I purchased the 5D Mk IV when it first came out about 3 years ago. I attached a couple of photos from my trip to the Pantanal in Brazil. The Jaguar was shot from a small 8 passenger motor boat. The Jaguar was about 150 yards from the boat. It was shot at ISO 5,000, f/11, 1/2,500 at 400mm. The River Otters were also shot from a moving boat about 100 yards away. They were shot at ISO 6,400, f/6.3, 1/1,250 at 400mm. Both were heavily cropped to make them appear closer than they actually were. I am not a professional photographer and only a novice with Photoshop and Lightroom. I am sure they could have been processed better but for my use, I thought they came out pretty good considering how far away I was from the subjects. I don't have experience with the other Canon bodies you mentioned so just trying to give you some results from a relatively inexperienced photographer with the 5D Mark IV camera using the Canon 100 - 400mm II lens.

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I was in Namibia and also South Africa (Mala Mala) near Kruger last September. I am a canon user and brought a 7DMII with a 100-400 4.5-5.6 lens and a full frame 5DM4 with a 24-105 f4.0 lens. I ended up switching and using the full frame 5DM4 with the 100-400 lens a majority of the time even though I lost the 1.6 magnification with the 7DMII body. I found I needed the higher ISO capability of the full frame 5DM4 because you will be out early in the morning and late in the afternoon. You will need the higher ISO to handle higher shutter speeds to capture action. I was able to remove the noise and crop the photos to get very good close up shots. So in your case, I would concur with many of the others in the forum and take both D810's and the 18-200 and 200-500. That should cover all your bases and give you the best quality shots after Post Processing. Enjoy the trip, you will have a great time!

I took my Canon 5D mark IV (full frame sensor) with a canon 24-105 f4 and canon 100-400 II. Both have image stabilization. I mostly used the 100 - 400 lens at 400. Low light wasn't a big problem with that camera because it handles noise very well. I also brought a travel tripod but did not have the legs fully open because of lack of space in the boat but it did help steady the camera. The tripod was very helpful for sunsets and when on land.

We were prepared for bugs in late September but had virtually zero bugs, even on the river. We did bring our head netting and bug spray but rarely used it. Temps were in the upper 80's to low 90's and no rain. You will have a great time. Next to Africa, it is one of the best wildlife trips we have taken where you saw so many different types of animals and birds. It does get dusty on the dirt roads so bring a bandana or something similar to cover your face unless you are in a completely closed vehicle while driving. Share some photos when you return and have fun!

Hi, my wife and I were there two years ago at the end of September. We went with a company called Natural Habitat. We saw 15 different Jaguars over the course of 6 days. There were 8 of us on the trip with two guides. They had radios much like African Safari trucks to communicate with the other boat drivers. The boats were like large row boats with motors that go very fast. We were on the Cuiaba river in the Pantanal (which runs about 2500km into Argentina. We also saw giant River Otters, giant Anteaters, and many, many different species of birds. We also spent time at an Eco lodge that focuses on saving Jaguars that were being hunted by local farmers for killing their cattle. It was an amazing trip! Here are a couple of photos.

I was just in Namibia and South Africa (Mala Mala) this past September and am familiar with the weight restrictions. I have much heavier equipment than you so I cut back on clothing. However, you might be taking too many lenses. You will find yourself closer than you think to the larger animals so often the 24-70 will be sufficient especially with a 4/3 camera. However, if you are a birder, the 300 will definitely be needed. The 17mm probably only be used a few times for landscape and the falls if you are going there to get the wide angle shots. I would suggest a second body as a backup or to be able to change from closeup to long range quickly. You don't want to be changing lenses in all the vehicle with all the dust. I found that we would see an animal far away and start using my long lens but then the guide would drive closer to it so it would be near the vehicle. I simply picked up my other body with the wider lens to get those shots. I found myself using my 100-400 on a full frame body about 75% of the time and the 24-104mm lens the rest of the time. Africa is a great place to shoot wildlife. You will have an amazing time.

I would second what Walt B and jaymatt said. I wanted to share the experience with my wife so we opted to not go on the Photo tour. She had and iPhone 6S and I have to say, for internet sharing purposes her photos were great. I had a Canon 5DMIV with 24-105mm lens, handheld. Again, for sharing on the internet with friends, the photos were great. That being said, if you are looking for large print quality photos, then you will need the tripod and that is only allowed on the Photo Tour. We went in May and the light beams were incredible! You will probably miss those shots in January but it is still an amazing experience. Also, Horseshoe bend is not to be missed either.

