jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Good lens and good decision. No matter how long the lens is, there are times when you will wish it were longer. Just enjoy the adventure.

Tigger1 Loc: Surrey, BC Canada

Hi Timbuktutraveller,

IMO you will be well served using your Sony RX10 iv camera. I, like you, am a senior citizen of 77 years that visits six African countries each year for the sole purpose of going on multiple safaris. I, like you thought long lenses were a necessity and equipped my Nikon D800, D5100 and D7200 with an assortment of long lenses in the 300mm to 600mm focal length range along with shorter focal length range zooms and several f1.8 medium wide angle lenses. After viewing my photo collection I discovered the vast majority of the photos were taken with my Nikon 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 lens!
I assume this is your first African Safari and that you will be in a safari vehicle of either the open sided/no top Land Rover style, or the closed vehicle type with pop top of the Toyota Land Cruiser style. In either of these vehicles it is commonplace to get up close and personal with most animals, with the possible exception of hippos and rhinos where a long lens is helpfull if not a necessity. So, what is the conclusion to be drawn? As your camera has a 24-600mm focal range, in my opinion based on my own experiences over the last ten years of safaris, your camera will get the job done and provide you with printable photos to 16”-20”.
I wish you all the best and enjoy your safari!
Regards, Garth

rogerl Loc: UK (Harrogate, North Yorkshire)

You might find my post on page 2 of this thread to be helpful: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-543000-2.html

rtryan

Sony RX10 IV will be perfect. This from about 200 yards on recent arctic trip at 600mm on the Sony. But practice, practice, practice. Wildlife at distance I’d use aperture setting stopped down a bit ISO 100 and center or spot metering & focus. Birds use shutter at least 1/1000. Did I mention practice 😁. Have great trip

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

You have the right idea and are looking at the right camera for you ! At the entrance to the Serangetti , some one should have a store front to rent these ! !

..

Nitroclimber Loc: Nebraska

I also have an Sony RX10 mk iii and you can have a look at my recent posts from Rocky Mountain National Park to get an idea of sharpness! I love having the option from wide-angle to 600 mm telephoto - all hand held!

jaycoffman Loc: San Diego

You are right that having more reach is good on most African safaris. Having said that the other replies that say the guides are good at getting you close to the animals for pictures is generally good but from my experience you will lose a number of really good shots if you rely on that (I upped my range to 400mm from my last trip and don't know that's enough but I'll live with it). That leaves the great dilemma of having close and distance capabilities. I am not familiar with your 20x600 but if it has decent IQ that should be perfect. (Another issue is that it's really difficult to change lenses in the field in Africa--the dust is generally just too much so you'll need to stick with the same lens on your camera. As far as taking two cameras you need to be careful as many tours fly you from one site to another in very small planes. (We are leaving for southern Africa on Tuesday and are limited to 44 lbs total--checked and carry on.) Check with your tour company about this but remember that it's the pilots that enforce this and it's very expensive if you're over.

The other issue is the weight of the lens. While usually there isn't that much walking around on these trips there is a lot of hopping up and down getting in and out of the safari vehicles and that can be difficult if you have too much extraneous paraphernalia hanging on you. The other issue for vehicles is to find out what type you will have. There are two types I've run into--for ease I'll call them the "pop-top" and "open side." I prefer the pop-top because you can stand inside (giving you more elevation) and can steady your camera/lens on the top (I'd suggest a towel or other easy to carry item to support the lens. This is really an advantage as long as you learn to dance with your traveling companions. The open-side vehicle requires you to mostly turn in your seat and support your lens by hand when you're shooting. I find this difficult when controlling a really long lens in this situation. So again check with your tour company or look for pictures on their website to see what you'll likely be in.

But, having said all that, just go; these are wonderful trips and well worth it as you'll see stuff, animals, people and landscapes you'll never see at home. Hope you enjoy your trip as much as we have.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I am not familiar with this camera. I have no doubt that it will take photos that will look great on computer. The question is, though, will you want to print some? I take it that you already own this camera. My suggestion would be to take a photo that looks pretty sharp on the computer and then have it printed in various sizes to see what the quality of prints would be. I would also suggest taking a backup camera of some sort, even if just be a p&s.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

I think it is all you need to get great images in Africa. I went with a couple of Nikons and a Sigma 150-500 and captured everything I desired. You'll have more reach.

Rashid Abdu Loc: Ohio

The Sony Rx10 1V, is many cameras in one! However, if you are not familiar with it, I suggest that you get Gary Friedman's book!
Have a good trip and a good time.
Rashid

timbuktutraveler

Many thanks for this information.
Regards,
Larry

timbuktutraveler

HI Garth,

Many thanks for your prompt and informative reply.

Regards,
Larry

timbuktutraveler

Hi Rashid,
Thanks for recommending Gary's book.
I plan to get it now.
Regards,
Larry

timbuktutraveler

Many thanks.
Larry

timbuktutraveler

Many thanks,Bill
Larry