Get something with at least a 10x zoom. I love Canon Powershots. You don't have long to get used to it, so you should probably go to a camera shop that lets you really handle the merchandise. I also like to have a real view finder...but that's just me.

For our safari in Tanzania in December my daughter got a Panasonic DMC-FZ150 which has a 24x zoom. Her photos were better than the ones from digital SLR's with long lenses.(I just got the Panasonic for Mother's day. I had terrible camera envy.) She got her camera on the first safari day brought by a friend...no time to practice in advance.

Here is what I took on safari to Tanzania. It was a good combination for a serious amateur. My photos are posted at www.tonna.zenfolio.com. I like the speed of this camera for fast, sharp exposures. Very good for capturing birds or animals on the move. Also like that I can use standard batteries...no worries about chargers. A good Polorizing filter is an excellent investment. Take a lot more memory than you think you'll need. You will shoot thousands of images.


Pentax, K-X, SLR Digital Camera
Pentax-DA, 55-300mm zoom lens
Pentax-DA,  18-55mm zoom lens

Enjoy!

>> Her photos were better than the ones from digital SLR's with long lenses.

Only possible if that DSLR is used by someone who does not know how to operate it. I have yet to come across the first point 'n shoot cam that delivers better JPG results out of the box than the RAW results of a DSLR.
I'm not even talking about situations with less than full daylight, because any PnS cam quickly bites the dust then. Or they have to use flash (awful, and a no no for lots of animals).

Having said that; I encountered plenty of people by now, with DSLR equipement 5 times more expensive than mine, that do not know how to use it. One time, on a night safari, with a static ingwe 3 meters away from the vehicle, I literally snapped a brand new 1D mk3 out of the hands of the guy behind me, changed the settings and gave it back. That was after hearing his shutter go klick-klack with 2 secs interval.

So my advise would be; only go for DSLR if you know how to work with it. Don't leave on a safari with gear you do not know and/or have not tested.

Ciao,

J.

One piece of advice I picked up here is to visit a zoo before you go and practice shooting animals.

Could not agree more wholeheartedly with the advice of practice before you go. My first safari (back in the day of film) was taken with a brand new camera. I didn't understand all the settings and consequently found the date stamped on every one of my beautiful images when they were developed. Luckily digital allows us to see some of our mistakes on the fly and redo, but it's never wise to entrust such an amazing opportunity to luck. Practice, practice, practice.

Happily, most of the DSLR cameras will take very good photos if you just set them on "auto" and let the wise camera do its thing. Most of my Africa photos were shot using the auto setting on the Pentax. They will shoot raw or jpeg and can easily be tweaked with a little Photoshopping if needed.

And whatever else....don't forget to take the operating manual along!

>> Happily, most of the DSLR cameras will take very good photos if you just set them on "auto" and let the wise camera do its thing.

Oh no no no no.

Sorry, but that is the worst advise ever when it comes to safari photography.

Light conditions are far from ideal. If I use a typical safari in private lodges as an example (morning, afternoon and night gamedrive):

- the first 1,5 hours in the morning; not enough light
- the last hour in the afternoon; idem
- night gamedrive; just a spotlight on an animal that rarely sits still.

In total, the above situations account to more than half the time you spend on game drives.

The minimum you need to know is:

- how to work in aperture priority, and how to trade depth of field for shutter speed.

- what object needs what aperture at what distance and at what shutter speed, so you can get it on the pic without blur and completely within focus.

- how to use ISO to further increase shutter speeds in low light conditions

- how to use exposure compensation to negate the burned out areas you get from the spotlight.

I know I'll sound like Captain obvious, but your camera's auto setting does none of this.

B.regs,

J.

I've taken both higher-end P&S and DSLRs on safari, and have a couple of thoughts.

First, KISS. (For those unfamiliar, "keep it simple, stupid.") The last thing you want to be faced with on safari is trying to adjust the autofocus settings, futz around with settings you haven't used before (or, more likely, haven't practiced) or similar things. You want the camera to be an extension of your eyes, not the Hubble Telescope.

