Question by Max F: What camera should I purchase for my upcoming safari?
I’m going to eastern Africa on March 19 and am looking for a good camera to take on my safari. I have no experience with photography, however am willing to put in some time to learn how to use a quality camera if it is necessary. I’m a 20 year old student at a university so I can learn and pick things up relatively quickly. My budget is about $ 1000. Again, the main purpose for this camera is to take pictures of animals on a safari. I’ve done a little research comparing ultra zoom cameras with dslr cameras, so I understand some of the lingo, but I’m definitely still a beginner and having trouble making a decision. Any help would be greatly appreciated and if you guys have any suggestions on what features to look for or even specific cameras and accessories that you think I could use that would be great. The more specific the better!
Best answer:
Answer by EE dude
The ultra zoom variety of camera are convenient and reasonably compact, making them less cumbersome to carry around. A DSLR will give you the ability to use multiple lenses aimed more at your specific need, as well as offer a vastly superior image quality. Some of the higher power lenses used by professional wildlife photographers can run thousands of dollars each, but that is outside the scope of your needs. I personally shoot with the Nikon D90 and find it to be a camera of excellent quality. If I were going on your trip, I’d take my D90 with my 70-300mm G series lens. The lens will give good reach without the outrageous price tag of a more pro-grade lens. You probably still won’t be able to get close enough for some subjects, but any shortcoming will be offset by your ability to enlarge the image due to the higher quality sensor.
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