The best cameras for safari are all-round Sony, Nikon, and Canon mirrorless ones… The first time I went to Africa, I had a Sony bridge camera. It had a huge zoom range but a tiny sensor. But I wouldn’t recommend that to anyone as a safari camera! It served its purpose in getting me back into wildlife photography.
When DSLR cameras started to become popular, mirrorless was just getting going. Electronic viewfinders (EVFs) often suffered from lag and low resolution. But those problems were solved. The best mirrorless camera offers blackout-free, silent shooting and a real-time WYSIWYG viewfinder. And that makes it much easier to adjust your camera settings in difficult light.
The basic mirrorless design makes camera bodies and lenses much smaller and lighter. They offer better autofocus systems, frame rates, shutter speeds, and video capabilities. Last year, I traded in all my Nikon camera equipment for two Sony mirrorless a1s. And I’d never go back to a DSLR camera now…
Are you gearing up to take a safari photography trip? Here’s a quick roundup of the best cameras for an African safari.
Now let’s take a more detailed look so you can find the best camera for an African safari.
Here are our lens recommendations for the Sony, Nikon, Canon, and Olympus lenses we have listed. Mix and match to meet your wants and needs.
Sony has been making full frame mirrorless lenses since 2013. And it gives third-party brands access to its E-mount specs. That means there’s a wide range of native options available.
My “go-to” lenses are Sony’s FE 400mm f/2.8 GM and the FE 600mm f/4 GM prime lenses. They both have wide max apertures for good bokeh and excellent low-light capability. I usually go on game drives with those two fitted to my cameras.
But there are times when you need a wide-angle lens. An example is photographing elephants from close range. I just came back from Botswana. And I definitely needed my FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II and FE 70-200mm f/2.8 ED GM OSS zoom lenses for the Chobe riverboat rides.
Nikon has fewer mirrorless lenses than Sony. But Nikon’s Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S and the new Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S match the Sony versions’ max aperture and come with built-in 1.4x teleconverters. They’re also light enough that you don’t need a tripod. (My old 800mm was a real beast. And it was impossible to handhold for more than a few seconds!)
For constant wide aperture, close-focusing and edge-to-edge sharpness
Nikon’s Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S closely matches my old 80-400mm. And that makes it a good companion for a 600mm or 800mm lens.
But if you’re looking for a shorter focal length with macro-style capability, there’s Nikon’s Z 24-120mm f/4 zoom lens. Or there are various S-line f/1.8 primes from 20 to 35mm.
Canon has a huge range of lenses. But they’re playing catch-up with Sony in terms of native mirrorless lenses.
The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM is a flexible zoom lens. And there are RF-mount versions of its 400, 600, 800, and 1200mm lenses. Canon recently brought out two affordable 600mm and 800mm f/11 lenses. These use diffractive optics.
Canon’s professional range is the L-series. With the RF mount, you can get several wide-angle zoom lenses in that range. This includes the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM and the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM.
USM stands for UltraSonic Motor. And Nano USM lenses are faster, quieter, and smoother than plain USM or Stepping Motor (STM) lenses.
Olympus makes many camera lenses. And you won’t go far wrong with something in their PRO series. These include the following:
A lightweight, fast lens. It delivers great contrast and sharpness.
But third-party manufacturers also offer compatible lenses. Panasonic has teamed up with Leica to produce various lenses. These include the following Micro Four Thirds lenses:
Note that the crop factor of Micro Four Thirds cameras is 2.0x. So the focal length has to be doubled to match the equivalent on a full frame camera.
Whether you prefer full frame, APS-C, or Micro Four Thirds… the best cameras for safari these days are generally mirrorless. If you have the budget, the Sony a1, Nikon Z9, and Canon R5 offer unbeatable specs. They have high resolution, fast frame rates, and deep buffers. The AI-assisted autofocus lets you choose a focus point right across the frame. Or you can lock onto your subject’s eye without even being told what to do! That’s something even the best DSLR cameras will never manage.
Further down our list, there are plenty of other options from the big three camera brands. And Olympus has also carved out a nice niche in Micro Four Thirds cameras. And they’re packed with handy features.
Here are some of the more common questions about cameras and lenses for safaris.
There are the key specs for the best safari camera. They include resolution, frame rate, buffer size, autofocus, and low-light performance. There are often trade-offs, especially between resolution and frame rate. But modern mirrorless cameras such as the Sony a1 have begun to offer everything you need—at a price!
Yes. A mirrorless camera offers a higher frame rate and max shutter speed than a DSLR camera. And they have deeper buffers and better autofocus performance. That includes eye detection for animals, birds, and even insects! The camera body and lenses also tend to be smaller and lighter. This is a real benefit given the 15 kg weight limit for many local flights in Africa.
Get down to eye level. But that’s a bit difficult if you’re sitting in a jeep! Also, go on game drives at sunrise and sunset for the warmest light at “golden hour.” I use Manual mode with Auto ISO and shoot wide open for camera settings. My shutter is normally 1/1000 s for animals and 1/3200 s for birds… unless I’m planning on a “trick shot” such as a slow pan.
A GoPro camera is excellent for video. But it’s designed for adventure sports rather than wildlife. A GoPro can take still photos. But it doesn’t give you many setting controls. And the fixed lens can only take wide-angle shots. That might work if you get up close and personal with an elephant. But it won’t generally be suitable for small or distant animals and birds.
Yes. Many devices, including smartphones, are featuring new technology. So even my iPhone can manage 4K video these days. And it’s often said that the best camera is the one you have with you. So it’s always in my pocket! But you’ll probably want a different main safari camera than a GoPro or smartphone.
Still not sure which safari camera to buy? Check out our posts on the best camera for bird photography or outdoor photography cameras next!