Second, long zooms are fine, but they come at a price in terms of light sensitivity or "f-stop." If your camera has at least 6 or 8 megapixels of definition, then you can leave it at less than maximum zoom, and just enlarge that part of the image that contains what you want, back in the computer. Keeping the zoom at a reasonable level (2x - 4x, say) will help in low-light situations because the aperture (f-stop) won't be as limited, and it will help with a big problem in low-light/long zoom situations, camera vibration and body shake. Especially in early morning or evening conditions, focus and vibration are likely to be your two biggest challenges, both of which are mitigated by not having to have the lens extended for maximum magnification.

Third, get a honking big memory card and set the camera to "bracket" your exposures - changing shutter speed and/or aperture for each of two or three exposures every time you push the button. In essence you're tripling the memory requirement of the card, but you might discover that the bracketing saves images that would otherwise have been too dark, too light, or moving.

Last, get some good photo processing software and learn to use it. You can rescue images that you would otherwise have discarded, if you know what your doing. And of course, the sooner before you travel you can practice all these things, the better. Don't let Africa be your photo classroom.

Thanks everyone, especially to you Gardyloo.

I tend to agree with pixelpower on this. A DSLR is only worth having (and paying for) if you know how to use it, or at least are prepared to learn.

If you don't know how to use it and just use it on auto mode, your photos probably wil be no better or only marginally better than those taken with a decent superzoom type point and shoot, and you'll have paid 4 times the amount for your camera.

I started with a Panasonic FZ series and gradually started playing with settings. Then I upgraded to an entry level DSLR with no immediate improvement. It was only after lots of practice changing settings and picking up some of the things mentioned above that I noticed my photography improving and now I've upgraded to more expensive SLR kit.

So for a first safari, I'd agree with the recommendations of a Canon Powershot or Panasonic FZ. Something with a high optical zoom and image stabilisation. Going straight for an SLR would be a waste of money unless you know for sure that you are going to go on multiple safaris and are really prepared to practice a lot.

The MOST important thing to know about taking photos -- is how to compose an interesting shot.

Pixel and Stockey....I think your advise (while all good) is what scares most people into taking that little point and shot. Who has time to learn all those things? What amatuer has the know-how or patience to make all those setting adjustments on the fly and still get an image before the lion has wandered back into the bush?

Too many people never look up from that viewfinder to experience the beauty of Africa first hand. While photos are spectacular memories - and you want them to be good. The idea that its ALL about the photos is sad.

A good camera will do a good job. I'm not trying to sell my photos. I'm not a pro. I want wonderful images when I get home. All of the things you mention above, are built into my camera's settings. I don't need to be able to calculate them. I just need to know which auto setting to use. Its not rocket science for a reason. My advice...have fun with a good camera -- but set it aside sometimes and just enjoy the moment.

My images speak for themselves regarding the capabilities of a DSLR using auto settings.

I don't really think you are getting my point.
My first set of SLR kit- a Canon 450D, an 18-85 IS lens and a 70-300 IS lens cost about £1200.
A good superzoom point and shoot like the Panasonic FZ series will cost about £300.
That's a big difference.
So are you suggesting that someone on a first safari who may never go on safari again, should buy a DSLR?

I just think it would be a waste of money, but then quite a lot of people who on on safari seem to have more money than sense.

And I'm all for putting the camera aside and enjoying the moment- I don't think I've said anything otherwise.

Another vote for the Panasonic DMC-FZ150.

After long consideration, I decided for this model, and after a safari to Namibia, I can say it was a good decision. Why?

- Firstly, a bridge camera with a superzoom is much better than changing lenses of an SLR.

- Secondly, 24x zoom is perfect for wildlife. You have enough wide angle for landscapes and enough tele angle for portraits of lions, cheetahs etc. I know there are cameras with 36x zoom, but this is useless without a tripod. And you will not have opportunity to install a tripod if you are on a safari...

- Thirdly, the FZ150 is one of the fastest cameras on the market. And speed is very important. You spot an animal and your camera has to be ready within seconds before it is gone.