Hi Charlie, we just completed our 3rd African Safari the other day. The company we used was:

Fish Eagle Safaris Inc.
Bert Duplessis is the owner and primary contact
Office: 800 513-5222
Office: 713 467-5222
www.fisheaglesafaris.com
bert@fisheaglesafaris.com

We used him for a group of 5 on our last trip and this trip it was just my wife and I. Everything went very smoothly and he will tailor to your budget. He is originally from South Africa and returns several times per year to visit new camps to ensure they are up to his standards. You can mention my name. I don't get a kickback nor do I know him personally. But he and his team have been very good at making sure every detail is taken care of.

There are many other reputable companies out there. Make sure to check out their references before you choose one. As the saying goes... You get what you pay for. I have seen several converted Toyota vans with the tops cut out and 9 people crammed into them if you want to do it on a small budget.

We stayed at high end camps and they were really nice. Most of the time there was just 4 of us to a Range Rover vehicle. Several times it was just my wife and I on the drives.

Good Luck!

Hi Charlie, my wife and I just returned yesterday from a 3 week trip to Namibia and Mala Mala in South Africa. I brought my Canon 5D4 and rented a Canon 7D2. Started with the Canon 100-400 lens on the Canon7D2 and the 24-104 lens on the full frame sensor 5D4. The animals were so close I switched the lenses and used the 5D4 with the 100 - 400 lens and it was plenty. The other main reason I did this is because I wanted high shutter speed to capture action shots. I needed to push the ISO over 1600 many times to get that high shutter speed even during the day and the 5D4 with larger pixel size allowed me to reduce noise better than the 7D2 does (based on past wildlife trips). The only time I really needed longer than 400 lens was with some birds. Depending on where you go, you will be surprised how close you will get to the wildlife. I was able to use the 24-104 lens for almost all the big 5 animals. Even the Leopards were close where I was (except when they were in the trees). Keep in mind that if you are taking small plane flights (6 - 12 seat planes) there will be a weight limit and the camera equipment I took combined with my limited clothing was just barely below the weight limit. Africa is an amazing place and I am sure you will have a great time. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

Sorry, meant to say I was definately taking two bodies (one with long lens and one with wide lens) along with extra batteries, memory cards, cleaning kit. I have no plans to purchsse gear in Africa. Thanks.

Thank you for your advice Maragaretnewell. That is what I plan to do.

Thanks again everyone for your prompt and excellent responses. Going mid-September and returning early October. Will post my experience with the two cameras for others who mentioned they will be doing similar safaris next year so you can learn from my mistakes or not.

As a side note, some of you suggested a mirrorless for a second camera. I wish I had enough time to learn about them. I did a trip to the Pantanal in Brazil last September and one of the guides had the latest Olympus with a 300mm (600mm equivalent) f4 prime. It was amazingly light compared to my Canon 5DM4 with 100-400 lens. His photos were very sharp of the Jaguars and Giant Otters even in low light. However, that is another topic that I am sure has been covered many times in this forum. I will go search for that topic for future wildlife trips where weight is an issue and possibly invest in a mirrorless camera.

Thanks John. Great photos!

Wow, you guys are great! Thanks Fredtoo and Zug55 for your first hand knowledge from past experience. Thanks for everyone else's input as well. It will just be my wife and I and we will be in hotels with power every night. We will be in Land Rovers but I am told with at most 3 other people so front seat is not a guarantee. I will definitely bring extra batteries, plenty of memory cards, blower and cleaning materials. Was going back and forth on the tripod so thanks for that advice. A couple pounds less to carry! I will add a soft bag to protect against dust while the vehicle is in motion. I will get a 7DMII camera body. Since I am familiar with the 5DM4, I don't think the controls on the 7DMII will be too much different and should be easy to learn quickly.

Thanks again to everyone, this forum is a great source of knowledge!

Hi UHH'ers, I am a newbie to this forum but have been following the forum for a few weeks. There are a lot of very good discussions and recommendations on the forum so I thought I would give it a try so here goes...

I have a Canon 5D Mark IV with a Canon 24-105 F4 and a Canon 100-400 II F4.5 - 5.6. I am seriously considering renting another camera body - a 7D mark II for more reach with my 100-400 II lens. I would keep the 24-105 on the 5D mark IV. I am choosing the 7D II for its 1.6 built in reach, high shutter speed and high ISO capability. Do you think this is the right approach? I am afraid of changing lenses in the field with all the dust. Any feedback on your experiences shooting in Africa or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I am thinking of renting the Canon 7D Mark II from Borrowlenes.com for about $325.00 for 3 weeks. Anyone else rent from them? Hoping they provide well taken care of cameras.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.