New Mexico Dave Loc: Corrales, NM

Hello PurpleHaze. Funny that you have that moniker as my wife and I stayed at the Mt. Kenya Lodge facilities that the Queen of England stayed at in 1912 and our small cabin was "Purple Rain" not Purple Haze. Just thought it funny. OK to the meat of your question. I am a semi-professional photographer and have quite a bit of experience in Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa and Australasia. I think the most important question you need to ask yourself is "what am I trying to photograph?" I MAINLY take bird photos, and so I need a larger lens to bring them in closer to capture all of the details of the eyes and the feathers. Lenses like Sigma 150-600 Sport or Contemporary are great, but I have had great success with a prime Nikon 500mm as well. Again, I am primarily a bird photographer. On the last safari I was on in Tanzania and Kenya, I had a 80-400 Nikon which was "ok" but not great for bird photography, but for overall wildlife photography it was quite good. If your target is large wildlife, your choice of lenses that you mentioned will give you a bit of flexibility and should be fine. One caveat. If you are in a typical "safari vehicle" with pop-up roof and lots of dust, tripods are going to be in the way for you and other participants. Do not be tempted to change lenses in these circumstances. I would recommend keeping one lens on one camera, and then just grab the camera (with lens attached) which might be appropriate for the moment. Beanbag might be too large or heavy. I would recommend cutting out a 6-12" length of padded foam insulation normally used for pipes from Home Depot or similar. Super light, and can be stashed in luggage. If you slice the entire length in half (just one side mind you), it can be used on a partially open window as a support. Just curl it over the window glass and rest the camera on the top. Works very well. Have a wonderful trip!!

dbjazz Loc: Long Island, NY

My safari experience tells me that the lenses you have are fine unless you're shooting small birds. You won't need a flash as the tracker/ranger will provide you with plenty of light. I'd also skip the tripod. Don't weigh yourself down; use a beanbag if you must. The more equipment you have to lug around, the less you'll enjoy the trip.

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

Been there, done that.
Two bodies: yes. More than two lenses: no. High equality IS in all bodies and lenses: essential.
I suggest, as others have stated above, a 24-104 f4 or faster (f2.8 is nice!), and a lens extending to 500mm or more, on the second body.
No tripod nor flash; they’re just not needed and they get in the way. Depending on where you’re staying, you may need extra batteries. Lots of memory cards unless you expect lots of time to download used cards to SSD drives. Will you have electricity available where you’re staying every single night?
In the past, before image stabilization, I carried a medium sized sealable bag that I could put sand or gravel in and use as a beanbag stabilizer; probably not necessary now.
I also like a bulb syringe to blow dust off lenses etc, and a quality soft lens cloth.
If you carry any new-to-you equipment, become thoroughly familiar with it well ahead of time.
I also like a rope for jumping in camps where exercise outside the camp leads to the prospect of becoming a meal yourself!

PurpleHaze204 Loc: North Potomac, MD

Thanks RL, I'm booked on a tour. . .

PurpleHaze204 Loc: North Potomac, MD

New Mexico Dave. LOL, I'm a fan of Jimi H. . . appreciate your advice. I'm more into the larger animals than birds.

Everyone, I was going to take the tripod for night photos of sky from the hotel. Will not take on safari drives. Figured I'd see more stars than I do in my suburban neighborhood.

maxlieberman Loc: 19027

I went with a D7500 and 70-300. Excellent. Maybe missed a few opportunities when I could have used my Sigma 150-500mm, bot I didn't want to be burdened with the bulk or the weight. If I had been 10 years younger, I might have taken it.

Burkley Loc: Park City

I have been on numerous safaris. I don’t have enough wall space for the wonderful animals that my camera has captured. I have never felt the need for anything other than a 200-500 on my full frame cameras. With an APS-C camera, your lenses are more than adequate for 98% of your shots. I have never felt envy towards those sporting a rented super big super telephoto. The reason that I leave the long shots alone? At greater distance comes greater heat distortion and haze. When animals are a long ways away, I do one of the essentials for enjoying a safari: I put the camera down and enjoy the amazing beauty around me.

Robertl594 Loc: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and Nantucket

Excellent. Enjoy.
I would suggest the following.
Manfrotto super clamp

Manfrotto 035RL Super Clamp with 2908 Standard Stud - Replaces 2900 - Black https://a.co/d/d9KLCit

And a Gimbal head which fits into the clamp.

Movo GH800 MKII Carbon Fiber Professional Gimbal Tripod Head with Long and Short Arca-Swiss Quick-Release Plates - for Outdoor Bird/Wildlife Photography https://a.co/d/iPJ1y0q

I am so glad I took these small items. Much more appropriate than a tripod, which you will probably not use.

If you have to opportunity to visit the Ngorongoro crater, it’s fabtastic!!!

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I have read all the comments so far here so I will mix/add a little of my wildlife experience .....

I am very nervous about 70-300 on APSC being long enough. If you have the the Canon 70-300 IS II nano - it is a great lens - even so, I would feel more comfortable with the extra reach of the Tamron 100-400 for this trip. It is quite light weight, compact and sharp and affordable 8-) ... And, yes two cameras having the same lens mount and a wider angle lens on one of them !
The suggestion for a specialized GUIDE is a good one I think !
.