- Fourthly, the FZ150 has a good HD video mode.

- Fifthly, on a safari you need a compact camera that hangs on your neck. You will be driving in landrovers or by yourself and you should have your camera ready always.

- Sixthly, the image quality of the FZ150 is very good, much better than that of compact cameras.

In my youth, I had SLR cameras with three lenses. Now, I find those bridge cameras much more convenient. And on a safari, it is speed that counts most.

Stokeygirl, you hit it right on the nose. On a first safari, one doesn't want to obsess over the photos you are taking...you want to enjoy the safari experience. Take a camera you are comfortable using. Bring along a couple of big memory cards and take lots of pics. Review what you're doing during down time, but don't worry about editing them down until you are home.

I'm as happy with the photos I took on our first safari back in 2004, as I was when we got homw from that trip...and digital cameras have gotten much better since then (eg, a >3 x optical zoom) and we even had one blown up and printed on canvas. I love my 3 year old Canon Powershot, but my husband has an even better 12 megapixel Panasonic Lumix with an 18x optical zoom and a Leica lens. We've used them for a couple of European trips, and figured out how to use the optional adjustments, so I think we will be happy with what we get this October.

"So are you suggesting that someone on a first safari who may never go on safari again, should buy a DSLR?"

Yes....if they want to. And they shouldn't apologize for using the automatic features they paid so dearly to get.

A DSLR with zoom lens doesn't have to cost a fortune to attain good quality photos for the amatuer. Mine cost about $600 USD. And they aren't just for safari. One can use the camera for many other activities. I've just been in the back garden taking photos of our nest full of fledgling Phoebies as they learn to fly.

I'm not against a point and shot, if that is what someone feels comfortable using. I have one myself. However, I don't think that new photographers should be warned off of DSLR as something requiring a PHD to operate.

I agree with TC; a DSLR does not need to be expensive, nor do you need to be an Einstein to operate it.

Again, my only advice is; IF you decide on a DSLR, learn how to work it BEFORE you leave, and don't just stick to the auto mode as the cam can do much better than that.

Yes, auto mode ("P") will give perfectly good results in normal light conditions. But the point I tried to make above is that there's much better results to get out of a DSLR, with minimal effort. Certainly in light conditions that are sub-optimal.

Also; seems to me that a lot of people think that the more you pay for a DSLR, the better the results are going to be in auto mode. I've met one guy who shot his 5D mKII in P mode, and said he didn't like the results. So, he said, "I'm gonna get the mkIII". When I showed him my results (from my mkI, haha), he was absolutely baffled.

Ciao,

J.

I'll weigh in with pixelpower on this one: whatever camera you decide to get, learn how to use it before you go.

I'm an amateur enthusiast photographer and have won awards in several international contests over the years. I've taken great photos with my point and shoot cameras and lousy photos with my DSLR.

At some level a case can be made that the camera is the least important link in the chain that leads to a good photo. Sure you need some level of decency in the equipment, but then other things become more important. So don't stress too much over the camera.

I'd highly recommend a camera that has RAW output ability, even if you don't use it now, but I don't mean to start a religious war!

A long zoom is nice (especially for birds), but some of my favorite African photos were taken when I zoomed out to wide and photographed wildlife in their environment.

Have fun deciding, and have a great trip!

I currently have a Lumix FZ28 and I am generally very happy with it. I have looked over review of FZ150 and in CNET review, it shines more the the FZ150.

Do any of you have experience with the Nikon D5100 w/ 18-55 and 55-300mm lenses? If so, what is your opinion? Thank you. PD

pollydill, I'm a Canon guy, but that combination should be fine. You probably can take most of your pictures with the longer lens (meaning you shouldn't have to switch out lenses very often). I believe the crop factor for the D5100 is 1.5 so you'll actually be getting out to 450mm, which is very good for safari. I just suggest that you make sure the lens is image stabilized (I think it is).

Thanks sdb2--
even if you are a Canon guy.

