The Lenses that you need to bring with you on safari

Planning your gear for a photo safari is perhaps the most important decision you will make outside of actually booking the trip. You really need to do the research and make sure you have the right gear, and more specifically the right lenses. Having a variety of lenses at different focal lengths and apertures can help to cover any wildlife scenario, and can be the difference between taking photos of a lifetime or missing the shot entirely. Despite the differences in safari destinations, I've found that there are a handful of lenses that should always be in your bag on any safari no matter what.

100-400mm F4.5-5.6

Almost all of the big camera brands like Sony, Canon, Nikon and others have something in this focal range. The biggest advantage of a 100-400 lens is sheer versatility. People often think that in wildlife photography that animals can be so far away and that they need as much reach as possible. In my experience however, I've found that animals can get much closer to you than you might think.

If you're in a place like South Africa or Botswana where you're in a heavy bush environment, odds are that you can get right up to that 100mm focal range and be next to wildlife. At the same time though, you're also covered at the longer 400mm range in case some wildlife is further away like in East Africa where open plains and no off-roading can mean further sightings.

While the 4.5-5.6 aperture isn't the best, it's also as good as you're going to get without breaking the bank. With some smart shopping, you can find a solid 100-400 in the $1500-$2500 range. It is the undisputed workhouse of so many wildlife photographers, and should be in your bag for any safari.

Wildlife can come right up to your vehicle, so the versatility of the 100-400 can't be emphasized enough

70-200mm F2.8

Contrary to popular belief, but on a safari you aren't just taking pictures of animals all the time. There are gorgeous landscapes to be photographing as well, and I've found the 70-200mm range to be a sweet spot at capturing at them.

Having a 70-200 also forces you to avoid the bad habit that a lot of wildlife photographers make of only taking close up portrait shots of animals.

Everyone knows what a cheetah looks like at this point, but showing a cheetah in the open grasslands surrounded by prey is a much more interesting photograph.

In addition to such a perfect focal range, the fact that you can shoot at F2.8 is just such a treat that shouldn't be ignored. So many times I've found my telephoto zooms lenses performing poorly in lowlight situations, at which point I swap to my 70-200 with that 2.8 aperture and suddenly I'm back to capturing wildlife photos.

Early mornings and late evenings are the prime timeframes for wildlife photography, especially on safari when you're trying to photograph big cats. Being able to capture animals in their environments and in lowlight is why this lens excels in so many ways.

Even during a late evening cloudy day, my 70-200 helped take some amazing elephant photos with its F2.8

Environmental shots are the bread and butter of the 70-200 focal range

600mm F4

Alright I'm mostly joking with this one, but bear with me for a second. Yes these are usually giant behemoth lenses that cost north of $12000, but if you can make it happen then make it happen. The performance and quality of a giant prime lens is simply unmatched, and can help you take some incredible photos.

Yes there may be times when you find yourself too close to wildlife, but then you can get creative and photograph things like eyes, fur, a tail, anything other than the standard wildlife photo. The fixed focal length forces you to really think about your composition, which I think can lead to taking better photos.

And even though I have been saying how close wildlife can get to you, the reality is that there are often times when they are just too far off and you need the reach. In places like Yellowstone, I definitely find myself shooting at 600mm and still wanting more. Southern Africa in its bush environment may not lend itself quite as nicely, but like I said it's important to do your research and know your subjects. Especially if you're a dedicated bird photographer, then that 600mm range is going to be sorely needed.

Even at 600mm F4, I still needed more length. Sometimes you can never have enough reach!

While there are a handful of lenses that I personally like to take on safari, you really can't go wrong with any lens as long as you know what types of images that you're after. If you want to take lots of wide angles the whole time, then sure bring along a 16-35mm. Or if you only want to shoot closeups, then great the 600mm will be your best friend. Planning your gear and knowing how to use it will help you take the best photos possible on any safari!