Safari Camera & Lens Advice & Beyond

cculp wrote:

I am going on safari to Rwanda and Kenya and to see the gorillas. I currently own a Canon 6D and looking at the Canon R6 for my new camera. Any advice on lenses? Beyond the safari I would like to lighten my load that I carry. Any thoughts on the new 100-400 rf lens and the 600 or 800 rf f11 lens? I will take my 6D body as a backup with my 28-70 L 2.8 lens. Would I be better off buying a used 100 -300L lens with image stabilization with my 1.4 ii teleconverter than the new rf lens? Do the adapters work well with the EF lenses?

I lived in South Africa for 30 years and did plenty of safaris there, but none in Rwanda.

In general, open plains / light bush wildlife is often most active in early mornings and late afternoons - when light is not as good. So be cautious about taking very slow lenses. I don't think I have ever been on a safari where I was not wishing for either faster lenses or better high ISO performance.

My last trip back to South Africa was 5 years ago and I took a 70D and EF 100-400L. I generally limit the Canon APS-C cameras to ISO 1600, and there was SEVERAL times where ISO 1600 and f5.6 at 400mm (640mm FF equivalent FoV) was just not adequate.

Both your 6D and R6 are better at higher ISO than a 70D, but they lose the "reach" of the crop camera and if you whack a f11 lens on the front of the R6, you might be testing the high ISO ability to the max. The same may apply to the RF 100-400mm + TC.

I would think (but have no first hand experience) that your R6 + adapted EF 24-70 f2.8 might be the best option in dense jungle for gorillas - faster lens + better AF and eye AF.

Colin