Another vote for the Nikon D5100. Great starter camera if you want to advance in your photography.



However, There will be not time to switch lenses if you need to go from wide to telephoto quickly.



Plus opening the camera to change lenses while on safari will allow dust and dirt to enter the camera and ruin the photos for the rest of the trip - unless you know how to clean a digital camera sensor - a rare skill.
v

For a lens, I would opt for the Nikon 18-200 which will give you the effective reach of 27mm to 300mm on a DX sensor camera.

Agree 100% with pixelpower and others saying DSLR can easily be more problematic than they are worth. Every safari I see bad photos (being bragged about as great) by new users of DSLRS. It is easy to mess up the settings on a DSLR and the more expensive the DSLR the easier it is.

No DSLR. Unless you are really serious about photography. How do you/I know if you are really serious about photography? If you are now comfortable using Photoshop to edit and optimize your photos, you are serious. If your goal is to put photos up on facebook, email photos to family and friends, make small prints, a small photo album, a DSLR is likely to cause you more problems/bad photos than not.

For a discussion of good zoom safari cameras, here is a review comparing 9 models -
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q110superzoomgroup/

regards - tom

I will just repeat some of the advice I've already mentioned in this post:

-practice before you go.

-take the operating manual along.

-a DSLR with zoom lens doesn't have to cost a fortune to attain good quality photos for the amatuer.

-I don't think that new photographers should be warned off of DSLR as something requiring a Phd to operate.

-the MOST important thing to know about taking photos -- is how to compose an interesting shot.

-have fun with a good camera -- but set it aside sometimes and just enjoy the moment.

Sorry, Tom, I can't agree to let you set the ultimate definition of good and bad photos on someone else's safari. I've been using a DSLR for many years and only recently felt the desire to learn Photoshop. My photos have been published, won awards and have hung on gallery walls. Does that make me a "serious" photographer? I don't know. I just know that I enjoy what I do, like the outcome, have the time and money to spend and would be greatly lacking if I had allowed anyone to talk me out of my camera because they don't think I'm "serious" enough to own it.

Why not simply make statements about our personal cameras and then let others make up their own minds as to what is right for them?

Cheers - TC

"Why not simply make statements about our personal cameras and then let others make up their own minds as to what is right for them?"

Because I see too many people get in way over their heads with technology - of many types. Trying to steer them in the right direction for their needs. That's why the above link to the dpreview site for zoom cameras.

"-the MOST important thing to know about taking photos -- is how to compose an interesting shot."

Absolutely, well second most important. Photgraphy is about light, composition and subject.
TC - do you have some photos on line we could view??

I have some on my safari photo report site -
http://tomgraham.smugmug.com/
Put up mostly to accompany Fodor's trip reports. And yes I know many are rather average snaps simply for the record.

regards - tom
ps - TC, do you participate on BPN??

Tom, I have lots of photos on-line for everyone to view. That is why I posted:

"May 21, 12 at 9:58pm

Here is what I took on safari to Tanzania. It was a good combination for a serious amateur. My photos are posted at www.tonna.zenfolio.com........." etc. etc.

You will note that I use my DSLR for things other than safari and, yes, I have learned some of the fun features of Photoshop. But keep in mind, that whether you deem my images "good or bad", I shall not change my opinion of how we should advise others in the pursuit of their enjoyment.

Cheers - TC

Thanks TC, I did see your reply of May 21 but forgot it. (Remember now because of your using Pentax). And I like your photos.

When others ask my advice I give it. They have to decide what it is worth to them. My goal in advising others is to maximize their enjoyment with minimum frustration. That is again why I like to provide links to further information.

regards - tom

"And I like your photos.

See, Tom, sometimes we get lucky with those auto settings.

