings well, a modern phone will take better pictures in challenging conditions, as the default software is smarter. But if you are prepared to get to know your compact, you can do very cool stuff pretty quickly.

I'm a big fan of the Sony RX100 (I have had a model III for nearly 10 years, but they are now up to VII.) Cool things include a tilting screen to help with things like shooting at low level or above your head, a pop-up mechanical viewfinder for when the sun is too bright for the screen, and a pop-up flash (which I use a lot for fill-in). III is about £300 used, VII is about £1,000 new - presumably there are some in the middle.

 

[Harry]

First question is whether you think you are going to be (a) carefully photographing things a long way away, or (b) quickly photographing things quite close.

For (a) you will probably want a DSLR with a long lens, and I know nothing about that.

For (b) either a high quality compact or your phone, as these will be handy and ready to go. I think that unless you really know your compact's settings well, a modern phone will take better pictures in challenging conditions, as the default software is smarter. But if you are prepared to get to know your compact, you can do very cool stuff pretty quickly.

I'm a big fan of the Sony RX100 (I have had a model III for nearly 10 years, but they are now up to VII.) Cool things include a tilting screen to help with things like shooting at low level or above your head, a pop-up mechanical viewfinder for when the sun is too bright for the screen, and a pop-up flash (which I use a lot for fill-in). III is about £300 used, VII is about £1,000 new - presumably there are some in the middle.

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That last picture is hurting my eyes, can you adjust the horizon so it is horizontal, please

 

[philw696]

I've still got an Olympus trip 35

 

[zagatoes30]

I've still got an Olympus trip 35

Did it come as standard with your Jag?

 

[CatmanV2]

I have a pair of Voigtlander B+ cameras if anyone is interested. One appears to be in full working order, (although I'm still running a film through it) the other for spares and repairs. The working one comes with period correct flash, original QA slip, box, receipt, manuals (one English, one German if I recall) case. It was bought in Berlin by my father in law when he was on National Service.

</derail>

C

 

[philw696]

Did it come as standard with your Jag?

Not the current one but the 77 XJC.

 

[joered]

Stll have my 35mm Paxette, had 7 Leicas at one time,like the Paxette you had to make sure the film had wound on, or you wasted your time with a spooless camera!

 

[Wack61]

Up your budget a bit Sony RX10 IV

It's by far the best of the bridge cameras , 4k video 600mm lens

To get anything like the performance out of a DSLR you'd need to spend a lot more and it's be a lot bulkier

if you want a DSLR 7D mk 2 & the canon 400mm f/5.6 will produce excellent results , I've used this combination for motorsports photography and there's nothing like it for the money

Buy right and ownership will be free or close to it , pro & semi pro gear always has a value





Not saying buy this one, just read some reviews of the RX10 IV , I've got one and I love it

Sony DSC-RX10iv RX10M4 Digital Camera | eBay

With its sleek design and advanced features, it's a powerful tool for capturing stunning images and videos. It's perfect for capturing sharp and detailed images, even in low light conditions.

www.ebay.co.uk