Are you looking to buy or rent a camera for your upcoming Safari? There are a few things you need to put into consideration before deciding to buy. The recommendations on this page are primarily for beginners who are trying to get into photography and would like advice on where to start when shopping for a Camera for your African Safari.
Option 1: Buy a new Camera for your Safari
I would recommend that all beginners buy the Canon T7i Telephoto Lens Bundle (Check out the price on Amazon). Its a great camera bundle for beginners for a number of reasons:
- This camera comes bundled with a number of extra accessories that will be useful on your Safari
- One telephoto lens: great for long-distance shots of animals.
- One zoom lens that is able to capture photos of animals that are a bit far away
- One normal lens for everyday photos: this one has a wider angle and is useful for all kinds of scenarios both on your Safari and when you get back home.
- One Tripod: this one will be crucial for shots that need to be steady like night photos.
- One-Hand Grip to prevent the camera from getting dropped.
- Two bags for your camera and accessories
- A free 64GB Memory Card
- The camera is reasonably priced for the amount of value it offers.
- It comes with a number of other accessories that you can make use of when you come back from your Safari.
- It has a flip screen that will allow you to see yourself when taking videos or selfies.
- It is not very heavy compared to some of the other canon models like the more expensive 1DX
I have used the non-American equivalent of the Canon T7i (the Canon EOS 700D) and it has bee a great camera for all kinds of situations. Canons have a good build quality and this particular model is light-weight but quite sturdy.
I have used the non-American equivalent of the Canon T7i (the Canon EOS 700D) and it has bee a great camera for all kinds of situations
Antony Njoroge
One of the reasons why you as a beginner should consider getting this camera is the fact that it is fairly easy to use and if you put it on auto settings, you will still end up with a great set of photos without having to think about complicated settings.
In addition to this, the camera is easy to use when recording video since it has a flip screen that is touch-enabled. This means that you will get the ability to control it when facing without having to go back to the settings at the back of the camera.
On the other hand, I found a few reviewers online complaining about the build quality of some of the accessories like the Long Telephoto lens. They were NOT complaining that the lens didn’t work. Their main complaint was that the lens looked poorly made and was not as refined as the two other lenses that also come with this bundle.
What to look for when choosing a good Safari Camera
- A good Safari Camera will allow you to interchange the lens
- A good safari camera should have sufficient memory (preferably 160 GB) if you are not planning to bring a second device like a laptop to move pictures to at the end of every day.
- A good Safari Camera should be lightweight yet highly effective in capturing high-quality images
- A Safari Camera should also come with extra carrying cases/Bags so that you don’t have to buy any new bags.
I have found that the Canon T7i satisfies all of these requirements and that is the reason I recommend it for all beginners
Check out its current price of the Canon T7i on Amazon
Option 2: Rent a Camera for your Safari
The other option you may want to consider is renting a high-quality professional camera for your safari. This may be the best option for you if
- You don’t intend to use a camera very often after your safari and would not justify the extra expense
- You want to use equipment that is more expensive than you can afford.
- You want a piece of equipment that is nice to have but a bit too expensive to purchase it for just one trip
I found Lensrentals to be a good option for anyone looking for a camera to rent. They have a policy that they only keep their equipment 2 years or younger and this means that you will always have new camera gear when you rent it.