Thanks for the kind words.
TC

Tons of great and not-so-great advice above. One thing - NO WAY a point and shoot is the camera to take on safari! Do not delude. Be sure that you have a dSLR with some good telephoto capabilities and large format capabilities. I teach wildlife photography and my students often find my web galleries very imformative. Log on to the below gallery and click on any image that interests you and you will see all the specs - f-stop, telefoto mm's, ISO, etc... And you can go from there to ask more questions.

http://www.pbase.com/cokesmith/southern_africa_2009

And I worried about starting a religious discussion by mentioning RAW output!

cokesmith - what DSLR lenses would you take on safari? And "large format" means exactly what???

regards - tom

I travel with the following lenses: All Canon EF series - 28-300mm IS, 400mm DO f/4.0, 600mm f/4.0, 70-200mm f/2.8, 16mm - 35mm f/2.8, and sometimes I take the 100-400mm IS f/2.8-5.6. Now I would say this assortment would be only for the serious photographer or at least the wealthy novice (), but for someone on their first safari, wishing to get some close-up shots of the action, I would recommend that you get a basic lens set up that spans the 70-400 range, either in the form of a good zoom or perhaps 2 separate lenses. LArge format - just enough pixels to guarantee crisp, sharp images if printed large. RAW, L, etc...

Dude, those first five lenses you take cost total $25,000 and weigh total 35 lbs!!!! (And also add two bodies total $8,000 and weighing 4 lbs). I can't believe you travel/fly with such??? You have a slave (wife) to help carry it all, probably 80 lbs total camera kit??? Three large cases??? Please tell me how you manage it, you're my hero!!!

regards - tom

OK it's not Africa, but here is an example taken with an old Canon S-70 point and shoot:
http://www.pbase.com/image/133930895/original

You may or may not like the photo. Someone with a DSLR may or may not have taken home a better image.

But, IMHO, the particular camera in hand was less important than half a dozen other things that led up to that moment.

LOL! Yes I think you are pretty close on the weight and costs...Luckily we are all very IN to the photography thing. My wife is even more fanatical than I am, so we are pretty equal on the carrying part of it all. Even my boy gets a back to roll...

We travel with one backpack camera bag, one roll-on case, and our big lens, when we take it, fits snugly in a small backpack. This way we have three carry-ons that take care of all the camera gear and some travel essentials. All the rest is checked in. And we PRAY that no one tries to weigh our bags! But the airlines have strict rules against checking in camera equipment and they always so far have let us pass no problems... so far.

Luckily we live in China and our fights originate here and they are very good about not bothering with the hand carry, unlike many other countries who try to nickel and dime you for everything these days...But coming back is always a bit unnerving...But we are generally very under our allowed baggage weight, as we check in very little.

TC, you sound like a voice in the wilderness, so I thought I'd just jump in and say I agree with you. If someone wants a DSLR and that would make them happy (and money is not the deciding factor), then he/she should get one---no big whoop. Myself, I just feel like a photographer when I use mine, rather than my P&S or bridge cameras. Sure the SLRs have tons of functions that, if one can learn them, can improve photos, but nothing wrong in my mind about using Auto. jczinn, who has posted here in the past, has a portfolio I admire. I've noticed she shoots primarily in Auto, if I can believe the little "i" in the box to the right and below each photo. For example, http://www.jczinn.com/South%20Africa/South%20Africa%202009/Reptiles%20and%20more/slides/chameleon_2278a.html
No doubt using a tripod and taking pains to set up the shot helps big-time.

Thank you!

Zinns's photos are wonderful. The composition is amazing. They can all say what they want, but you can take a lot of technically perfect, really boring photos without an artist's eye in the mix. Composition is what takes a photograph and elevates it to art.

I appreciate your support.

Cheers,
TC

Auto can be fine in many situations and lot of dSLR users keep their settings there or in P. The images on jczinn's site are all shot with dSLRS - not P&S. There is very little chance you would get those sorts of quality images using anything other than an SLR...Nice gallery by the way - thanks for passing on the link. Cheers.

