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Help me choose Nikon lens for safari photography


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7 replies to this topic

#1
bhromonkari

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Hi all,

I am looking to buy a Nikon AFS lens for my Nikon D5100. As of now, the only two options available are the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR and Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Specs: Digital Photography Review

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR Overview: Digital Photography Review

I wonder if the 70-300 mm is the obvious choice, but then again it was released in 2006, while the 55-300 was released in 2010. Which one would you recommend for wildlife photography? I will be staying at a private lodge and birding is not a priority.

Many thanks!!

 

P.S.: I should mention that I have a low budget ($250 max) and time constraints (I leave in 4 days) and these two are the only options available in my city at the moment.



#2
Ron

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I use the AF-S Nikkor 70-300 f/4.5-5.6G VR with both my FX and DX Nikons and have found it to be an excellent lens. The VR seems to work a little better on FX but that may be due to a variation in the sample I purchased. I think it would be an excellent lens for your D5100.

 

--Ron



#3
Snorky

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P.S.: I should mention that I have a low budget ($250 max) 

 

In that case, you'll need to look for a used or refurb lens.



#4
bhromonkari

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I use the AF-S Nikkor 70-300 f/4.5-5.6G VR with both my FX and DX Nikons and have found it to be an excellent lens. The VR seems to work a little better on FX but that may be due to a variation in the sample I purchased. I think it would be an excellent lens for your D5100.

 

--Ron

 

Thank you! This is good to know.



#5
Merco_61

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I used my AF-S 70-300 VR on a D7200 two weeks running in my one week, one camera, one lens exercise.

One week, one camera, one lens week ending May 20 2018 - Mini-Challenges, Member Contests, and Games - NikonForums.com

One week, one camera, one lens week ending May 27 2018 - Mini-Challenges, Member Contests, and Games - NikonForums.com

 

As the 70-300 is made to cover the full 24x36 mm area, the light falloff is negligible compared to a DX lens like the 55-300. This can be corrected in post, but if you can get the FX lens at a good price, it is better.



#6
emilyanderson

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Here is my recommendation is the Nikon 200-400 AFS f4 zoom lens and the 500mm AFS f4 VR lens.

Both lenses are very sharp and can take teleconverters.

Either the 1.4X or 1.7X tele-converter work well on the 500 f4 but we suggest using only the 1.4x TC on the 200-400

 

thanks 



#7
TBonz

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Emily,

 

Those are wonderful lenses and I would make the same recommendation for someone where cost is not an issue, however the OP's budget is $250 and I don't expect they could get any decent 200-400 for under $2500.  



#8
Colin B

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I have recently returned from a holiday in Kenya where I took close to a thousand  photos of various animals at various ranges and under widely varying lighting conditions.

 

My Nikon B700 has a 60x zoom and I found myself cranking it out close to its limits for a lot of shots, particularly those of birds. 

 

O.K., a big zoom like that doesn't have the low light performance of the lenses you are looking at but, in my humble opinion, the extra "reach" is well worth having. Therefore, I would strongly suggest that you look for the "longest" lens your budget will stretch to and, if it doesn't affect picture quality too much, adding a teleconverter.

 

You will not be allowed to leave the vehicle to stalk on foot and the more elusive animals, like the leopard we caught napping up a tree, won't come closer so the ability to take long range shots is vital.

 

One final piece of non-photographic advice - these trips are not cheap and it is worth taking time to immerse yourself fully in the sights, smells and sounds around you and experience them fully for yourself rather than recording them for other people.

 

Our guide on a bus trip in Canada emphasised this on one occasion when we stopped to look at a black bear nibbling flowers. After a few minuted of cameras and 'phones snapping away she said "now put the cameras down and just enjoy the moment because many of you won't see this again..." Given most of us were Australians or Kiwis she probably had that right.