Figuring out what wildlife photography equipment you need can be overwhelming and very costly if you're a new photographer.

Luckily, you don’t need to have all the fancy gear to take great wildlife pictures. In our guide below, we’ve broken down the basics, the nice-to-haves, and what you don’t need to splash the cash on.

The Basics

These are the minimum requirements for camera gear when it comes to safari. Understanding your basic gear and knowing how to use it well matters much more than investing in high-end gear.

Here are the basics of what you need -

Camera - DSLR or mirrorless cameras are both great options, offering good low-light performance, fast autofocus, and resolutions ranging from 20 to 30 megapixels for capturing high-quality images.
Memory card and batteries - Having multiple high-capacity memory cards is important so you don’t run out of storage space. Spare batteries are also essential.
Laptop - Great for our post-editing sessions and backing up at the end of each day onto your hard drives.
Lens cleaning kit - A blower brush to remove dust and a microfibre to remove smudges is essential when doing wildlife photography/videography. Especially on safari, where there is a lot of dust.
Safe camera bag - Choose a padded camera bag to keep your gear safe, and make sure it's weather-protected, too.

Ideal Safari Lenses For Wildlife Photography

Different lenses have different uses on safari, some of the main ones we recommend are -

Telephoto lens - Minimum is 200mm-400mm, but they can even go up to 800mm, the best safari lens.
Wide/zoom lens - Around 24-70mm, this is also a standard kit lens which is often included with cameras.
Prime lens - These could be at 400mm or 300mm, for example, prime lenses are more expensive but deliver sharpness and have a fast aperture for low light shooting, great for taking prints. Don’t feel pressured as a beginner to invest in prime lenses.

Nice To Have Photography Gear For Safari

To make your wildlife photography easier and upgrade your images/video, we recommend investing in the following -

ND filters - This is for the people who like to take photos and videos. Neutral density filters are great for videographers since they act like sunglasses for your lenses, which is recommended under the harsh African sun.
Teleconverter - These can add extra reach to your telephoto lens without you having to invest in a new lens!
Binoculars - Perfect for spotting animals and allow you to plan shots.
Beanbags - Great for resting your camera and stabilising it while you take a shot. The photography cars we use for our safaris all come with beanbags.

What You Don’t Need For a Photography Safari

There are some accessories that are not only costly, but will also weigh you down on safari.

Lots of lenses - You don’t need more than three lenses on safari, not only will they add extra weight, but you also don’t want to be switching lenses often since dust will get inside your camera. A good telephoto and a wide-angle lens are enough.
Drone - Often restricted in national parks and not needed.
Prime lenses - Great for detail, but wildlife is often at variable distances, a telephoto is a much better choice.
Tripod - Not needed in the car and adds weight, beanbags can be used for stabilsation instead.

Tips For Using Safari Photography Equipment

Master your gear - Knowing your gear and the best settings is more valuable than any type of expensive gear. Practice is key.
Learn composition - Leading lines, framing, and the rule of thirds can transform your wildlife shots.
Patience is your best friend - Being able to wait for the perfect moment is where the best images are made.
Shoot in raw - Gives you much more flexibility when editing later.
Lighting - Early mornings and late evenings in the bush are magical golden hours for photographers. Avoid harsh midday light. This is why we schedule our game drives for these hours.

Capture The Best Wildlife Photos With The Photographer's Safari

Ready to go on your dream photo safari? With our customised photography cars, expert local photography hosts, and tips and tricks, we create your adventure of a lifetime. No matter if you're an experienced photographer or beginner, our photo safaris are designed to help you capture the best wildlife images

Find out more about us and our upcoming group and private photo safaris here.

Wildlife Photography Equipment - What You Need (& Don’t Need)