For a photography web site that is a good mix of many forums of - technical, artistic, critique, comment, photographic help of all kinds, I like -
http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/content.php

Much more than only bird photography.

regards - tom

Just for drill, here are a couple of shots taken with a P&S set on full auto. I might have done better with my DSLR, but I would have had to changes lenses in both cases, which probably would have meant losing the shots, especially the Sunbird (taken from a car window.)

http://gardyloo.us/aug1718j%20077a.JPG
http://gardyloo.us/africa14J%20031a.JPG

Photoshop again. As a little exercise showing what Photoshop can do for images, here is the Sunbird image above from Gardyloo. It has been cropped and colors adjusted to "pop" more. Give this a few seconds to download, it ia an animated gif that alternates images between before and after. (I hope ).
http://tomgraham.smugmug.com/MAPS/Maps-ETC/i-jW3xZqr/0/O/africa14J-031a-3.gif

regards - tom

Nice shots! Car window for sunbird?,---luck helps too!

Now Tom....don't take this wrong -- but I personally think the before photo is more artistically pleasing.

The bird is perfectly placed within the frame for perspective. The dark shadows at the lower right and the green of the plant stem focus ones eye on the blue and red hues of the bird. Once those elements are gone (or color corrected to be more yellow), the bird loses its distinction within the frame. The after shot is more about the yellow flower. While the bird is larger, it loses its perspective placement within the field of vision and rightful color value.

It is also the dark contrast of the bird against the white space in the upper half of the image and the yellow flower against the dark green in the lower half of the image that makes the original photo feel more restful to the eye and therefore more pleasing. Of course, this is just my opinion. While I love Photoshop -- its superb for getting rid of that annoying blue cast in underwater photos, it can be over used.

My point being that we all have our own version of good, bad, correct, better, best, perfect. "Beauty is in the eye" ........whatever, whatever, etc etc.

Gardyloo -- an aboslutely stunning photo. A prize winner for sure. And who cares how you got it --- you got it!

In our photo club's bi-monthly competitions, we have a "nature" category in which one isn't allowed to do more than cropping and basic brightness adjustments - no fooling with saturation or other Photoshoppy manipulations allowed. (We have other categories for projected images where the sky's the limit.) The Sunbird image is pretty much straight-from-the-camera.

With due respects to tom I agree with TC - I prefer the original photo better. Losing the right side of the flower in the cropped version led me eye right out of the frame for one thing. But an interesting exercise. Thanks.

Gardyloo, amazing shot indeed - a sun bird from a car window! I struggled for days to get a decent shot of a darn Lilac-breasted Roller. Nice work!

Gardyloo, may I ask which make/model P&S you used to take those two wonderful photos? I have been considering the Panasonic DMC-FZ150. That sunbird photo is just beautiful.

From image info with those two Gardyloo photos they were taken in 2006 and 2007. If true, you can be sure those model cameras longer available as new. P&S models change yearly.

Dpreveiwed the KZ150 and liked it here -
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmcfz150

regards - tom

Gardyloo, may I ask which make/model P&S you used to take those two wonderful photos?

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 or FZ8 (had both, one stolen then replaced.)

Pixelpower,

I'm on your side.

There's no way a Point-n-Shoot can compete with a decent DSLR camera if you know how to use it.

I've read many people write that they'll start in automatice mode and progress from there. You won't because you won't learn.

Do not go below Av or Tv mode where you set either a shutter speed or lens aperture and the camera sets the other.

Learn the variable of ISO, shutter speed and aperture and how to make adjustments to them.

For "normal" trips i always recommend wider than longer. However, for wildlife you need longer.

Other than for wildlife I only travel with one lens. A Canon 15-85. It's sharp at every setting and my camera (Canon T2i) has excellent high ISO performance. That means when I walk into a building or in the evening I just bump up the ISO and get very clean (to my eyes) images at ISO3200. I can go up to 6400 or 12800 but then I run it though noise reduction software.

Whatever decision you make be sure to practice with it for a while prior to the trip.

Thank for your inputs. I bought a D5100 m watched the Nikon Guide to DSLR photography and even took a Composition class.b
I am also practicing on daily basis.

Good for you! Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy! And be sure to give us all a report when you return.

Perfect! Have fun with your new toy and have a fabulous trip!

LA, congrats on the camera. What lens(es) did you get?