Safari Camera & Lens Advice & Beyond

mermaidkiller wrote:

A 6d or 70d and an R6 makes a lot of difference which is more than I expected before I got the R6.

The first category does not AF at all with the OVF (which is rather dark as well), while the R series (regardless whether RF or EF lenses) do AF at F11, even in twilight. The higher sensitivity of the R6, even compared to 6D, allows ISO up to 12k5 and the (IB)IS allows razor sharp handheld shots as slow as 1/20 sec at 800mm equivalent F11. Admitted, not suitable for running impalas, but suitable for other game sitting or sleeping in the bush.

I am aware of the R6's improved AF abilities with slower lenses. That doesn't change the amount of light hitting the sensor though. Just because a R6 can AF at f11 and ISO 12800 doesn't automatically mean it will be a decent shot.

IME there is nearly always some degree of movement on safari - might be ear or tail twitches, might be grass of leaves moving, often something more substantial - there is an awful lot between deathly still and "running impalas". I generally try to stay above 1/125th for "stationary" game which is often challenging at the lower light times of day.

Moreover the 'more reach' of the 70d is nothing different than a cropped image. With the R6 you can also play that trick, enable APS-C mode, but you have than only 8MP left, far less than a 70d, but I consider that as adequate.

Well yes, I am aware that the R6 can shoot in cropped 8Mp mode. I would strongly disagree that 8Mp is adequate for most situations. IME (using a 400mm lens on APS-S camera) in South Africa (Kruger National Park, Hluhluwe, Umfolosi etc), which is well known to be generally closer to game than many Kenyan encounters as they often have wide open plains, I frequently wanted to / need to crop fully in post. Cropping a 8Mp image is usually not going to end well

We are all too spoiled with the megapixel race.

Yes, we are. I do remember going on a safari in 2007 with a 7.2Mp Sony bridge camera (12x zoom) and a 5Mp Sony compact. Still got some reasonable shots, but the viewing size had to be controlled.

Colin