Sorry to ask but....

I can't help it, I'm off on "safari" next summer, I've done a bit of researching and a 70-200mm seems a good option, I just wonder what do you lot take? I'm leaving the 800mm at home, thinking of taking the 50-500mm on my D2H (not good enough for my D2X).

Cheers

Tim

How long are you going for - would it be tempting to rent a 300 f2.8 to give you the additional reach - mated with tcs the quaility will still be better than a 50-500 and AF speed will be much better for those running cheetah shots........- if this is a once in a life time trip you would kick yourself if the 50-500 doesn't do the "biz"

I thought the 300mm 2.8 would pop up. Anyone tried the 120-300mm 2.8 sigma? I was wondering if the focus is competitive to the twice as expensive Nikon?
Cheers Mike
(just a 18 days, hopefully not a once in a lifetime though)

Hello Tim

I went to tanzania a few years back and I used the 500mm most of the times so I would take something in this range. Things like Elephants and Lions are good subjects for the shorter lens but if you come across say a leopard up a tree or an eagle you will kick yourself for not taking that big bit of glass.

Danny

Hi Tim

Sounds like a great trip planned Tim. I would suggest a Nikon 17-35mm AF-S F2.8, its fast & would be great for up close shots of Leopards/Lions/Elephants etc...

Joking aside I would suggest getting the 300mm F2.8 as Mike suggested, its a versitle lens which you could also use when back in the UK, a nice bit of kit to add to your arsenal.

With regards to the 500mm that would be a great lens to. Hiring sounds a good idea

Vince

The 17-35mm sounds fun, I'm bringing along her in doors as bait I've told her to practice running so I can get more than one days worth.

What's it with you guys emptying my bank now I've got to get a 500 too?

Just imagine it Tim, prime lenses - 800mm, 600mm F4, 500mm F4, 400mm F2.8, 300mm F2.8 & the 200mm F2, all with D2X's attached.

Surely your bank manager would see where you are coming from or should I say going to

Your not going to use her in doors as bait are you

Hi Tim
I was in Namibia a couple of years ago and you was not allowed to drive off the track at all.
If I was you find out if there is any restrictions at all on your trip. I used my 500mm lens a lot.

the 300mm has the avantage of size and weight the in-cabin baggage restrictions are still tight when leaving Heathrow,

I thought from your query you had the "Sigma" 50-500, is that right or is it a 500 prime?

I do a couple of trips to Africa most years. Most of the photographs I take (probably 80 percent or more) are with the 600/f4. After that the 70-200/f2.8 is probably the next most used lens, followed by the 300/f2.8. Probably the ideal combination is the Nikon 200-400/f4 coupled with the D2X, and this is what I would be using if I was still shooting Nikon; in fact if there is no news about a Canon equivalent soon, I may have to buy the Nikon gear.

You don't say where you are going and what you hope to shoot. If you want to photograph birds in Africa, the same principles apply as elsewhere; you need all the reach you can get.

My shared cost trip to Kenya next September still has a couple of openings if anyone is interested. As these trips are priced in US$s, there has never been a better time to go on a safari.

Hi Mike,
yep I have the 50-500mm bigma which I will use with the D2H but have found it to be poor with the D2X. So I could use D2H combo for birds and the D2X with a 70-200mm for animals.

Hi Phil,
Thanks for your input, so it does look like the 70-200 would be a useful purchase. I still wonder about the 120-300mm 2.8 sigma which has good reviews but it seems uncommon, I could use this with teleconvertors for greater reach I'm sure the light will be plentiful, the other thing is that teleconvertors reduce contrast and so aid some shots.
It's interesting what you say about the 200-400/F4, on the nikon I wish we had an equivalent to the 400/5.6.

Cheers all

Hello Tim
I took the 100-400 and 500 canon prime when I visited Addo a couple of years ago. The majority of my images were with the 500, even quite a few of my elephant images, and I would have been very disappointed with anything less.
Hope you have an excellent trip, I'm sure you won't be dissappointed.
Best wishes
Phil

sigma 120-300 with the 1.4 & 2x sigma converters.

Phillip.

If you want to see some safari shots with various Nikon mount lenses.

http://www.pbase.com/juninho03/kenya06

Try this.

Rob

Thanks for that Rob, stacks of wonderful pics, makes me want to go tomorrow.

if its any help-I`ve recently purchased a Sigma 300 f2.8 and can`t praise it enough especially for the price. Sounds ridiculous but I use it a hell of a lot more than the 500 IS I recently sold.I`ll be taking it to India with me next year.
PS not criticising the big `un but it ended up staying home too often.