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

I agree completely, though I prefer full frame camera for the ability to crop heavily.

photoman43

When I was on a photo safari in tanzania I had two crop sensor nikon bodies. One had a 500mm f4 with 1.4 tc on it most of the time. The other had a 70-200mm. I took over 50% of my pictures with the body that had the 500mm on it.

For Tanzania, where the land rovers have to stay on the road, you need 500mm or more for a lot of shots.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

On my trip to Kenya in 2019 I took 2 Nikon D7100 camera bodies, one wearing the 18-200VR2 lens and the other the 200-500VR lens. I had been warned about the dust and the inadvisability of changing lenses so I rented a second body for the trip. My gear was well suited to my needs and I got some wonderful shots. I did make use of both cameras and lenses--more with the 18-200 than the 200-500. I never felt the need for anything wider.

Enjoy your trip!

Larelain Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

I have been 5 times in the last 4 years. I take a Nikon D850 and Nikon D500. Lens Nikon 80-400, 28-300. No tripod. As far as weight restriction I found that you tell them it is camera gear they bend over backwards to accommodate you even on commuter flights where overhead compartments are too small. Have a great time you will really enjoy it.

Carl S

Good points, especially about the guide and the vehicle. There are companies that take people around to gawk at the wildlife with their iPhones, and there are those that are serious about photography. For the past few years, we put together our own group with no more than four in a vehicle, sometimes only two. There is a definite protocol among photographers about not moving without announcing it, not blocking someone else's shot, and keeping quiet. And we have two very good guides who have almost become family over the years in Kenya.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I see in your later post that you have Canon gear: EOS 77D camera and EF/EF-S lenses.

If your EF-S 18-135mm is the STM or USM model, those are good.

If your telephoto is any version of EF 70-300mm with IS and USM, those are decent lenses and the following info might help. However, if it's actually one of the EF 75-300mm, those simply aren't great and you should not try the following.

Something you might want to try... Instead of getting a longer lens, get a 1.4X teleconverter to use with your 70-300mm. DO NOT get a Canon 1.4X. Those won't fit onto that lens (they have a protruding front element that has to fit inside the rear barrel of the lens, which is too small diameter on the 70-300s). Kenko has made a series of 1.4X that will fit and work. I don't know how good their current "HD" version is. Their older "DGX Pro" was pretty good across the whole image, while their cheaper "MC-4" was actually sharper in the center, but softer in the corners (which is often okay shooting wildlife). On a 70-300mm lens, a 1.4X will make for a 98-420mm combo, equivalent to more than 700mm on full frame!

The problem with some cameras is they cannot autofocus a combination like this... You lose a stop of light to the 1.4X teleconverter... making your f/5.6 maximum aperture an effective f/8. But your camera CAN autofocus this combination, though it will only be able to do so with the center AF point.

A 1.4X teleconverter is not only a low cost way to "get more reach", as might be needed for wildlife in Africa... it also is compact and relatively lightweight.

If you decide to give this a try, I strongly suggest you get the 1.4X as soon as possible and do some tests with it to be sure you are happy with the results. There will be some loss of IQ, but hopefully not a lot. The only way to tell is to give it a try.

Regarding flash... It can be useful. Often all that's needed is "fill"... not "full" flash. And flash can be made to work at greater distance with a "flash extender". However, shooting through dust is a problem. "Eyeshine", the equivalent of "redeye" in humans, also can be a problem. So you may find flash difficult to use. It may be more helpful in camp or for landscape shots early or late in the day (illuminated foreground). For this the flash built into the camera might be enough... but is typically pretty weak. So use your judgement whether or not to pack a reasonably compact flash. Even the smallest (like a Canon 90EX or 120EX) is a lot more powerful than the one in your camera.

Regarding a 2nd camera... DEFINITELY! At a very minimum, take the point n shoot you've already got. Even better... much better... pick up a 2nd EOS 77D body! The reason a 2nd 77D would be best is because if one fails, you still have means of using the lenses. It's also easier to swap back and forth with identical cameras... put the 18-135mm on one and the 70-300mm on the other. As others have noted, this also means you can avoid changing lenses in dusty conditions.

I would NEVER take a trip overseas without at least one backup camera. Especially a trip with a lot of photography planned (not just touristy snapshots). In fact, if it were me I'd get a 2nd 77D to take on the trip AND take the point n shoot as a 3rd camera!

Be sure you have extra memory cards, extra batteries, charger(s) that are compatible with local electricity (or power converters).

I'd take at least a Circular Polarizer for the wider lens (not for the telephoto). Also be sure to have proper lens hoods for all your lenses. I carry spare lens caps, too.

To me "protection" filters like UV are optional. I only install them when needed, which really isn't very often. I find a C-Pol much more useful on certain lenses.

Do take lens and sensor cleaning supplies, though. I always pack a couple micro fiber cloths for general dusting of my camera gear (cloths sold at auto parts stores). And I have cheap plastic ponchos in my bags, in case it rains... As well as rain covers for my gear (may not be needed with some gear... but 77D, 18-135mm and 70-300mm are not particularly well sealed).